Who doesn’t love meat loaf? Everyone should have one quick and easy meat loaf recipe in their arsenal of tricks. Having a lighter, healthier recipe is even better. Did I mention this is also a gluten-free meat loaf? Well, it is! My mini turkey meat loaf recipe accomplishes all of that plus has some built-in portion control too! This recipe makes eight mini loaves and you can decide if you have one or two of those loaves for your meal. This recipe uses 93% fat-free ground turkey but you could easily substitute other meats. See below for substitution ideas.
If you are a WW member (Weight Watchers) know this is definitely a WW friendly option. Just copy the recipe link, add it to your app and let WW calculate the points for you.
How to Make Mini Turkey Meat Loaf
To get started on this recipe, pull all your ingredients together. Add your meat to a large bowl. Roughly chop the veggies and put them to the side.
In a bowl or measuring cup, add the oatmeal and skim milk. Mix to get the oatmeal wet. Let sit while you do the next several steps giving the oatmeal time to absorb the milk. Oatmeal is generally gluten-free making this a gluten-free recipe. One note here: some oatmeal products may contain gluten due to cross-contamination during processing or manufacturing. Look for oatmeal labeled as “gluten-free” to ensure it does not contain gluten.
Add the veggies to a blender or food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the veggies to the bowl with the meat. Add the two eggs, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders and the oatmeal mixture. Mix everything together.
Grate the Parmesan cheese and add it to the mix. Pull the thyme leaves off the stems and add to the bowl. Mix everything to combine.
Spray a mini-8-loaf pan with cooking spray. Evenly divide the meat mixture among the 8 loaf pan cavities.
Drizzle about one teaspoon of ketchup over each loaf. While ketchup does contain sugar, you are just using a small amount in the recipe so you still get that delicious meat loaf taste we all love. There are several sugar-free options on the market, so if you choose, select one of those.
Bake the meat loaves for approximately 25 minutes. Be sure to check them at 20 minutes. Every oven is different so you’ll want to be sure you don’t overcook them. Use a thermometer and make sure the internal temperature of the meatloaf is 165 degrees F. Remove the pan from the oven and run a knife around the edges of each meatloaf loosening them from the sides of the pan.
Plate the loaves along with your favorite side dishes like roasted rosemary and garlic baby potatoes and my roasted asparagus with toasted breadcrumbs and almonds.
Alternatives to mini loaf pans when making mini meat loaves
If you don’t have a mini loaf pan, no worries. You could use a muffin tin and make meat loaf muffins. You could also use individual mini loaf pans or dishes. These tend to be 2 –3 times larger than these mini loaf pans, so you may only get 4 meat loaves.
Another option is to form mini meat loafs with your hands shaping them into oval shaped loaves. I’d use a ¼ cup measuring cup or large 4 oz.ice cream scoopso, they are all the same size. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure the sheet pan has a rim to catch any juices that accumulate while baking.
INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Although this recipe calls for one pound of 93% fat-free ground turkey, you could also substitute any of the following meat options:
. 99% fat-free ground turkey
. Lean ground beef (90% fat-free and above to keep this a healthier option)
. Ground chicken will give you a chicken meat loaf and is delish!
I’ve used oatmeal in this recipe which is just so good for you, and is also naturally gluten-free letting me make this for a lot more people (Have you noticed how many people are gluten-free?). But you could substitute dry torn bread pieces. Just tear up a couple of slices of bread and let them dry out overnight on the kitchen counter, or toast them in the oven to speed up the process. Stale bread is a great option here. You won’t need as much milk to moisten the bread. I’d use about ¼ cup of skim milk.
Speaking of milk, you can easily substitute any milk you have on hand like 1%, 2%, full fat, soy or oat milk. All will work.
When it comes to veggies, almost any veggie will work in this meatloaf. Just make sure everything is finely chopped or minced. Besides the nutrients and flavor, they also add moisture to your meatloaf. Some substitutions could be:
. Any color bell pepper
. Grated carrots
. Shredded zucchini
. Chopped spinach
. Shallots
I love to add fresh herbs to my recipes. Have you noticed how you spend $2 for a bunch of herbs for one recipe and then find yourself throwing the rest out? Don’t. Chop up and use those herbs to flavor everything from salads, to soup, dressings, etc. I had fresh thyme in the fridge and added them to this recipe and really liked it. You could add any soft herb you might have on hand. Substitutions might include:
. parsley
. oregano
. marjoram
. basil
. sage
I used ketchup because, as far as I’m concerned, meatloaf needs a finishing glaze or topping. There is sugar in ketchup and while I tend to stay away from a lot of extra sugar, a skimpy teaspoon of ketchup has never hurt anyone. LOL. However, there are substitutions that you can use.
. Plain tomato sauce
. Sugar-free ketchup
. Hoisin sauce (there is sugar)
. BBQ sauce (with and without sugar)
One note for my friends looking for low sodium options. It is easy to make a low sodium meat loaf. Start by omitting the salt and upping your seasonings. Add an extra ¼ teaspoon of each of the other spices, add in more fresh herbs. You are just adding more flavor so you won’t miss the salt. Almost all of the toppings I suggested, will have low sodium options. Choose your favorite. A fun option is to serve the meatloaf plain with no glaze and top it with my fresh hatch chili salsa with peaches – just omit the finishing salt.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT MAKING MINI TURKEY MEATLOAF
No, turkey meatloaf should not be pink in the middle. Unlike beef, turkey must be cooked to 165°F (74°C) throughout for food safety. Use a meat thermometer to verify doneness.
The keys to juicy turkey meatloaf are:
- Using 93% lean turkey (not 99% lean)
- Adding moisture-rich ingredients (grated onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms or peppers)
- Including a bread and milk mixture (or oatmeal and milk)
- Not overmixing
- Not overcooking
To prevent crumbling:
- Use a binder (eggs)
- Include breadcrumbs, bread or oatmeal soaked in milk
- Let it rest 5 – 10 minutes before serving and slicing
- Don’t skimp on eggs (I use two to be sure it is moist)
- Mix ingredients just until combined
Turkey meatloaf becomes rubbery when:
- The meat is overmixed
- Too much liquid is added
- It’s packed too tightly
- There isn’t enough oatmeal or bread
- The meat was overworked while shaping
Yes, milk mixed with the oatmeal or bread creates a mixture that:
- Keeps the meatloaf moist
- Helps bind ingredients
- Prevents a dense texture
- Makes the final result more tender
For mini turkey meatloaves:
- 350°F is ideal for even cooking
- Takes about 20-30 minutes
- Allows inside to cook before outside gets too brown
- Results in moister meatloaf
Common causes include:
- Meatloaf is too thick
- Oven temperature too high
- Not using a meat thermometer
- Cold ingredients not brought to room temperature before baking
- Uneven sizing of mini loaves
For mini turkey meatloaves:
- Cook uncovered for the first 20 minutes
- Cover with foil if browning too quickly. (I rarely have this issue but know it is an option.)
- Consider brushing with more ketchup before it finishes cooking (completely optional)
- Add grated vegetables for moisture
- Moisten your oatmeal or bread with milk
- Use eggs
- Don’t overcook
- Let rest after cooking
- Use a meat thermometer
- Add mushrooms or zucchini for extra moisture
- Muffin tins work well
- Mini loaf pans
- Sheet pan with free-formed loaves (use sheet pans with rims to contain juices
- Small cake pans
- Internal temperature of 165°F
- No pink in center
- Juices run clear
- Firm to touch
- Slight browning on top
- Garlic and onion powder
- Italian seasoning
- Worcestershire sauce
- Fresh herbs
- Poultry seasoning
- Salt and pepper
Yes, you can:
- Mix and shape or add to pans up to 24 hours ahead
- Freeze raw for up to 3 months
- Freeze cooked for up to 2 months
- Refrigerate cooked for 3-4 days
Classic glaze recipe:
- Ketchup
- Hoisin sauce
- Tomato sauce
- BBQ sauce
- 1 -2 eggs per pound of meat
- If mixture seems dry, add extra egg white
- Don’t exceed 2 eggs per pound
Good options include:
- Grated carrots
- Finely chopped spinach
- Minced mushrooms
- Grated zucchini
- Finely diced bell peppers
Add:
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Fresh herbs
- Grated Parmesan
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Caramelized onions
- Use an ice cream scoop
- Kitchen scale for consistency
- Standard muffin tin
- Mini loaf pan
- Shape by hand using ½ cup measure
Left overs can be covered and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve cold, room temperature or gently reheated in a 200-degree F. oven. I don’t recommend reheating in the microwave which will make them rubbery and over cooked. These make great sandwiches too. You can slice these in half horizontally, place between two slices of bread with another drizzle of ketchup or serve with mayo, lettuce and tomato.
Did you like this recipe? Please leave a rating and comment below. I’d love to hear how you made this your own. Did you change any of the ingredients? Do anything different?
Looking for other mini or individual serve recipes? I cook for two a lot so I have several suggestions for you. See some of my favorites:
Pumpkin, Turkey and Pasta Cocotte En Fonte
Mini Turkey Meat Loaf
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. 93% Fat-free ground turkey
- 4 Oz. White button mushrooms, sliced
- ½ Red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- ¼ Onion, roughly chopped
- 1 Cup oatmeal
- ½ Cup skim milk
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tsp. Kosher Salt
- ½ Tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ Tsp. Onion powder
- ½ Tsp. Garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh thyme, roughly chopped (optional)
- 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 8 Tsp. Ketchup
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a mini-8-loaf pan with cooking spray and put to the side.
- In a large measuring cup, add the oatmeal and skim milk and stir. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Stir once or twice so the oatmeal is moistened and the milk is absorbed.
- Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, add the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms. Pulse several times until finely chopped. Add to a large bowl.
- Add the ground turkey, oatmeal mixture, two eggs, salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders to that same bowl. Mix to combine everything.
- Add the fresh thyme if using and the Parmesan cheese. Combine again.
- Divide evenly among the 8 loaf cavities and drizzle about a teaspoon of the ketchup over the top. Put in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes until cooked through. The ketchup will create a sweet, caramelized glazed over the top.
- Remove from the oven and let sit about 5 minutes. Use a spoon or fork to gently remove the meatloaves from their pan and serve. Enjoy!
