This delicious and easy Oven Roasted Turkey Tenderloin recipe is the best way to break away from a routine meal and savor a lean, protein rich meal. Each turkey breast tenderloin is crafted to perfection and offers a blend of tender, juicy meat and a delightful medley of seasonings. The effortless versatility of this recipe makes this meal perfect for a family, especially during those busy weeknights when you need to quickly get a healthy, delicious, and lean meal on the table!
Turkey tenderloin is a lean tender cut of meat that makes for a delicious and healthy main course. However, the right side dishes can take your turkey tenderloin meal from good to great. So what should you serve with turkey tenderloin? Here are 12 of the best side dish ideas to complement this tasty poultry meat.
1. Mashed Potatoes
Creamy mashed potatoes are a tried and true classic to serve alongside turkey tenderloin. The smooth, rich potatoes provide the perfect counterpoint to the savory and slightly lean turkey meat. Keep the mashed potatoes fluffy and buttery for the best texture contrast.
2. Roasted Vegetables
A medley of roasted vegetables like carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts and butternut squash adds a pop of color, texture and flavors. Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars and enhances the veggies’ inherent sweetness which pairs beautifully with turkey.
3. Cranberry Sauce
What’s Thanksgiving dinner without cranberry sauce? The bright tartness of cranberry sauce helps cut through the richness of the turkey. Whole berry or smooth sauces both complement turkey tenderloin well.
4. Stuffing or Dressing
No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a carbohydrate-rich stuffing or dressing on the side. Savor the blend of textures from soft bread, onions, celery, sage and other herbs along with your tender turkey.
5. Green Bean Casserole
For a savory, creamy casserole, green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving staple with turkey. The combo of tender green beans, mushroom soup and crispy fried onions is hard to beat.
6. Sweet Potato Casserole
Looking for something on the sweeter side? Sweet potato casserole with a brown sugar and pecan topping fits the bill. The sweet potatoes soften up while the topping gets crispy in the oven.
7. Dinner Rolls
Soft, warm dinner rolls are perfect for sopping up any delicious pan juices or gravy from the turkey tenderloin. Brush the tops with butter or garlic butter before serving for extra flavor and richness.
8. Roasted Root Vegetables
In addition to roasted squash and carrots, experiment with roasting parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes or beets. Balsamic-glazed roasted root veggies add a touch of sweetness.
9. Green Salad
A crisp green salad balances out the richer flavors on your turkey dinner plate. Top your salad greens with cranberry goat cheese and candied walnuts for extra holiday flair.
10. Gravy
Don’t forget the gravy! Rich turkey gravy ties the entire meal together. Make it ahead from pan drippings or whip up an easy gravy from broth and seasonings.
11. Cornbread, Biscuits or Dinner Rolls
Round out your turkey tenderloin feast with warm, fluffy cornbread, buttery biscuits or bread rolls to soak up the delicious pan juices. They also help balance the lean turkey.
12. Stuffing
Finally, stuffing is a must-have side for turkey tenderloin or any roasted turkey. Make it inside the turkey or cooked separately in a baking dish for maximum turkey flavor.
With sides like fluffy mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole and cranberry sauce, your turkey tenderloin dinner will be amazing. Think beyond just Thanksgiving; turkey tenderloin also pairs deliciously with roasted veggies, green salads and warm bread any time of the year.
Holiday Side Dish options
If you choose to serve this Turkey Tenderloin for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or another special occasion, here are some of my favorite holiday sides to serve with it:
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
This Roasted Turkey Tenderloin recipe is as simple as promised! Just 25 minutes from start to finish for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
- Turkey Tenderloins — These can be found in the turkey or poultry section of the meat department. Butterball and Jenni-O are the two brands that consistently carry these. The package will usually have 2 tenderloins and be much larger than a chicken breast. 2 turkey tenderloins will be about 1.5-2 pounds.
- Butter — Just cut it up into 3-4 slices. You can use salted or unsalted. Whatever you keep on hand is fine!
- Turkey Seasonings — These spices are all important for a signature, holiday turkey flavor. If you want to change the flavor you can use a different seasoning mix like Fajita Seasoning, Greek Seasoning, or Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning.
Oven Roasted Turkey Tenderloin – The EASY Way!
A juicy turkey tenderloin, an often underrated cut of meat, delivers so much deliciousness. If you haven’t ever cooked with it, I really encourage you to try it! Its naturally lean and tender nature ensures a moist and juicy bite with every forkful.
I cook with chicken a lot, so switching it up to this easy turkey tenderloin recipe is a great alternative so that we can still have a protein packed meal that tastes great.
If you haven’t ever cooked with turkey tenderloin, you can find it in the meat section at your local grocery store. Butterball and Jenny O both have packages you can choose from. You’ve probably seen them when you’ve been over there for your Thanksgiving turkey!
That’s the other beauty of this recipe – It’s so easy for a quick weeknight meal, but also versatile enough that you can even make it for the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even Easter!) without using a whole turkey. It really is the perfect choice for special occasions or holiday gatherings!
You can also see our Crockpot Turkey Tenderloin here, if that is your preferred cooking method!
How to Cook Turkey Tenderloins
FAQ
What is a good side dish for turkey tenderloin?
- 1) Bay roasted smashed potatoes. …
- 2) Green bean and goats cheese salad. …
- 3) Brussels sprouts and speck gratin. …
- 4) Couscous salad. …
- 5) Rocket coleslaw. …
- 6) Sweet potato and chive damper. …
- 7) Honey macadamia stuffing. …
- 8) Pork stuffing.
What sides go well with tenderloin?
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes. A classic choice that’s hard to beat, garlic mashed potatoes complement beef tenderloin perfectly. …
- Roasted Asparagus. …
- Sautéed Mushrooms. …
- Classic Caesar Salad. …
- Quinoa Salad. …
- Butternut Squash Risotto. …
- Citrus Glazed Carrots. …
- Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts.
What does turkey pair well with?
- Melting Potatoes.
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Onions, Spinach, and Cranberries.
- Buttermilk Cornbread.
- Parmesan Roasted Green Beans.
- Candied Sweet Potatoes.
- Lemon-Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce.
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts.
- Really Easy Bread Stuffing.
What vegetables go well with turkey breast?
Individual turkey breasts are seasoned with flavorful herbs and cooked together with a medley of vegetables to add healthy nutrients and save time. Root and cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and carrots are packed with fiber and cancer-fighting phytochemicals.