Home > Dinner > Turkey Meatloaf Turkey Meatloaf January 27, 2020 | 29 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. This Turkey Meatloaf recipe is made with ground turkey, plenty of veggies, and a delicious tangy glaze. These mini meatloaves are so easy to make and packed with good-for-you healthy ingredients. You can make it ahead of time, and leftovers store well (a great weekly meal prep option). We love pairing these turkey meatloaves with Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and this Italian Salad. Healthier meatloaf My boys are obsessed with mini meatloaves (this is one of their favorite meals) and with how often I make them, it was about time I created a healthier version. This version has ground turkey and plenty of hidden veggies. I’ll admit I was a little hesitant to serve these (not because I didn’t think they were completely delicious), but because they’re pretty different from the other ones they’re used to. Turns out, they like these ones even better! These little Turkey Meatloaves are packed with good ingredients — tons of veggies and ground turkey, which is a rich source of low-fat protein. QUICK TIP We all know that ground turkey is a healthy choice for meals. But many of us have found that subbing turkey for beef leaves the meal a little…uh…bland. There! I said it! Fear not, friend, because we’ve added a number of flavor-packed enhancements to this recipe. Prepare Turkey Meatloaf with confidence that your family will give it a big thumbs up! How do you make an EASY meatloaf? By making it miniature, of course! Preparing Turkey Meatloaves in a muffin tin takes out so much of the guesswork for baking time, plus they bake much quicker than a full loaf. Mini meatloaves are also easier and quicker to shape than a full-sized turkey meatloaf. And finally, it’s fun for everyone to have their own individual meatloaves–kids especially love that. But now let’s talk step by step about making the actual meatloaves. How do you make Turkey Meatloaf? Sauté veggies: To get a really nice flavor (and keep the meatloaves from being crunchy), we sauté onion, garlic, carrot, and mushrooms. This veggie mixture bulks up the meatloaves, adds nutritional benefits, and increases the flavor. Mix: Add those sautéed veggies to a bowl with Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, egg, and panko breadcrumbs. I like to mix everything really well before adding the meat since you want to mix the meat as little as possible (to preserve the moistness). Add ground turkey: Mix in the ground turkey until just combined with the other ingredients. Bake: Evenly divide the mixture between the 12 cups of a muffin tin. Bake for 15 minutes. Glaze: While the meatloaves are baking, prepare the tomato glaze. Spoon the glaze over the mini meatloaves and let them bake for an additional 15 minutes. Turkey Meatloaf Cooking FAQs How long do you cook Turkey Meatloaf? Turkey Meatloaves bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for a total of 30 minutes. The first 15 minutes will be without the tomato glaze, then after 15 minutes you will pull them out of the oven and add the tomato glaze and cook for another 15 minutes. What temperature should turkey meatloaf be? Ground turkey needs to be cooked until the internal temperature reaches at least 160 degrees F to be considered food safe. Make sure to test in the thickest part of the meatloaves. Do you cover the meatloaf? You don’t need to cover these Turkey Meatloaves while baking them. Is it OK if my meatloaf is a little pink? Yes — so long as a food thermometer confirms the internal temperature of these meatloaves is 160 degrees F. It’s not uncommon that this kind of meat may maintain a little bit of pink due to the myoglobin in meat. Meal prepping Turkey Meatloaves I recommend adding two or three mini meatloaves to a meal prep container along with a medley of your favorite roasted vegetables. They will keep for 3-4 days and are a healthy, veggie-packed meal prep. Turkey Meatloaf tips Sautéing vegetables adds an amazing flavor to Turkey Meatloaves while also keeping a perfect texture. Don’t over-mix the meat: Once the ground turkey has been added, gently mix the mixture with your hands just long enough so everything has been incorporated. Overmixing will create denser loaves. Use good quality ingredients: Choose a good quality ground turkey (Butterball’s® all natural is my fave) — you’ll want to make sure to get 93% fat-free ground turkey to ensure the integrity of these mini mouthfuls of deliciousness. I also recommend a good ketchup brand — that top glaze makes a huge difference to the overall flavor. What goes well with mini Turkey Meatloaves? Cucumber Salad loaded with veggies! Funeral Potatoes cheesy potato casserole Panzanella Salad with a balsamic vinaigrette Quinoa Salad with a lemon vinaigrette Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan cheese FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Turkey Meatloaf 4.93 from 13 votes - Review this recipe Turkey Meatloaf is made with ground turkey, plenty of veggies, and a delicious tangy glaze. They're so easy to make and packed with good-for-you healthy ingredients. Make Turkey Meatloaf ahead of time and leftovers store well (a great weekly meal prep option). SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Turkey Meatloaf 4.93 from 13 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Turkey Meatloaf is made with ground turkey, plenty of veggies, and a delicious tangy glaze. They're so easy to make and packed with good-for-you healthy ingredients. Make Turkey Meatloaf ahead of time and leftovers store well (a great weekly meal prep option). Course Dinner, Main Course Cuisine American Keyword turkey meatloaf recipe Prep Time 25 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Total Time 55 minutes Servings 12 mini turkey meatloaves Calories 82kcal Ingredients1 tablespoon olive oil1/2 cup grated yellow onion (1 small)1 teaspoon minced garlic1/2 cup grated carrots (2 medium)1 cup finely chopped baby bella mushrooms1 pound (16 ounces) ground turkey (93% lean) (I use Butterball all natural)1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce3/4 cup ketchup, divided (use a quality brand)1 large egg3/4 cup panko (next to breadcrumbs)2 tablespoons brown sugar light or dark2 tablespoons apple cider vinegarFine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper InstructionsPREP: Prepare the veggies by grating the onion on a box grater, using the largest holes, mince the garlic, grate the carrot (with the box grater again; peel first), and finely chop the mushrooms. COOK: Heat a large skillet to medium-high and add the olive oil and the onion, garlic, and shredded carrots. Sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and season with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to sauté veggies until they release their moisture and the liquid evaporates. After the vegetables are dry and tender, transfer them to a large bowl and let them cool for about 5 minutes. (Adding the egg to the hot veggies will cook it.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and spray a regular-sized muffin tin generously with nonstick spray.COMBINE: Once the veggies have cooled down a bit, add the Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup ketchup, egg, and panko to the bowl. Season mixture to personal preference; I add 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix these ingredients well until they are evenly combined. Add the ground turkey and use your hands to gently mix everything together being careful to not overmix.BAKE: Evenly divide the meat mixture between the 12 cavities of the prepared muffin tin. Bake the mini loaves in the preheated 375-degree oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup ketchup, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar until smooth. After meatloaves have baked for 15 minutes, remove them from the oven and spoon this glaze evenly over each meatloaf. Return them to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.ENJOY: Allow the meatloaves to rest for 5 minutes and then carefully lift out with a fork (use a knife to loosen edges if needed). Enjoy while hot. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Don't overmix the ingredients: Once the ground turkey has been added, gently blend the mixture with your hands-- just long enough to incorporate the ingredients. Overmixing will create dense loaves. Nutrition FactsServing: 12mini turkey meatloaves | Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.3g | Protein: 8.2g | Fat: 4.9g | Cholesterol: 41.6mg | Sodium: 206mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 4.5g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
Hi Chelsea! I love your recipes, as do my husband and kids (the latter of shock often help me with making them!). I have a question about this recipe. I am not supposed to eat mushrooms, what other vegetable could yield a similar result in this recipe? Thank you! Ellie Reply
Hey Ellie! So great to hear from you 🙂 I’m thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipes! I can’t say for sure since I haven’t tried anything besides the mushrooms, but I believe zucchini (shredded) would be a good substitute. Aim for the same amount (1 cup) and make sure it’s sauteed long enough it’s not wet. I hope you love these! 🙂 Reply
hi i would like to make these for dinner tonight its 1.05pm here in australia… .lol… can i sub the panko crumbs for brown rice cooked which i have in the fridge..? Reply
Hey! I don’t think brown rice would work very well in place of the panko. Do you have breadcrumbs? Reply
Very good! I used Italian seasoned breadcrumbs instead of panko and it was good. Really good meatloaf minis but I think could have baked for 5 minutes less. Reply
YAYY!! I’m soo glad you hear you enjoyed!! The Italian breadcrumbs sound delicious!! Thanks for your comment! Reply
Hey! My boyfriend and I love this recipe. We are gluten free so I subbed almond flour for the panko and Tamari (you can also use coconut aminos) for Worcestershire. Worked great and was delicious! Thank you! Reply
I love these!! They came out so flavorful and moist, with a good crust on the outside. Even my boyfriend who usually HATES ground turkey said they were delicious. Will make again. Reply
I’m sorry Sue, I’ve never tested these with oats, so I really don’t know how it would turn out. Reply
We added fresh sage and parsley, plus I mixed some ground pork in them – because I had some. I also mixed a little BBQ sauce in with the topping. They were delicious! Reply
I’m so happy you loved these Turkey Meatloafs! Those add ins sound delicious, thanks for sharing! 🙂 Reply
Followed recipe exactly and these were really good. Even more flavour as leftovers the next night. Reply
