I don’t know about you, but meatloaf is one of the most nostalgic meals for me. It totally brings me back to being a kid, playing outside, and coming home to the sweet aroma of something tasty in the oven. Nowadays, I still love meatloaf, and I’ve been working on developing and perfecting my own version. These Turkey Meatloaf Muffins are just that. They’re high in protein, loaded with veggies (and I mean loaded), super moist and flavorful, and still have that delicious sweet topping.
This recipe can be made in a loaf or into muffins. I like the muffins because it takes the guesswork out of portion sizing, and it makes them great for batch cooking and meal prep. When it’s time to eat, just reheat a few meatloaf muffins and serve with your choice of side! They cook much faster than a large loaf, and they’re also great for kiddos since they’re smaller (and more fun to eat). I hope you love these as much as I do.
Making Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
These are a great simple recipe where you can throw everything together, mix it up, bake it, and enjoy! To make them, you’ll need:
- Lean ground turkey
- Panko bread crumbs (or gluten free bread crumbs to make this gluten free). You can omit them entirely if paleo, or replace with a keto option to make these keto friendly.
- Grated zucchini, carrot, and onion, with the moisture squeezed out. If you’re opting for chopped instead of grated, saute your vegetables for 5-8 minutes (and remove some of the moisture) so that they’re fully cooked in the meatloaf.
- Garlic, salt, pepper, fresh basil, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce to season
- Egg to bind it all together
- Milk to make it moist (can use dairy free milk or omit entirely if paleo)
- Ketchup + Worcestershire sauce + brown sugar replacement (or brown sugar, honey, etc) to make a glaze topping.
Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients and set aside. Grate carrot, zucchini, and onion into a large bowl. Remove some moisture from the vegetables by patting well with a paper towel or straining through a cheesecloth. In a large bowl, add grated vegetables, turkey, egg, garlic and seasonings. Mix until uniform. Line or spray muffin tin (I use these) and evenly divide mixture among 12 cups (or spray a loaf pan if you’re opting for a single loaf).
Top muffins with glaze topping and spread evenly (if making a loaf, don’t add the glaze until the last 10 minutes of baking). Bake for 22-25 minutes for muffins (around 45 minutes for a loaf), until a meat thermometer reads 165+ internal temperature. Let cool slightly before serving. Garnish with some additional fresh basil and enjoy!
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Muffin Tin
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 carrot peeled and grated
- 1 zucchini grated and some moisture squeezed out
- 1/2 sweet onion grated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs (omit entirely if paleo)
- 3 tbsp sugar free ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup milk can use non dairy (omit if paleo)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup sugar free ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar replacement sub honey if paleo or omit entirely
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients and set aside.
- Grate carrot, zucchini, and onion into a large bowl. Remove some moisture from the vegetables by patting well with a paper towel or straining through a cheesecloth.
- In a large bowl, add grated vegetables, turkey, egg, garlic and seasonings. Mix until uniform.
- Line or spray muffin tin and evenly divide mixture among 12 cups.
- Top muffins with glaze topping and spread evenly. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until a meat thermometer reads 165+ internal temperature.
- Let cool slightly before serving. Garnish with some additional fresh basil and enjoy!
