Meatloaf is back on the weeknight menu, people!! After making meatloaf of all kinds, I've found that smaller portions cook up waaaay faster. So these Turkey Meatloaf Muffins are a go-to in my kitchen for weeknight dinners. The recipes uses a flavorful mixture of ground turkey, herbs, onions, garlic and seasonings, topped with a ketchup glaze. They bake up in just 25 minutes in a muffin tin. It's such an easy dinner that pairs perfectly with mashed potatoes and a simple green veggie.
To make these with beef, pop over to this recipe for Meatloaf Muffin Cups. Or for a different flavor profile, check out this Italian Meatloaf Recipe!
Jump to:
- Why Youโll Love these Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
- Meatloaf Muffin Cups Ingredients
- How to Make Meatloaf Muffins
- Meatloaf Muffins Variations
- What to Serve with Meatloaf Muffins
- FAQโs
- More Delicious Dinner Recipes
- Did you make this recipe?
- Meatloaf Muffins (with Ground Turkey)
- Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
Why You’ll Love these Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
- Made with ground turkey, which is a little leaner and less expensive than beef.
- They are made with a panade of panko and milk, which keeps them juicy.
- The topping is just ketchup, keeping things simple and traditional.
- Using muffin cups helps the recipe cook much faster than baking an entire meatloaf.
- Smaller portions make them great for a high protein snack too!
- Leftovers make an amazing meatloaf sandwich or slider.
Meatloaf Muffin Cups Ingredients
Ground Turkey (93/7) - This ratio keeps the meatloaf juicy without being greasy. Leaner turkey can dry out, while 85/15 will be too greasy. See more below.
Olive Oil - Used to sautรฉ the onion and garlic so they soften and sweeten before mixing in. You can swap in avocado oil or canola oil if that's what you have.
Yellow or White Onion - Adds moisture and mild sweetness to the meatloaf. Dice it finely so it blends in well. Red onion works in a pinch, but has a slightly sharper flavor.
Garlic - Always garlic! The recipe calls for 3 cloves, but add more or less as you like. Add the garlic to the saute pan for just 1 minute to keep the flavor pronounced.
Fresh Rosemary or Thyme - Use both or just one, they add amazing flavor to your Turkey Meatloaf Cups!
Worcestershire Sauce - Adds a salty depth of flavor. Soy sauce can be used as a substitute, but reduce the added salt slightly.
Tomato Paste - Brings concentrated tomato flavor. Ketchup can be used instead, but the meatloaf will be a bit sweeter.
Panko Bread Crumbs - Mixed with the milk and egg to make a panade, which helps keeps the meatloaf cups tender and juicy.
Milk - Hydrates the breadcrumbs to lock in moisture. Any milk works here, including dairy free options like unsweetened almond or oat milk.
Eggs - Help bind the mixture so the muffin cups hold together.
Seasonings – A mix of kosher salt, black pepper and onion powder enhance the flavors perfectly!
Ketchup - Perfect easy topper for your meatloaf muffin cups. The sugars caramelize while baking and bring out the tomato sweetness. Barbecue sauce or chili sauce make great swaps for a different flavor profile.
Ground Turkey for Meatloaf Muffins
When you are shopping for ground turkey there are generally two (maybe three) options – 99% fat free, 93/7 and 85/15.
You ABSOLUTELY want to buy the 93/7!! This means it has 93% lean meat, and 7% fat. It has enough fat to make it flavorful and juicy without being greasy.
The 99% fat free ground turkey should only be used if you have some kind of diet restriction. It cooks up like rubber and has very little flavor.
You may also see an 85/15 ground turkey, this is going to be too fatty and have a funny flavor. I recommend avoiding this one.
Topping
Traditionally, ketchup is used on top of meatloaf. It has enough sugar content to caramelize a little in the oven and becomes tangy, salty and sweet. Perfect balance!
Another option would be to use a mixture of 50% BBQ sauce and 50% ketchup.
How to Make Meatloaf Muffins
- Start by sautรฉing your onions and garlic, then stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire and rosemary. Let cool for a couple minutes.
2. Meanwhile make the panade by mixing the milk, egg, salt, pepper and onion powder with the panko bread crumbs, let it sit for 5 minutes.
3. Finally mix the panade, turkey, and onion mixture together.
4. Generously grease your muffin tin. Then using a โ cup measuring cup scoop heaping portions of the meatloaf mixture into the muffin tin. You will have exactly 12 muffin cups.
5. Top each cup with at least 1 tablespoon ketchup.
6. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.
Meatloaf Muffins Variations
One of the best things about meatloaf muffins is how easy they are to customize. The base recipe stays the same, but a few small swaps can completely change the flavor.
- BBQ Meatloaf Muffins Swap the ketchup for barbecue sauce and add a pinch of smoked paprika for a slightly smoky finish.
- Italian-Style Meatloaf Muffins Replace the rosemary or thyme with Italian seasoning and mix and a little grated Parmesan. Top with marinara and mozzarella cheese.
- Veggie-Packed Meatloaf Muffins Add finely diced bell peppers, zucchini, and/or mushrooms to the onions at the beginning of the recipe.
- Spicy Meatloaf Muffins Add red pepper flakes, a splash of hot sauce, or use chili sauce instead of ketchup.
- Gluten-Free Meatloaf Muffins Swap the panko for gluten-free breadcrumbs or crushed gluten-free crackers.
What to Serve with Meatloaf Muffins
Serve your turkey meatloaf muffins warm out of the oven, 2-3 cups per person. They are excellent served with mashed potatoes and green beans!
They also make a great slider sandwich or meatloaf sandwich.
Side Dishes
Here are some great side dishes to consider making for your meatloaf muffin cups:
Freezing
You can freeze your turkey meatloaf muffin cups for easier meal or snack prep.
- Freezing Baked – bake and cool the turkey meatloaf cups. Place in a freezer safe baggie or container and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, defrost in the fridge overnight. Or use the quick method by placing the sealed bag in luke warm water, changing the water every 30 minutes until thawed completely. Then heat through in the oven or microwave.
- Freezing Raw – Fill the muffin tin with the meatloaf mixture, leave the ketchup off until it is time to cook. Pop in the freezer. Once solid move to a freezer safe baggie. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, bake from frozen, adding the ketchup to the top and you may need to add 10 minutes to the cooking time to cook through. Make sure your meatloaf cups reach 160 degrees internal temp to be considered safe to eat.
FAQ’s
I hope you find some of these FAQ’s helpful, they are the most asked questions from the interwebs about Turkey Meatloaf:
There are two things that are going to help bind the meatloaf muffins – panade and egg. This recipe uses both. The panade is a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and milk. That not only binds the recipe but helps keep it juicy and tender. The egg also mixes in with the panade and helps bind the meat/onions together.
When done right turkey meatloaf is absolutely NOT mushy at all. Ways to avoid mushy turkey meatloaf are using the right binders (egg and a panade which is panko with milk), not adding too many watery ingredients (veggies and onions), and using the right ground turkey (93/7 is the perfect lean ratio for this recipe)
The right mix of onion, garlic, herbs and seasonings will make your meatloaf absolutely sing with flavor!!
Herbs that work – fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, fresh parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, or Italian seasoning. Use the combo that fits the flavor profile of your meatloaf.
Seasonings that work – onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, chili powder, smoked paprika, paprika, or dry mustard. Again, use the combo that fits the flavor profile you are going for.
If you are using a 12 cup muffin tin you will want to cook them at 400ยฐF for 25 minutes. You can always check for doneness with an instant read thermometer. Your meatloaf muffins should reach at least 160ยฐF to be considered safe to eat.
More Delicious Dinner Recipes
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Did you make this recipe?
I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me
Meatloaf Muffins (with Ground Turkey)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small to medium yellow or white onion diced
- 3 plump garlic cloves chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or thyme - chopped
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 lbs. ground turkey - use the 93/7
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- โ cup milk
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ยฝ teaspoon black pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ยฐ and spray a 12 count muffin tin with baking/olive oil spray.
- Add the oil to a skillet over medium heat, sautรฉ the onion until softened, about 5 mins. Then add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 small to medium yellow or white onion diced, 3 plump garlic cloves chopped
- Remove from the heat and stir in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and fresh rosemary or thyme. Let cool for a couple minutes.2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or thyme
- In a large bowl combine the panko bread crumbs, milk, lightly beaten eggs, salt, black pepper, and onion powder. Let sit for about 5 minutes.1 cup panko bread crumbs, โ cup milk, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ยฝ teaspoon black pepper, ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
- Add the ground turkey and the onion mixture.
- With clean hands lightly mix the ingredients together. Only mix just until it comes together, over mixing will create tough meatloaf muffins!
- With a โ cup measuring cup portion out the meatloaf mixture into the prepared 12 cup muffin tin.
- Top each individual meatloaf with 1 Tablespoon ketchup, use more if you love the ketchup topping.
- Place the muffin tin on top of a baking sheet to catch any spill-overs in the oven!
- Bake at 400 for 25 minutes until the center of the meatloaf reaches 160ยฐ.
- Let rest for a few minutes and then serve, 2-3 cups per person!
Freezing Baked
- Bake and cool the turkey meatloaf cups. Place in a freezer safe baggie or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Then heat through in the oven or microwave.
- To serve, defrost in the fridge overnight. Or use the quick method by placing the sealed bag in luke warm water, changing the water every 30 minutes until thawed completely.
- Then heat through in the oven or microwave.
Freezing Raw
- Fill the muffin tin with the meatloaf mixture, leave the ketchup off until it is time to cook.
- Pop in the freezer. Once solid move to a freezer safe baggie. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To serve, bake from frozen, adding the ketchup to the top and you may need to add 10 minutes to the cooking time to cook through. Make sure your meatloaf cups reach 160 degrees internal temp to be considered safe to eat.
Rebecca says
Absolutely delicious, I ran out of onion powder so I used onion soup mix and it was still delicious!! This will be a staple recipe in my house hold ๐
Ashley says
These were delicious and were super simple to make!!
James says
I always check out rating and comments before making dinner. I forget and didnโt this time. Looks like Iโll be the first comment! Be back soon!