Turkey Meatloaf with Tomatoes and Basil
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Yes, it’s turkey meatloaf, but this one is different, and I’m not just saying that. Ground turkey thigh (not breast — please, not breast), a whole cup of sun-dried tomatoes blended into a paste with garlic and basil, grated onion that melts completely into the meat, Parmesan, a ketchup glaze that gets lacquered and a little burnt at the edges in a hot oven. It’s savory and a little sweet and it tastes like something your Italian grandmother would have made if your Italian grandmother had also been trying to get dinner on the table on a Wednesday night.
One of jobs was running a personal chef business, and my clients requested this meatloaf weekly, along with classic sides like mashed potatoes with olive oil and roasted green beans.
Turkey meatloaf ingredients: The fine points
- Ground turkey: I have strong opinions about this. Use thigh meat — I cannot stress this enough. Thigh meat has fat. Fat is flavor.
- Onion: I learned from someone’s grandmother (possibly my own, possibly someone else’s — grandmothers have been sharing this information for generations), is to grate the onion instead of chopping it. A grated onion disappears completely into the meat, leaving behind only its juice and sweetness. No one will find a piece of onion and push it to the side of their plate. The meatloaf will be better for it, and so will dinner. Plus, there’s no need to sauté onion before mixing, which is a time saver.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Instead of using tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes add depth to the meatloaf. If you have oil-packed ones, drain them and save the oil for something else (or use it in place of the olive oil, which is an excellent idea).
- Ketchup: This is not the moment for restraint — do not skip the ketchup. Go for classic style, the kind that takes a few minutes to inch out of the bottle — it caramelizes on top of the meatloaf to form a tangy-sweet crust.
- Bread crumbs: Similar to breadcrumbs in these meatballs, they lighten the texture of the meatloaf. I prefer unseasoned panko crumbs, but really any type of fine dried breadcrumb is fine to use, including gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Here’s what you’re actually doing
1. Put chopped sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor with fresh basil, parsley, olive oil and garlic. This is the seasoning base of the meatloaf that adds flavor and moisture. 2. Pulse about 30 seconds, until the mixture forms a chunky paste. 3. You can use also drained, oil-packed dried tomatoes, or dry-packed. Rehydrate very firm ones for about 10 minutes in hot water.
4. Grate 1/2 an onion on a coarse grater and add to ground turkey in a large bowl. 5. Mix in the sun dried tomato mixture, cheese, breadcrumbs, salt, eggs and pepper.
It helps to use a large fork
to blend the meatloaf mixture, folding from the bottom to the top.6. Pat the meat into a smooth football shape and put on a rimmed baking sheet, or pack into a loaf pan. 7. Bake at 425 40 minutes, then spread the ketchup over the top. Bake an additional 5-8 minutes. 
8. You can also bake the meatloaf in a loaf pan.
Turkey Meatloaf with Tomato and Basil
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Sundried tomato basil puree
- 1 cup (80 g) moist sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped (rehydrate the tomatoes in hot water 10 minutes if they're not oil-packed or seem too dry and hard)
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, or ⅓ cup basil pesto
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Meatloaf
- 2 pounds (900 g) ground turkey thigh
- ½ cup (75 g) grated onion
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup (54 g) dried breadcrumbs, or panko
- ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup (60 g) ketchup
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 (220C) degrees.
- Pulse 1 cup moist sun-dried tomatoes ½ cup fresh basil leaves2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley in a food processor until it forms a chunky paste.
- Put 2 pounds ground turkey thigh in a large mixing bowl with the tomato mixture, ½ cup grated onion, 2 large eggs, ½ cup dried breadcrumbs, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, and black pepper to taste. Mix until everything is combined evenly.
- Pack the mixture into a loaf pan. Or, make a freeform loaf: Dump the mixture onto a parchment-lined (or nonstick) rimmed baking sheet. Pat into a loaf shape.
- Bake 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, and spread ¼ cup ketchup over the top of the meatloaf. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes, until the top of the meatloaf is well browned.
- Cool the meatloaf about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- To determine when the turkey is cooked through, you can use an instant read thermometer. The interior should read 160 degrees. Remember the meatloaf will continue to cook for a few minutes as it cools.
- If using pesto instead of fresh basil, use only 1 tablespoon olive oil in the sun dried tomato puree.
- Meatloaf can be frozen up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, covered.
- The meatloaf mix makes delicious turkey meatballs!
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
Professionally trained cook, cookbook author, and the person behind every recipe here. I cook the way I was trained: Start with good ingredients, understand why they work, and don’t apologize for the salt. These are the recipes I actually make, for the people I love. Read more about me here.
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I made this tonight. If you are meal planning for the week, there is enough overlap between this recipe and the baked ziti that it’s easy to plan around two fabulous winter meals. The sun-dried tomatoes come in 7 oz jars, I used one. Mine were packed in olive oil, so I used the oil from the sun dried tomatoes for a flavor bomb for the 2 tbs of oil called for in the recipe. I accidentally used lean turkey. It was still heavenly. Will make again.
Karen, this meatloaf is so delicious. The sundried tomatoes are such a refreshing addition. Will 100% make this again.
Where can I find the recipe for the turkey meatloaf? It looks great!
Hi Jackie – I just added it back – it went missing! Hope you like.
I’m struggling to find the recipe for the turkey meatloaf with sundried tomatoes and basil. Every link just sends me to this post. Help please!
Thanks
Laurie
Oh, Laurie, it’s been while but I just noticed the recipe was not on the page. Oops!
this sounds fantastic! I LOVE the inclusion of sundried tomatoes!
Janice, glad I’m not the only one! Someday they’ll look back and thank us, right?? Let me know how the meatloaf goes over in your house. Cheers!
This sounds great! I love the idea of using sundried tomatoes and basil. I’ve been poking around your blog…it’s really lovely!
Hello! I just found your blog and I think it’s amazing! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Your recipes and photos are amazing!
MMMMMM. That looks delicious! I want some.
Love the idea of the fresh-ground turkey – who’s doing it for you in St. Louis?
Whole Foods always has it freshly ground, and Straub’s will grind if you call ahead…sad that most bigger grocery stores no longer offer full butchery service these days.