This healthy turkey meatloaf recipe is an easy weeknight meal, and as a bonus, it saves well! Serve with coleslaw and mashed potatoes for a full dinner.
Traditionally, meatloaf is made with ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and ground pork. This version is made with ground turkey for a leaner meal.
There are lots of great ways to eat this meatloaf. If you want a heartier meal, make a side of mashed potatoes to go with it. Looking for something lighter? Make a broccoli slaw instead.
How to Make Healthy Turkey Meatloaf
First and foremost, you will want to caramelize your diced onions the give your healthy turkey meatloaf a rich flavor. By adding about a tablespoon of olive oil, you will be able to sautée your onions. Sweat out the onions and then add in the garlic and let cook for a couple more minutes. Add in the Worcestershire sauce. This onion mixture is a great way to add more flavor to the turkey.
Tip: One way to keep your meatloaf moist is to soak your breadcrumbs in the milk for about half an hour. Then add the breadcrumb mixture to the ground turkey. This is usually the first step I do so that the breadcrumbs have plenty of time to soak.
After forming your meatloaf on your baking sheet, cover the entire top of the loaf with tomato paste. After covering it with tomato paste, bake.
When the loaf is finished baking, you can broil the loaf for a couple of minutes. It will crisp up the top and brown the tomato paste a bit. Who doesn’t love to eat the crisped brown tops of a meatloaf?
Turkey Meatloaf Variations and Substitutions
- Another meat: Beef or pork are popular meats for meatloaf. Use all beef or all pork or a combination of the two. I usually look for a lean beef (95% lean or so) when I’m cooking with it.
- Cooking times: Not all ovens are created equal! Bake your meatloaf at 375 for about 35 minutes, but make sure to check its doneness with a digital read thermometer. You can always crank up the heat a bit to 400 if you’re in a hurry or make two or four individual loafs to decrease your oven time.
- Go keto or gluten-free: If you’re looking for a way to cut out gluten, or want to cut carbs, use a replacement for breadcrumbs. My favorites are crushed pork rinds or almond flour. Both work great in place of breadcrumbs! Oat flour will also do the trick.
- Make meatballs: This recipe works great as turkey meatballs in a marinara sauce. Double the recipe and meal prep for two meals instead of one!
A Freezer Friendly Meal
A bonus about this turkey meatloaf is that it freezes incredibly well. If you’re constantly on the go, I recommend making two of these loafs and freezing one.
If you’re going to reheat an already cooked meatloaf, just pop it in the fridge the night before you’re planning on eating it. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes. It’s best to slice the meatloaf before freezing for your convenience.
When cooking a frozen meatloaf, put it directly in the oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes and check for doneness with a digital read thermometer. it will read 170 degrees when the meatloaf is fully cooked.
Turkey Meatloaf
Course: UncategorizedCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings15
minutes35
minutes130
kcalIngredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove chopped garlic clove
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 sprigs thyme
1 tbsp olive oil
1 sprig parsley
tomato paste
Directions
- Prep. Chop your onion finely and soak your breadcrumbs in milk. Beat your egg and set aside. Finely set your thyme and parsley and set aside.
- Fry onions. Heat oil and sweat onions. After onions become fragrant, add in garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for another five minutes and let caramelize.
- Mix. Add turkey, egg, onions, breadcrumb and milk mixture, thyme, and parsley.
- Make a loaf. Create an even loaf on a baking sheet and top with tomato paste.
- Bake. Bake your meatloaf at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.
