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Juicy turkey meatloaf is a classic dish for the whole family. It’s flavored with sautรฉed veggies, dried herbs, and a zesty barbecue sauce for a nostalgic dinner.
Every once in a while I get a real craving for meatloaf. We don’t have it very often, but every time I make it I’m reminded of how great it is.
This turkey meatloaf is my current favorite. It’s moist with tender vegetables speckled throughout, and topped with sticky, smoky barbecue sauce. Add in some garlic mashed potatoes on the side and you’ve got a plate full of comfort.
Meatloaf is also so easy to make: Sautรฉ some onion and bell pepper, mix everything together, and shape. Be sure to have enough time for baking though, as meatloaf will take about 1 hour to cook through. The results are totally worth it, and if you’ve got leftovers? Tomorrow’s a great day for a meatloaf sandwich.
If you’ve got a hankering for a classic dinner, make this meatloaf today!
Ingredients for turkey meatloaf
Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.
You’ll need:
- Ground turkey
- Onion
- Bell pepper, any color
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Milk
- Dried thyme
- Dried parsley
- Egg
- Worcestershire sauce
- Barbecue sauce
- Salt and pepper
Ground turkey is usually sold in 1-pound packages, unless you can get it from the meat counter. If you have an extra bit of turkey, you can use it to make a half portion of ground turkey teriyaki orย red curry turkey meatballs, or turkey quinoa stuffed peppers that also use bell peppers!
I used 93% lean ground turkey for thisโif you use a fattier blend, consider using less milk to account for the extra moisture that will be in the meatloaf.
Note: I tested this recipe using different quantities of ground turkey purchased from different stores. Costco ground turkey is, annoyingly, sold in 1.7-pound packages. However, it does work in this recipe with no other changes, so you don’t need to worry about measuring out those extra ounces.
seasonal spotlight: bell peppers
We’re used to seeing bell peppers all year long, but did you know they’re in season in the US from June to October? Peppers take a long time to grow, so you might not see fresh bell peppers at the farmers market until September! I take the opportunity to use them as often as possible when they’re fresh and plentiful.
How to make this recipe
Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and lightly spray the center area with nonstick spray. I don’t recommend a loaf pan here, as you won’t get the same air circulation that cooking on a sheet pan achieves.
Let the turkey sit at room temperature while you chop the vegetables and cook them. I find it’s much easier to mix the meatloaf when the meat isn’t super cold!
Heat olive oil in a skillet set over medium high. Add the diced onions, diced bell pepper, and a pinch of salt.
Cook until softened, 5-8 minutes. If the vegetables are browning too quickly before softening, reduce heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in the dried thyme, dried parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let cool slightly.
In a small bowl, stir together the panko and milk. You want the milk to soak into the breadcrumbs, which will give the meatloaf a better texture.
When the onion mixture is cool enough to touch, add it to a large bowl along with the turkey, soaked breadcrumbs, beaten egg, Worcestershire sauce, remaining salt, and pepper.
Using clean hands or a silicone spatula (hands are best!), mix everything together until the ingredients are evenly dispersed, with no dry or wet pockets.
I find the easiest way to shape the loaf is to form the meat into an oblong loaf in the bowl, then instead of completely removing it from the bowl, gently slide it out the side onto the prepared pan. From there you can gently reshape as needed.
Keep in mind that a taller, fatter loaf will need longer to cook, while flatter, longer loaves will cook more quickly.
Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and brush on the barbecue sauce, making sure to cover all sides evenly down to the bottom of the loaf.
Place back in the oven and bake another 20-30 minutes, until an instant meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 160ยฐF.ย If the glaze is browning too much but the meatloaf still needs more time, tent it with foil to continue baking.
Let the meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to settle.
Recipe suggestions
You can swap the barbecue sauce in this recipe for plain ketchup, or mix the ketchup with a bit of brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce or mustard.
The variety of bell pepper you use will give different flavors to the meatloaf. I prefer to use the sweeter red bell pepper, but you can use green bell pepper if you want a less pronounced flavor. Green bell pepper are a bit more crisp, so consider cooking them on the stove a little longer.
Meatloaf can be prepped ahead and baked later. After shaping, place on a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use, within 2 days.
To freeze raw meatloaf, wrap it as above, then wrap again in a layer of foil or second layer of plastic. Store in an airtight container or freezer bag (don’t forget to label it) for up to 6 months.
Thaw the meatloaf overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Serve this ground turkey meatloaf with your favorite sides like crock pot collard greens, dill potatoes, and French bread, and embrace a classic!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below!
It means so much when you enjoy my recipes, so let me know how it goes and leave a comment if you have any questions.
Turkey Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided use
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375ยฐF. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil and lightly spray the middle with nonstick spray.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more, just until fragrant. Remove from heat. Stir in thyme, parsley, and ยฝ teaspoon salt. Let cool slightly.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion, 1 bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a bowl, stir together panko and milk. Let sit a few minutes to allow the milk to soak in.1 cup panko bread crumbs, 1/2 cup milk
- When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, add them to a large bowl along with the ground turkey, soaked panko, beaten egg, Worcestershire, remaining salt, and pepper.1 1/2 pounds ground turkey, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Combine ingredients until uniformly mixed and shape into a loaf. Carefully slide out of the bowl onto the sheet pan, and reshape as needed.
- Bake 30 minutes, then brush on barbecue sauce. Bake another 20-30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 160ยฐF.1/3 cup barbecue sauce
- Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving to allow juices to settle.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.
About Megan
I learned how to cook by exploring seasonal ingredients, and you can too! Meal time shouldn’t be stressful or complicated, and with fresh ingredients and easy methods, Iโm here to help you enjoy the time spent in the kitchen.ย Read moreโฆ
