Turkey Meatloaf
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
A family favorite, this turkey meatloaf is as flavorful and juicy as one made with ground beef.
Swapping ground turkey for ground beef is a great way to make meatloaf a bit healthier. However, for all its merits as a low-fat alternative to ground beef, ground turkey can be dry and bland. The key to making a good turkey meatloaf is to add flavor and moisture without adding fat, which would defeat the whole purpose of making it lighter. I season this turkey meatloaf with sautéed onions and garlic, and I also add some of the sweet and tangy glaze directly to the meatloaf mixture, which makes the meatloaf flavorful and juicy. One tip if you’re making this for kids: be sure to chop the onions very finely. My experience is that kids do not like finding flecks of onions (or flecks of anything, really!) in their meatloaf. Naturally, leftovers make excellent meatloaf sandwiches.
“This meatloaf was delicious. It was moist, tasty, and so easy to make. My husband gave this a 10, and I loved it too! I loved that I could freeze one for another nights dinner.”
Looking for more ways to lighten up your classic ground beef recipes? Try my turkey chili, skillet turkey burgers and turkey meatballs.
What you’ll need To Make Turkey Meatloaf
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by making the glaze: in a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and mustard.
Whisk to combine.
Next, in a small pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions.
Cook until softened, then add the garlic and cook for a few minutes more.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the glaze with the Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, and eggs.
Whisk to combine.
Mix in the onion mixture.
Then add the bread crumbs and turkey.
Use your hands to mix it all together.
Form two loaves on a baking sheet.
Then spread the remaining BBQ glaze over top.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. I prefer this “free-form” meatloaf to those made in a loaf pan; clean-up is so much easier and all the extra fat is able to ooze out during baking.
Scrape the fat away from the loaves, transfer to a platter, and slice.
You may also like
- Meatloaf (Family-Style & Mini Loaves)
- Italian Meatloaf
- Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Pan-Seared Turkey Burgers
- Turkey, Spinach & Cheese Meatballs
Video Tutorial
Turkey Meatloaf
A family favorite, this turkey meatloaf is as flavorful and juicy as one made with ground beef.
Ingredients
For the Glaze
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 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 pounds ground turkey (93/7)
- 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. 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 medium 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 high x 6 in long x 4 in 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.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked meatloaf can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, defrost it in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat it in a 300°F oven until hot in the middle.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 413
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Sugar: 20g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 35g
- Sodium: 1086mg
- Cholesterol: 166mg
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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This is the best meatloaf I’ve ever had! My family loved it. Even my picky eater 4 year old had three (!!!) helpings! I’ll definitely be making it again soon.
Ok I don’t even like meatloaf and this was AMAZING!! Seriously I usually avoid meatloaf at all costs but my toddler really likes ground meat and I’m trying to add in new things to serve him so I tried this out. It’s now going into my rotation of regular dinners!
This is a terrific recipe. I changed just a bit by doing half turkey half pork. I left absolutely true to the recipe. It’s so delicious you can serve for guests.
what temperature to bake?
Hi Corina, it should be baked at 350°F/180°C. Hope you enjoy!
I’m really enjoying cooking my way through this website. To be honest this is the first recipe I haven’t loved, but it’s purely a matter of preference. The meatloaf itself is very tasty, good consistency and the seasoning gives it such a hearty flavor that you almost forget it’s Turkey. My issue was the glaze… the BBQ sauce is very sweet. VERY sweet. I like a more zesty BBQ sauce and honestly the only thing I use it on are chicken tenders! But like I said this was a matter of preference, I wiped the glaze of before I put the leftovers away and enjoyed a few reheated meals throughout the week topped with Tabasco/Siracha sauce. Good recipe, prefer her Italian style Meatloaf.
Are there any flops on this website?! This was amazing as usual and an easy prep. Is this really how BBQ sauce is made? Took me 30 years to figure that out. Anyway, I was short for time so I skipped sautéing the onions and garlic. Will try that next time. Thank you for another goodie!!
I’ve been following OUC and cooking up her recipes for at least 10 years. Every recipe I’ve tried has been an absolute hit. This meatloaf recipe is one of my favorites. The flavor is out of this world! The juiciness is perfect. Everything is perfect. I’ve also made it by adding in some diced carrots, spinach, oats, or Irish oats. I change it up each time and each time it’s still perfect.
Currently trying this out in the Instant Air Fryer and hoping to get the temperature right. Currently going with 350 for 20 minutes.
I make this recipe for my family all of the time! It is perfect and they love it. I want to make something to bring to a sick friend and this would be perfect. I was wondering if I could substitute ground beef for the ground turkey as her husband doesn’t like anything but beef. Would anything need to be adjusted in the recipe if I did? Thanks for your help.
Glad you like this! Ground beef should be fine here with no adjustments. Hope they enjoy it too. 🙂
Is it possible to make this with ground chicken instead of ground turkey. If so do I adjust anything?
I’ve never made this with ground chicken, but a few readers have commented that they have, and have been happy with the results. Hope you enjoy!
This is so delicious – great texture and flavors. Not at all your average turkey meatloaf.
Had 3lbs of quality ground turkey meat and didn’t want to risk with the recipe. Of course it worked, turned out moist but not greasy. I had to do little math to scale measures for 3lb of meat. I used to make loaf from a random blog on internet before and it was never great.
hi Jenn – I love your recipes! I want to try this recipe for meatloaf. Could I bake this in mini-loaf pans to create little individual meatloaves? If so, how long would you bake them?
Jane, so glad you like the recipes! I do think you could make this in mini loaf pans. I’d start tracking them at about 35 to 40 minutes. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Hi Jenn,
I just made this meatloaf and it was a winner! Been making meatloaf for 40 years and I can honestly say this was absolutely the best. I’m going to stick with your recipe going forward. It was a hit with my family!
Your recipes never fail! Thank you!
Mary
Hi Jenn,
My family loves this recipe!
Could I bake this in a muffin tin with the sauce on top? If yes, at what temperature and for how long would you suggest?
Thanks!
So glad your family likes this! Yes, you could bake these in a muffin tin. I’d keep the oven temperature the same and start checking them for doneness at 35 minutes. Please LMK how they turn out as muffins!
Best meatloaf ever! Thank you, Jen! I never considered myself a meatloaf gal – they’ve always been too dry – not this one – so good!
This is my go-to site for anything – breakfast, lunch, dinner, apps, desserts, all of it. There isn’t one thing that we haven’t loved. 😊
Hi Jen, can I use meatloaf mix instead of turkey?
Sure, Sheila, that should be fine. Please LMK how it turns out!
YES!, I made this meatloaf and it was the best. I added Jennie O ground turkey sausage. It was GREAT!!!
I made this turkey meatloaf and my family loved it so much my husband buys 5 lbs of ground turkey at a time and I make 5 lbs weekly! Lol. This was a huge success here!
I added ground zucchini, shredded carrot, and some fresh mushrooms that needed to be used and instead of bread crumbs, I substituted oatmeal. Also added some Barley Grits. They are stored in the fridge until baked for our dinner tonight.
This is a family favorite! Even my husband who eats only red meat is a fan.
The only problem I am having is I cannot print this recipe. I have printed from your site before with no problem. Do you have any suggestions?
Glad you like it! That’s strange that you can’t print it. I haven’t gotten complaints like that from other readers and can’t duplicate the problem myself. Are you having problems printing other recipes from the site? I would suggest going onto the blog using a different internet browser and trying to print from there. Oftentimes, those annoying glitches can be resolved by using a different browser. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
This is the only recipe that I am unable to print from your web site. Strange, yes. So, I went down to my mom’s house and printed it from there.
So strange, but glad you now have a printed copy! 🙂
This turkey meatloaf is the best I’ve ever had! It is moist and full of flavor. A definite keeper in my winter rotation!
No ingredient amounts/ratios and not even a temperature in here. 40-45 minutes at what temp?
Hi Joe, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
Just a fabulous recipe! I did substitute Stubb’s Sweet Heat for the ketchup and brown sugar because I was afraid it would be too sweet (still added the vinegar and Dijon). Also used panko, which worked fine. Cooking time was right on. I will never make a normal meatloaf again!
This is the best meatloaf I’ve ever made. Wish my mom was still alive to share it with. Even she would admit it was better than hers.
Thank You
Lori
The meatloaf is moist and delicious. Admittedly, I use store-bought BBQ sauce for the recipe but otherwise follow it as is. It turns out well each time and I’m not a great cook. My family loves this recipe.
This is the best meatloaf I have ever made. My kids declared it our new meatloaf—for keeps! The flavors are perfectly balanced, it is so moist, just delicious. My husband and one son thought the sauce was too sweet, the rest of us thought the sauce was perfect. However, we had none left, so obviously they weren’t too opposed to it!
This is the best turkey meatloaf I ever made or had. I followed your suggestion, made 2 and will freeze one for my son next time he visits. he will love it. thanks for sharing.
Made this tonight for dinner. Halved the recipe. Cooked it for the same recommended time. While it was REALLY delicious and we loved it, it was way too moist and fell apart. Wondering if this is the way it is supposed to be. Just did not hang together like a meatloaf should. I was careful about halving all the ingredients. Can’t figure this out.
Hi Kate, glad you enjoyed this but sorry to hear it fell apart! It really should stick together when you slice it. Halving the recipe should not have been a problem; is there any chance you may have made a measuring error when halving the ingredients?
I tried to be diligent about halving each ingredient, but I, too, think that must be the reason that it fell apart. Must have done SOMETHING incorrectly. I will try it again. Thanks for your response, Jen. Have a Happy Hannukah.
This was the best turkey meatloaf I have tried!
Delicious! So moist & flavorful. Will definitely make again because I’ve tried other turkey meatloaf recipes, but they were always too dry and bland, so thank you for creating this one 🤗
Hi Jenn. Is there a substitute for the Apple cider vinegar or would a substitute change the flavour drastically? Thanks in advance.
Sure Dana – white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar would be good substitutes. Hope that helps!
Has become a family favorite! Thank you Jen once again for sharing your delicious recipes ! You make me look like a great cook!
Yummy! I have made this multiple times using turkey, bison, pork, and most recently Impossible meat. The recipe worked great with Impossible meat, I just reduced the cooking time about 10 minutes. This is a fav of mine so I’m happy it to have it as a vegetarian option now!
This is excellent!! Will be my meatloaf go-to!!
I love this recipe! Everytime I make it for guest or family, and they all love it. I like to double the sauce recipe since it’s sooo good so I can use the leftover sauce to dip chicken strips in. Highly recommend 🙂
Another OUAC keeper! This meatloaf has amazing flavor and is so moist, which is sometimes lacking with ground turkey. I also like the technique of baking the loafs free-form, which allows the fat to spill out.
I don’t usually keep dark brown sugar in the house. Could I use light brown sugar or would that not be as good? Thank you.
Sure, Steve, that’s perfectly fine. Enjoy!
Hi! I’m so excited to try this recipe. I was wondering, if I only have one pound of ground turkey could I just halve all the other ingredients? Thank you so much!
Sure – enjoy!
Loved this! I really liked cooking the loaves free form (saves one less dirty dish!) I added mushrooms and celery to the loaf as well because I had some I needed to use up and it was amazing! Definitely will make this again.
This is a wonderful meatloaf.
We make it often (I have only ever used pork, as one family member has a turkey non-preference).
Our nana (German and big fan of BBQ flavour and meatloaf) was full of praise for the taste and ultra-soft texture of your recipe, and kept some to serve to Indian friends to try. One, who we had thought was a vegetarian, even asked for the recipe so she could make it for her grandchildren!
Thanks so much for another winner, Jenn!
I made this last night, loved it! I slightly expanded it to 3 pounds. I gave some to my neighbors and they loved it too.
I have this in the oven and it smells amazing! I added a bit of smoked paprika to the BBQ sauce and also substituted some of the regular paprika with smoked paprika in the meat mixture. I didn’t have Italian breadcrumbs but I did have Panko, so I improvised and added some Italian seasoning to make Italian Panko crumbs – fingers crossed it turns out!
Update: This was a huge hit with my family! Thank you, Jenn!
I’ve made this twice now and my family loves it! Such a great way to dress up ground turkey. So flavorful!
Hi Jenn- I can’t wait to make this tonight. I’m surprising my husband for his 40th birthday. He LOVES meatloaf. I have a few questions:
1) What can I add to the remaining sauce to give it some heat/spice?
2) I will be making a half portion because I only have 1 lb of ground turkey. I have a very small amount of leftover brown rice and quinoa (maybe 1/3 cup)… could I add that to the mix?
Hi Anjali, You can add a few pinches of cayenne pepper to create some heat in the glaze. I think it should be fine to use rice/quinoa mixture but I’d cut back on the bread crumbs. Hope that helps!
Omg, I didn’t even realize that I already submitted a comment (palm in face). Thank you!
LOL – no worries!! 🙂
Hi Jenn! My husband LOVES meatloaf, so I’ll be making this recipe to surprise him for his 40th birthday. So many of your recipes have become classics in our dinner rotations (chicken kabobs are my FAVORITE).
Quick question: What do you suggest I add to the glaze to spice it up a bit?
Hi Anjali, So glad your husband likes this! I’d add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper to the glaze to give it a little heat. Hope he has a great birthday! 🙂
I love this recipe for the entire family. I cheated and used store bought bbq sauce but aside from that followed the recipe. Have made twice and highly recommend!!
I made this tonight and everyone loved it! So flavorful. Thanks for another great recipe.
Hi Jenn: Do you think that I could use ground dark meat chicken instead of turkey in this recipe? Also, I’m looking for a dish I can make ahead, freeze, and then reheat in a microwave (we won’t have access to an oven). Would those two substitutions work?
Thanks so much. I really enjoy your site and trust your recipes.
Leslie
Sure, Leslie, both of those should work. Hope you enjoy!
Bought a 1 lb package of ground turkey bc it was on sale even tho I never cook with it but I thought it might be a good substitute for ground veal in meatloaf. OUAC is my go-to for anything since I can always count on Jenn’s recipes. I wanted to make the recipe as written so I searched my freezer and found a 3/4 lb package of ground pork and one Katana beef burger and used that with the turkey. My husband – who doesn’t like meatloaf – said it was really good and asked me to make it on a regular basis. I served it with baked sweet potatoes and an ice berg lettuce salad with blue cheese dressing. Really easy clean up and leftovers make this a great recipe.
Absolutely delicious. I’m not a big fan of ground turkey but I’m trying to substitute it more into our diet and man was this was winner! I couldn’t believe how flavorful and moist it was without any need for sausage added. Next time I will cut the thyme in half for my family’s preference but everything else was perfect. This was a major kid friendly meal for our family and very affordable. Thank you!!
Made this last night and we all loved it! This we be a monthly meal for our family!
I have meatloaf mix in the fridge wondering if I can substitute for the turkey?
Thank you – Kathleen
Sure, Kathleen, that should work. Hope you enjoy!
If you are looking for comfort food that feeds the soul, look no further! This is the BEST meatloaf. It is super flavorful and the BBQ glaze is like the icing on a cake…delish!! My family loves this with mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. Another winner, Jenn!!
Best meatloaf ever! I am a fan of meatloaf but my husband does not have fond memories of it from his childhood. I tried this recipe and he loves it! The sauce is fabulous and it is so much healthier being made with turkey. Served with mash potatoes and broccoli. It’s a keeper!