This family favorite turkey meatloaf is a lighter spin on a classic comfort food made with lean protein. This ground turkey meatloaf is flavorful, juicy and impresses any skeptics!

Sliced of turkey meatloaf with mashed potatoes.

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Best Turkey Meatloaf Recipe

Whenever I’m looking to lighten up ground beef meatloaf, I’ll make this turkey meatloaf recipe. It’s now become a staple in our house and is a favorite healthy dinner idea, sometimes I even make it crockpot turkey meatloaf in the slow cooker.

Substituting ground turkey for beef makes this turkey meatloaf leaner without sacrificing taste just like in this turkey sloppy joe recipe! It’s juicy and flavorful and you can lighten it up a bit more by using half the amount of the meatloaf sauce.

Key Ingredients

Turkey meatloaf ingredients in bowl.
  • Ground turkey: I love to use a lean ground turkey, which doesn’t produce a lot of grease. Do not use shredded turkey, it won’t work.
  • Breadcrumbs: This will help bind the meat together. You can make your own homemade breadcrumbs if you’d like or use almond meal or rolled oats to keep it gluten free.
  • Egg: This will also help to bind the mix together.
  • Seasonings: Don’t skimp on the seasonings, these will bring all the flavors together.
  • Sauce: For the sauce, I like to do a mix of ketchup and BBQ sauce. It adds the perfect flavor. If you like it sweeter add some brown sugar.

How To Make Turkey Meatloaf

Showing how to make turkey meatloaf in a 4 step collage.
  • Mix. Combine the meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl and mix just until combined. Be careful not to over mix or the meat won’t be as tender.
  • Combine. Mix together sauce ingredients.
  • Form and coat. Place mixture on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or a 9×5″ loaf pan. Shape into a loaf on top of a baking sheet. Pour sauce on top of meat.
  • Bake. Bake in the oven at 375°F for about 45 minutes, or until center reaches 160°F on a meat thermometer. Let rest on pan for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Meatloaf Tips and Variations

  • Do not over stir the meat, as overworked meat will not be as tender.
  • If your family is not used to ground turkey, I would start with half ground turkey and half ground beef. This is how I converted my kids.
  • If you’d like a little bit of a kick, add hot sauce, sriracha sauce or red pepper flakes to the meat or sauce.
  • You may substitute fresh onion and garlic (1/2 cup onion, 4 garlic cloves minced), however make sure to sauté them with a little olive oil before adding to the meat.
  • Turn this into mini meatloaf muffins by pressing the meat mixture into cupcake tins. You could also make smaller loaves and bake for 25-30 minutes.
  • Double the recipe by doubling all the ingredients and then forming it into two loaves.
  • The best way to tell when turkey meatloaf is done is to insert an instant read thermometer into the center. It should read 160°F and no longer be pink.
Turkey meatloaf on a plate.

Favorite Sides To Serve Alongside

This really is the best turkey meatloaf recipe! We love to serve it with scalloped potatoes or try turning it into a one pan meal by making sheet pan meatloaf!

Freezer Instructions

Ground turkey meatloaf makes a great freezer meal. Mix the meat and form the mixture into a loaf shape (or in a loaf pan) and cover tightly with plastic wrap. You could even make smaller loaves and freeze half for later.

Store in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight when ready to enjoy, then coat with sauce and bake according to directions.

turkey meatloaf with green beans on plate

Looking for more meatloaf recipes? Try this BBQ meatloaf recipe, mozzarella stuffed meatloaf or sheet pan meatloaf and potatoes!

More Ground Turkey Recipes

Sliced turkey meatloaf.

Turkey Meatloaf

5 from 460 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 8
This ground turkey meatloaf is a lighter spin on a classic comfort food. It's packed with lean protein and tastes moist, tender and super flavorful. 
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Ingredients 

Meatloaf:

  • 2 pounds 90% lean ground turkey , or 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground turkey
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup whole milk , or beef broth, plus more as needed
  • 2 large eggs , whisked
  • 2-3 Tablespoons fresh parsley , or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

Sauce:

  • ½ cup ketchup or BBQ sauce , I like to mix half and half
  • 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet or 9×5-inch loaf pan with foil. Lightly spray with nonstick spray and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix the turkey, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder until combined. Don't overmix or the meat won't be as tender.
  • Form the mixture into a loaf shape on the baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup and/or BBQ sauce and brown sugar. Pour over the top of the meatloaf. Add pepper on top, if desired.
  • Bake meatloaf 45 to 55 minutes, or until the center reaches 160°F. Allow to rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into 8 to 10 slices.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Variations:
  • You may substitute fresh onion and garlic (1/2 cup onion, 4 garlic cloves minced), however, make sure to sauté them with a little olive oil before adding to the meat.
  • If you prefer a little heat, add in a pinch of red pepper flakes to the meat or a few dashes of chili sauce or sriracha to the meatloaf sauce. 
  • If you want to make this gluten free, use gluten free bread crumbs or old fashioned oats. 
  •  If you prefer your meatloaf extra saucy, you can always mix up another batch and brush more on the last 10 minutes of cooking or use it for dipping. 
Tip: Make sure to use good quality ground turkey for optimal flavor. 

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 131mg, Sodium: 717mg, Potassium: 382mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 347IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 60mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.