Turkey tenderloin is the delicate strip of meat loosely attached to the underside of the breast; it gets very little exercise, which means it stays tender even on high heat. Cut into strips, dusted in flour, and cooked fast in a hot skillet, it browns at the edges while staying juicy inside. The flour is the practical step: it keeps the surface of the turkey strips dry, prevents the delicate meat from drying out and gives the sauce something to cling to when it goes back in at the end.
The sauce builds in the same skillet after the turkey comes out; shallot, green bell pepper, and fresh ginger cooked briefly, then chicken stock, apricot preserves, dried apricots, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar simmered together until slightly thickened. The combination of sweet, tart, and savory in that sauce against the delicate turkey is what makes this recipe impossible to drop from the rotation. Two portions over a small bed of whole grain spaghetti, twenty minutes from start to table.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe:
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Turkey tenderloin – lovely tender meat. You can also use turkey breast, chicken breast or chicken tenderloins
- All-purpose flour
- Green bell pepper – preferably green because that’s a better flavor combination with the ginger in this recipe, but other color bell peppers could also work.
- Shallot
- Fresh ginger
- Dried apricots
- Apricot preserves
- Brown sugar
- Chicken broth – or vegetable broth
- Balsamic vinegar
- Whole grain spaghetti – I use whole grain spaghetti wherever I can; It has a little bit more flavor and texture than normal spaghetti. Just 1 oz. of dry spaghetti per person; it is the turkey that plays the major role in this recipe.
How to Make Turkey Tenderloin with Apricot Pepper Sauce
Step 1 – Cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the packaging. While this is cooking, start working on the rest of the recipe.
Step 2 – Cut turkey tenderloin in thin strips, season them with salt and pepper and then dust with all-purpose flour.
Step 3– Heat oil in a skillet and add the turkey tenderloin strips. Sauté few minutes on one side and as soon as you can release the strips from the pan turn them over and cook 1-2 minutes again. Transfer the turkey to a plate and keep warm.
Step 4 – Add some oil, if needed, and transfer shallots, bell pepper, and freshly grated ginger into the same skillet and cook a few minutes, until it starts to brown.
You most likely have brown bit in the bottom from the turkey; this will be dissolved in the next step.
Step 5 – Add broth, apricot preserves, dried apricots, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Cook a few minutes while stirring and the brown bit will dissolve and the sauce will start to thicken.
Step 6 – Transfer the turkey into the pan and allow the meat to warm a little, while to sauce coats the meat.
Step 7 – Drain the pasta, divide over 2 plates and add the Turkey Tenderloins with Apricot Pepper Sauce on top.
You can prepare these Turkey Tenderloins with Apricot Pepper Sauce while the whole grain spaghetti cooks, so in less than 10 minutes.
Alternatives and Substitutes
- Chicken instead of turkey.
- Any color of bell pepper.
- Fresh apricots instead of dried apricots. The flavor will be a little less concentrated.
- Ginger paste instead of fresh ginger.
- Instead of spaghetti, you can serve this on rice, couscous, potatoes.
This recipe offers delicate meat, in a sweet/savory sauce with crunchy strips of green bell pepper. Try it and tell me if you like it.
Other Turkey Recipes to Try
Turkey Tenderloin with Apricot Pepper Sauce
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 2 ounces whole grain spaghetti
- 8 ounces turkey tenderloin, cut in strips
- 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 bell pepper, cut in strips
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped or ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
- 1 ounce dried apricots, chopped
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Boil water and salt in a saucepan. Add the spaghetti and cook according to directions.
- Cut the tenderloin in strips, season with salt and pepper and dust with all-purpose flour.
- Heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a skillet, add the turkey and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until brown. Remove turkey from the skillet and keep warm.
- Add the remaining oil to the skillet and transfer shallots, bell pepper, and grated ginger into the same skillet and cook a few minutes, until it starts to brown (1-2 minutes). (NOTE 1)
- Add broth, apricot preserves, dried apricots, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.
- Cook over medium heat for a few minutes, until it starts to thicken. Add the turkey and warm up. Add salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Drain the spaghetti. Divide over 2 plates and top the spaghetti with turkey and apricot pepper sauce.
Notes
- You most likely have brown bit in the bottom from the turkey; this will be dissolved in the next step.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.