Who doesn't want a one-pan meal for a rich and hearty Thanksgiving for two – and this Baked Turkey Tenderloin and Sweet Potatoes cozied up in garlic butter delivers big time! We're searing turkey tenderloin and roasting them in garlic butter with onions and sweet potatoes, so you have a good turkey dinner and side, roasted all on one pan!

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 With Sweet Potatoes

This turkey tenderloin recipe cooks our main dish and side dish together, in an amazingly rich and good garlic butter sauce, like our Garlic Butter Pork Tenderloin.

This recipe is good for a busy weeknight, Sunday supper, or even a low key Thanksgiving for two. Turkey tenderloin is a lot like pork tenderloin – it is light and good, and can dry out when not prepared properly. This recipe involves a few steps – season, brown, and roast – but we don't recommend skipping the browning.

Turkey Tenderloin and Sweet Potatoes Ingredients

To make this recipe, we will need the following ingredients:

1 lb turkey breast tenderloins (up to 2 pounds) – lean, tender white meat that cooks quickly and stays juicy with proper seasoning. It's mild in flavor, making it a great base for herbs, garlic, and butter to shine.
2 tablespoons olive oil – coats the turkey and vegetables to help them brown evenly, adds healthy fat, and carries the herbs and spices so they adhere during roasting.
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper, divided – provides gentle heat and depth, balancing the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes and richness of the butter.
2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt, divided – enhances every flavor in the dish and draws moisture to the surface for better browning; sea salt adds trace minerals that create a subtle savory complexity.
1 yellow onion, diced – adds natural sweetness, aroma, and depth as it caramelizes while roasting, complementing the turkey's savoriness and the sweet potatoes' mild sweetness.
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups) – provide earthy sweetness, a soft contrast to the turkey's texture, and a good dose of fiber, beta carotene, and natural color.
4 ounces butter, melted – adds richness and moisture to the dish, helping the turkey stay tender and giving the vegetables a silky, golden finish. It enhances browning and ties all the flavors together.
¼ cup minced garlic – infuses strong savory flavor that builds depth and aroma, balancing the butter's richness and the sweet potatoes' sweetness.
1 tablespoon Italian herbs seasoning blend – combines herbs like oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme to add fragrance, depth, and a balanced, herby flavor that brings cohesion to the turkey and vegetables.

Steps to Make Turkey Tenderloin and Sweet Potatoes

Brown Turkey

Pat turkey dry and season turkey tenderloins well.

Prep Oven & Add to Baking Sheet

Preheat oven.

Add Potatoes and Onions

Dice onions and peel and dice sweet potatoes, add to pan and spread out.

Roast

Roast 30-35 minutes, until turkey tenderloin is 165 degrees in the thickest part in the middle of the tenderloin.

Rest & Serve

Rest for at least 10 minutes before carving, slice, and serve.

Kitchen notes

Try Ingredient Swaps: You can use other vegetables, herbs, or seasonings.

Use a Digital Thermometer: Always use a digital meat thermometer, instead of going by looks, to gauge when your turkey is done. Turkey can sometimes give a pink appearance, and cooking until it is purely white (even though fully cooked with a slight pink hue) will mean dry, tough turkey.

Don't skip the sear. We find it is best to quickly sear the turkey before baking. While this might seem like an extra step – and it is – searing meat before baking gives it a great color, caramelized flavor, and crunchy texture to the outside.

Cut sweet potatoes to small bites. This recipe cooks fairly quickly – and sweet potatoes often need time. Cutting small cubes will help them cook faster, so they can cook at the same time the pork is done.

Add other vegetables. Looking for more vegetable flavor? Add in shaved Brussels sprouts, sliced mushrooms, diced beets, diced turnips, diced parsnips, cauliflower, or green beans.

Serve with cranberry! Turkey is good with cranberry sauce cranberry fluff salad or even Sparkling Cranberry Punch! Turkey and cranberry go together year round – not on Thanksgiving!

Serve it with

While this dinner is truly a one-pot meal, we have lots of good side dishes that pair perfectly with turkey tenderloin!

We love to serve this dinner with soft dinner rollsair fryer brussels sprouts Apple Arugula Almond Salad with Orange Dressing Burrata Farro Salad The Best Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus Apple Cider Gin and Tonicand Easy Caramel Apple Spice Cake !

Find some of our favorite Thanksgiving-inspired dishes here:

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Turkey Tenderloin and Sweet Potatoes FAQs

When is turkey done cooking?

Turkey tenderloin is done cooking at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

What is turkey tenderloin?

Turkey tenderloin is a cut of boneless, skinless turkey breast. Technically a turkey breast refers to the skin-on, bone-in portion of the turkey breast, and the tenderloin is the boneless, skinless version.

Can turkey tenderloin be pink?

Some turkey can appear to have a pink hue – even when fully cooked. Since the color of the meat is not a reliable indication of doneness for turkey, we always recommend using a food thermometer to gauge the doneness for all meat, but especially poultry.

How can we store turkey tenderloin leftovers?

Turkey tenderloin can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, or frozen for up to four months.

Ingredients

1 lb turkey breast tenderloins, weight will vary by packaging, up to 2 pounds
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons freshed cracked pepper, divided
2 teaspoons celtic sea salt, divided
1 yellow onion, diced
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced into 1″ cubes (about 2 cups)
4 oz butter, melted
¼ cup minced garlic
1 tablespoon Italian herbs seasoning blend

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Season turkey with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
In a large, heavy pan, heat olive oil until light and shimmery.
Sear until brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.
While turkey is searing, add sweet potatoes and onions to baking sheet.
When turkey has browned on all sides (but not cooked through), place on baking sheet in the middle of onions and potatoes.
In a small bowl, mix butter, garlic, and Italian herbs with remaining salt and pepper. Pour over turkey, sweet potatoes, and onions.
Roast in oven for 35-40 minutes, until turkey reaches 165 degrees internal temperature.
Remove from oven and let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing turkey to let the meat rest and give the juices time to redistribute.
Serve and enjoy!