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Baked turkey tenderloins stuffed with homemade bread stuffing and topped with a savory mushroom gravy make the perfect Christmas dinner for two. This dish packs all the comforting flavors of a traditional turkey feast but in a scaled-down version. It’s an ideal way to enjoy a festive meal for two without the fuss and mess of a whole turkey.
Even if you have a small family, or are separated by distance, you can still make a holiday dinner that satisfies those traditional turkey dinner cravings with this recipe. It features a scaled-down version of our Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing and a sumptuous mushroom gravy. Add some of your favorite holiday sides like cranberry sauce and homemade mashed potatoes, and you’ll have a memorable feast for two.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to know about the key ingredients in this recipe. The complete list, including quantities, is in the printable recipe card below.
TURKEY TENDERLOINS: Turkey tenderloins are boneless, skinless parts of the turkey breast that are naturally tender and flavorful. We recommend buying all-natural, minimally processed tenderloins for this recipe.
BREAD: Choose a soft bread with a dense texture and relatively tender crust for your stuffing. We like sourdough, but Italian or French bread can work, as well.
FRESH HERBS: Although you could use dried seasonings in our stuffing, nothing beats the flavor of fresh herbs. During the holiday season, many markets sell what they call a “poultry blend.” This consists of fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme and one small packet will provide enough sage and thyme for this dish. You’ll need a bunch of fresh parsley, too.
MUSHROOMS: White button and cremini mushrooms are both suitable for our savory mushroom gravy. We always recommend buying whole mushrooms and slicing them yourself.
Overview
How to Make Baked Turkey Tenderloins with Stuffing
Planning to make this recipe? Here’s a quick overview of how it’s done. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
Start by preheating the oven and preparing a baking dish with nonstick spray. Slice each turkey tenderloin to form a pocket, season them inside and out, and set them aside.
For the stuffing, sauté onions and celery in butter, then mix them with seasoned bread cubes, an egg, and herbs. Fill the tenderloins with the stuffing and place any extra around them in the dish.
Cover and bake, then uncover toward the end to finish cooking. While the turkey bakes, make a simple mushroom gravy by browning the mushrooms in butter, adding broth, and thickening it with a bit of flour.
Once the turkey is cooked through, slice and serve it with the warm gravy.
Baked Turkey Tenderloins Dinner Menu
These are the side dishes we scale down and serve with stuffed turkey tenderloins to complete our holiday dinner for two.
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes: When you’re serving mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes are a must, and nothing beats homemade. Our recipe is easy to cut in half, but since mashed potatoes keep for a few days, are easy to reheat, and go with just about everything, we always make the full recipe and put what’s left away for later.
- Southern Style Green Beans: These green beans are a good alternative to the Brussels sprouts, and they can simmer on the stove while the turkey bakes. As written, the recipe serves six people, but it’s an easy one to cut in half.
- Cranberry Orange Relish: Fresh cranberries, a navel orange, and sugar are all you need to make this no-cook side dish. It’s easy to cut in half if you like, but our recipe includes some creative ways to use up the leftovers.
- Apple Brown Betty: We’re fans of fruit desserts after a big meal, and this classic apple dish is a favorite. Make it ahead of time and refrigerate it. After dinner, you can reheat individual servings and top them with a dollop of whipped cream.
Wine Pairings
A holiday turkey dinner is a wine-friendly meal that pairs with a number of popular wines so it’s easy to choose something to suit your taste.
If red wine is your thing, you can go with Beaujolais, Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Sauvignon. For white lovers, try California Chardonnay or a dry Riesling. You can also serve a brut sparkling white or rosé.
Turkey Tenderloins With Homemade Stuffing
Ingredients
- 2 turkey tenderloins, about 12 ounces each
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1/4 cup celery, diced
- 2 cups soft bread cubes, 1/2-inch (see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, stems removed
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
For the gravy:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
- 2-1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1-1/2 tablespoons flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and coat a baking dish just large enough to accommodate the tenderloins with nonstick spray.
Prepare the turkey for stuffing:
- Start by cutting a slit lengthwise down the center of each tenderloin, stopping about 1/2 inch from the ends and being careful not to cut all the way through. Gently open the slit to create a pocket, then season the inside and outside of each tenderloin with salt and pepper. Place the tenderloins, pocket side up, in a baking dish and set them aside while you prepare the stuffing.
Make the stuffing:
- Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add the onion and celery. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Add the bread cubes to a colander and moisten them with water (a sink sprayer works well for this). Use your hands to gently squeeze the water out of the bread, then place it in a mixing bowl. Add the salt, a few grinds of black pepper, egg, sage, thyme and parsley and combine well.
- Using a spatula to get all the butter out of the pan, add the onion and celery to the bread mixture and combine well. Spoon the stuffing into the pockets in the tenderloins, tamping down gently and mounding it slightly. Note: If you can't fit it all into the tenderloins, spoon it into the baking dish between them or bake it separately in a small oven-proof dish.
Bake the turkey tenderloins:
- Spray a piece of foil with nonstick spray to prevent the stuffing from sticking and cover the baking dish loosely. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each tenderloin registers 160°F and the stuffing is lightly browned. The temperature will continue to rise after you remove the turkey from the oven.
Make the gravy:
- While the turkey is baking, heat the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until any liquid they give off has evaporated and they begin browning, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add 2 cups of the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Add the mixture to the mushrooms gradually and stir until well blended. Simmer until the gravy has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Turn off the heat, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What a great recipe idea to filet the turkey . Delicious . Made me think about going this with other grains as well .
You can use pork too – Solomillo de Cerdo here in Spain.
Pork would be a great alternative!
I did try this with turkey, there was a little surprise but it worked out well. https://theflexiblechef.co.uk/stuffed-turkey-loin-with-sausage-meat-sunblushed-tomatoes-fennel-stuffing/
That looks amazing! Definitely want to make that once the holidays are over, we love meals that reminds us of the holiday season.
what a unique way to prepare turkey
love anything with turkey n gravey
This looks and sounds delicious and I think you could easily use chicken in this recipe too!