Sticky Pineapple Turkey Tenderloins

Turkey tenderloins are the little strips of interior meat alongside the breast bone on a turkey. They’re especially tender, and when I have enough of them for a meal, usually four to six, and I have a recipe where the turkey gets cut into bite-sized pieces before cooking, I often reach for the tenderloins first. To cook a turkey tenderloin, you first need to remove the tendon that runs down the center. The simplest way I have found for this is to place a fork over the exposed end of the tendon, grab it with your fingers (use a paper towel if it is to slippery to grip firmly) and pull the tendon against the back of the fork. The tendon comes out clean, leaving the meat behind. And, while this recipe is called “Sticky Pineapple Turkey Tenderloins,” it works just as well with regular breast meat cut into bite-sized pieces if you don’t have a package of tenderloins handy.

This recipe works well for tenderloins or for bite-sized pieces of turkey breast. All images by Michael Pendley

The pineapple in the recipe gives it a sweet, tropical flavor and the roasted red bell peppers add a nice balancing flavor to the pineapple. The honey and the soy sauce compliment each other for a sweet and salty finish with each bite. Serve it up over a bed of white rice and you have a complete meal.

I like to coat the turkey in corn starch for this one before frying it crisp. The corn starch gives a lighter coating than flour and retains a nice crunch even in the sauce.

Coat the turkey in corn starch for a nice crisp that holds up to the sauce.

Start by cutting up the meat. Season it well with seasoned salt and black pepper. Add two cups of cornstarch to a shallow container. Heat ⅛ inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, toss about half of the seasoned meat in the cornstarch. Move the dredged meat over to the hot oil, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side or until crispy and golden brown. Remove the fried turkey to a platter and cover with foil to keep it warm while you fry the remaining meat.

Fry for two to three minutes per side or until the turkey is golden and crisp.

Once all the turkey is cooked, add the pineapple chunks, with juice, to the pan. Add the chopped roasted red bell peppers. Bring the mixture to a simmer and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any stuck on bits. Those equal flavor.

Add the pineapple and red bell peppers to the pan and bring to a simmer before adding the remaining sauce ingredients.

Add the honey, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger to the sauce. Check for seasoning and add more seasoned salt, if needed. Return the turkey and stir well to evenly coat the meat with the sauce.

Return the fried turkey to the pan and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for another five to ten minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken. Serve over white rice.