Tender, juicy, and ready in only 30 minutes, this Instant Pot Turkey Tenderloin recipe is so easy to make! It's a perfect turkey dinner idea when you don't want to roast a whole turkey for hours!
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Turkey is something most people only make on a special occasion or for Thanksgiving Dinner. Now you can make a good turkey dinner whenever you want! Turkey tenderloin can easily be found in your local grocery store.
Use your Instant Pot and have a delicious turkey dinner on the table in less than an hour. If you have a smaller crowd, this easy turkey tenderloin recipe is the perfect dinner to make!
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Why This Recipe Is Great!
- This is an easy dinner recipe! You would never believe that turkey can be ready in under an hour, but when you use lean, white meat part of the turkey, it's ready really fast!
- It's a perfect comfort food dinner! Turkey makes everyone think of the holidays and feel warm and fuzzy inside. This dinner is ready in a portion of the time!
- It's a foolproof dinner! Because we are using an electric pressure cooker, we are actually steaming the turkey. The great thing about steam is that it keeps the turkey moist and delicious the whole time, so you don't have to worry about overcooked meat!
What is the Tenderloin?
Are you team dark meat or team white meat? The tenderloin is lean white meat. The cut is taken from the turkey breast portion of the bird. It's a convenient cut of meat for a quick dinner because there are no bones in this cut. The tenderloin is very tender and cooks up quickly for a family dinner.
Ingredients For Instant Pot Turkey Tenderloin
- Turkey Tenderloin. I was able to find a 24-ounce package of Jennie O Turkey Breast Tenderloin at my local grocery store. There are 2 tenderloins per package.
- Olive Oil. To marinate the turkey in as well as saute the turkey in.
- Rosemary. Fresh rosemary is best, but if you only have dried rosemary that will work as well.
- Garlic cloves. There's nothing better than fresh garlic! If you only have garlic powder, you can use that instead.
- Broth. A liquid is needed for the Instant Pot to cook the turkey. Cup of water, cup of turkey broth, or cup of vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth. It's most important that there is a cup of liquid in the inner pot below the turkey tenderloin.
- Salt and black pepper. To season to turkey tenderloin.
Equipment
- Instant Pot. 6-quart Instant Pot fits 2 turkey tenderloins perfectly.
- Measuring Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Cutting Board
- Knives
How To Make Instant Pot Turkey Tenderloin
The first step is to quickly marinate the turkey. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, chopped rosemary, and mixed garlic. With a spoon, mix to combine.
In a large bowl, place the turkey tenderloin. Pour the marinade over the turkey and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. If you have more time, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of the Instant Pot and set the Instant Pot to the saute function.
Place the turkey in the bottom of the pot and cook on each side for 4 minutes to slightly brown the meat.
Pour the chicken broth into the Instant Pot and cancel the "saute" function.
Close the lid and set the cooking time to 15 minutes on High pressure.
After 15 minutes, allow the Instant Pot to natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Quick release any of the remaining pressure.
Open lid of the Instant Pot, remove the turkey with a slotted spoon or tongs, place turkey on a plate, and cover with aluminum foil. Allow the turkey tenderloin to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
What To Serve With Instant Pot Turkey Tenderloin?
- Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Sourdough Stuffing
- Rice Dressing
- Greek Pasta Salad with Penne Pasta
- Antipasto Pasta Salad
- Instant Pot Asparagus Risotto
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Instant Pot Cornbread
- Instant Pot Steamed Asparagus
Tips and Tricks
- The Instant Pot will take 5-10 minutes to come up to pressure because it begins cooking the turkey tenderloin.
- Since the tenderloin is a lean cut of meat, the olive oil will help add some fat back into the turkey to prevent it from drying out.
- It's helpful to have a meat thermometer handy. The internal temperature of turkey should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit when you take it out of the Instant Pot.
- If you purchased a pre-marinated turkey tenderloin, skip the marinating portion of the recipe and place the marinated turkey tenderloin in the Instant Pot to cook.
- If you are using a larger Instant Pot, add 2 cups of chicken broth. There needs to be enough chicken broth in the bottom of the pot so you do not get the burn warning on the Instant Pot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Increase the cooking time to 20 minutes for a frozen turkey tenderloin. My favorite thing about the Instant Pot is that you can easily cook frozen meat to perfection without defrosting the meat first.
Cut the turkey tenderloin into medallions once it is cool enough to handle. You can slice the turkey into small pieces as well.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If making this for dinner, I found that a 24-ounce package of turkey tenderloin was perfect for a family of 4 without any leftovers.
Other Recipes To Try!
Did you love this Instant Pot Turkey Tenderloin Recipe? If you did, don't forget to tag me on social media on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!
📖 Recipe
Easy Instant Pot Turkey Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 24 ounces Turkey Tenderloins
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Rosemary Chopped
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
Instructions
- The first step is to quickly marinate the turkey. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, chopped rosemary, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
- In a large bowl, place the turkey tenderloin. Pour the marinate over the turkey and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. If you have more time, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of the Instant Pot and set the Instant Pot to the saute function.
- Place the turkey in the bottom of the pot and cook on each side for 4 minutes to slightly brown the meat.
- Pour the chicken broth into the Instant Pot and cancel the "saute" function.
- Close the lid and set the cooking time to 15 minutes on High pressure.
- After 15 minutes, allow the Instant Pot to natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Quick release any of the remaining pressure.
- Open lid of the Instant Pot, remove the turkey with a slotted spoon or tongs, place turkey on a plate, and cover with aluminum foil. Allow the turkey tenderloin to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.
Notes
- The Instant Pot will take 5-10 minutes to come up to pressure because it begins cooking the turkey tenderloin.
- Since the tenderloin is a lean cut of meat, the olive oil will help add some fat back into the turkey to prevent it from drying out.
- It's helpful to have a meat thermometer handy. The internal temperature of turkey should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit when you take it out of the Instant Pot.
Sachi
Great recipe! So easy to make and great for adding a protein to a low carb salad.
Donna
This worked wonderfully! Loved that I could get a turkey on the table without the usual hassle of making a whole one.
Claire
This came out so moist! And it was so easy! I didn't have enough garlic so just did 1 clove and it had so much flavor, can't wait to try it again with 3!
lynnswayoflife
That is wonderful! Thank you for making my recipe!
Alex Bala
I love recipe's like this. Fast , easy and flavorful. I love the addition of rosemary.
Jennifer
Instant Pot to the dinner rescue again! Your recipe was just what I needed - it was quick, easy, and the turkey turned out perfectly! I'll be keeping this recipe!
Sherry
I love your Instant Pot Turkey Tenderloin recipe! It was so easy to make with your step by step instructions and the turkey pieces were so tender and juicy.
Mandy Applegate
I had no idea you could cook turkey tenderloin in the instant pot - this is a revelation - thank you!!
Linda
This recipe is a game-changer and no more dry turkey for me. So easy to make, juicy, and delicious!