Turkey Meatloaf
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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
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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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Would it work to substitute ground beef for the turkey? Thank you.
Diane
Sure, Diane, that should be fine. Enjoy!
The only turkey mince I could get in ireland was 98%, I thought that would probably be too lean and it might turn out dry, so I added some pork mince. That was the only change I made and it was savaged by the family! Told not to change anything next time I make it.
Not just one of the best turkey meatloaves I’ve made, it’s one of the best meatloaves I’ve made!
This is THE best turkey meatloaf recipe ever! I have made it with just ground turkey and combined one ground turkey, one ground pork. Delicious. I add some extra ketchup so that there is a little extra glaze left to drizzle over the air fryer potatoes I usually serve with it.
You can also make little baby meatloaves in muffin pans (family loves it this way!) and the cook time is usually only around 20 minutes at the same temperature. This recipe is so good it is requested for their special birthday dinners!
Small modifications: Omitting the thyme (allergy) and using smoked paprika and adding in some finely chopped celery and carrot with the onion for extra veggies. That’s it. No further modifications needed. It’s pretty much perfect as written! Thank you!
I only had 1 pound of Turkey so I did half of everything the recipe called for a cooked for 35 minutes instead. I also subbed Dijon for honey mustard and apple cider vinegar for regular vinegar. This was one of the best meatloafs I’ve ever eaten. This recipe was AMAZING!
It felt like fall here yesterday and I realized I had a couple pounds of ground turkey, so I made this.
So good-really hit the spot with roasted delicata squash and fresh tomatoes. And meat loaf sandwiches for lunch today!!
Great recipe, Jenn!!
I added some ground chicken to the ground turkey. This recipe is delicious.
I used 3 pounds of ground turkey instead of 2. Would that be the reason mine falls apart and that it’s dry. I followed the recipe, aside from bread crumbs, and spices and it tasted great except for the dryness.
Hi Nicholas, Sorry you found it to be dry! Did you multiply the other ingredients by 1.5 to account for the additional pound of ground turkey? And/or did you happen to use ground turkey breast? If so, either of those would have caused it to be dry. Please LMK if I can help in any other way.
Made this for my hubby because he’s sick of my vegan meals. 😁 He loved it and gave it 10 stars. Only change I made was swapping the bread crumbs for panko and adding some Italian seasoning. Quick, easy and delicious per hubby. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I made this tonight exactly as written. Since it is Turkey, it is not a juicy meatloaf. It was not our favorite but eatable and healthy. We both prefer a ground beef meatloaf. So I will have to say it’s a one and done recipe for us.