Make this Turkey Meatloaf Recipe for a delicious update on a classic recipe. Combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, and sautéed onions for an easy weeknight dinner.
Weeknight-easy
Beginner-friendly
You’ll Learn: How to keep the meatloaf juicy and tender
Worth It: Bakes well fresh or from frozen
Bonus: How to add extra tang to the glaze
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy, healthy weeknight dinner – Prep time is minimal on this recipe. Once you have your onions sautéed, this turkey meatloaf recipe comes together quickly. It is a great weeknight meal.
- Amazing leftovers – Make this turkey meatloaf and use the leftovers to create a meatloaf sandwich for lunch.
- Customize for your family – The recipe calls for ground turkey, but you can substitute that for any ground meat you like.
- Perfect freezer meal – Fully cook your turkey meatloaf and wrap tightly to freeze and enjoy later or deliver to a friend in need of a meal.
Baking Method
In this recipe, I recommend you use a sheet pan. I like this method because the meatloaf browns on all sides. You can also add the topping to more of the meatloaf.
You can use a loaf pan in this recipe if you prefer. The loaf pan will ensure the juices do not escape, but you will not get the same crispiness as a sheet pan.
Serving suggestions
This turkey meatloaf recipe is so much more tasty with Easy Creamy Mashed Potatoes. For some greens, Green Beans Almondine make an amazing side dish.
If you are looking for more ground turkey recipes, make my Greek Turkey Burgers or these Air Fry Turkey Meatballs.
If you are on a time crunch but still want meatloaf, make my Air Fryer Meatloaf for a quick and delicious dinner.
Ingredients
- Yellow onion – finely diced yellow onion adds the flavor and juiciness to this recipe. By adding sauteed onions, your meatloaf will stay moist. You can also add garlic to your onions if you would like.
- Olive oil – I use extra virgin olive oil to saute the onions, but you can use any cooking oil that you like.
- Egg – The egg will bind your ground meat mixture to prevent the meatloaf from falling apart.
- Milk – Milk will help add moisture and flavor to your meatloaf to make sure it stays juicy.
- Ketchup and Worcestershire – These ingredients add tons of flavor and depth to your meatloaf.
- Ground turkey – I use ground turkey that is 93% lean meat and 7% fat, but if you like to use extra lean ground turkey, feel free to use 99% fat free.
- Breadcrumbs – Breadcrumbs help absorb the flavors to keep them in your meatloaf.
- Salt, black pepper – You just need a bit of salt and pepper in this recipe to bring out the amazing flavors in this turkey meatloaf. If you love garlic, you could add a bit of garlic powder too. The onions provide plenty of onion flavor, so be cautious adding onion powder.
- Brown Sugar – The brown sugar will help caramelize your sauce to create a sweet sauce that is the perfect consistency
Ingredient Substitutions
If you do not want to use ground turkey in this meatloaf recipe, you can use any ground meat as your protein. You can even use a blend of ground meats.
To make this recipe gluten-free, you can use your favorite gluten free breadcrumb mixture.
To make this recipe dairy-free, you can use a dairy free milk in place of the standard cows milk. I recommend using a dairy free creamer so it is a thicker consistency.
Ketchup and worcestershire sauce add an amazing flavor to this ground turkey meatloaf recipe, but if needed, you need to swap those out. Swap the ketchup for a little bit of pureed tomato sauce and the worcestershire for soy sauce or balsamic vinegar.
If you like even more tang in your sauce, you could add a bit of apple cider vinegar to the ketchup and brown sugar.
How to make
Step 1: Saute onions and mix wet ingredients
To start, preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the diced onions to the pan.
Then, saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a large bowl whisk together egg, milk, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce (Images 1 and 2).
Step 2: make meatloaf mixture and form meatloaf
Add the ground turkey, bread crumbs, sautéed onions, salt and pepper to the bowl (Image 3). Use clean hands to mix together until just combined. Do not over mix because this will make the meatloaf tough.
Pour mixture onto the lined baking sheet and form into a loaf shape with clean hands (Image 4). Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Step 3: Make topping and spread on meatloaf
While that bakes, whisk together the ketchup and brown sugar for topping (Image 5).
After 45 minutes, remove the meatloaf from the oven and spread the sauce over the top (Image 6). Return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.
Remove and cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Total time may vary depending on your oven. I recommend using an instant read thermometer to test for an internal temperature of 160F.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the secret to moist meatloaf?
I use sauteed onions, egg, milk, ketchup and worcestershire sauce and those wet ingredients mix with the fresh breadcrumbs to keep the meatloaf moist as it bakes.
Why is my turkey meatloaf rubbery?
If your turkey meatloaf tastes rubbery you may have over mixed your meatloaf mixture. Mix gently with a clean wet hand until the ingredients are just combined and then form into a loaf.
What makes meatloaf not fall apart?
The egg binds all of the ingredients together keeping the loaf solid when baked and sliced.
Storage, reheating and Freezing
Once fully cooled, store this turkey meatloaf recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 250 for 12 minutes, until warmed through. I recommend slicing before reheating.
You can freeze this turkey meatloaf after cooking. Wrap tightly to avoid freezer burn, and freeze for up to 3 months. You do not have to thaw it. Bake from frozen covered at 325F for 1 hour.
Check out these other delicious Ground Turkey Recipes
If you love this turkey meatloaf recipe, the Pesto Baked Turkey Meatballs next!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Turkey Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
Meatloaf Ingredients:
- ½ tbsp oil
- ½ yellow onion – finely diced
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb ground turkey
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Meatloaf Topping Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- ½ tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat and add the diced onions to the pan. Saute until soft and translucent – about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together egg, milk, ketchup and worcestershire sauce.
- Add the ground turkey, bread crumbs, sauteed onions, salt and pepper to the bowl. Use clean hands to mix together until just combined – do not overmix, this will make the meatloaf tough.
- Pour mixture onto the lined baking sheet and form into a loaf shape with clean hands. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
- While that bakes, whisk together the ketchup and brown sugar for topping.
- After 45 minutes, remove the meatloaf from the oven and spread the sauce over the top. Return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.
- Remove and cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes
- Use ground chicken, ground pork, ground beef, or a mixture in place of ground turkey
- Freezer Instructions: Wrap tightly and freeze fully cooked meatloaf for up to three months.
- Use gluten free breadcrumbs in place of regular breadcrumbs if needed.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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