This is hands down the best turkey meatloaf recipe I’ve ever made. It’s outrageously flavorful and unbelievably moist. Say goodbye to dry meatloaf!
My whole family raves about this recipe! The secret to the best juicy, moist, and delicious turkey meatloaf is mushrooms! Trust me on this (even if you don’t like mushrooms, stick with me). Finely chopped cooked mushrooms make this meatloaf made with lean ground turkey incredible!
Get those mashed potatoes ready, you won’t believe how good this is!
Key Ingredients
- Ground turkey: I prefer ground turkey with some fat left and avoid very lean ground turkey breast. Look for turkey with 8% to 10% fat for the most juicy results. You can also use ground chicken in this recipe. For ground beef, see our classic meatloaf.
- Mushrooms: My secret to the best meatloaf! We cut cremini or white button mushrooms into tiny pieces so you can barely see them, but you will taste their benefits! Mushrooms add moisture and flavor to this meatloaf. It doesn’t taste overwhelmingly mushroomy (trust me). Instead, the mushrooms add unbelievable savory flavor to our turkey meatloaf.
- Onion and garlic: Add more flavor to the meatloaf. We cook them before adding to the meatloaf mixture so they taste sweet.
- Worcestershire sauce: Seasons our mixture and adds even more umami (a satisfying savory flavor).
- Ketchup: Adds moisture and flavor. We also use it to make a simple glaze for the top. I like the lower-sugar options sold at the grocery store or this homemade ketchup.
- Eggs, breadcrumbs, and milk: Add moisture, amazing texture, and flavor. Use homemade breadcrumbs, panko breadcrumbs, or crushed saltine crackers for the best results.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make My Favorite Turkey Meatloaf
Tip 1: The secret is mushrooms. Even if you’re not a mushroom fan, prepare to be amazed by this turkey meatloaf! Since we chop our mushrooms really small and cook them with onions, they almost disappear into the meatloaf mixture. The photo below shows how small I chop them. You can do this by hand or use a food processor.
As they cook with our onions, they release a lot of liquid and shrink even more, which is why you don’t really notice them in the meatloaf (this is why many of our readers who don’t like mushrooms still love this recipe!). I love this trick so much that I use it to make turkey burgers, as well!
Tip 2: Use our delicious glaze. I cook meatloaf on a rimmed baking sheet smothered with our simple ketchup glaze. You can use a loaf pan, but honestly, the baking sheet is much easier and has less cleanup. A win for me! You can also use the meatloaf glaze we use for our popular meatloaf recipe, which still calls for ketchup but adds a few more ingredients for extra flavor.
Tip 3: Bake and let it rest. We bake turkey meatloaf in a 400°F oven for about 50 minutes. It’s is done when the internal temperature reaches 170°F. If you don’t have an internal thermometer, remove it from the oven when the inside is no longer pink and feels firm. Let your meatloaf rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute and settle back into the meat.
Serving Suggestions
Our family loves slices of this juicy turkey meatloaf with classic sides like our homemade mashed potatoes, potatoes au gratin, roasted broccoli, easy sautéed cabbage, sautéed broccoli, and these quickly sautéed green beans.
My son also loves this with a side of sweet potato fries, potato wedges, or baked french fries! It’s also fantastic when turned into sandwiches!
More Easy Dinner Recipes
Best Turkey Meatloaf We've Made
- PREP
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This is my family’s favorite easy ground turkey meatloaf recipe. It’s flavorful, incredibly moist in the middle, and always a hit. Finely chopped mushrooms are the secret to the best meatloaf. They add so much flavor and moisture.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 to 1 ¼ pound ground turkey (90% to 92% lean)
8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, trimmed and very finely chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon oil
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
7 tablespoons ketchup, divided, try homemade ketchup
1 cup (60g) panko bread crumbs or use homemade breadcrumbs
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet or 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan lined with aluminum foil.
2Cook onions and mushrooms: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened; about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the mushrooms give off their liquid and it boils away, about 10 minutes.
3Transfer the onions and mushrooms to a large bowl, and then stir in the Worcestershire sauce and 3 tablespoons of the ketchup. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
4Make the meatloaf mixture: Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a small bowl. Stir the breadcrumb mixture and the eggs into the mushrooms and onions. Using a fork or your hands, gently mix in the ground turkey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. The mixture will be very wet.
5Form the meatloaf on a baking sheet: Form the meatloaf into a 9-inch by 5-inch oval in the middle of the prepared baking sheet. Spread the remaining 4 tablespoons of ketchup on top.
6Bake the meatloaf: Bake in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meatloaf registers 170°F, about 50 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- What to serve it with: We make this meatloaf a lot (seriously, my family loves this recipe!). Try mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, macaroni and cheese, or roasted potatoes. I also love these mashed sweet potatoes, or for less carbs, try our creamy mashed cauliflower. I love adding a few extra veggies to the plate. My family’s favorite vegetable sides include sautéed green beans, garlic butter zucchini, roasted carrots, and this roasted butternut squash.
- Storing: Leftover turkey meatloaf lasts up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Make ahead: You can prepare and shape the meatloaf on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate overnight before adding the glaze and baking the next day. Or shape the mixture on a foil-lined sheet and freeze for a few hours. Then, wrap it tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before adding the glaze and baking.
- Can I double this recipe? Absolutely! Double all the ingredients and expect it to take 15 to 20 minutes longer in the oven. Your meat thermometer is the best guide for doneness.
- Mushroom alternatives: Grated zucchini works wonderfully as a substitute – though you won’t get the same flavor as mushrooms.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
This really is the go to turkey meatloaf. It delivers what it promises: moist and flavorful meatloaf. My family loves it!
This is my go to meatloaf recipe- comes out flavorful and super moist every single time. I ran out of breadcrumbs so toasted two pieces of hamburger buns and chopped it in my food processor and it made 1 cup perfectly. I also ran out of milk but had unsweetened coconut milk and it worked just fine. My husband doesn’t care for mushrooms but he can’t even tell they’re in the meatloaf. I use a bread pan to help shape it.
This was the 3rd time I’ve made this meatloaf and we LOVE it! You are right-the mushrooms make it extra delish!
This recipe is my new favorite when it comes to meatloaf. We made it twice in 2 weeks. I love the healthier option of using turkey and I would of never thought of using mushrooms but she’s right if you chop it up finely you don’t even hardly notice the mushrooms and it keeps it moist! Thanks for sharing!
We are so happy you trusted us with this one, Michelle! Thank you for coming back and letting us know how well it turned out.
We love this recipe, made numerous times, this time it came out so soft, it could not be shaped, struggled to find a dish/ pan to chit in, can’t figure out why it was so soft. I think the turkey had extra moisture in it, was from a name brand 2.5 lb package cut in half. Any thoughts on a remedy?
Hi Charlie, Next time you have that brand, consider an extra sprinkle of breadcrumbs. I recently used some ground turkey that was sold in a tube, and I’m not planning on doing it again. The meat was ground much more finely (almost a paste) and it really did not generate the same results as what I am used to with regular ground turkey sold in the flat packets or from a butcher counter.
I made this meatloaf tonight for dinner and my family loved it and wants it in our dinner rotation So glad I came across this recipe!
I am so happy, as well! Thanks so much for coming back, Tracy!
I don’t have fresh mushrooms so can I use canned ones?
You can. You still want to chop them very finely and make sure that you cook off as much of the extra moisture as you can.
I have to say this is the best turkey meatloaf recipe. Moist and tasty. YUM!
That’s wonderful, Karyn! Thanks for coming back!
You both nailed the turkey meatloaf. Even my kids liked it and they dont like anything I make. Thanks
A win with the kids is pretty much the best compliment! So happy they enjoyed it.
What can you use instead of milk?
An unsweetened non-dairy milk would be my best substitute.
This is in the oven now. As someone with many years of cooking experience, I found the recipe somewhat complex. I hope it was worth the effort! I am not a huge fan of ketchup, so omitted that for the topping.
Hi Elizabeth, We hope so too! Cooking the mushrooms in the beginning does add an extra 15 minutes, but the moisture and flavor they add to the ground turkey is excellent!
Delicious! I made my own breadcrumbs from my homemade sourdough bread and added Italian seasoning. It came out very flavorful and moist. It also browned beautifully without topping it with ketchup
The one cup of breadcrumbs was too much. It did not taste like meat, it tasted like a fake meat substitute. I will try it again with less. I did not use meat from a tube. Also your recommendation of 1 and 1/4 pounds of turkey is impossible to find. All ground turkey products in my area are sold in 16 oz packages.
Hi Deborah, We’ve had this recipe live for many years and back when we posted it, turkey was sold in 1 1/4 pound containers. I guess that’s the economy for you. I have made this recipe with 1 pound of turkey and it works nicely.
Question: Can I use canned stem and pieces mushrooms? Thanks….
You can. We recommend draining them, chopping them very fine, and still cooking them in the first step to remove excess moisture.
How should left over meatloaf be reheated in the oven?
Hi there, I’d add slices to a baking sheet and lightly cover with foil. Reheat in a 350F oven until heated through.
Absolutely the BEST Turkey meatloaf! What a difference the mushrooms make – brilliant !
This turned out perfectly!! I did test the smell of brown turkey and the fry pan so when I saw this recipe and the directions of frying up your onions and mushrooms– although I did change up a couple things –I didn’t have any mushrooms, and then mix everything together and bake it. It smelled so good as it was baking with all those other ingredients and instead of mushrooms I used grated carrot and fried for a few right after the onions wilted, then I added some olives and fresh tomatoes, which I cooked down with the onions and also I didn’t have enough breadcrumbs, so I used oat bread and flaxseed meal to round out a cup of breadcrumbs. I added a little thyme along with the salt and pepper. I like to use liquid amino’s by Bragg instead of Worcestershire sauce. I also did not add the ketchup topping because I am low sodium and it browned beautifully. It didn’t even need it. Thank you for this recipe. I will make this again. I finally found a way to eat ground turkey and as others have said, mixing the ground turkey with sausage or even beef or any ground meat maybe even some lentils might be good.
It had been a whole year since I last made turkey meatloaf, but the craving struck again—and wow, was it worth the wait. Honestly, I only picked this recipe because I had some ground turkey sitting in the fridge, but it turned out to be a stroke of genius. I gave it my own twist: a quarter pound of Jimmy Dean sausage blended with a full pound of turkey, plus a small can of sweet whole corn folded right into the mix. For the finishing touch, I crowned it with a rich, velvety blanket of dark brown gravy. The result? Absolute perfection. It looked like something straight out of a glossy food magazine and tasted even better. This dish was so off-the-charts delicious that I’ve decided it’s going into my regular rotation. To round out the meal, I served buttery new potatoes and crisp, fresh green beans on the side. Every bite was a celebration comfort food elevated to pure indulgence.
I made this tonight with the white button mushrooms that I put in the food processor and it came out delicious. The moistest meatloaf I ever made will definitely be making again!!! Big hit!! And I never eat mushrooms. I don’t like mushrooms, but you could not taste them and I also added some Parmesan cheese to the meatloaf mixture, but it came out delicious.
This recipe is a five-star recipe. The flavor of this loaf is amazing. I followed the recipe exactly like it is and worked perfect well. It is a keeper!!! Thank you!
Hi!! I was wondering if you have tried making this recipe with cranberry sauce instead of ketchup. I’m thinking of making it for my book club Friendsgiving so I was thinking cranberry would be more thanksgiving flavor. Thanks!!
Hi Cindy, we have not, although, it sounds lovely!
It’s been a while since I made meatloaf but had a tase for it now that my “no meat eaters” no longer live at home. I only chose this recipe because I had some mushrooms on hand but so glad I did. It was delicious! Only variation I made was to mix some barbecue sauce with the ketchup.
I made this yesterday exactly as instructed. While it was delicious, the texture was awful. Trying to form it on a baking sheet was like trying to form cake batter. It was flat and visually unappealing. Three stars. Next time I’ll try to use less milk, more bread crumbs, or more ground turkey. For the record panko crumbs and one pound of turkey were used.
Thanks for the feedback, Jon. This is a family favorite for us, but I hope your planned tweaks gets the meatloaf to something you are more happy with.
Wondering if I could sub tomato sauce for the ketchup?
It might be too thin, I’ve not tried this before.
I have made this delicious, moist turkey meatloaf a number of times now. We love it! Thanks so much for your yummy recipes!
Making this tonight with some chopped dried cranberries! A few hazelnuts too because Oregon is the hazelnut capital of the US!
Seriously fantastic recipe,will use this one again, everyone loved it 😊 Easy to make.
Hi! Quick question for you! Any idea how long to bake it for if I want to preportion the meatloaf and bake in a muffin tin? TIA!
Hi Jenn, For turkey meatloaf baked in a standard muffin tin, the cooking time is significantly shorter than for a full loaf. You can expect them to be ready in 20 to 25 minutes. Keep an eye on them to see how they are progressing.
This was a great recipe. We tried others and they were way too dry and dense. We can only use the ground breast but even with the 98% it was moist. The taste was delicious and I will definitely use this recipe again. Thanks for all the tips to making this a success!
Hi Cheryl, That’s fantastic to hear! I’m so glad the recipe worked out for you. It’s often a challenge to keep lean ground turkey breast from becoming dry, so it’s great that the tips helped you get a moist and delicious result.
Meh. Really disappointed. A whole cup of panko way too much. (After making it and finding it mushy I compared it to other highly rated recipes. They call for 1/4-1/3. This was disappointingly mushy and, I think, diminished the flavor.
Hi Natasha, I’m so sorry to hear the meatloaf was disappointing and turned out mushy for you. I’m curious if you used the ground meat sold in a large grind in packages or if it was sold in tubes. I find the meat sold in tubes are much more finely ground and I don’t enjoy the texture as much. You can always try reducing the panko if you’d prefer it, but when I make this recipe, I do not find the results to be mushy, only moist.
I used 1 cup and a half of potatoe flakes and added chopped rosemary fresh. My family loved it.