This easy Crock Pot turkey tenderloin recipe is perfect for a small family. The juicy, tender meat is seasoned with garlic, butter, and herbs, and the leftovers are tasty, too!
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Wonderful recipe, turned out very tender with great seasonings and taste.
– Jane
Whether you’re serving a small family for a holiday meal like Thanksgiving or Christmas, or just looking for a flavorful alternative to chicken for your next weeknight supper, this crock pot turkey tenderloin recipe is the perfect solution! The flavorful and juicy white meat turkey is seasoned with garlic and herbs, basted with garlic butter pan sauce, and finished under the broiler. Round out your delicious turkey dinner with creamy baked mac and cheese, Southern collard greens, sweet potato casserole, sweet potato casserole with pecans, mashed sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, cranberry relish, or one-bowl orange cranberry muffins, or pumpkin pie!
What to Know Before You Get Started
- The turkey tenderloin (or “turkey breast tenderloin”) and the turkey breast are not the same part of the bird. The turkey tenderloin is the cut of meat underneath the turkey breast. It’s sold boneless and skinless, and is similar in shape and size to a large boneless, skinless chicken breast. Since the turkey breast tenderloin does not get much exercise, the meat is very tender and can be cooked in a variety of different ways.
- Turkey breast tenderloins are typically sold in packs of two, which weigh a total of about 1 ½ pounds. I use either Jennie O tenderloins or Butterball brand, but any similar variety will work.
- The butter adds a little bit of extra fat for flavor, richness, and moisture, while also creating a sauce at the end that you can use to baste the meat before broiling.
- Lightly smash the garlic cloves, but don’t peel them. The peel protects the garlic from burning in the Crock Pot, and allows the subtle garlic flavor to infuse the meat and the butter sauce as the turkey slowly cooks.
- Keep an eye on your tenderloins the first time that you make this recipe so that you don’t overcook the lean meat. Overdone turkey becomes tough and dry. Every slow cooker runs at a slightly different temperature, which is why the recipe provides suggested timeframes. For example, my Crock Pot cooks at a fairly high temperature, so the turkey needs just 1 hour on HIGH or 2 hours on LOW. Other pots may require longer.
How to Cook a Turkey Tenderloin Crock Pot Recipe
This turkey breast tenderloin crock pot dinner is the perfect way to enjoy moist, tender, and flavorful meat — whether you’re celebrating a holiday or just enjoying an easy weeknight meal. You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Stir together the seasoning rub.
- Coat the turkey with olive oil and rub with the seasoning blend.
- Sear the turkey in a hot skillet just until browned on both sides. This step adds flavor and color to the finished dish.
- Place the turkey in a slow cooker, along with butter, garlic cloves, and rosemary sprigs. For this recipe, you do not need to add cooking liquid to the slow cooker. Condensation will form in the heat of the Crock Pot, adding liquid and creating a moist cooking environment for the turkey. We don’t want to water-down the garlic butter sauce and drippings with extra liquid.
- Cover and cook on low until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Be careful not to overcook your turkey. The turkey breast tenderloins have the best texture when cooked in my slow cooker on HIGH for about 1 hour. That keeps them moist and juicy, and prevents them from drying out.
- For even more of a browned, crisp exterior, baste the meat with the garlic butter sauce and then place it under the broiler. This step is optional, but it does add a nice texture to the outside of the turkey, which you can’t achieve in the moist environment of the Crock Pot.
- Allow the turkey to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. This gives the juices time to redistribute so that the meat retains its moisture.
What to Serve with Crockpot Turkey Tenderloin
Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just a regular Sunday supper, this Crockpot turkey tenderloin recipe goes well with just about any of your favorite side dishes. For instance, pair the meat with vegetable casserole, broccoli casserole, squash casserole, roasted root vegetables, a winter salad with orange vinaigrette, green bean casserole, sausage stuffing, cornbread dressing, cranberry Jello salad, pink salad, Jiffy corn casserole, ambrosia salad, cherry fluff salad, Watergate salad, or pecan pie bars.
Storage Tips
Leftover cooked turkey will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Wrapped tightly, the meat will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat turkey tenderloin: Place the turkey on a sheet pan and warm in a 325°F oven just until heated through (about 10-15 minutes). Be careful not to overheat, or the tenderloin will become dry. You can also reheat individual portions of turkey in the microwave for about 1 minute.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Crock Pot Turkey Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 2 turkey breast tenderloins (about 1 ½ pounds total)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon dried sage
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, diced into small pieces
- 2 large garlic cloves, gently smashed (but not peeled)
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, sage, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Pat the turkey tenderloins dry, rub each with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil; rub seasoning mixture on both sides of the meat.
- Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add turkey; cook until browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the turkey to a slow cooker.
- Place butter on top of and around the turkey. Arrange the garlic cloves and the rosemary in the slow cooker around the turkey. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 1-2 hours, or until the turkey registers at least 165°F in the center when measured with an instant read thermometer.
- Optional: transfer the turkey to a large rimmed baking sheet. Preheat the broiler on HIGH. Baste or drizzle the garlic butter sauce from the slow cooker on top of the turkey. Place under the broiler for a few minutes, just until browned and slightly crispy on top. Keep a close eye on the meat while it’s under the broiler, since it can burn quickly. Let the turkey rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Turkey Tenderloin Recipe Variations
- If you’re starting with marinated turkey breast tenderloins, skip the olive oil and seasoning rub. Cook as instructed, adding only the butter and the garlic to the slow cooker. The marinade will have plenty of flavor, so the extra rosemary isn’t necessary.
- Double all of the ingredients to feed a larger family — or to have extra meat for a turkey sandwich, turkey soup, or turkey casserole. The cooking instructions remain the same. You’ll likely need to sear the tenderloins in batches so that they don’t overcrowd your skillet.
- Change the seasonings. Try a bbq rub, use a simple combination of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, or try other herbs and spices. Good options include parsley, thyme, chives, oregano, smoked paprika, or chili powder.
- Add a hint of sweetness by mixing some brown sugar into the seasoning.
- Make it spicy by adding cayenne.
- If you plan to make a gravy from the drippings, you can go ahead and add chicken broth and/or white wine to the slow cooker. It won’t hurt the meat! Use the chicken broth and drippings to make a gravy at the end, rather than basting the turkey tenderloin with the garlic butter sauce.
More Turkey Recipes for a Small Family
Smoked Turkey Breast
4 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
Garlic and Herb Roast Turkey Breast
2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in April, 2023. It was updated in November, 2024.
Wonderful recipe, turned out very tender with great seasonings and taste
Thank you, Jane! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
If I bought 2 tenderloin pkgs and cooked a total of the 4 tenderloins in one large crockpot would that work? Having 12 people for Thanksgiving but we are not big meat eaters.
You’ll definitely want to still sear them first!