Sweet Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf: A Home Cooked Favorite

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If you’re a meat and potatoes kind of family, this recipe for home-cooked Sweet Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf will soon be on your list of favorites.

When people think of comfort food, home-cooked meatloaf is often one of the first meals that come to mind. It certainly is for me! Today, I’m sharing my spin on this traditional favorite with this recipe for Sweet Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf.

Sweet Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf recipe

Meatloaf – A Comfort Food

The Atlantic had an interesting article several years back on the origins of meatloaf. The article includes details on the rise of meatloaf as comfort food during the Great Depression due to its low cost and the flexibility of filler ingredients.

How to make turkey meatloaf

The endless variations in meatloaf have continued to make it a mainstay in many recipe rotations. For our family, the primary deviation from tradition is replacing the ground beef with ground turkey. While ground turkey has significant health benefits over ground beef, on its own it doesn’t have a lot of flavor.

Overhead image of two slices of meatloaf made from ground turkey alongside mashed potatoes and salad on a plate

How to Make Turkey Meatloaf Taste Better

What you need:

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Kitchen Tools Needed:

Ingredients Needed:

Here’s what you’ll need from the store. The exact amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

I realized that a meatloaf made out of turkey needs some additional spices and flavorings.

To spice it up for this meatloaf recipe we’ve added:

Plus you’ll need:

Do you cook turkey meatloaf just like beef meatloaf?

Yes, the entire process is basically the same. Both types of meat cook at the about the same temperature and cooking time.

Barbecue turkey meatloaf in a metal loaf pan
Two slices of barbecue turkey meatloaf on a plate with mashed potatoes and salad
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Sweet Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf: A Home Cooked Favorite

If you're a meat and potatoes kind of family, this recipe for home-cooked Sweet Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf will soon be on your list of favorites.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: turkey meatloaf
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 401kcal
Author: Carrie Ypma

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 2 beef bouillon cubes
  • 2 tablespoons Water
  • 2 eggs or 1/2 cup of egg substitute
  • 1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 Medium Onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup of Ritz crackers crushed (1 sleeve)
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • ketchup optional

Instructions

  • Put bouillon cubes in water. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Use a fork to break up the cubes and stir to dissolve them in the water. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
  • Add eggs, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, brown sugar, salt, pepper and chili powder. Stir until well blended.
  • Next, stir in the onion, Ritz crackers and brown rice.
  • Add ground turkey and mix thoroughly.
  • Transfer the ground turkey mixture into an ungreased loaf pan.
  • Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 80 minutes. Top with ketchup and bake 5-10 minutes longer.

Notes

Sweet Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf also freezes well, if you want to make several meatloaves at one time. I would suggest freezing it in the loaf pan before it’s been cooked.

Nutrition

Serving: 2slices | Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 1536mg | Potassium: 632mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 301IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg
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Serving Suggestions for Sweet Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf

You can serve this with all of your favorite dinner side dishes.

When I think of having meatloaf, I always think of potatoes. We paired the Sweet Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf with broccoli and Roasted Potato and Onion Wedges.

It would also be great with mashed or scalloped potatoes. Who am I kidding? Just about any kind of potato side dish tastes delicious with meatloaf!

A plate with a piece of ground turkey meatloaf with a tasty bite on a fork

If you’re avoiding potatoes for some reason, I’d also suggest Creamy Garlic Parmesan Quinoa with Sun Dried Tomatoes, rice or your favorite pasta.

If you have any Sweet Turkey Barbecue Meatloaf leftover, try serving it for lunch the next day. I love to have meatloaf on toasted bread with melted provolone cheese and ketchup or barbecue sauce. It’s delicious!

Two slices of delicious turkey meatloaf topped with barbecue sauce on a plate with mashed potatoes and a side salad

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The Best Homemade Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf | Ideas for the Home by Kenarry

Originally published May 2014, updated February 2020.

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14 Comments

  1. Man I love home cooked meals like this. I also love that turkey was used. I don’t eat a lot of red meat, it sits so heavy in my tummy. Thanks for sharing!

  2. We love meatloaf. My father in law, when he was alive, made a wonderful meatloaf, but I am up for trying other versions too! This looks great, and definitely a little healthier than the one I usually make! Thanks for sharing it with us at Foodie Fridays!

    1. Thanks, Michelle. I hope your father-in-law shared his special recipe with you so you can enjoy it and think of him often. Amazing how food can connect us with those we love and bring back memories!

  3. I’ve never had meatloaf but this one looks really good. I love the sound of combining turkey and barbecue flavours and I especially love that thick layer of sauce on top =)

    1. Oh wow. You’ve never had meatloaf? It was a staple growing up in our household, though my mom never served it like this barbecue turkey meatloaf. Hope you enjoy it, Laura!

    1. Thanks, Joy! We try to use ground turkey in place of beef most days. It especially works great in recipes that spice it up like meatloaf. Enjoy!

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