Cajun-Spiced Turkey Tenderloin Recipe – A Sprinkling of Cayenne

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My Cajun-spiced turkey tenderloin recipe is a scrumptious weeknight supper main and holiday season showpiece y’all!! Super tender with distinctive South Louisiana spices and a hint of sweet heat, this delectable dish is 30-minute comfort food bliss. Yep and yay…

Cajun-Spiced Turkey Tenderloin is a Recipe for Succulent Success

Cajun-spiced turkey tenderloin is an easy recipe that features seasoning the turkey loins, then baking them in the oven until done. Turkey tenderloins are long, thick strips of boneless, skinless white meat located beneath the turkey breast. They are considered part of the turkey breast and the most tender piece of the entire bird. 

Therefore, turkey tenderloins cook relatively quickly, making them great dinner options for busy weekdays. And, because they’re so incredibly tender and flavorful, they’re an excellent option for Thanksgiving dinners and year-round special occasions. 

My original recipe for Cajun-spiced turkey tenderloins includes a few unique twists that set it apart from the rest. First, I cover the turkey loins with both sweet and spicy ingredients, then I top each one with a select mix of dried spices. This thick coating seals in moisture and releases all the luscious flavors into the turkey meat as it bakes.

The result is an amazingly flavorful, astonishingly tender oven-baked turkey loin that you’ll enjoy as much on the 10th time as you did the first. Indeed!!

What to Serve With Cajun-Spiced Turkey Tenderloin

Cajun-spiced turkey tenderloins go so well with numerous sides that you’ll likely never run out of delicious pairing ideas!

I’ll get you started with a few of my own favorites:

1.  Parsley Potatoes in Buttery Garlic Sauce. These indulgent little bites of deliciousness served alongside baked Cajun-spiced turkey loins are perfect for romantic dinners and small holiday gatherings. Both dishes are easy to whip up in under an hour and impress with both texture and taste.
2. Maple Glazed Carrots. Just as simple to make, these maple glazed carrots are ideal for serving with the tenderloins on Thanksgiving. These two make the perfect turkey day pairing, but they’re so good you’ll probably want to make this an occasional weeknight dinner thing, too. 
3. Cajun Smothered Potatoes. These are tried-and-true New Orleans cuisine classics for a reason, y’all!! So deep, earthy, and tender, these smothered spuds are worth the effort for serving with these turkey loins for a special occasion or large Thanksgiving day feast.
4.  Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower. Keep things light and ultra-flavorful by making this easy and super delicious side. Yes, you can cook them together in the oven. But you’ll have to check on them more often and modify the roasting times as necessary. 
5. Cajun Creamed Spinach. Super luxurious with stunning layered flavors and over-the-top creamy textures, this Cajun creamed spinach is the one to serve at upscale dinner parties and events. You’ll love the juxtaposition of the tender, roasted turkey loins and velvety, three-cheese-studded sauce. 

Storage and Reheating

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. It’s best to reheat them in the oven if you can, but the microwave will also work.

Top Recipe Tip

These Cajun-spiced turkey tenderloins taste best right after they are made. Therefore, I recommend waiting to make them until just before your dinner or special event, so they are fresh and hot out of the oven.

Ingredients & Essentials

• Turkey tenderloins are packaged under various names. These include turkey medallions, turkey breast loins, turkey fillets, and turkey breast tenders. I buy them often and am used to the packages that include two 12-ounce loins. However, you may also find tenderloins in four and eight-ounce sizes. If you do, check the internal temperature after 15 minutes, then every five to 10 minutes, to ensure that you remove them from the oven promptly when they are cooked through. 
• Pure maple syrup and hot sauce form the perfect ‘sweet heat’ pairing, making this Cajun-spiced turkey tenderloin recipe a standout dish. I recommend Great Value’s pure maple syrup and Crystal hot sauce, but you can use any brands you have on hand. 
• All of the dried spices I use are easy to acquire at most grocery stores. You don’t need any fancy, expensive brands. I usually use store-brand or McCormick spices with great success. 
• Butter and olive oil make a delicious sauce while baking together in the oven. They also add essential moisture to the Cajun-spiced turkey tenderloin throughout the quick baking process. A slight drizzle of the sauce over each piece of oven-baked turkey loin enhances each bite with a sophisticated, restaurant-quality essence.

How to Make Cajun-Spiced Turkey Tenderloin Recipe

Preheat the oven.

Then, lightly grease a cast iron skillet or 9 x 13 baking dish.

Place the turkey tenderloins on the bottom of the pan.

Pour the hot sauce over both of the tenderloins.

Then, pour the maple syrup over them.

Apply salt, black pepper, and cayenne over the top of the turkey breast tenderloins.

Next, sprinkle the dried seasonings over each piece.

Pour the olive oil and butter into the pan, around the seasoned tenderloins.

Finally, slide the baking dish into the oven and bake until the Cajun-spiced turkey tenderloins are browned on top and cooked through.

And that’s it, y’all!

These Cajun-spiced turkey tenderloins are super flavorful and almost unbelievably tender!! The maple syrup and hot sauce slide down your tongue with a spicy sweetness that gives way to a rich array of dried South Louisiana spices. 

ALL of the flavors are amazing on their own. But when they combine at the finish, it’s a mesmerizing medley of deliciousness that makes you want to come back for more, more, more. For sure!!!

Share these baked Cajun turkey loins with those whose presence is just as effortlessly entertaining as it is astoundingly educational. Much food love, and see y’all on the yum side…

Variations

Don’t have turkey tenderloins on hand? No problem! You can use this seasoning method on other cuts of meat. 

Try it on:

1. Turkey breasts, legs, and wings
2. Chicken breasts, thighs, and tenders
3. Duck breasts

• 1 24-ounce package turkey breast tenderlions ideally 2 12-ounce tenderloins
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste I used about ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon celery seed
• 2 tablespoons high-heat olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Lightly grease a large cast iron skillet or baking sheet.

• Place the turkey tenderloins into the pan.

• Pour half of the hot sauce over each tenderloin, then pour half of the maple syrup over each one.

• Sprinkle salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper over each tenderloin.

• Combine the dried seasonings in a bowl.

• Coat the top of each turkey tenderloin with the Cajun seasoning mixture. (You may have some seasoning leftover. If so, you can use to fill ‘holes’ on the baked tenderloins to enhance the presentation. Or, you can store it to use for another dish.)

• Bake the turkey tenderloins for 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each piece reads at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

This oven-baked, Cajun-spiced turkey tenderloin recipe serves 2 to 4 people, depending on how many appetizers and sides are being served.
This recipe calls for using two 12-ounce turkey tenderloins. If you purchase smaller loins, check on them more often throughout the baking process, and remove them from the oven as soon as your instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of them reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 
This dish has the best taste and texture when it is fresh. Therefore, serve it fresh out of the oven, sliced into thin pieces. 
 

The information shown is an estimate provided by a third-party, online computer-generated nutrition calculator, not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods and individual portion sizes, along with other factors.

See our full nutrition disclaimer here.

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 868IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg