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Best Turkey Meatloaf

This is my favorite turkey meatloaf recipe that always comes out moist, tender, and full of flavor. It's topped with a delicious ketchup glaze.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people
Calories 1652.2 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Rimmed Baking Sheet
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Small Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Instant-Read Thermometer
  • 1 Spatula or Mixing Spoon

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 1 ½ pounds ground turkey
  • ¾ cup crushed buttery round crackers
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions
 

  • Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.
  • Mix ground turkey, crushed crackers, milk, onion, egg, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Shape mixture into a loaf and place on the prepared pan. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • To make the glaze: Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Set aside. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Bake meatloaf in preheated oven for 30 minutes; remove from the oven and drain off liquids. Top meatloaf with prepared ketchup glaze. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Return loaf to the oven and continue baking until no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes more; an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C). Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Serve and enjoy! Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Notes

To ensure a consistently moist meatloaf, avoid overmixing the ground turkey; this can make it tough. Sautéing the onion and garlic gently before adding them to the mixture will mellow their pungency and infuse a deeper, more rounded flavor. For the glaze, a good quality ketchup and rich brown sugar create fantastic caramelization. Consider adding a pinch of smoked paprika or a dash of hot sauce to the glaze for an extra layer of complexity. After baking, allow the meatloaf to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing; this allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and flavorful product.