One of the best recipes you will find for slow cooker turkey tenderloin made in the crock pot with a Jennie O turkey loin. Turkey tenderloin in the slow cooker is my new favorite way to make turkey. As my husband says, “this puts the tender in turkey tenderloin”. Crock pot recipes have been a staple of mine lately as I have been so busy. All you do is dump in your ingredients and put the lid on. We literally devoured this turkey tenderloin in minutes, it was so good!
I have been obsessed with crock pot pork tenderloin since I made it for New Year's. Someone asked if I made it with turkey tenderloin yet. I had never even heard of turkey tenderloin! I was so excited that I immediately started recipe testing. Now, here we have it, crock pot turkey tenderloin. This one has a sweet BBQ flavor and is SO TENDER.
Try my bacon wrapped version too!
You know this was a good one when my husband had a comment! He said "this really puts the tender in tenderloin". We were basically cutting the turkey loin with a fork it was so tender. But, there are some tips and trick you will need to follow to ensure you get the same tender turkey that I have achieved.
Quick Tips from Allie Carte
- Use a meat thermometer - I cannot stress it enough, you need a meat thermometer. You can find them almost anywhere and they are very affordable. Be sure to get one that can go in a crock pot (or oven).
- Cook on low - poultry like turkey tenderloin does not work out as well on the high setting in a slow cooker
- Remove the turkey right when it finishes cooking - you do not want to overcook the turkey as it can get tough
What You Need for Slow Cooker Turkey Tenderloin
First things first is a crock pot or slow cooker of course. I use the original crock pot brand and I love using the liners for easy clean up; however, you do not have to. Make sure you grab a meat thermometer too, that can stay in a closed crock.
Then, grab your ingredients
- Turkey breast tenderloin
- Spices
- BBQ Sauce
- Brown sugar replacement
- Honey mustard
Turkey Tenderloin
For my crock pot turkey tenderloin recipes, I use a Jennie O turkey breast tenderloin. I believe Hormel or Butterball makes one as well? There is a very limited market for turkey tenderloins; therefore, there are only a couple of brands.
My Jennie O turkey tenderloin came in a package with two tenderloins. Each tenderloin was 12 ounces; however, I only made 1 piece. The single piece was enough for 3 servings which was perfect. However, you can certainly make both, we can go over adjusted cooking times.
If you are on Weight Watcher (WW) or just watching your calories / fat, this is a very lean cut of meat!
If you prefer pork instead of turkey loin, I also have an amazing crock pot turkey tenderloin recipe, or make both!
Spices / Seasonings
This is the seasonings blend that I have perfected for really good, slow cooker, turkey tenderloin. It is not spicy. It is a little sweet, but not too sweet, just a hint of sweet.
- Brown sugar replacement
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Chili powder
- Nutmeg
- Black pepper
However, you can certainly adjust the seasonings to your liking. If you are not a fan of one of the spices, you can omit it; however, you can also add more of one of the spices if you want to as well. Make this how you want to, it is your turkey loin.
BBQ Sauce
With the BBQ sauce, I choose to use a sugar free one. G Hughes is usually my go-to. You are more than welcome to use any of your favorite BBQ sauces. I want this recipe to be something you, enjoy and love, and that just speaks you.
Just be cautious as I do add brown sugar back into the sauce. If you are using a BBQ sauce with sugar, it may be too sweet for you.
Brown Sugar
I always, typically, use brown sugar replacement. It is easy grab a huge package from Amazon and that is what I always use. I do not mind using a replacement sugar. However, I know some people have concerns with that. You can substitute a brown sugar blend or just straight brown sugar.
Honey Mustard
I just use generic honey mustard for this recipe. Yes, it has sugar. It is pretty thick and makes a nice glazing for the slow cooker turkey tenderloin. However, you can use a sugar free honey mustard if you wish. Alternatively, to keep it less sweet, substitute regular mustard.
How to Make Turkey Tenderloin Slow Cooker
This is one of the best recipes for the Jennie O turkey tenderloin!
First things first is to grab a crock pot or slow cooker of course. I use the original crock pot brand and I love using the liners for easy clean up; however, you do not have to. Make sure you grab a meat thermometer too, that can stay in a closed crock.
I like to add a tablespoon or two of broth in the bottom of the crock pot. I think it keeps the turkey moist but who knows. Pour it into the crock pot first.
If the turkey is really moist, blot with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture.
Then, combine all of the seasonings in a small bowl, whisking together. Press the spices into the turkey tenderloin, being sure to coat all the sides. Place the turkey loin at the bottom of the crock pot.
In a bowl, stir together the remaining brown sugar, BBQ sauce and honey mustard. Then, pour the sauce on top of the turkey tenderloin. If using a meat thermometer, this is the time to place it into the largest area of the tenderloin; however, you do not need to.
Place the lid on the crock pot and cook on low for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. It will take about 8 to 10 minutes per ounce.
Once the turkey tenderloin is fully cooked, remove from the crock pot and let sit for 10 minutes. Then, cut the turkey tenderloin into 6 equal slices, 2 slices per serving.
Making More Slow Cooker Turkey Tenderloin
The Jennie O turkey tenderloin My Jennie O turkey tenderloin came in a package with two tenderloins. Each tenderloin was 12 ounces; however, I only made 1 piece. The single piece was enough for 3 servings which was perfect. However, you can certainly make both, we can go over adjusted cooking times. Everything is on low.
- 12 ounces: 105 to 120 minutes
- 16 ounces: 140 to 160 minutes
- 24 ounces: 200 to 240 minutes
However, as I have been saying, the meat thermometer is your best friend. Cooking times can vary so much depending on the thickness and shape of the turkey loin or the specific slow cooker. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Alternative Cooking Method (Pressure Cooker)
Looking for some more Jennie O turkey tenderloin recipes? If you need this quicker, make my instant pot turkey tenderloin. It only needs to cook for 10 minutes!
Pour ⅓ cup low sodium chicken broth into the bottom of the pot. This will keep the turkey moist and help bring the pot to pressure.
Then, repeat the same steps as you would with the crock pot, seasoning and saucing the loin. Place the turkey loin at the bottom of the pot.
Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure the valve is set to sealing. Set the pressure cook button to 10 minutes and start it. Once completely cooked, let set for 5 minutes, then vent and de-pressurize the Instant Pot then open the lid.
If the turkey is thinner, it may only need 9 minutes.
What to Serve with Jennie O Turkey Tenderloin in Crock Pot
Potatoes and crock pot tenderloin are the best combination! I served this with my roasted red potatoes. However, it is really good with some scalloped potatoes or air fryer baby potatoes.
For the vegetable, try some garlic parmesan zucchini chips or my one point spaghetti squash Alfredo.
Video Tutorial
If you are more of a visual learner, you can watch my video tutorial. Then, come back here for more detailed instructions.
Turkey Tenderloin Slow Cooker
Turkey tenderloin in the slow cooker is my new favorite way to make turkey. As my husband says, “this puts the tender in turkey tenderloin”. Crock pot recipes have been a staple of mine lately as I have been so busy. All you do is dump in your ingredients and put the lid on. We literally devoured this turkey tenderloin in minutes, it was so good!
Turkey Tenderloin Slow Cooker
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chicken broth low sodium
- 12 ounces turkey breast tenderloin
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar replacement
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Sauce
- ⅜ cup sugar free BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar replacement
Instructions
- I like to add a tablespoon or two of broth in the bottom of the crock pot. I think it keeps the turkey moist but who knows. Pour it into the crock pot first.
- Then, combine all of the seasonings in a small bowl, whisking together. Press the spices into the turkey tenderloin, being sure to coat all the sides. Place the turkey at the bottom of the crock pot.
- In a bowl, stir together the sauce ingredients: brown sugar, BBQ sauce and honey mustard. Then, pour the sauce on top of the turkey tenderloin. If using a meat thermometer, this is the time to place it into the largest area of the tenderloin.
- Place the lid on the crock pot and cook on low for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. It will take about 8.5 to 10 minutes per ounce.
- Once the turkey tenderloin is fully cooked, remove from the crock pot and let sit for 10 minutes. Then, cut the turkey tenderloin into 6 equal slices, 2 slices per serving.
Nutrition
If you are on WW and looking for a points value, click this link and your points will automatically calculate for you. It is only 1 point for me, because of the sauce, but I also have chicken/turkey breast as a zero pointer. You can easily change the specific ingredients used in this link.
T says
The turkey is SCRUMPTIOUS!!! The best turkey I’ve ever had!
alliecarte says
Thank you!!