Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
Updated Mar 04, 2025, Published Jan 30, 2025
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If you love meatloaf but want a healthier twist, Turkey Meatloaf Muffins will become a new favorite! These scaled-down delights take everything you love about classic meatloaf and turn them into perfectly portioned muffins that cook faster, taste amazing, and fit seamlessly into a busy lifestyle.
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
Whether you’re meal prepping for the week, looking for a kid-friendly dinner, or simply craving a nutritious and satisfying dish, Turkey Meatloaf Muffins check all the boxes.
These ground Turkey Meatloaf Muffins were super popular with my personal chef clients who wanted to eat healthier and control their portions. Jam-packed with Italian flavor with basil, oregano, and Parmesan cheese, these mini meatloaves are delicious, easy to make, and perfect for meal prep. They stay moist and flavorful while offering a satisfying, protein-packed meal!
Serve with a vegetable side dish or potato side dish for a scrumptious, balanced dinner.
This ground Turkey Meatloaf Muffin recipe is:
- Easy to make! After softening the onions, all the ingredients simply get mixed up and placed in a muffin pan.
- Quick! Because they’re mini turkey meatloaf muffins, they bake quickly.
- Easy to reheat! These meatloaf muffins can be reheated in the microwave or the oven.
- Freezer-friendly! Freeze for up to three months for a meal that’s ready to go when you need it!
How to Make Turkey Meatloaf Muffins:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Turkey Meatloaf Muffins recipe. The recipe card below has the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Panko: Panko is also referred to as Japanese breadcrumbs. They have a dry, coarse texture, which is perfect for meatloaf. You can also use dry breadcrumbs or 1/2 cup quick oats. I don’t recommend fresh breadcrumbs. Because ground turkey has less structure than beef, fresh breadcrumbs can cause the meatloaf muffins to be too soft.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Use a vegan Worcestershire sauce if you have a fish allergy.
- Parmesan Cheese: You can also use Asiago or Romano cheese.
- Ground Turkey: Use any ground turkey–all white meat, all dark meat, or a combination. You can also use ground chicken, ground beef, or plant-based ground “meat.”
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray. Alternatively, spray a loaf or mini loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until softened. Transfer to a mixing bowl. (Let cool if desired, but the order of ingredients is such that the heat from the onions will not affect them and will help cool the onions in the process.)
- Add the garlic, basil, oregano, panko, ketchup, Worcestershire, milk, parsley, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Add the ground turkey and mix well until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Place the ground turkey mixture in the prepared muffin pans in 12 even amounts, forming into muffin-like mini loaves.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until an instant-read meat thermometer registers at least 165 degrees in the center.
- Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before removing from the muffin pan.
- Heat the marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat or microwave.
- Serve the Turkey Meatloaf Muffins with the marinara sauce spooned over the top and sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Garnish with additional chopped fresh parsley if desired.
- That’s it!! Meatloaf muffins everyone will come running for!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- When preparing meatloaf, I combine all the ingredients except for the meat first. This ensures that the ingredients are more evenly distributed throughout the meatloaf. If you blend everything immediately, you risk overworking the meat to distribute the ingredients, making the meatloaf tough.
- Use disposable gloves and mix the meatloaf with your hands.
- The easiest way to form muffin-like meatloaves is to form a large meatball with your hands first, then place it into the muffin pan. Press on the top to fill in the muffin pan at the bottom.
Recipe FAQs:
I highly recommend it, especially with small meatloaves like this, because the onions won’t get cooked and may still have some crunch left. Sauteeing the onions in olive oil softens them, adding more flavor and moisture.
Ground turkey has less structure than beef, so it’s important to use dried breadcrumbs such as panko or oats rather than fresh breadcrumbs. Using fresh breadcrumbs could also cause your turkey meatloaf to fall apart.
These are perfect for meal prep, and I often made them for personal chef clients. Just bake to 165 degrees, let cool, then place in a container or individual meal prep containers. Reheat in the microwave or oven at 350 degrees until heated through to 165 degrees in the center.
Absolutely! Freeze for up to three months for a meal that’s ready to go when you need it. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave, then reheat at 350 degrees in the microwave or oven until heated through to 165 degrees.
Storage:
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- Freeze the mini Turkey Meatloaf Muffins for up to three months in an airtight container or freezer bags. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave, then reheat at 350 degrees in the microwave or oven until heated to 165 degrees in the center.
Serve these mini Turkey Meatloaf Muffins with:
- Cauliflower White Bean Puree
- Mashed Turnips
- Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
- Potato and Sweet Potato Bake
More great meatloaf recipes!
- Italian Meatloaf
- Chili-Glazed Meatloaf
- Turkey Meatloaf with Spinach Feta Stuffing
- Turkey Apple Meatloaf with Balsamic Ketchup Glaze
Get all my turkey recipes at Turkey Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (approximately 2 cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/4 cups panko, (Japanese breadcrumbs)
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup milk, (I used 2%)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds ground turkey, all white meat, all dark meat or a combination
- 1 cup marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray. Alternatively, spray a loaf or mini loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 7-8 minutes or until softened. Transfer to a mixing bowl. (Let cool if desired, but the order of ingredients is such that the heat from the onions will not affect them and will help cool the onions in the process.)
- Add the garlic, basil, oregano, panko, ketchup, Worcestershire, milk, parsley, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Add the ground turkey and mix well until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Place the ground turkey mixture in the prepared muffin pans in 12 even amounts, forming into muffin-like mini loaves.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until an instant-read meat thermometer registers at least 165 degrees in the center. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before removing from the muffin pan.
- Heat the marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat or microwave. Serve the Turkey Meatloaf Muffins with the marinara sauce spooned over the top and sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Garnish with additional chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Can use dry breadcrumbs or 1/2 cup quick oats in place of panko.
- Use Asiago or Romano cheese in place of Parmesan.
- Can also use ground chicken, ground beef, or plant-based ground “meat.”
- Use disposable gloves and mix the meatloaf with your hands.
- First, form a large meatball with your hands, then place it into the muffin pan to form muffin-like meatloaves. Press on the top to fill in the muffin cup at the bottom to achieve a muffin shape.
- Bake to 165 degrees, let cool, then place in a container or individual meal prep containers.
- Reheat in the microwave or oven at 350 degrees until heated to 165 degrees in the center.
- Freeze for up to three months for a meal that’s ready to go when you need it.
- Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave, then reheat at 350 degrees in the microwave or oven until heated to 165 degrees.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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