Healthy Ground Turkey Meatloaf Recipe
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Go healthier for dinner and whip up this easy ground turkey meatloaf. It tastes just like the meatloaf your mom used to make!
Meatloaf is the ultimate comfort food! It’s typically based on ground beef and uses dried breadcrumbs as a binder. But in this recipe, we will use ground turkey. It has less saturated fat and is so much better for you!
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If you’re trying to eat less beef—or no beef at all—this recipe is for you! Ground turkey is main ingredients for this meatloaf, which keeps it lean.
It’s friendlier than beef for the environment, too! And instead of breadcrumbs, old-fashioned oats are the binder here.
That’ll punch up the whole grains and healthful fiber.
And you’ll be delighted that you don’t have to give up great taste or comfort to enjoy this made-over meatloaf.
Making It
Is this your first time making meatloaf? Then this is the perfect place to start! Don’t be intimidated – it’s easier than you might think. In fact, meatloaf is probably one of the easiest dinners you can make. You might have to get your hands dirty, but that’s the fun part!
What You Need
Here’s what you’ll need from the store. The exact amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Kitchen Tools
Ingredients
- Ground turkey about 93% lean
- Red onion minced or grated
- Eggs beaten
- Dry old-fashioned oats
- Finely chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
- Garlic clove minced
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Easy Baked Turkey Meatloaf
This is a simple, filing, and tasty dinner that will feed a family or give you enough leftovers to eat it for a few days. You can’t beat the combination of spices and herbs, either! Once you taste this meatloaf, you’ll never go back to making it with beef again. Keep reading and I’ll share some of my best tips – and even some ingredient swaps.
Do you have to mix meatloaf by hand?
Maybe you remember your mom teaching you how to get your hands in the bowls and mix the ingredients. No, you don’t have to mix everything by hand. But, your mom had a point. It might be easier! Mixing with a spoon takes it bit more effort.
The ground turkey and oats mixture will get thick. So it might take some muscles to mix it with a spoon. But you don’t have to use your hands unless you want to.
Ingredient Swaps
This specific recipe calls for red onions, which is filled with tons of flavor. However, if you do not have any red onions at your disposal, you can also opt for yellow or Spanish onions.
Also, breadcrumbs make a beautiful substitution for the oats.
If you want to keep this recipe keto-friendly, I suggest using ground pork rinds instead of oats.
Use Your Favorite Baking Dish
I used an oval baking dish and it was the perfect size. You could bake it in a loaf pan or spread it out in a square baking pan. A square meatloaf could be fun!
Want to really make dinnertime fun? Then place the meatloaf in a muffin tin. Now you’ll have little meatloaf muffins!
Store Leftovers Correctly
Keep your leftover meatloaf in an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days. Then, reheat it in the microwave on high for about a minute or two.
Meatloaf Sides
Meatloaf is such a classic dish that it can go with just about anything! We particularly love it with:
- Green bean casserole
- Mac and cheese
- Mashed potatoes
- Mashed sweet potatoes
- Scalloped potatoes
- House/garden salad
Serve Meatloaf With Dipping Sauce
For those who find meatloaf slightly dry, don’t worry because this one is actually quite moist since it uses ground turkey! However, if you’d like to add some extra flavor with dipping sauces, we suggest:
Healthy Ground Turkey Meatloaf Recipe
SERVINGS
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Baking Pan
- Unbleached Parchment Paper
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey about 93% lean
- 1 small or ½ large red onion minced or grated
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ½ cup dry old-fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, add the turkey, onion, eggs, oats, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper, and half of the ketchup. Combine well by hand
- Transfer the mixture to an unbleached parchment paper-lined baking pan. Sculpt the mixture into a rectangular or football-shaped loaf, about 7 inches long by 5 inches wide. Lightly brush the remaining ketchup on the top of the meatloaf
- Bake until well done (internal temperature of 165°F), about 45 minutes
- Remove from the oven. Let stand 10 minutes to complete the cooking process. Slice into 4 thick or 8 thin pieces. Serve
Nutrition
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More Easy Recipes
Whether you want more turkey recipes or more ways to make meatloaf, check out these easy recipes below.
I haven’t made this yet, but suggestion is you might want to add the ketchup amount in the other ingredients.