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slices of cooked turkey breast tenderloin with mushroom and carrot gravy spooned partly over the meat beside cooked hulled barley on one plain plate, with no mashed potatoes or garnish
Melissa Hart

Crockpot Turkey Tenderloin and Gravy

Turkey tenderloins cook faster than a whole breast, so check them while the vegetables finish instead of leaving them until they shred; the mushroom broth becomes a light gravy after the meat comes out. Barley adds chew underneath without a buttered mashed-potato side. Slice the rested turkey across the grain and spoon gravy over just part of it, leaving some of the pale meat visible so the plate doesn't become an anonymous brown bowl. Estimated calories: about 390 per serving, including everything listed.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lbs turkey breast tenderloins about 2 pieces
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 2 medium carrots cut into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 1 small yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried sage
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water
  • 3/4 cup dry hulled barley
  • 3 cups water for barley

Method
 

  1. Place mushrooms, carrots and onion in a 4-quart slow cooker and add broth. Rub turkey with oil, sage, thyme, salt and pepper and place on top.
  2. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours until the thickest part of each tenderloin reaches 165°F and carrots are tender; begin checking turkey after 2 hours.
  3. During the final hour, bring barley and 3 cups water to a boil in a saucepan, cover and simmer on low for 50 to 60 minutes until chewy-tender, then drain excess water.
  4. Lift turkey to a plate and rest for 10 minutes. Pour the vegetables and cooking broth into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
  5. Stir cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and whisk into the broth. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly thickened.
  6. Slice turkey across the grain and divide it with barley and vegetable gravy among 4 plates.