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. 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 glaze 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, or baked sweet potatoes 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 To Make Turkey Meatloaf
- 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
Generously seasoned and topped with a sweet and tangy glaze, this turkey meatloaf is a healthier, flavorful twist on a classic.
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
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- 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.
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Comments
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Could you substitute ground chicken instead of turkey?
HI Irene, I haven’t made this with ground chicken, but few readers have commented that they have and have been happy with the results.
I absolutely LOVED this! I felt like a regular chef doing this! Thank you so much!! Was an instant favorite in my household! 🙂
Cannot print recipe or email it to then print
Hi Rosemarie, I’m sorry you’e having trouble printing the recipe! I will send a copy of it to you through email and I’m hoping you can print it that way. Please let me know if you continue to have difficulty.
If I use premade BBQ sauce, how much should I use?
Hi Gayle, About a cup should be sufficient.
Ive been making this meatloaf recipe once a week since I found it. Sometimes I use store bought BBQ sauce when im pressed for time but its still great. Thanks for sharing!
I make this recipe every week practically. My family LOVES it. Thank you for sharing!
Ack! I’m attempting to create a ground turkey shepherd’s pie. Why? because ground turkey is on sale and St. Paddy’s day is around the corner. I’m merging your thyme, paprika and ground turkey with http://www.jamesbeard.org/recipes/shepherds-pie . I’ve made the turkey base. Peeled cut potatoes in the fridge. Figured I will make the mashed potatoes when kids get home from school, layer pie and throw in the oven, maybe w/ some frozen peas. Please tell me this will be okay! I shouldn’t have done this.
Elizabeth, it sounds like it will be tasty. Just be sure to store the potatoes submerged in water so they don’t brown.
Thank you very much. James Beard’s “American Cookery” taught me how to boil eggs, before there was the internet. You have that talent. Warning ahead of time of a simple pitfall that I would probably fall into… like making the potatoes brown. Need some tweaks… buying a different fat % in the ground turkey. If using my leftover chicken stock toss the schmaltz and limit the salt. My kids liked the concept of a lighter shepherd’s pie.
Delicious!!! My family loves it!!! Any tips on how to best reheat the second loaf after freezing it? And would you recommend wrapping it in tinfoil before putting it in a freezer bag? Thank you!!!
Glad your family likes it Andi! Yes, I would recommend wrapping it in foil before putting it in a freezer bag and I’d reheat it at 300 degrees until hot in the middle.
OMG ! ! !…Best turkey meatloaf ever…very moist and packed with flavor…the sauce is incredible…my whole family loved it…even the kids..they said it was the best turkey meatloaf I’ve ever made..lol…I am so glad I came across your site…I made this a few days ago, and today I made the blackened tilapia which again was an OMG ! ! ! delightful tasty dinner that kids loved also…I look forward to seeing new recipes
Thank you
This looked like a good recipe and I was in the mood to try a new meatloaf recipe. Not a good choice. Way too bready and not a lot of flavor. I thought the homemade “barbecue” sauce was awful. Never make this again. Such a waste of food.
You obviously don’t know how to cook.
You probably missed a step or have absolutely no taste buds
I don’t think it was the recipe’s fault. Must have been the cook.