The Best Turkey Meatloaf

This moist and juicy Turkey Meatloaf is so easy to make and the perfect cozy weeknight dinner! Serve it with your favorite sides for a delicious meal.

The Best Turkey Meatloaf

I grew up eating my grandma’s beef meatloaf and I always loved it. A cozy slice of meatloaf with creamy mashed potatoes is such a cozy classic meal that’s just perfectly comforting.

This ground turkey version of a classic meatloaf is just as cozy and delicious while being just a little bit leaner. It’s packed with flavor, easy to make, and can be prepped ahead to save yourself a little time. Trust me, you’ll love this recipe!

Watch How to Make This Recipe

More Delicious Ground Turkey Recipes

• The Best Turkey Lasagna
• 30 Minute Turkey Bolognese
• Turkey Sloppy Joes
• Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
• Easy Turkey Taco Soup
• Turkey Burrito Bowls
• Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
• Avocado Turkey Burgers with Chipotle Aioli

Get all of our reader favorite ground turkey recipes!

Simple Meatloaf Ingredients

Ground Turkey: traditionally, meatloaf is made with ground beef but this recipe switches things up a bit and uses leaner ground turkey. Personally, I prefer dark meat ground turkey as it leaner then ground beef while still being juicy.

Panko Breadcrumbs: adding some breadcrumbs to the meatloaf help to keep it tender and moist. I like to use panko breadcrumbs for this recipe but you’re welcome to use Italian breadcrumbs instead.

Eggs: to hold everything together you’ll need a few eggs.

Almond Milk: this another ingredient that helps to keep the meatloaf nice and moist. The worst thing is dry meatloaf, so adding a little extra moisture isn’t a bad idea.

Ketchup: you’ll add a bit of ketchup to the actual meatloaf mixture as well as use it as the base of the glaze that goes on top of the meatloaf. Feel free to use whatever ketchup you prefer to eat in this recipe such as low-sodium, low sugar, etc.

Worcestershire sauce: this adds a bit of umami flavor to the meatloaf to ensure that the meat mixture is nice and flavorful.

Green Bell Pepper and Yellow Onion: my grandma’s meatloaf always included yellow onion and green bell pepper which gave it a delicious flavor.

Garlic: if you can, choose freshly minced garlic to give the meatloaf the best flavor.

Spices & Herbs: this recipes uses fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Brown Sugar: the sweet and sticky glaze on top of the meatloaf has always been my favorite. To get that perfect sweet and sticky flavor you’ll need to combine ketchup and brown sugar.

Apple Cider Vinegar: last but not least, add a little apple cider vinegar to the meatloaf glaze to give it just a bit of tang.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Ground Turkey – while dark meat ground turkey tends to be juicier, you’re welcome to use ground turkey breast if you prefer! Just be sure to keep an eye on the cook time as the leaner meat may cook more quickly.
• Breadcrumbs – if you need to keep this recipe gluten free you can swap the panko breadcrumbs for gluten free breadcrumbs or almond flour.
• Almond Milk – you can swap the almond milk for any other dairy free milk or dairy milk if you prefer.
• Worcestershire Sauce – swap the Worcestershire sauce for coconut aminos if you need to keep the recipe gluten free.
• Brown Sugar – if you prefer, you can use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar in this recipe.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

Box Grater: I prefer to grate the yellow onion and bell pepper to ensure there are no huge chunks in the meatloaf and that the veggies are evenly distributed. You could also use a food processor instead of a box grater if you prefer.

Measuring Cups and Spoons: standard cup and teaspoons measures will work great.

Mixing Bowls: I like to add all of the meatloaf ingredient to a large mixing bowl with plenty of room when making this recipe. It makes it easier to combine everything without over mixing. You’ll also need a smaller bowl to make the glaze that goes on top of the meatloaf.

Sheet Pan: you’re welcome to use a loaf pan but I prefer to form my meatloaf with my hands instead and place it on a sheet pan for baking.

Parchment Paper: to make clean up even easier, line your sheet pan with parchment paper. You could line the sheet pan with foil instead if you prefer.

How to Make Ground Turkey Meatloaf

Step One: Preheat oven to 375.

Step Two: Make the meatloaf mixture: Add all of the meatloaf ingredients to a large mixing bowl and use your hands or a spatula to combine the mixture.

Step Three: Add the ketchup, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar to a small mixing bowl and whisk together until well combined.

Step Four: Transfer the ground turkey mixture to a parchment lined baking sheet and use your hands to form the mixture into a 9×5 inch rectangle. Brush the meatloaf all over with half of the ketchup glaze.

Step Five: Bake the meatloaf for 45-50 minutes minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Step Six: Remove from the oven and brush the remaining glaze on the meatloaf. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Tips for the Perfect Turkey Meatloaf

• Don’t over mix – this helps you to avoid a tough meatloaf.
• Gently form the loaf – there’s no need to tightly pack the meatloaf onto the sheet pan. Use your hands to lightly form the meatloaf onto the pan.
• Use a meat thermometer – the best way to tell if your meatloaf has fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer. Ground turkey should reach a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before being consumed.
• Let it rest – it’ll be tempting to dive right in, but let your meatloaf rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Make Ahead Suggestions

• Make the meatloaf 1-2 days in advance: you can make this meatloaf up to 2 days in advance if you would like to do some prep ahead of time. Just form the loaf and wrap tightly in plastic wrap until you are ready to bake.
• Split the loaf in half: If this recipe is going to make too much for you feel free to make a smaller half loaf. You can freeze the other half!
• Make and freeze your meatloaf: Make the meatloaf, wrap tightly and then freeze. Let the meatloaf defrost in the fridge and then bake.

What to Serve with Meatloaf

• brown butter mashed potatoes
• loaded mashed cauliflower
• shaved brussel sprout salad
• crispy smashed potatoes
• roasted sweet potato spinach salad
• loaded baked potato salad
• butternut squash Mac and cheese
• herbed brown butter cheddar cornbread

I hope you give this Turkey Meatloaf a try! They are so easy to make and delicious! If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! 

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Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Eat Love Eat