Grilled Turkey Tenderloins are super moist, tender, and flavorful thanks to an easy overnight marinade.
Fire up the grill – then make these easy and delicious Grilled Turkey Tenderloins!
A super flavorful, sweet and spicy marinade complements the turkey flavor so well. And, the marinade works triple-time in this recipe – with some of the mixture used to tenderize the turkey tenderloins, some used as a grilling sauce, and the rest as a sauce served over the cooked turkey.
The best marinade for Grilled Turkey Tenderloins
Our marinade is a mix of brown sugar, spicy brown mustard, balsamic vinegar, grapeseed oil, lime juice and zest, plus a variety of seasonings including chili powder, celery salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic and onion powders, and cumin. Whisk to combine the ingredients.
Place two turkey tenderloins in a zipper seal bag, then pour half the marinade mixture into the bag. Massage the marinade into the turkey to coat – then place the bag in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Pour the other half of the marinade into an air tight container and chill as well.
The next day, preheat your grill – high temp on one side, and low temp on the other. Sear the turkey tenderloin on the hot side, then place the turkey on a large piece of foil – which will essentially be used as a ‘roasting pan’ for the rest of the cooking process.
Pour half of the reserved marinade over the turkey, then pull up the sides of the foil and pinch to close – but leave a small opening in the top to allow steam to escape. Close the grill – and allow the turkey tenderloins to finish roasting for about 30 minutes or so.
Use a probe thermometer to test the internal temperature of the turkey tenderloins (the thickest end should read 155 degrees F) – then remove from the grill. Allow the tenderloins to rest for ten minutes, loosely covered in foil – then slice to serve with the remaining marinade spooned over the top as a sauce.
What do I serve with Grilled Turkey Tenderloin?
The sky’s the limit! Here are some of our favorite side dishes:
- Rice Pilaf
- Grilled Spaghetti Squash Steaks
- Massaged Kale
- Grilled Yellow Potatoes with Mustard Sauce
- Grilled Graffiti Eggplant
You may enjoy these other grilled recipes:
- Grilled BBQ Turkey Tips
- Easy Grilled Shrimp
- Grilled Porterhouse Pork Chops
- Grilled Tropical Fruit Salad with Prosciutto
Grilled Turkey Tenderloins
Grilled Turkey Tenderloins are super moist, tender, and flavorful thanks to an easy overnight marinade.
- Prep Time: 12 hours 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 13 hours
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: entree
- Method: grilled
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
2 turkey tenderloins (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Zest of two limes
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
6 tablespoons of a light neutral oil such as grapeseed oil
Vegetable oil to oil the grill grates
Instructions
- 12-24 hours before grilling, place the turkey tenderloins in a gallon zip lock bag.
- In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, chili powder, celery salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, lime zest, lime juice and grapeseed oil.
- Pour half of the marinade into the bag with the turkey and massage it into the meat to coat.
- Refrigerate the rest of the marinade for grilling and serving.
- Marinate the turkey at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours, refrigerated.
- When ready to grill, rinse off and discard the marinade, then pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- Heat one side of the grill to high and the other on low.
- Fold a large piece of foil in half, large enough to hold the turkey sealed.
- When ready, liberally oil the hot side of the grill and place the two tenderloins on, then brush the exposed part of the tenderloin with more oil.
- Grill for a few minutes to get char marks, turn 90 degrees and grill for two more minutes to get cross hatch marks. Flip each over and repeat to get cross hatch marks on the second side.
- Place each seared tenderloin onto the foil, pull up the sides, and pour on half of the reserved marinade. The rest of the marinade should be brought to room temperature and served with the finished cooked turkey.
- Pinch the sides of the foil closed except leave a vent hole open at the top for steam to escape. The hole should be about two inches across. Place the foil packet on the cooler side of the grill.
- Close the grill cover and try to maintain 350 degrees F inside the grill – adjusting the hot and cool sides as needed to maintain the temperature.
- Cook until a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of one tenderloin reaches 155 degrees F, about 30-40 minutes after placing it in the foil. Check at 20 minutes since not everyone is able to regulate the inside grill temperature the same so the cooking time may change.
- Remove once cooked and let rest for ten minutes loosely covered in foil. The internal temperature will rise to 160 degrees F.
- Slice into thick slices from one end to the other and serve with the remaining reserved marinade as a sauce.
I followed the recipe mostly- which I rarely do. I did used truffle oil j stead of grape seed oil which I didn’t have. I had a harder time keeping the grill at 350 so it cooked faster than I expected- but I checked temp at 25 minutes and it was already at 165.It turned out pretty spicy but everyone liked it a lot. I loosely rented ten rested fir another ten minutes…The turkey was really moist – not dry at all. Really sparkly though. We liked it.
Thanks Mary – just wanted to point out that truffle oil has what’s called a low smoke point so it’s best used when added to already-cooked foods as a garnish, rather than using it in a marinade to be cooked. It will also introduce a lot of flavor to the dish – not part of our intended flavor profile for this recipe. We’re glad you liked it with the truffle flavor added, but next time, you could swap in canola or vegetable oil for a more neutral oil. Hope that helps!
I made this tonight (started the marinade last night). Followed the marinade recipe exactly. I didn’t follow the grilling instructions exactly though. I heated the grill to medium, then seared the turkey and basted with marinade and turned it a few times until it was 170°F inside. Let it rest about 10 minutes, then sliced and served with reheated marinade, brussels sprouts salad and fried potatoes with caramelized onions. Seriously, not kidding, one of the best dinners I have ever had! Thank you!
You’re welcome Erin! You’re grilling approach is just as good 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
When the turkey is in the foil, is it supposed to be on the hot side of the grill or the lower temp side?
Hi Erin – Great question and thanks for pointing out that omission in our instructions. You would put it on the lower temp side. I’ll update the recipe right now, and apologies for the confusion!