This mini turkey meatloaf recipe will change the way you think about ground turkey. Packed with bold flavors like Worcestershire sauce and bold seasonings, and so juicy, this meatloaf is anything but boring OR dry, and everyone gets their own!
One of my favorite comfort foods to make for my family is meatloaf. It’s a classic dish that’s hearty, easy, and fills up your belly and your heart.
I love classics like this easy meatloaf recipe, but I also love getting creative with variations like this BBQ meatloaf and spicy meatloaf.
Now, I’ve added another tasty twist with this mini turkey meatloaf. It’s juicy and flavorful, and it’s perfect with fluffy mashed potatoes and bacon green beans.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: You’ll only need a few basic ingredients to make this recipe.
- Easy: This is a basic meatloaf recipe, so even beginners can make it.
- Juicy: Although made with turkey, this meatloaf is tender and juicy.
- Customizable: It’s easy to adjust this recipe to make it your own.
- Better-for-You Option: Ground turkey is much leaner than ground beef.
- Fun: These little meatloaves are full of flavor in a fun, single-serve package.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Ground Turkey: Ground turkey has a mild flavor that absorbs the other flavors in the meatloaf.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This adds moisture and deep, complex flavor to the meatloaf.
- Seasonings: A blend of minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika creates a bold, smoky, aromatic flavor.
- Ketchup and BBQ Sauce: This blend adds more moisture and flavor to the meatloaf.
- Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar cheese adds cheesy goodness.
- Pepperoncini: These tasty peppers add more flavor and moisture.
Variations
- Spicy: Add red pepper flakes to the seasonings for a spicy version.
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite variety of sauce to change the flavor of the meatloaf.
- Tex-Mex: Use taco sauce in place of the ketchup and BBQ sauce. For a spicy, Tex-Mex loaf, add diced jalapenos to the mix, as well.
How to Make Mini Turkey Meatloaf
Step 1: Mix all the ingredients except the brown sugar and BBQ sauce.
Step 2: Place a little brown sugar in the bottoms of prepared mini loaf pans. Then, add the meatloaf mix to the pans.
Step 3: Mix the remaining brown sugar and BBQ sauce and brush over the meatloaf.
Step 4: Bake until the internal temperature reaches 164°F. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Mix the meatloaf with your hands, and only enough to combine the ingredients. Overworking the meat will make it dry.
- It’s especially important to ensure the surface of your mini loaf pans is fully coated with nonstick spray when using ground turkey.
Mini Turkey Meatloaf FAQs
Mini meatloaves are simply smaller versions of their full-size counterparts. They’re made in the same way, just using mini loaf pans.
Because turkey is lean, you’ll need to add more liquid, generally in the form of broth or a sauce like ketchup or BBQ sauce. In addition, you can opt for dark meat ground turkey for increased fat.
Refrigerate these meatloaves for up to 3 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
Tasty Sides for Your Mini Meatloaf
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Mini Turkey Meatloaf
Ingredients
Mini Turkey Meatloaves
- 1 ½ pounds ground turkey
- 1 ½ tablespoon dried minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup finely diced pepperoni, deli or packaged
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
Glaze Topping
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º.
- In a medium sized bowl add all of the ingredients except brown sugar and BBQ sauce.
- Mix the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- Spray the bottom of loaf tins with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place 1 teaspoon of brown sugar to each of the loaf tin compartments.
- Round and form about a baseball size of the turkey into each of the spaces.
- Stir the remaining brown sugar into the BBQ sauce and brush over meatloaves.
- Bake for 22 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 164º.
- Remove from the oven and brush over remaining BBQ sauce and serve.
- Makes 8 mini meatloaves
Notes
- Mix the meatloaf with your hands, and only enough to combine the ingredients. Overworking the meat will make it dry.
- It’s especially important to ensure the surface of your mini loaf pans is fully coated with nonstick spray when using ground turkey.
Nutrition
This Mini Turkey Meatloaf was a perfect weeknight dinner! Easy and quick to make!
Perfect portion size and really easy to bake. Even my kids liked them!
I whipped up these mini turkey meatloaves again because they are just so easy to portion out. They stay juicy and flavorful, making them one of my favorite go-to recipes for a healthy, organized week.
I made these mini turkey meatloaves for meal prep, and they were so convenient. They stayed moist and flavorful, and having them in individual portions made weekday lunches a breeze.
This mini turkey meatloaf turned out amazing! It was easy to prepare and serve delicious, I can’t wait to make it again!!
This Mini Turkey Meatloaf was so good! Love the glaze on top!
Love the minis…they are great for individual servings and meal prep..also great for freezing! This is the first time I’ve made turkey meatloaf and if came out so moist!
This was so good. I plated it up with tons of mashed potatoes and some caramelized Brussels sprouts. Om nom nom.
These are great! They’re so juicy, and I love the little single-serve size.