Turkey Meatloaf
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Looking for the best turkey meatloaf recipe? This one’s packed with flavor, perfectly juicy, and topped with a sweet-tangy glaze. It’s kid-friendly, too.
Swapping ground turkey for ground beef is a great way to make meatloaf a little healthier, but ground turkey can be tricky—it’s often dry and bland. The key to a good turkey meatloaf recipe is adding flavor and moisture without adding fat, which would defeat the whole purpose of making it lighter. I season my turkey meatloaf with onions and garlic, and also add some of the sweet and tangy sauce directly to the meatloaf to make it extra flavorful and juicy.
One tip if you’re making this for kids: chop the onions very finely—most kids aren’t fans of finding bits of onions (or anything else!) in their dinner. Serve the meatloaf with mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes or mashed cauliflower for comforting meal.
“My husband gave this a 10, and I loved it too! I loved that I could freeze one for another night’s dinner.”
What You’ll Need For this Turkey Meatloaf Recipe
- Ketchup, dark brown sugar, apple cider vinegar & Dijon mustard – These make up the glaze: ketchup adds that classic tomato flavor, brown sugar brings sweetness, vinegar adds brightness, and Dijon gives it a tangy kick.
- Olive oil, yellow onion & garlic – The aromatic and flavorful base of the meatloaf.
- Paprika, dried thyme & Worcestershire sauce – These seasonings add warmth, smokiness, and umami, enhancing the flavor of the turkey.
- Eggs & Italian seasoned breadcrumbs – Bind the meatloaf together and keep it moist and tender with the right amount of structure.
- Ground turkey (93/7) – Lean but not too lean; 93/7 gives you a moist, flavorful meatloaf.
- Fresh parsley – For a pop of color and fresh finish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and mustard until smooth.
Step 2: Cook the aromatics. Next, heat the olive oil in a small pan and add the onions. Cook until they’re softened, then stir in the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
Step 3: Make the flavor base for the meatloaf. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the glaze, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, and eggs until well combined.
Step 4: Add the rest. To mixing bowl, add the onion mixture, bread crumbs, and turkey.
Step 5: Mix it all together. Use your hands to mix everything until well combined.
Step 5: Shape the meatloaves. Form two loaves directly on a foil-lined baking sheet and spread the remaining BBQ glaze over top.
Pro Tip: Skip the loaf pan—free-form meatloaf is easier to clean up, and the excess fat has room to cook off for a healthier meatloaf.
Step 6: Bake. Pop the meatloaves in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until cooked through.
Step 7: Slice and serve. Scrape the fat away from the loaves, transfer to a platter, and slice. The cooked meatloaf will keep in the fridge for several days and can be reheated in the microwave. Leftovers make excellent meatloaf sandwiches and freeze well, too.
More Ground Turkey Recipes You May Like
Video Tutorial
Turkey Meatloaf
Ingredients
For the Glaze
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
For the Meatloaf
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 large eggs
- 2 lb 93% ground turkey
- ¾ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- A few springs chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Set oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil; grease the foil with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.
- Make the Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Set aside.
- Make the Meatloaf: Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, eggs, and ¼ cup of the BBQ glaze. Whisk until well combined. Stir in the onion mixture. Add the ground turkey and breadcrumbs and mix with your hands until evenly combined.
- Transfer the meat mixture into two even piles onto the prepared baking sheet. Shape into two long loaves about 1½ in (4 cm) high x 6 in (15 cm) long x 4 in (10 cm) wide. Spread the remaining BBQ glaze over the loaves, letting it drip down the sides a bit. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the meatloaves are cooked through. Scrape any fat away from the sides of the loaves, then transfer the loaves to a platter. Slice and garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I never cared to try meatloaf while eating out anywhere .. looks interesting and mushy haha. But a completely different story to make it from home! Was inspired to make this from your “Fall Dinner Inspiration.” So simple to make, just mix everything together and bake! Didn’t have Worcestershire nor Dijon mustard to subbed soy sauce and regular mustard (and hoped for the best) and still came out delicious. Served this with your Broccoli with Chipotle Honey Butter and plain mashed potatoes. YUM!
Hello Jenn……Greetings from Canada! Love your recipes and your cookbook. I have one family member who cannot eat onions. I guess the onions add moisture to the turkey loaf as well as flavor. Could you please suggest an alternate vegetable. Would leeks add enough moisture to the loaf?
Great thank you.
Yvonne Adams
So glad you like the recipes, Yvonne! I think you could probably get away with leeks — please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Hi! Excellent recipe, but I need to 1/2 it. I have most of the amounts correct but need to double check them. I don’t see a tab for changing the size of the recipe, so could you please help on the measurements? I only have 1lb of ground turkey, which is why I can’t just make the whole thing and freeze one loaf. Thanks!
Math is definitely not my strong suit – is there a particular ingredient you need help halving though?
This is without a doubt the best meatloaf recipe I have ever made. My family requests it often. I brought it to a friend who was sick and she thought her husband would not eat it because he always said he hates meatloaf. He tried it and loved it. She called me for the recipe and makes it for him all the time. I follow the recipe as written. Thank you, Jen.
GONE are my other meatloaf stand-bys! I have made this with both turkey and beef, and the tender texture and subtle flavorings paired with mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies are always devoured. I used gluten free bread crumbs, as my husband needs that, but in a pinch, I have even used his gluten free bread chopped up fine. Thank you for making this so divine!
Hello Jenn, I made this on Oct 4, 2020 and it turned out great. I was trying to decide what to do with the turkey I had in the freezer and came across this recipe, so happy I did.
This is my favorite meatloaf recipe. I’ve made it many times and it always comes out great. As a matter of fact it’s in the oven this moment with scalloped potatoes, your potato recipe of course. Both recipes are perfection. Thank you Jen!
I’ve never made turkey meatloaf b4. I began to prep and discovered that I had only taken out 1 pound of meat but that’s ok because I measured out the ingredients and put the rest in containers for meatloaf tomorrow. IT WAS DELICIOUS, so moist with lots of flavor.
These reviews are not exaggerating. This meatloaf is excellent. I had to tell my mom it put hers to shame, that’s when she revealed this age old family secret – she said, “I never liked that meatloaf recipe I used to make, I just made it for your father because that’s how HIS mom used to make it” Nothing means anything anymore, so I’m happy to tell my wife and kids that THIS is forever our family meatloaf recipe.
I did it on the smoker and made maybe a couple other tweaks, but this recipe is as close as perfect as meatloaf could ever be, and it’s TURKEY so I can eat half of the thing if I want to and not worry that I’m gonna wake up in the hospital.
😂
Can I use a German stone ground dijon instead of the regular dijon called for here?
Sure – hope you enjoy! 🙂
So moist/best ever meatloaf. It is our go to for meatloaf!