Flavor-packed and fuss-free, our family loves this easy turkey meatloaf recipe.
Ground turkey is mixed with shredded veggies, seasonings, and breadcrumbs. It’s all topped off with a zesty homemade glaze.
Family-friendly and delicious, this twist on our classic meatloaf will be a regular in your rotation.
Our Favorite Turkey Meatloaf
- Flavor Favorite: Turkey meatloaf is kept moist with added shredded veggies and is flavor packed.
- Easy Ingredients: With simple ingredients and easy prep, turkey meatloaf is a stress-free dinner.
- Lean and Light: Ground turkey is a lean replacement for ground beef and in this recipe, it’s juicy and delicious.
- Customize It!: Swap veggies, add cheese, experiment with glazes – make it your own signature dish. Get creative!
Ingredients in Turkey Meatloaf
Turkey – Use fresh lean ground turkey as the base; don’t use extra lean as it doesn’t have enough fat. Replace turkey with ground chicken or add a little bit of turkey sausage or ground pork if you’d like.
Breadcrumbs – Italian breadcrumbs are already seasoned, but they can be replaced with plain bread crumbs, ¼ teaspoon additional Italian seasoning, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Seasonings – This meatloaf is simply seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, onion, and Italian seasonings, but feel free to add garlic powder, oregano, or red pepper flakes if desired.
Other additions – Shredded zucchini keeps this recipe moist while eggs help bind the ingredients together.
Sauce for Turkey Meatloaf – The sauce on this recipe uses Heinz chili sauce, which is not spicy; it is a zesty ketchup-like sauce.
How to Make Turkey Meatloaf
This easy recipe for turkey meatloaf comes out moist and flavorful every time!
- Cook the onions until softened and cool.
- Combine with the meatloaf ingredients according to the recipe below and form into a loaf on a baking pan.
- Bake, adding the sauce in the last 20 minutes. Let the meatloaf rest before slicing.
Make it Mini
To make turkey meatloaf muffins, prepare the turkey meatloaf mixture as directed. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full with meatloaf mixture and bake 20-25 minutes or until 165°F.
Tips for Turkey Meatloaf
- For the best turkey meatloaf, use an instant read thermometer and cook to an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from the oven at about 162°F as the temperature will rise a few degrees as it rests.
- Avoid overmixing the meat mixture; otherwise, the loaf will be dense and tough.
- Bake on a sheet pan instead of a loaf pan to get a nice crust, a loaf pan will cause it to steam instead.
- Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing; this will help keep it from falling apart.
Leftovers
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Leftovers make great meatloaf sandwiches or can be pan fried until crisp.
More Favorite Ground Turkey Recipes
Did your family love this Turkey Meatloaf? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Easy Turkey Meatloaf
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 pounds lean ground turkey
- 1 cup finely shredded zucchini or finely shredded mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt & ½ teaspoon black pepper or more to taste
Turkey Meatloaf Sauce
- ⅓ cup tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup Heinz chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
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In a small skillet, cook the onion and butter over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
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In a large bowl, add bread crumbs, eggs, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and stir well to combine. Let rest for 5 minutes.
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Add turkey, zucchini, parsley, Italian seasoning, and salt & pepper. Gently mix just until combined, do not overmix.
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Place the meat mixture on the prepared baking sheet and pat it into a loaf 4-inches wide x 8-inches long. Bake for 35 minutes.
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Combine all meatloaf sauce ingredients. Spread on top and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until the center of the meatloaf reaches 165°F.
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Rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Entree, Main Course, Turkey
Cuisine American
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This recipe was easy to prepare. The meatloaf turned out amazing.
I thought the ingredients would be the same as Holly’s recipe for turkey meatBALLS, so I didn’t buy some of the things required. I ended up making this with shredded carrots instead of zucchini, bbq sauce instead of Worcestershire, Panko bread crumbs, garlic powder and smoked paprika instead of Italian seasoning. I also left out the tomato sauce ’cause I’m not big on tomato sauce. The meatloaf was still very tasty – I highly recommend it!
I made this last night, but scaled everything back using 1.33 lbs. of ground turkey. This is the best meatloaf I have ever made. Everything clicked with this recipe and I especially liked the topping, not overly sweet. It had to be special because I rarely post comments.
Wow! Thank you so much for leaving a comment Dave, happy to hear it was a hit!
I will be making the one pound meatloaf, as my husband does not like ground turkey. Does the meatloaf freeze well? If so, how would you wrap it, defrost it and for how long? I have never made turkey meatloaf and wonder if I would be better off making a loaf or the muffins. Your expertise is greatly appreciated.
Hi Rose, it freezes very well! You can freeze it before or after baking. If freezing after baking we like to freeze in individual slices for a quick and easy lunch or supper! To freeze I would wrap it in plastic wrap then place in an air tight freezer bag. When ready to cook, I would defrost in the fridge overnight and bake according to recipe directions.
Will this hold up if I make it 24 hrs before I actually bake it?
That should work just fine Pamela. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
wonderful, I cut it in half
make sure the turkey is thawed completely or the middle will be mushy after cooked. (yes , that was me)
it had great flavor!
What is the cooking time in a slow cooker?
For slow cooker cooking times check out our slow cooker meatloaf recipe!
What can I use in place of the chili sauce?
Hi Jessica, we do love the flavor chili sauce brings to this recipe but you can replace it with ketchup in a pinch.