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Super tender and never dry, this Ground Turkey Meatloaf is made with oats, egg, and a few other key ingredients to keep the texture moist and the flavors bold. The glaze is tangy, and the whole thing comes together without much effort, making it great for weeknights!
The difference between dry turkey meatloaf and this juicy ground turkey meatloaf comes down to a few things: meat with enough fat in it (85% lean), oats, and moisture-rich sautéed onions. An egg holds it together, and the tangy ketchup-based glaze on top keeps things from drying out in the oven. None of it is complicated, but all of it matters.
If you’re leaning into more ground turkey recipes these days, give my popular turkey burger recipe a shot, and then my saucy ground turkey meatballs when comfort food is calling.
Table of Contents
A Few Good Reasons to Make This
- Even with ground turkey, it’s never dry: 85% lean turkey (not the leanest cut you can find), oats instead of breadcrumbs, and sautéed onions all working together to keep things soft.
- Oats do double duty: instead of breadcrumbs, oats act as a moisture binder, soaking up liquid as it cooks and releasing it back in, which keeps the loaf soft rather than compact and crumbly.
- Healthier swap without sacrificing flavor or texture: turkey brings a leaner profile than beef, but this recipe is built to avoid the usual trade-off (dry, bland turkey meatloaf), so you’re not settling for “healthy but sad.”
Tips From My Kitchen
I make mistakes so that you don’t have to! Here are some things I’ve learned while testing this recipe…
- Sautéed, not raw, onions and garlic: cooking the aromatics first mellows the onion’s sharpness and adds moisture directly into the mix.
- Don’t go too lean with the turkey: 85% lean gives you enough fat to keep it moist throughout the cook.
- Avoid overmixing: overworking the meat mixture develops the proteins too much and turns the loaf dense and rubbery instead of tender. Mix just until everything’s combined.
- Shape it freeform on a sheet pan rather than in a loaf pan: this lets fat drain away instead of pooling and stewing the bottom, and you get better browning on the sides.
- Don’t skip the glaze: a ketchup-based glaze isn’t just flavor; it forms a barrier that helps keep the surface from drying out in the oven.
- Use a meat thermometer and pull it out a bit early: turkey needs to hit 165°F, but pulling it the second it gets there (rather than leaving it in “just to be safe”) keeps it from overcooking into dryness. Carryover heat will bring it up a few more degrees after you take it out. Aim for 160ºF.
- Let it rest before slicing: cutting into it immediately lets all the juices run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat. Give it 10 minutes.
Ingredients at a Glance
A quick look at the essentials before we dive into the recipe card:
- Oats: ground oats absorb and hold onto moisture better than breadcrumbs, which matters a lot when you’re working with turkey. They bind just as well, add a little fiber, and happen to be gluten-free.
- Marinara: adds both moisture and flavor. About 1/3 cup per 1.5 lbs of ground turkey does the trick.
- Worcestershire Sauce: for a deep, rich, savory touch.
- Balsamic glaze: not to be confused with balsamic vinegar. The thick glaze adds a nice tangy depth to the ketchup-y topping.
- Ketchup: most folks will reach for the squeeze bottle, and that’s ok! But my homemade ketchup recipe works really well here.
How to Make Ground Turkey Meatloaf
Step 1: Cook the Onions
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic, simmer for 30 seconds, then remove the pan from the heat to cool a bit.
Step 2: Pulse the Oats
Transfer the oats to a food processor and pulse until you get a fine consistency, almost like breadcrumbs (I like to use my Magic Bullet Blender).
Step 3: Blend the Turkey Meatloaf Ingredients
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, blend the ground turkey, cooked onions and garlic, ground oats, tomato sauce, egg, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper until cohesive and form a ball.
Dump the mixture onto the parchment-covered baking sheet and shape it into a loaf.
Step 4: Refrigerate to Set
Pop the baking sheet into the fridge for 30 minutes to set. This helps the loaf hold its shape instead of slouching apart on the pan, and it gives everything time to come together. If your mix felt a little wet or loose when you shaped it, chilling will firm it right up.
Step 5: Prepare the Glaze
Preheat the oven to 350ºF with the rack in the middle position.
In a small bowl, mix the ketchup and balsamic glaze, then brush them over the top of the meatloaf with a pastry brush.
Step 6: Bake the Meatloaf
Transfer the meatloaf into the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160-165º F.
Tip: At 30 minutes, check the thickest part of the loaf with a meat thermometer and remove from the oven if it’s registering close to 160F.
Step 7: Let It Rest
Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting into it.
Substitutions & Variations
- Breadcrumbs: you can use panko or Italian bread crumbs instead of oats, same measurement.
- Seasoning: 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning can be used instead of fresh thyme.
- To add heat: sprinkle red pepper flakes into the mixture or add a bit of your favorite hot sauce to the ketchup glaze.
Serve It With…
Potatoes are always my first choice, whether they be these Instant Pot mashed potatoes or deliciously crispy oven-roasted mini potatoes. If rice is more your jam, this Instant Pot rice is fantastic.
As for veggies, you can’t go wrong with Air Fryer green beans, Air Fryer broccoli, or Parmesan-roasted zucchini.
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Store turkey meatloaf in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Cooked meatloaf freezes well for up to 3 or 4 months, with no real loss of quality. Slice it first, let it cool completely, then wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and again in foil or a freezer-friendly container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat: Heat the meatloaf in the microwave in 1-minute increments until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Undermixing is usually the culprit here. Overmixing makes meatloaf tough and rubbery, but being too precious about it is a problem in its own right. Blend the mixture with your hands until everything is blended, and that’s it. No sooner, no later.
Using ground turkey in place of the usual beef-and-pork situation makes for a lighter, less heavy meatloaf, so using enough seasoning to amp up the flavor is key.
Ground Turkey Meatloaf Recipe With Oats
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ground turkey, I use 93% lean / 7% fat
- 3/4 cup ground rolled oats, finely pulsated in a food processor
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced, White or red onion can also be used.
- 1/3 cup marinara
- 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp sea salt
- black pepper
- 2 tsp fresh thyme, Or 1 tsp of dried thyme or Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 TBSP balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic, simmer for 30 seconds, then remove the pan from the heat to cool.
- Place the oats in a food processor and pulse until they reach a fine texture resembling bread crumbs.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Transfer the ground turkey to a large mixing bowl with the ground rolled oats, cooked onions and garlic, marinara, beaten egg, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, sea salt, and pepper. Mix it by hand until cohesive, and pack it into a ball.
- Transfer the mixture onto the parchment-covered baking sheet and shape it into a loaf.
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will help the loaf hold its shape.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF with the rack in the middle position.
- Mix the ketchup and balsamic glaze, then brush it all over the top and sides of the meatloaf with a pastry brush.
- Transfer the meatloaf to the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160-165º F. (Check at the 30-minute mark to see where you're at and go from there.)
- When done, remove the meatloaf from the oven. Let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting into it.
Nutrition
View more ground turkey dinner recipes here!
Love this recipe.. never disappoints.. comforting meal
I’m so glad you enjoy it!
The only meatloaf for our family!
I’m so happy, Joseph! Thanks for popping in to let me know :)
Very good! Easy to make and healthy.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very good and moist. I would make this again. Really liked the glaze also.
I’m so glad, Sandra! This recipe is on my list to update photos/re-photograph, and I’ve been looking forward to eating it again, haha.
Awesome recipe! Made it for dinner with one gluten free guests. Everyone loved it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this, Nancy! Thanks for the feedback :)
This recipe is so good.