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.
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.
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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).
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.
- 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.
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).
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.
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).
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).
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
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
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Follow the recipe instructions for seasoning the tenderloins.
- Place tenderloins in a shallow baking pan.
- Bake until meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of the meat reaches 165°F (approximately 60-70 minutes).
- Remove from oven, cover and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
- Preheat grill over medium heat. Clean and oil the grates.
- Follow recipe instructions to season the tenderloins. Place tenderloins directly on the oiled grate.
- Grill, turning occasionally, until meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of the meat reaches 165°F (approximately 45-50 minutes).
- Remove from heat, cover and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Chenee says
This came out so tender and with so much flavor! I really enjoyed it and will be making it again.
Casey says
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!
K. says
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!!
Saif says
I love turkey tenderloin. I add this into my sandwich and it was delicious.
Jan says
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.
Erika says
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!
Bobby says
This is brilliant! I am definitely using this recipe for Thanksgiving this year. Thank you!