Easy Turkey Meatloaf Recipe • 5★

Published July 8, 2024

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

There’s really no reason not to celebrate meatloaf — it’s simple, budget-friendly, cleanup is a breeze and there are almost always leftovers for next-day sandwiches. While beef is often the go-to choice for the meat, turkey is a flavorful alternative that can take on a slew of mix-ins. Here, seasoned bread crumbs, garlic powder and Worcestershire do the work, but a teaspoon of Italian seasoning or a palmful of fresh, chopped thyme or sage can be added for an extra boost. Grated apple ensures the meatloaf isn’t dry; use any variety you have on hand. A sweet, slightly vinegary sauce is spooned over the meatloaf after it’s formed, caramelizing when baked (if you have a favorite bottled or from-scratch barbecue sauce feel free to use ⅔ cup of it instead). Serve this meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.

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1 ½ pounds ground turkey (90 percent lean)

1 medium apple, cored and grated (6 ounces)

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (1 cup)

¾ cup seasoned panko bread crumbs

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vinegar (cider, distilled, or white or red wine)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Step 1Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray.

Step 2Prepare the meatloaf: In a large bowl, beat the egg. Add ground turkey, apple, onion, panko, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, if using. Using hands, combine until everything is well mixed. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan and form into a football-shaped loaf, about 9-by-5 inches.

Prepare the meatloaf: In a large bowl, beat the egg. Add ground turkey, apple, onion, panko, Worcestershire, garlic powder, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, if using. Using hands, combine until everything is well mixed. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan and form into a football-shaped loaf, about 9-by-5 inches.

Step 3Make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire and pepper until well combined. Pour evenly over the top of the meatloaf, allowing the sauce to drip down the sides.

Make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire and pepper until well combined. Pour evenly over the top of the meatloaf, allowing the sauce to drip down the sides.

Step 4Bake meatloaf until the temperature in the center registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 45 to 55 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Bake meatloaf until the temperature in the center registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 45 to 55 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Thank you to all the people who comment on the actual recipe, after making it as written. I really appreciate those.

Been making turkey meatloaf for fifty years. Dice a small onion, sauté it in two tablespoons of olive oil. When softened add two cups of grated zucchini- can use large zucchini from the garden since it’s grated. Sauté six minutes. Add to one pound of ground turkey. Season the meat with two teaspoons of poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Add a half cup of cottage cheese and one cup of fresh whole grain bread crumbs. Glaze the top, bake 350 till done. I’ve won contests with my recipe!

I smash a small - medium avocado and add it to my turkey meatloaf to combat dryness. I get a tender and juicy loaf every time.

I made this last night. I followed the directions exactly except I put the turkey in a loaf pan, as someone else suggested. It was delicious and moist. I will make this again. For me, it took well over an hour to cook - maybe 1 hr. 20 minutes? I lost count unfortunately. Oh, also I used 1.3 lbs of ground turkey - that's the quantity my store sold.

Made this as is but put in 12 muffin tins and cooked for ~25 mins...absolute perfection and the perfect meal prep meatloaf muffins!!

The most important thing about this meatloaf is to follow the directions (measure carefully) and don’t overcook. That said, 45 minutes is too long, at least in my oven, a Breville, both accurate and efficient. I test at 40 minutes. Cooking longer is a mistake - found out by accident when I couldn’t get it out of the oven right on time because of a phone call.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025481-easy-turkey-meatloaf