These stuffed turkey tenderloins air fry in less than 30 minutes and turn out tender, moist, and crunchy on top. The lean tenderloins are great if you're on a diabetic diet (or even if you're not). They are stuffed with a mixture of spinach, roasted red pepper strips (the jarred kind), and a little cheese. Light cream cheese helps to bind the ingredients while still keeping fat and calories in check. A small amount of whole-wheat breadcrumbs in the topping provide crunch and a bit of extra fiber. I like to use leftover dinner rolls with raisins in them for the topping. The raisins give the topping just a touch of sweetness, which contrasts nicely with the stuffing in the tenderloins. You can serve the tenderloins with a salad and/or vegetable of your choice. We also like them with polenta alongside, but cauliflower rice makes a nice low-carb alternative. The tenderloins reheat well in the microwave at 50 percent power for leftovers later in the week. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Stuffed Turkey Tenderloins -- Serves 4+
2 ounces of light cream cheese (neufchatel cheese), softened
1 cup of fresh, chopped spinach (about 2 big handfuls)
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of minced dried onion (the dried onion will help absorb the moisture from
the spinach)
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1/8 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of chopped roasted red pepper strips (the kind from a jar)
1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of shredded Italian-style cheese
2 turkey tenderloins, about 1 1 /4 - 1 1/2 pounds, total
In bowl or measure combine the light cream cheese, spinach, garlic powder, minced dried onion, pepper, salt, roasted red pepper strips, Parmesan cheese, and Italian cheese and stir until everything is well combined. Cut a small piece of aluminum foil to line the bottom and an inch or two up the sides of your air fryer basket. Spritz the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Pat the turkey tenderloins dry with paper towels and, with a sharp knife, slit them open in the middle from top to bottom, and open them like a book. You don't need to cut the tenderloins completely in half. Stuff each tenderloin with half of the spinach mixture, spreading the mixture out a bit to cover one half of the open tenderloin. Fold the other half of the tenderloin over the filling and press it down just a bit to keep the filling in (you may have to stuff the filling back in with your fingers, if oozes out a little (it probably will, but not to worry, it will be fine). Sprinkle the topping (see below) over the tops of the tenderloins, pressing it down a bit. Spritz the topping with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray. Air fry the tenderloins at 360 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to 320 degrees and air fry the tenderloins for 10-15 minutes more or until a meat thermometer registers 165 at a thick part of the tenderloin. Let the tenderloins rest for at least five minutes before serving them, sliced crosswise, into pieces.
Topping
1 small dinner roll, crumbled (about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of fresh/slightly stale bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese
1 - 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning (dried herbs)
1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl or cup and pat them on top of the stuffed tenderloins. Spritz the topping well with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray before air frying the tenderloins.
