Let’s face it. Meatloaf made with ground turkey or chicken sometimes gets a little dry and bland. We solved that problem and we know you’ll love our Turkey Meatloaf.
This is a moist turkey meatloaf recipe requiring just one bowl and one pan. Oven baked for one hour, this is a great meal for weeknight dinners. Plus, it’s super easy to make and great to feed a crowd.
Meatloaf with Turkey
If you’re a meatloaf fan, then you’ll love this turkey meatloaf recipe. Made in the traditional way, but with turkey as a substitute for beef, you’ll be amazed at how juicy it is.
I love using turkey as a substitute for beef when I want a dinner that’s a little lighter. Seriously, though, the hardest thing about making turkey meatloaf is how dry and bland it can be. There is nothing worse than dry meatloaf, and I promise you, this turkey meatloaf is anything but dry. And while it’s nice and juicy, it won’t fall apart on you. So how does it stay so moist?
Keeping Turkey Meatloaf Moist
There are two key tips to making your turkey meatloaf super moist. The first is the type of breadcrumbs you use, and the second comes with the onions.
First, I use panko breadcrumbs rather than regular breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs are a Japanese breadcrumb and are found in regular supermarkets with the packaged breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs really help the meatloaf hold its shape and doesn’t make the meatloaf go soggy at all.
Second, by grating the onions, you add in some extra moisture from the onion juice you get from grating rather than cutting the onions. You also won’t find big chunks of onion in your meatloaf, which I love!
Four easy steps to make the perfect turkey meatloaf
- Combine all the ingredients together in one bowl.
- Place in a greased loaf tin.
- Pour over half the ketchup glaze.
- Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes, then bake at 400°F for 15 minutes with the remaining glaze.
This meatloaf is great served with our Classic Mashed Potatoes and easy enough to make any weeknight. It serves six so if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, we recommend you enjoy a nice meatloaf sandwich for lunch or try one of these delicious ways to use leftover meatloaf.
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Turkey Meatloaf
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 lb. ground turkey
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 onion, grated
- 1 egg
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup plus 4 Tbsp. ketchup, divided
- 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, divided
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray or rub it with cooking oil.
- Combine ground turkey, panko breadcrumbs, grated onion, egg, garlic, 4 tablespoons of the ketchup, 2 tablespoons of the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and oregano in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until well combined but don’t overmix as that can make it tough. Shape into a loaf shape.
- Transfer to your greased loaf pan and smooth out the edges so the top is flat and the surface is even.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and remaining tablespoon of Worcestershire. Pour half over top of the turkey meatloaf. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and pour the remaining glaze over it. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool to help it set for 10 minutes.
- Turn onto a long plate and slice to serve.
This post originally appeared in February 2019 and was revised and republished in March 2021.
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