Air fryer turkey tenderloin is a fast way to get Thanksgiving flavor without heating a full oven or roasting a whole bird. A Dijon-herb coating seasons the lean meat and helps the outside brown.
Because turkey tenderloin is lean, temperature matters more than time. Start checking early and stop as soon as the thickest part reaches a safe temperature.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
- Air fryer
- Instant-read thermometer
- Small mixing bowl
- Tongs
- Paper towels
- Cutting board
ShiMuv Holiday Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 turkey tenderloins, about 1½ pounds total
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
- ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
How to Make It
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F for 3–5 minutes. Pat the turkey tenderloins very dry so the seasoning paste adheres and the surface can brown.
- Mix olive oil, Dijon, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, and lemon zest into a thick paste.
- Rub the seasoning mixture over every side of the tenderloins. If one end is much thinner, tuck it slightly underneath so it does not overcook.
- Place the tenderloins in the air-fryer basket with space around them. Cook at 375°F for 10 minutes without moving.
- Turn the tenderloins and continue cooking another 8–12 minutes. Begin checking the thickest part with an instant-read thermometer around the 18-minute mark.
- Continue only until the center reaches 165°F. The exterior should be browned and fragrant, but avoid chasing extra color after the meat is fully cooked.
- Transfer to a cutting board and rest 8–10 minutes before slicing. Resting keeps more juice inside the meat instead of running onto the board.
- Slice across the grain into thick pieces and spoon any collected juices over the top. Serve immediately with holiday sides.
Recipe tip: Use temperature rather than color to judge lean turkey tenderloin; overcooking by even a few minutes can dry it out.
Food safety: Cook turkey to 165°F in the thickest part. Clean any surface or utensil that touched raw turkey, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
From Recipe to Content
Turn the Recipe Into a Simple Food Story
- Open on the finished holiday dish.
- Show the ingredients before cooking.
- Capture turkey tenderloins being coated evenly with Dijon garlic and fresh herb paste before air frying.
- Film herb-crusted turkey tenderloin being checked with an instant-read thermometer in the air-fryer basket.
- End with a serving close-up.
TRY THIS IN SHIMUV
Create this recipe as a short food video
Open the editable prompt and finished example image in ShiMuv, then review or customize everything before generation.
Create a short Thanksgiving food video showing how to make air fryer turkey tenderloin. Open on sliced juicy turkey with a browned herb crust. Show the tenderloins dried, Dijon garlic herb paste mixed, seasoning rubbed over the meat, turkey going into the air fryer, the pieces turned halfway, a thermometer checking 165°F, and the rested tenderloin sliced across the grain.Opens with this prompt and finished example image ready to review. Nothing generates or spends credits until you confirm.
