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This healthy Turkey Meatloaf recipe is an easy dinner the whole family will love! Made with a moisturizing mixture of onion, herbs, and Stovetop stuffing, this ground turkey breast meatloaf recipe is packed with flavor. Nutritious food has never tasted so good!
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If you don’t eat red meat or are just looking for a healthier dinner option that doesn’t taste like diet food, you’re in the right place! This easy turkey meatloaf recipe will change your mind about healthy meals.
This moist turkey meatloaf is tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. Your family will never know that each serving has just 230 calories and is low in carbs, fat, and protein.
The Best Turkey Meatloaf Recipe
When I decided to make a healthier alternative to my boys’ favorite comfort food dinner—traditional beef meatloaf—I naturally turned to Ina Garten’s recipe for inspiration. It can be tricky to keep ground turkey breast moist while it bakes, so I figured The Barefoot Contessa would know all the secrets!
With a few adjustments to her original recipe, I’ve come up with the perfect turkey meatloaf recipe. The onion, Worcestershire, and chicken broth mixture keeps it super-moist! So, if you’re ready for a healthy, easy meatloaf the entire family will devour, look no further! Let’s get started.
Ingredients for Healthy Turkey Meatloaf
You only need a few simple ingredients for this moist turkey meatloaf recipe. The best part of making a meatloaf is how easy it is to toss everything into a bowl, mix the ingredients, and have a flavorful dinner ready for the oven! The minimal prep time makes this ideal for busy nights. Below is an overview of the ingredients needed for ground turkey meatloaf with stuffing. Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for the full recipe!
- Ground Turkey: a healthier alternative to ground beef, ground turkey breast is a great base for a meatloaf.
- Stovetop Stuffing Mix: instead of traditional breadcrumbs, Stovetop Stuffing mix adds flavor and structure to the meatloaf. We use the turkey flavor variety.
- Onions: sauteed onions add flavor and moisture to the meatloaf. You can use yellow onions or white onions.
- Salt, Black Pepper, Fresh Thyme: this seasoning mixture is all you need—the stuffing mix has plenty of seasoning for added flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce: a key ingredient in traditional meatloaf recipes, it adds savory flavor.
- Chicken Broth: adds moisture to the meatloaf.
- Tomato Paste: you only need a little bit to add a ton of flavor to the recipe!
- Eggs: to bind the meat mixture together.
- Ketchup: a simple tomato ketchup topping is a little sweet once it caramelizes in the oven!
Simple Ingredient Swaps and Notes for Turkey Meatloaf
As with most meatloaf recipes, there’s room for ingredient substitutions and additions. If you want to know how to adjust or add extra flavor to your turkey meatloaf, here are some ideas:
- It’s best to use lean ground turkey. Less fat means the meatloaf will hold better structure as it bakes and is plenty moist, thanks to a few key ingredients!
- This recipe only uses onions, but you can add additional vegetables if you choose. Try bell peppers (green bell peppers would be delicious) or mushrooms.
- My favorite dry stuffing mix is Stove Top Stuffing or Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned stuffing mix. Of course, you can also use herb-seasoned bread crumbs or panko breadcrumbs instead, but you’ll want to increase the seasoning in the meatloaf mixture.
- For additional seasoning, use your favorite Italian seasoning blend, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- If you prefer not to use tomato ketchup sauce, you can use turkey gravy instead.
How to Make Easy Turkey Meatloaf
Meatloaf lovers will devour this healthier version of the classic comfort food! With tender, flavorful onions, seasonings, and savory stuffing mix, this ground turkey meatloaf recipe will surely be a new family favorite.
- Sauté the onions with salt, pepper, and thyme. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, broth, and tomato paste.
- Combine the onion mixture with the ground turkey, stuffing, and eggs. Mix until just incorporated.
- Form into a loaf on a baking sheet and top with ketchup.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour or until the meatloaf is cooked through.
Make the Onion Mixture
This seasoned onion mixture is the secret to keeping ground turkey meatloaf perfectly moist and juicy. To make it, cook the onions with salt, pepper, thyme, and any other seasonings with olive oil in a large skillet until the onions become tender and translucent. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth, and tomato paste.
I like to keep a tube of tomato paste in the refrigerator for recipes like this since it’s easy to squeeze out one teaspoon without opening an entire can. If you use a can, you can store any remaining tomato paste in a small freezer bag. Simply add it to the bag, spread it out flat, and freeze. Next time you need a small amount, you can easily break off pieces.
Once the onion mixture is cool, combine it with the ground turkey, dry stuffing mix, and eggs in a large bowl. Mix the turkey mixture until it’s just combined—you don’t want to overmix!
The Best Dry Stuffing Mix for Meatloaf
Did you know that Stove Top has their own beef meatloaf recipe?! That just goes to show stuffing mix belongs in meatloaf! I use the turkey flavor stuffing mix, but you can substitute with any flavor you prefer—I think savory herb or traditional sage stuffing mix would also work.
How to Form the Perfect Turkey Meatloaf
Once all the ingredients are combined, shape the turkey mixture into a rectangular loaf and place it on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
If you struggle with forming the perfect meatloaf, here are a few hacks:
- Use a meatloaf pan—it even comes with a convenient draining tray for easy removal.
- Wrap the turkey mixture in plastic wrap, form it into a loaf, and refrigerate until firm.
- Form the meatloaf in a traditional loaf pan sprayed liberally with non-stick cooking spray. Overturn the loaf pan onto a baking sheet, and your perfectly formed meatloaf will side right out.
Spread the ketchup sauce over the top of the meatloaf, and it’s ready for the oven! Turkey meatloaf needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Use an instant-read thermometer to test the center of the meatloaf.
Best Sides to Serve with Turkey Meatloaf
Meatloaf pairs nicely with a variety of different sides. Here are a few options to get you started:
- Make Ahead Garlic Mashed Potatoes (or keep it lighter with mashed cauliflower)
- Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
- Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans
- Garlic Roasted Broccoli
- Southern Collard Greens
- Cornbread Stuffing
- A simple green salad dressed in Buttermilk Dressing
How to Prep & Store Turkey Meatloaf
- Prep Ahead! You can assemble the meatloaf in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator overnight. Before baking, allow the meatloaf to sit on the counter at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
- Freezer Friendly! Can you freeze turkey meatloaf? Yes! You can freeze the meatloaf before or after cooking! Wrap cooked meatloaf tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Wrapped properly, the cooked meatloaf will stay fresh in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 days.
- How to Reheat Turkey Meatloaf: Thaw meatloaf in the refrigerator overnight. Place individual slices on a microwave-safe plate and warm in the microwave (covered) just until heated through. To reheat meatloaf in the oven, preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Place meatloaf in a dish and cover with foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes or just until heated through.
Healthy Turkey Meatloaf Recipe Tips & Variations
- Since this recipe only calls for one teaspoon of tomato paste, look for a tube of the paste (rather than a can) so that you can easily save the extra tomato paste in your refrigerator for another use.
- I use turkey-flavored Stovetop Stuffing, but you can substitute any flavor you prefer. Remember, you do NOT need to prepare the stuffing as directed on the package. You are only using the dry mix as a more flavorful swap for breadcrumbs.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper so it’s easy to remove your meatloaf from the pan.
- Try this same recipe, but swap out the turkey breast for extra lean ground beef. It will still be healthy but have the traditional meatloaf flavor.
- If you want a more flavorful sauce, mix some brown sugar and Dijon mustard into the ketchup for more flavor.
- Place a pan of water under the meatloaf in the oven to prevent the meatloaf from cracking on top.
- Have leftovers? A cold meatloaf sandwich is delicious the next day!
- Turn this recipe into Turkey Meatloaf Muffins! Simply divide the turkey mixture evenly among muffin cups in a standard-size muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until the meatloaf muffins reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
More Easy Meatloaf Recipes to Try
Mini Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
BBQ Meatloaf
1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Cheeseburger Meatloaf
1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
Healthy Mini Meatloaf
35 minutes mins
Turkey Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 2 ½ lbs. ground turkey breast
- ¾ cup dry Stovetop stuffing mix
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or spray with cooking spray.
- In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme until translucent (about 10 minutes). Add Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth, and tomato paste. Mix well, and cool to room temperature.1 large sweet onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1/3 cup chicken broth, 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- In a large bowl, gently combine ground turkey, dry stuffing mix, eggs and onion mixture. Shape into a rectangular loaf on prepared baking sheet. Spread ketchup over top.2 ½ lbs. ground turkey breast, ¾ cup dry Stovetop stuffing mix, 2 eggs
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 160 degrees. Tip: to prevent the top from cracking, place a pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf.1/3 cup ketchup
- Slice and serve!
Notes
- Since this recipe only calls for one teaspoon of tomato paste, look for a tube of the paste (rather than a can) so that you can easily save the extra tomato paste in your refrigerator for another use.
- I use turkey-flavored Stovetop Stuffing, but you can substitute any flavor you prefer. Remember, you do NOT need to prepare the stuffing as directed on the package. You are only using the dry mix as a more flavorful swap for breadcrumbs.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper so it’s easy to remove your meatloaf from the pan.
- Try this same recipe, but swap out the turkey breast for extra lean ground beef. It will still be healthy but have the traditional meatloaf flavor.
- If you want a more flavorful sauce, mix some brown sugar and Dijon mustard into the ketchup for more flavor.
- Place a pan of water under the meatloaf in the oven to prevent the meatloaf from cracking on top.
- Have leftovers? A cold meatloaf sandwich is delicious the next day!
- Turn this recipe into Turkey Meatloaf Muffins! Simply divide the turkey mixture evenly among muffin cups in a standard-size muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, or until the meatloaf muffins reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
What percent ground turkey do you use?
Hi, Terri! The recipe specifies ground turkey breast, which is usually 99% lean. I like that it’s not greasy, but it stays moist thanks to the onions and other ingredients that are added. You can really substitute with any ground turkey that you prefer, though. 🙂
Excellent recipe! I made several mistakes because I was impatient. I had just read the ingredients and started without reading the directions. I threw everything in a bowl, then read that I should have sautéed the onion through tomato paste. It was too late as the eggs were already added in the bowl. Then I saw that I needed 2.5 lbs of ground turkey breast when I only had 1 lb. Luckily, I hadn’t added the chicken broth yet so I completely omitted it. I didn’t have stove top so I diced up some rye bread and toasted it as a substitution. I also ran out of ketchup so I took some tomato paste and mixed it with some distilled white vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, & some fresh chopped parsley, salt & pepper. I thought it was going to be a disaster but I cooked it up anyway because wasting food sucks. It was delicious!! My boyfriend loved it too and he took leftovers to work the next day. Thank you!
Hah! That’s amazing, Sarah! It sounds like you created your own new recipe, and I’m just so happy that it worked out and you both enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to come back here and leave a note!
I didn’t sauté the veggies before hand (laziness), used 1 1/2 onions and the entire box of stuffing – not because I thought the recipe needed modifications, I was just using up what I had. This is the best meatloaf I’ve ever had. I put it into 2 loaf pans and it made 2 meals. It’s absolutely delicious and will now be part of the regular rotation.
Awesome!! Thank you, Claire! 🙂
How long would you cook the meatloaf if you split the recipe into 2 smaller loaves?
It should be about the same! Of course, every oven is different. So, be sure to keep an eye on it. Hope this helps!
Do you include the seasoning packet from the stuffing that has the herbs? Aren’t there two packets in the box? One with the bread crumbs and another with the herbs? It’s been awhile since I’ve used it. Thank you.
Hi, Rhonda! There’s not a separate seasoning packet in the Stove Top mix (at least not the varieties that I’ve used). Just add the seasoned breadcrumbs and you should be good to go!