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    Make It Skinny Please » Recipes » Air Fryer » Best Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin (easy recipe)

    Published: Nov 14, 2023 by Toni Dash · 8 Comments

    Best Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin (easy recipe)

    Weight Watchers Points1
    Calories: 146kcal
    Carbs: 1g
    Protein: 26g
    Fats: 4g
    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    air fryer turkey tenderloins on platter close up.

    This moist flavorful Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight meal or part of Thanksgiving dinner! It's a great option when you don't want to make a full turkey. Ready in less than 30 minutes.

    air fryer turkey tenderloins on platter close up.
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    air fryer turkey tenderloins on platter close up.

    During the holiday season having a delicious recipe for dinner is a must. And this easy turkey recipe is done in a fraction of the time of roasting a turkey or even cooking a whole turkey breast. It's a smaller cut of meat so a great recipe for small groups or even for meal prepping. 

    This easy air fryer recipe for lean turkey tenderloin is perfect for busy weeknights. The preparation is fast and 20-25 minutes cook time. Just add your favorite side dishes! We love Air Fryer Green Beans, Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and Cranberry Sauce for a holiday meal. It's an easy alternatives to our Instant Pot Turkey Breast Roast or Air Fryer Turkey Breast.

    Jump to:
    • What makes this skinny?
    • What is a turkey tenderloin?
    • Recipe Ingredient Notes
    • Where to Buy Turkey Tenderloins
    • How to make it
    • ​Air Fryer Cooking
    • Storing Leftovers
    • More Recipes You'll Love
    • Recipe

    What makes this skinny?

    • Lean meat. Turkey tenderloin, like turkey breast, is a very lean meat. 
    • Very little fat. Only one tablespoon of olive oil is used to cook this recipe.
    • Air Fryer cooking. This cooking method creates fried-like end results through convection cooking (hot air circulation). This saves lots of oil use (and calories).
    air fryer turkey tenderloin sliced on blue plate close up.

    What is a turkey tenderloin?

    A turkey tenderloin is a portion of the turkey breast that is 99% fat free, boneless and skinless. As the name indicates it is very tender. It's a smaller piece of white meat that is usually triangular in shape. Generally two are sold together.

    It's a favorite cut of turkey and perfect for grilling, baking, smoking or air frying. They are easy to flavor with marinade or spices and very moist and tender when cooked properly.

    Recipe Ingredient Notes

    For the complete ingredient list and amounts, refer to the printable recipe card at the end of the post.

    air fryer turkey tenderloins labelled ingredients.
    • Turkey Tenderloin. We cooked 1.5 pounds (24 ounces) of skinless turkey tenderloin in this recipe which was two tenderloins. Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towels before starting the recipe. 
    • Olive oil. One tablespoon of olive oil is used to mix with the seasonings to form a spice rub. This helps keep the meat moist too.
    • Seasoning mixture: Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper.
    • Cooking spray. You'll need olive oil spray or avocado oil spray to spritz on the air fryer basket before cooking.

    Where to Buy Turkey Tenderloins

    Similar to hams for Easter, turkey tenderloins are most available around Thanksgiving. They can be found at the butcher or meat counter at the grocery store, or pre-packaged.

    There are places to find them outside the Thanksgiving time frame but it's a great idea to buy more then and stick them in your freezer.

    turkey tenderloin cooked close up.

    How to make it

    STEP 1. Preparation

    Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees F. Pat the turkey tenderloins with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.

    STEP 2. Prepare the Turkey Tenderloins

    In a small bowl combine the seasonings and oil; mix together (photos 1-2).  Lightly salt and pepper the tenderloins (photo 3). Apply the spice rub evenly on both sides of the turkey tenderloins (photo 4).

    air fryer turkey tenderloin recipe steps 1-4.

    STEP 3. Air Fry

    Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil spray to prevent sticking (photo 5). Place the prepared turkey tenderloins in the air fryer basket in a single layer (photo 6). Cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping the tenderloins over halfway (photo 7) through cooking with tongs (photo 8; cooking complete). 

    The turkey is done when an instant read thermometer or meat thermometer inserted registers 165 degrees internal temperature. If the turkey isn't at temperature add a few minutes, take the temperature and adjust as needed for your air fryer.

    air fryer turkey tenderloin recipe steps 5-8.

    STEP 4. Rest

    Remove the turkey from the air fryer basket and allow to rest on a plate or cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing (see below).

    turkey tenderloin recipe steps resting.

    Don't skip the resting step. Resting meat after cooking allows the juices to redistribute making a juicier end result.

    ​Air Fryer Cooking

    Every brand, size and model of air fryer cooks slightly differently. It's always important to monitor foods while cooking and adjust the cooking time for your air fryer. Using a thermometer to verify the internal temperature of meat is the only way to verify it has completed cooking properly.

    This recipe was developed in a Cosori 5.8 quart XL air fryer (1700 watt).

    air fryer turkey tenderloin with side dishes overhead.
    Served with Air Fryer Green Beans, Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and Cranberry Sauce.

    Storing Leftovers

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

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    Recipe

    air fryer turkey tenderloin sliced close up.

    Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin

    Weight Watchers Points1
    Click to track Weight Watchers Points
    Juicy Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin is fast and easy to make. Loaded with big flavor, this tender turkey recipe is perfect for weeknights or Thanksgiving. Oven and grill methods included in recipe notes.
    5 from 74 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Rest time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 3.5-ounce serving size (cooked turkey)
    Calories: 146kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
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    Ingredients

    • 1.5 pounds (24 ounces) turkey tenderloins this amount should be 2 tenderloins
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • kosher salt
    • freshly ground black pepper
    • olive oil spray or avocado oil spray

    Instructions

    • Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees F.
      Pat the turkey tenderloins with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the tenderloins.
      kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
    • In a small bowl combine the seasonings and olive oil; mix together. Apply the spice rub evenly on both sides of the turkey tenderloins.
      1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1.5 pounds (24 ounces) turkey tenderloins
    • Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil spray to prevent sticking. Place the prepared turkey tenderloins in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
      olive oil spray or avocado oil spray
    • Cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping the tenderloins over halfway through cooking with tongs.
      The turkey is done when an instant read thermometer or meat thermometer inserts registers 165 degrees internal temperature.
      If the turkey isn't at temperature add a few minutes, take the temperature and adjust as needed for your air fryer.
    • Remove the turkey from the air fryer basket and allow to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing.

    Notes

    Note on serving size. We follow government nutritional serving recommendations of 3.5 ounces turkey. The turkey tenderloins lose about 4 ounces in the cooking process; the cooked total yield is approximately 1 pound 5 ounces. 
    Air Fryer Cooking note
    Every brand, size and model of air fryer cooks slightly differently. It's always important to monitor foods while cooking and adjust the cooking time for your air fryer. Using a thermometer to verify the internal temperature of meat is the only way to verify it has completed cooking properly.
    This recipe was developed in a Cosori 5.8 quart XL air fryer (1700 watt).
    Oven instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Follow the recipe instructions for seasoning the tenderloins.
    2. Place tenderloins in a shallow baking pan.
    3. Bake until meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of the meat reaches 165°F (approximately 60-70 minutes).
    4. Remove from oven, cover and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
    Grilling instructions
    1. Preheat grill over medium heat. Clean and oil the grates.
    2. Follow recipe instructions to season the tenderloins. Place tenderloins directly on the oiled grate.
    3. Grill, turning occasionally, until meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of the meat reaches 165°F (approximately 45-50 minutes).
    4. Remove from heat, cover and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
    Storing Leftovers
    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    air fryer turkey tenderloins on platter close up.
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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutritional Coach and certified Weight Loss Specialist, writer/blogger, photographer, chief recipe developer and creator of Make It Skinny Please. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her slimmed down recipes using real food ingredients bring excitement to the dining table and never taste like 'diet food'. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 74 votes (66 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Andie says

      November 14, 2023 at 11:28 am

      5 stars
      I love how easy this recipe is while still being delish! Going to send it to my mom for thanksgiving.

      Reply
    2. Chenee says

      November 14, 2023 at 9:52 am

      5 stars
      This came out so tender and with so much flavor! I really enjoyed it and will be making it again.

      Reply
    3. Casey says

      November 14, 2023 at 9:51 am

      5 stars
      Turkey tenderloin is absolutely delicious every single time I've had it. I've never tried it in the air fryer though, and this recipe was definitely a winner. So good!

      Reply
    4. K. says

      November 14, 2023 at 9:44 am

      5 stars
      You can't beat that air fryer time!! And, it's still so juicy. I also love the flavors. This is how I'll be making our turkey!!

      Reply
    5. Saif says

      November 14, 2023 at 8:08 am

      5 stars
      I love turkey tenderloin. I add this into my sandwich and it was delicious.

      Reply
    6. Jan says

      November 14, 2023 at 8:01 am

      5 stars
      I bought some turkey tenderloins last weekend and found your recipe from Googling. I’m so glad I did! It was easy, straightforward, and more importantly delicious. The flavors were great and it was very moist. Definitely would make again.

      Reply
    7. Erika says

      November 14, 2023 at 7:10 am

      5 stars
      This air fryer turkey tenderloin recipe is indeed one of the best! It is so tender and juicy, my fam super loves it! I'll be making this again for Thanksgiving!

      Reply
    8. Bobby says

      November 14, 2023 at 6:42 am

      5 stars
      This is brilliant! I am definitely using this recipe for Thanksgiving this year. Thank you!

      Reply

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I'm a Certified Nutrition Coach and NASM certified Weight Loss Specialist. I'm excited to share Classic Recipes made more calorie friendly using real food!

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