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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This recipe is really delicious. I would like to note though if you use the Progresso seasoned bread crumbs don’t add additional salt. The seasoned bread crumbs have a high content of salt already. I’m thinking I will used plain next time and add other herbs.
Thoughts?
Hi Chelsea that’s fine (and you can just add salt to taste).
Hi! Thank you for sharing the Turkey Meatloaf recipe. I made it tonight and it was delicious…could not tell it was turkey. A big hit! I followed your recipe exactly and it was very easy to follow. I’ll definitely make this again and again!
We’ve made this twice now and always come away with rave reviews!! I never pre cook the onions, just throw them in raw with all the other ingredients and it still turns out great. Yum!!
This was really good. I used 2-1/4 lbs turkey, a large onion, a full cup of panko seasoned bread crumbs and increased glaze proportions, but otherwise followed directions. I refrigerated loaves and glaze for about 1 hour, glazed the loaves, then let it sit out for a half hour before baking. It was really perfect and delicious. Never had such a good experience with turkey before in a meatloaf. Will definitely make again.
Moist and delicious. A hit at our house.
This recipe makes me forget about the beef meatloaf recipes! It was so moist, full of flavor, and easy to make. I bought 3 lbs ground 85% lean ground turkey because it was on sale for $10 for the pkg; trying to be thrifty. I used all 3 lbs and increased the other ingredients accordingly. Hubs has acid reflux but didn’t with this meatloaf served with mashed taters and green beans. We are eating this, and finishing, for the 4th night since we are tax CPAs and we have next to no time to cook. I will make many more times!
I have never in my life left a comment for a recipe online. I despise needlessly signing up for websites. This meal was so good though I figured the least I could do was take the time to add my rating and leave a comment to appease the algorithm gods. I’m not even ashamed to admit that I just finished a whole one of the loafs I enjoyed it so much. IF I HAD to make a criticism it would be that I would have preferred it maybe a little more dry (I think would be the right word). I prefer a little more meaty texture, but I mean that’s like really nit picking here. Also, I’m going to work on lowering the sugar content but other than that it’s one of my all-time favorite recipes.
I have tried turkey meatloaf recipes in the past and was hesitant to try again but WOW this one is tasty and moist. My teenager says it is one of his top 2 favorite meals that I make. I have made it twice now. Excellent recipe – thank you!
Wow! This was simply delicious. The seasoning was nicely balanced and the meatloaf was perfectly tender and moist. I plan to freeze one of the loaves, but now that I know how great this is, I don’t think it will last long in the freezer. Served with homemade dinner rolls, steamed broccoli, and rice pilaf. Will definitely be adding this recipe to the rotation. Thanks, Chef!
Can we sub in ground sausage if needed?
Hi Erin, I don’t recommend it – it would impact the texture and the seasonings would need to be adapted too. Sorry!