Turkey Meatloaf

Made from pantry and freezer staples, like lean ground turkey and familiar seasonings like Italian herbs, cayenne, and garlic powder, we’re honestly convinced that this is the best turkey meatloaf recipe out there. It gets even more umami richness from the addition of tomato paste, and a next-level secret ingredient: A savory-sweet brown sugar glaze for the top to make every bite totally scrumptious. For a fun, flexible riff on this healthy meatloaf, try our easy Mini Meatloaf recipe, or if you’re committed to cooking with ground turkey, check our 10 Best Ground Turkey Recipes, including our nutritious, delicious Creamy Turkey Meatballs.  

Key Ingredients

• Ground turkey: Frozen and thawed, or fresh. Either way, it’s the star of the show!
• Bread crumbs: Regular old, unseasoned bread crumbs are perfect here.
• Seasonings: Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper
• Eggs: The eggs play an essential role in helping the meatloaf hold its shape, these really can’t be left out or subbed.
• Brown sugar: We specify light brown sugar, but there’s no need to make a grocery run if you’ve only got dark brown sugar — either will work.
• Worcestershire sauce: A little goes a long way, our pantry is never without Worcestershire!
• Tomato paste: You could also use ketchup, if that’s what you’ve got. It’s a classic meatloaf ingredient, so we’ve used it both in the meatloaf itself AND in the savory-sweet glaze on top.
• Whole milk: We only call for ¼ cup of milk, if you must substitute some other kind of milk (for example, if you need it to be dairy-free) it will be fine to make a swap.
• Fresh onion and garlic: We would never make a meatloaf without these major flavor givers. 

How To Make Turkey Meatloaf 

1. Sauté onion and garlic. Once you start cooking these two ingredients you know you’re on your way to a delicious turkey meatloaf!
2. Use your hands to gently mix together the turkey, bread crumbs, milk, tomato paste, seasonings, and eggs until the mixture looks pretty uniform.
3. Gently (again) form the mixture into a freeform loaf on a baking sheet.
4. Brush it generously with a glaze made of brown sugar, Worcestershire, and tomato paste.
5. Bake the meatloaf for about an hour.
6. Let the meatloaf rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Serving Suggestions

Turkey meatloaf is such a classic dinner that, to us, it’s really asking to be served with other comfort food classics. Serve it with: 

• Potatoes: Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Classic Mashed Potatoes, or Rosemary Roasted Potatoes would all be gorgeous on the side.
• A big salad: Double down on the health factor with a big, hearty Kale Salad, or keep things light and airy with a Simple Green Salad.
• A simple roasted veggie: Perfectly Roasted Broccoli would be ideal. 

How To Freeze + Store

• To freeze the entire meatloaf: Bake the meatloaf and let it cool, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Label it clearly and pop it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• To freeze slices of meatloaf: You have some options here; you can individually wrap and freeze the slices for super easy single-servings, or simply wrap them up together (tightly wrapped in plastic wrap followed by foil) and freeze them. Either way, they’ll keep for up to 3 months. 

Tips For Ultra-Moist Meatloaf

• Go easy on the breadcrumbs: Both eggs and breadcrumbs help this meatloaf recipe work. They hold the meatloaf together so it doesn’t fall apart when you try to slice it. But, you’ll notice that our recipe calls for a relatively small amount of bread crumbs–just enough to add the right amount of texture. 
• Mix the meatloaf mixture by hand: A gentle mix is key to tender — not tough — meatloaf, and it’s a lot easier to mix gently with your hands than with a stand mixer.
• Add a glaze to be triple sure that the meatloaf stays moist and tender. The secret sauce is a brown sugar-Worcestershire rub (for sweet umami goodness!) to really soak the turkey with flavor. Yummmm!
• DON’T use a loaf pan. We actually think the meatloaf stays a lot more moist by baking it in a freeform loaf, coated with a sticky, moisture-giving glaze.
• Don’t overbake it. Ground turkey is lean — that’s why turkey meatloaf is a healthier alternative to classic beef meatloaf — but lean can sometimes mean that it has a tendency to dry out. Cooking the meatloaf just until it’s done will ensure it stays moist. Check for doneness around the 50-minute mark; when your instant read thermometer reaches 160° F, that meatloaf is done! 

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