Baked Turkey Tenderloin

Easy Baked Turkey Tenderloin – with a garlic butter sauce like our viral Baked Pork Tenderloin – is one of the most good, simple, and always-juicy ways to make Turkey Breast Tenderloins – your family will love this turkey dinner!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How to Bake Turkey Tenderloin

This recipe is a lot like our The Best Baked Pork Tenderloin Recipe – you can sear either before or after the oven. For photos, we seared after cooking in the oven, because we had a turkey breast tenderloin that wasn't staying together well, so we wanted it to firm up through cooking before searing. Technically, you can also skip the sear – but we like to for color and a bit of extra flavor.

Baked Turkey Tenderloin Ingredients

To make this turkey tenderloin, we will need the following ingredients:

• Italian salad dressing (optional marinade) adds acidity, herbs, and oil that tenderize the turkey while infusing it with tangy, savory flavor.
• Extra virgin olive oil helps the seasoning adhere, creates a golden crust, and adds richness as the turkey cooks.
• Sea salt enhances all the natural flavors and helps the tenderloin stay juicy.
• Fresh cracked pepper adds gentle heat and depth.
• Turkey tenderloin is lean, mild, and cooks quickly—absorbing flavors easily while staying tender when well-seasoned.
• Butter (sliced into pats) melts over the turkey for moisture, richness, and browning while carrying herb and garlic flavors.
• Diced garlic brings bold, savory aroma and classic roasted flavor.
• Dried basil adds light sweetness and a soft herbal note.
• Dried oregano contributes earthy, slightly peppery depth for classic Italian flavor.
• Dried thyme offers warm, woodsy fragrance that complements poultry beautifully.
• Dried parsley adds mild brightness and rounds out the herb blend.
• Dried sage provides a traditional poultry-friendly savoriness with a subtle peppery edge.
• Italian herb seasoning blend (2 tbsp) can replace the individual herbs, delivering a balanced mix of classic Mediterranean flavors in one step.

Steps to Bake Turkey Tenderloin

Once we've gathered our ingredients, we will use the following process:

Marinate Tenderloins

Marinate turkey tenderloins at least 30 minutes, up to overnight. We like to marinate in a bottle of Italian dressing – or you can use the butter or olive oil herb mix below, as well.

Make Garlic Herb Butter

Combine butter, garlic, and herbs in small pot and melt butter while toasting spices. If using olive oil, skip and mix in small bowl.

Season Tenderloin

Season tenderloins well with garlic butter or olive oil mixture.

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Fold foil or parchment into a pouch.

Optional Sear

As turkey tenderloins finish cooking, you can sear the top and bottom for a bit more flavor and color, which is optional. If you seared before cooking, skip this sear.

Rest, Slice, Enjoy!

Let turkey rest for at least 10 minutes after done cooking (from oven or post-sear). Slice into medallions, serve, and enjoy!

Kitchen notes

Marinate for extra flavor — even 30 minutes in Italian dressing adds noticeable tenderness and brightness; overnight makes it even better.

Pat the tenderloin dry before seasoning so the olive oil and herbs stick and the outside browns instead of steaming.

Use a meat thermometer — turkey tenderloin cooks quickly, and pulling it at 165°F (or even 160°F with a rest) keeps it from drying out.

Let the butter melt slowly during cooking by placing the pats evenly on top; this bastes the meat and deepens the herb flavor.

Mix the garlic with a bit of olive oil before adding if you want it to brown without burning.

Use Italian herb blend when in a hurry — it delivers perfectly balanced flavor without measuring each individual herb.

Add a splash of broth or white wine to the baking dish if you want extra moisture or pan juices to spoon over the slices.

Rest the cooked tenderloin for 5–10 minutes so the juices redistribute and every slice stays tender.

Slice against the grain for the softest texture.

Turn leftovers into meal prep — turkey tenderloin stays moist and reheats beautifully for salads, bowls, wraps, or casseroles.

Baked Turkey Tenderloin FAQs

Can we cook a Turkey Tenderloin from frozen?

Yes—add extra cooking time (usually 10–15 minutes). For best texture and seasoning absorption, thawing first is recommended.

How do we keep a turkey tenderloin from drying out?

Use a meat thermometer and pull the tenderloin from the oven at 165°F (or 160°F with a resting period). The butter pats and olive oil also help lock in moisture.

Do we have to marinate the turkey tenderloin?

No, the recipe is good without a marinade—but even a short 30–60 minute soak in Italian dressing adds extra tenderness and flavor.

Can we use fresh herbs instead of dried?

Absolutely. Use 3x the amount of fresh herbs since they're milder, and place some under the butter for maximum aroma.

Can we make this in an air fryer instead of the oven?

Yes! Cook at 350°F for 22–28 minutesdepending on thickness, turning halfway and checking the internal temp early. Follow our Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe for more info.

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Ingredients

• 1 bottle Italian salad dressing, optional marinade
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• ½ tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 2 lb turkey tenderloin
• 4 tbsp butter, sliced into 4–6 pats
• 2 tbsp diced garlic
• 1 tsp dried basil*
• 1 tsp dried oregano*
• 1 tsp dried thyme*
• 1 tsp dried parsley*
• ½ tsp dried sage*

Method

1. (Optional) Marinate the turkey tenderloin in Italian salad dressing for 1–12 hours to add flavor and tenderness.
2. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
3. Pat the tenderloin dry and place it in a baking dish.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and cracked pepper.
5. Sprinkle the dried herbs (or Italian herb blend) evenly over the turkey.
6. Add the diced garlic on top, then place the butter pats across the tenderloin.
7. Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
8. Let rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing to keep it juicy.