Pan-Seared Turkey Tenderloins with Lemon Pan Sauce
This is one of those easy dinners that has way more flavor than you would expect for how simple it is. The turkey gets a really good golden crust from all the seasoning, then finishes in a lemony pan sauce that keeps it tender and juicy. I usually serve it with roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, and it is such a good combination. This makes four servings, about 4 oz of cooked turkey each.
Per serving.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 lbs turkey breast tenderloins
- 1/2 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock, chicken broth or bone broth
- Fresh thyme, for serving (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Pat the turkey tenderloins dry with a paper towel. Combine the sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin, then season both sides generously.
- Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, add the tenderloins and cook for 5 to 6 minutes without moving them, so the first side develops a golden-brown crust.
- Turn them over and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on the second side.
- Pour in the lemon juice and the stock. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, because that is where a lot of the flavor is.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Depending on how thick they are this usually takes another 10 to 20 minutes.
- Spoon some of the lemon pan sauce over the turkey and top with fresh thyme if you like.
Tip: One serving is about 4 oz of cooked turkey, a quarter of the batch. Turkey breast is very lean, so go by internal temperature rather than the clock. Thinner tenderloins cook much faster, and once they hit 165F they are ready to come out. My favorite way to serve these is with roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, the sweetness works really well against the smoky seasoning and the lemon. Rice, quinoa, green beans, roasted carrots, broccoli or a simple salad all work too.
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