Lemon Herb Grilled Turkey Tenderloin Recipe

Grilled and sliced turkey tenderloin on a plate garnished with kale, surrounded by fall-themed decor and a small pumpkin.

5 from 1 vote

Lemon Herb Grilled Turkey Tenderloin Recipe

Fire up your grill for this bright, flavorful take on turkey tenderloin. Bathed in a zesty lemon marinade and kissed by flame, these lean tenderloins stay remarkably juicy while picking up subtle smoky notes from the grill.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Resting Time5

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 446kcal

Author: Kita Roberts

Ingredients

1.5 lbs turkey tenderloin two small tenderloins
1 ½ cup Chicken Marinade Substiture rosemary for the cilantro
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to serve

Garnish

Lemon zest
2 tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled
Fresh parsley minced

Instructions

Marinate the turkey tenderloin:

Remove the turkey from the package and pat dry with a paper towel.
Whip up the lemon chicken marinade by following our recipe, swapping the cilantro for rosemary, and amixing in the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Place the tenderloins in a large resealable ziplock bag.
Pour the marinade over the turkey and move them around to coat all sides.
Seal the bag and let it marinade for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

Preheat the grill

Preheat your grill with a two-zone fire for indirect heat. Clean and oil the grill grates.
Close the lid and let the grill come to 350 to 375 degrees F. See our notes for charcoal, gas, and pellet grills.

Grill the turkey tenderloin:

Remove the turkey tenderloin from the marinade and discard excess marinade.
Place the tenderloins on the hot side of the grill and adjust the heat as needed to avoid flare-ups.
Grill for about 7 to 10 minutes with the lid closed.
Carefully flip the turkey tenderloins and grill for another 7 to 10 minutes until the turkey reaches 160 degrees F internally with a digital thermometer.

Rest and Serve

Using long tongs, carefully transfer the turkey from the grill to a cutting board to rest.
Meanwhile, combine the lemon zest with the melted butter.
Dab the lemon butter over the turkey and let it rest 5 minutes.
Slice the grilled turkey into thin ¼” slices, against the grain, and serve with a punch of minced parsley and salt and pepper, if desired.

Notes

According to the USDA, turkey is safe to eat at 165 degrees F. We cook ours to 160, then let it rise another 5 degrees to 165°F before slicing and serving.
Because turkey tenderloins are thicker on one side than the other, do not be afraid to rotate them for even cooking.

For a charcoal grill:

Prep the turkey tenderloins as directed.
Preheat your grill for a two-zone fire by arranging lit coals on one side of the grill.
Place the grill grate on top and cover with the lid.
Adjust the air vents for airflow to let the grill preheat to 350-375 degrees F.
Grill the tenderloins as directed.
We recommend Cowboy Brand hardwood briquets for real hardwood flavor when grilling.

For a gas grill:

Prep the turkey tenderloins as directed.
Preheat your grill by turning on all the burners.
Clean and oil the grill grates.
Create a two-zone fire by turning off 2 of the 4 (or 1 of the 3) burners, close the lid, and allowing the grill to preheat to 350-375 degrees F.
When the grill has preheated, grill the turkey tenderloins as directed.
Adjust the burners as needed to maintain the temp and avoid flare-ups.
Don't hesitate to rotate the turkey as needed for even cooking.

For a pellet grill:

Prep the turkey tenderloins as directed.
Preheat your pellet grill for 375 degrees F.
Clean and oil the grill grates.
When the grill has preheated, grill the turkey directly on the grill grates, rotating as needed to for even cooking.
Because most pellet grills don't have a hot or cool side, you will need to pay close attention to the turkey internal temp while cooking.
We recommend B&B Championship blend or Jack Daniel's Charcoal pellets when grilling on opur pellet smoker.

Nutrition