Meatloaf. I find people either love it or hate it. But the more I bring up the subject, the more I find that those that dislike it, dislike it because they've been served bad meatloaf. You know the kind I'm talking about: dry, tasteless. Well, now everyone can become meatloaf lovers because this recipe really does make the Best Ground Turkey Meatloaf! This turkey meatloaf recipe is moist and full of flavor, with minimal preparation! It's the perfect recipe to turn meatloaf haters into meatloaf lovers!
Meatloaf is one of those dinners that gets prepared pretty regularly in my Midwest kitchen. My family loves it. I usually serve it up with a heaping helping of mashed potatoes and buttered peas for a classic taste.
Two of our favorite meatloaf recipes areBest BBQ Meatloaf and Easy Homestyle Meatloaf, both made with beef. But, our love affair with meatloaf actually started with this meatloaf made with ground turkey!
Ground turkey ( 93% lean, 7% fat) is a fairly healthy choice when it comes to protein and a great choice for this Ground Turkey Meatloaf recipe. That makes this dish a healthy comfort food.
However, make sure you purchase the right lean to fat ratio of ground turkey. I do not recommend using ground turkey with less fat than 7% in this turkey meatloaf recipe. Some fat is needed to retain moisture and flavor in the loaf.
This Best Ground Turkey Meatloaf recipe really lives up to its name. I have been making this recipe for a many years with great results. It's a tried and true recipe for turkey meatloaf and one that I hope you will try!
How to make meatloaf with ground turkey
Making meatloaf with ground turkey is not that different from making meatloaf with other proteins like ground beef, ground veal, or ground pork. Put all the ingredients in a bowl, mix, shape, and bake. Very easy.
One slight difference making a meatloaf with ground turkey has compared to beef, veal, or pork, is that it tends to be a little more moist in its raw form. Because of this, I don't add extra liquid to the loaf mixture, like I do when I make meatloaf with the other proteins.
Tips for making a ground turkey meatloaf
- Mix with your hands. When it comes to shaping and mixing this ground turkey meatloaf (or any kind of meatloaf), I like to use my hands. It's the way mom taught me and the best way to make sure the ingredients don't get over mixed. Over mixing will ruin your turkey meatloaf! You will know when it's mixed enough, as everything will start to come together like a giant meatball. That's when you know, you've mixed it enough.
- Let it rest. Allow the meatloaf to sit once it's shaped for about 10 minutes before I put it in the oven to bake. I find that this helps keep the meatloaf from falling apart. Once you remove it from the oven, let it rest again! This will help redistribute the juices and keep it moist.
- Bake it on a broiler pan. Shape and cook your meatloaf on a broiler pan. This allows the drippings to move through the slats away from the loaf and settle on the bottom. If you cover the bottom of the broiler pan with foil, it makes for easy clean up too! If you don't use a broiler pan, you can use any pan that can fit the loaf, but still allow for space on all sides. I don't like to use a loaf pan for meatloaf. I don't like the bottom of my meatloaf to be soggy with drippings.
Cooking time for Ground Turkey Meatloaf
Most ground turkey is available in two pound packages. This makes turning the ground turkey into this meatloaf recipe simple, because this recipe calls for 2 pounds of ground turkey! For this recipe, baking at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and 10 minutes will produce a finished product that's cooked all the way through.
To be certain of doneness, at the end of the cooking time, insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey meatloaf. It should read around 165 degrees F. Read more about recommended cooking temperatures here.
Once you remove the meatloaf from the oven, it's important to tent it with foil and allow it to rest at least 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. This will allow the juices to redistribute and assure that the ground turkey meatloaf is moist, flavorful, and ready to eat.
Ground Turkey Meatloaf, Healthy Turkey Meatloaf, Best Meatloaf
main course
American
Yield: 4 servings
Author: Renee Paj
Best Ground Turkey Meatloaf
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 10 MTotal time: 1 H & 25 M
Best Ground Turkey Meatloaf is moist and full of flavor, with minimal preparation! It's the perfect meatloaf recipe to turn meatloaf haters into meatloaf lovers!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 pounds of ground turkey ( 93 % lean, 7 % fat )
- 1/2 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup Heinz Hot and Spicy flavored tomato ketchup, divided (or plain ketchup)
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
- 1 to 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. dried marjoram
Instructions
- In small nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray, saute onion and garlic until onion is tender ( about 5 minutes). Set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- In large bowl, combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, 1/2 c ketchup, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and marjoram and the cooled onion/garlic mixture. Mix gently ( using your hands is best) until just combined. Do not over mix
- Spray broiler pan top or glass 9x13" pan with cooking spray and shape into a loaf in middle of pan. Spread the remaining 1/4 c ketchup on top. Bake uncovered, in 350 degree oven for 70 minutes. If you like a thicker sauce, baste meatlaof with an additional 1/4 cup ketchup during last 10 minutes of cooking. (not included in nutritional values) Remove from oven, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 10 - 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
*NOTE: if you can't find the Heinz Hot and Spicy Tomato Ketchup and you want that zing it brings to this recipe, just add several shakes of hot sauce to regular ketchup to get the same flavor. Nutritional Values are an Estimate
Nutrition Facts
Fat (grams)
7.4 g
Sat. Fat (grams)
2.02 g
Carbs (grams)
25.34 g
Fiber (grams)
1.32 g
Net carbs
24.03 g
Sugar (grams)
11.54 g
Protein (grams)
59.12 g
Sodium (milligrams)
1648.09 mg
Cholesterol (grams)
206.73 mg
Nutritional Information is an estimate
https://www.reneeskitchenadventures.com/2010/10/basic-turkey-meatloaf.html
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*Note: This recipe for Best Ground Turkey Meatloaf first appeared on Renee's Kitchen Adventures in October 2010 as Basic Turkey Meatloaf.
I've updated the post to include more information and republished it because it's an excellent Ground Turkey Meatloaf recipe that I think everyone should know about! The recipe hasn't changed.
