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This turkey meatloaf with oats is super tender, loaded with flavor, and smothered in a lip-smacking glaze. It rivals the beefy classic!
Why You’ll Love This
If you thought meatloaf was only meant to be made with ground beef or sausage, this recipe will change your mind. Sure, a leaner spin on a classic cozy home cooked meal doesn’t sound exciting, but I can assure you this turkey meatloaf with oats can rival its classic. It’s tender, flavorful, nicely textured, and slathered with that must-have ketchup-y glaze (we love using homemade ketchup for this).
It’s also great for a weeknight fix. Not only is it quick, but you could make it the night before and pop it into the fridge until cook time!
What to Serve With Turkey Meatloaf
- You know I’m a sucker for mashed potatoes. For me, this completes the nostalgia around meatloaf.
- These little crispy roasted potatoes are also fantastic with a meaty main.
- I love these air fryer green beans because I can just pop them in a few minutes before dinner and work on other things while the air fryer does the work.
- Another air fryer side dish to make your life easier is this broccoli! If you don’t have an air fryer, this roasted broccoli recipe is just as good.
Quick Tips
- You can skip sautéeing the diced onions prior to adding them to the turkey meatloaf mixture, you’ll just have a more potent onion flavor—which some folks like! I like it either way. Use your best judgement based on your own taste.
- If the ketchup-based glaze isn’t your thing, you could replace it with a few tablespoons of tomato sauce. If you like spicy, consider adding a little hot sauce!
- In this recipe, I’ve used oats in place of breadcrumbs to add extra heartiness and nutrition. You could use breadcrumbs instead.
- Blend the oats into a fine breadcrumb-like consistency in a small blender before adding it to the mix.
- If you’d like to add chopped veggies to the mix, you totally can! We’ve already got tomatoes from the tomato sauce, but you could easily incorporate chopped spinach, red pepper, a grated carrot,
Ingredients
*Exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Ground Turkey. For something like meatloaf, go for a 93% lean / 7% fat ratio.
- Onion. I like using a sweet yellow onion in this to add a little sweetness, but any onion will do.
- Garlic.
- Oats. Rolled oats or quick oats are fine.
- Egg. This helps add extra moisture.
- Marinara. Another ingredient that adds more moisture, plus a nice savory flavor!
- Worcestershire sauce. I always find that this stuff brings out a nice umami beef-y flavor, so you certainly don’t have to worry about a bland meatloaf.
- Salt & pepper. My rule for seasoning ground meat is 1 teaspoon of salt per pound.
- Thyme. Fresh is nice, but you can totally use dried thyme or Italian seasoning if that’s what you have.
- Ketchup. The base of our sweet and savory glaze.
- Balsamic glaze. This adds a bit more richness, tang, and depth to the glaze.
How to Make a Turkey Meatloaf With Oats
- Heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the onions and sauté them for 3-5 minutes or until they’ve softened a bit and are translucent. When done, set them aside to cool.
- Tuck some parchment paper into a loaf pan and set it aside.
- Put all of the turkey meatloaf ingredients into a large bowl and mix it until it’s well blended. Then transfer the mixture to your loaf pan. Tap the loaf pan flat onto the counter a bit to ensure it’s set into the pan, then lightly press down on the top of the meatloaf with a spatula. (Don’t squash it.)
- Set the meatloaf in the fridge for 30 minutes to set. This helps keep it together.
- After 30 minutes, remove the meatloaf from the fridge and set it on the counter to come to room temp—about 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F with the rack in the middle position when it’s time to cook.
- In a small bowl, mix the ketchup and balsamic glaze and spread it evenly over the top of the meatloaf with a spoon or pastry brush.
- Pop the meatloaf into the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160-156º F.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes before cutting into it.
- Garnished with chopped parsley and serve.
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating Turkey Meatloaf
- You can store (cooled) leftovers in an airtight container, or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for 3-4 days.
- To freeze, give the meatloaf time to cool, then pop it into an airtight container or freezer-friendly bag for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, transfer it to the fridge to thaw overnight.
- Reheating meatloaf is most efficient in the microwave. Just run it in 25-second increments so that you don’t overdo it.
Have You Made This Recipe?
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More Ground Turkey Recipes You’ll Love
- The Best Turkey Burger
- Ground Turkey Meatballs With Sauce
- Ground Turkey Stir Fry With Cabbage
- Instant Pot Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes
Easy Turkey Meatloaf With Oats
This turkey meatloaf with oats is super tender, loaded with flavor, and smothered in a lip-smacking glaze. It rivals the beefy classic!
Ingredients
- 1 lb of ground turkey, I use 93% lean / 7% fat
- 3/4 cup ground rolled oats, pulsated in a small blender, You want to pulse them in a blender until they're almost as fine as breadcrumbs.
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced, White or red onion can also be used.
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, You can also use dried thyme
- 2 TBSP ketchup
- 1 TBSP balsamic glaze
Instructions
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and garlic. Sauté them for 3-5 minutes or until they're soft and translucent. Remove them from the heat and let them cool.
- Put some parchment paper into a loaf pan; set it aside.
- Get a large mixing bowl and to it, add all of the turkey meatloaf ingredients from the ground turkey to the thyme. (Basically, everything but the ketchup and balsamic.) Mix it until everything is well blended, then pour the mixture into your loaf pan. Gently tap the loaf pan flat on the countertop to ensure it's set into the pan and, with a spatula, lightly press down on the top of the meatloaf.
- Pop the meatloaf into the fridge to set for 30.
- When 30 minutes are up, take the meatloaf out from the fridge and set it on the counter to come to room temp. This should only take about 15 minutes.
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350º F.
- Mix the ketchup and balsamic glaze in a small bowl, then spread it evenly over the top of the meatloaf with a basting brush or spoon.
- Transfer the meatloaf to the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until the ground turkey reaches an internal temperature of 160-156º F.
- Take the meatloaf out of the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley for a nice pop of green!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 8g
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
This was such a great twist to a traditional recipe! Unique, hearty and delicious; easily, a new favorite recipe!
I recently made your Turkey Meatloaf with Oats, and it was a wonderful surprise! The oats added a great texture and made it feel lighter than traditional meatloaf. It was easy to prepare, and the flavors were perfectly balanced. This recipe is a great example of how simple ingredients can create a comforting and delicious meal.
This was so good! I don’t think I’ll ever make meatloaf with ground beef again!
I was afraid that this would be too dry, but it came out perfect! I love the addition of oats – so much better for you than bread crumbs.
I’m always on the lookout for ways to make my favorites healthier, and I’ve been thinking of trying ground turkey meatloaf. Taking this as a sign that it’s time!
Super tender and very delicious. I finely minced the onion and after using a meat thermometer added 20 minutes to the baking time. Not sure if my oven is off a few degrees . Since I don’t like ketchup or glaze on meat, I substituted a couple of spoonfuls of the leftover tomato sauce from the recipe. Tasted great! Other recipes I’ve made in the past were terrible. This is my new go to poultry meatloaf recipe! Give it a try!😃
Annike, I’m so happy you enjoyed this! Ground poultry can be so hit or miss when it comes to recipes that typically call for ground beef. I try really hard to make them work, so I’m thrilled to hear it was a win for you. Thank you!
Can you give the nutrition information for this recipe?
Sorry you didn’t enjoy it, Robin!