Turkey Meatloaf Muffins with Sweet Chili Glaze

Name: Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/2 pound ground turkey breast; 1/2 pound ground turkey thigh; 1/3 cup diced onion; 1/4 tsp ground black pepper; 1/8 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp dried minced garlic; 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 egg (lightly beaten); 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1/3 cup ketchup; 3 tbsp sweet chili sauce

When you need an easy weeknight meal or a tasty packable lunch look no further than these turkey meatloaf muffins topped with a sweet chili ketchup glaze. They are a great dinner for two option.

Three turkey meatloaf muffins on mashed potatoes

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Besides being great comfort food, I always find meatloaf to be a good choice for a quick and easy weeknight meal. When you transform meatloaf into these lovely little meatloaf muffins you still get the quick and easy part, and they also become super easy to pack for lunch the next day. And with a little creativity, you can turn them into a fun party appetizer too!

Contents:

Recipe Highlights
Ingredient Notes
How to make this recipe
Make Ahead Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
Recommended Tools
Serving Suggestions
More weeknight recipes
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

Recipe Highlights

This recipe is so quick and easy to make so it's perfect for a weeknight meal. You can easily prepare the mixture ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them.

You can also cook them ahead of time and then reheat the leftovers in the microwave for lunch or dinner later in the week. This is the kind of low-effort dinner that your weeknights need!

Close-up of meatloaf muffin topped with mashed potatoes

Ingredient Notes

The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.

Ground turkey: Ideally you want to use a mix of turkey breast and turkey thigh. The exact recommended mixture is in the instructions. If you prefer to buy just one type I recommend going with a darker meat for this recipe.
Onion: I recommend using yellow onion however you could substitute white onion.
Panko breadcrumbs: They will give meatloaf the best texture.
Egg: Use a large or extra large egg.
Worcestershire sauce: This gives the meatloaf added flavor so don't skip it. Check the FAQs for another recipe to use some of the leftover sauce. Once opened, it will last for many months in the refrigerator so there is no rush to use it up.
Sweet chili sauce: This can be found in the Asian food aisle at any major grocery store. It gives the ketchup topping a nice kick. This is another condiment that will last for several months after opening if kept in the refrigerator.
Herbs + spices: dried oregano, dried minced garlic, sea salt, ground pepper
Pantry staples: Olive oil, ketchup

How to make this recipe

The full printable recipe card is below, but let’s walk through the details before you get started.

Step 1 | Make the meatloaf mixture. You start this recipe by mixing the ground turkey, onion, pepper, salt, oregano, garlic and Worcestershire sauce in a medium mixing bowl. The best way to mix meatloaf is to either use your hands or a large wooden spoon. Once well mixed, add the egg and panko and mix until everything is well combined.

Uncooked meatloaf mixture in a muffin pan

Step 2 | Prepare the muffins. Spray 6 muffin cups with cooking spray and then divide the meatloaf mixture between them.

Step 3 | Cook the muffins. Cook the muffins in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Check them with a meat thermometer to make sure it registers 165°F before removing them from the oven.

Step 4 | Make the sauce. To make the sauce, you simply mix the ketchup and sweet chili sauce in a small bowl. Set it aside until the meatloaf muffins are done cooking.

Step 5 | Serve. Once the muffins are done, remove them from the muffin pan and top each with a spoonful of the ketchup glaze. Serve immediately.

Make Ahead Tips

Your best option for prepping these is to make and cook them ahead of time. You can then either refrigerate or freeze them. If frozen, you can defrost them when you are ready to eat and then reheat them in the microwave or a toaster oven.

The sweet chili ketchup will keep for about a week in the refrigerator so you can also make that ahead of time if you know these muffins are going to be on the menu for the week.

Frequently Asked Questions

What temperature should ground turkey be cooked to?

Poultry should generally be cooked to 165°F. When cooking ground poultry I always recommend using a meat thermometer to check the temperature and ensure the meat is done. While the cooking time listed should ensure it's the correct temperature, you want to be sure it's thoroughly cooked and ovens can vary in temperature too! To check the doneness of these, insert the thermometer in the middle of a muffin, being sure not to push it all the way down to touch the muffin pan.

Recommended Tools

Muffin pan – I have two 12 cup muffin pans. This allows me to make up to 24 cupcakes or muffins at one time. The ideal muffin pan has a non-stick surface so it cleans up easily when you are not using cupcake liners.

Meat thermometer – This is an essential kitchen tool. A good instant read thermometer will work in most cases, however, if you don't want to have to open your oven a meat-probe style like this one from Thermoworks is a great option.

Serving Suggestions

To make these a complete meal, I like to add a veggie side like these easy steamed carrots.

If you are entertaining or have kids in the house, you can top the meatloaf muffins with some of these Parmesan Truffle Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes to make them into little "cupcakes" which will be a big hit with the kids, and are very fun for adults too!

More weeknight recipes

If you are looking for other easy weeknight options check out this Skillet Lemon Chicken or these Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas. Enjoy!

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