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.

Sliced turkey meatloaf topped with tomato glaze, garnished with fresh basil leaves on a white oval plate. A serving spatula rests beside the slices on a light, textured surface.
T

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

A bowl of raw ground meat for turkey meatloaf is surrounded by fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, breadcrumbs, eggs, grated cheese, an onion with a grater, garlic cloves, crushed red pepper, and a small bowl of seasoning on a white surface.
  • 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

  • Fresh basil leaves, sundried tomatoes and olive oil in a food processor workbowl.
    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.
  • Sundried tomato puree in a food processor bowl.
    2. Pulse about 30 seconds, until the mixture forms a chunky paste.
  • Sundried tomato paste on a plate with a spatula.
    3. You can use also drained, oil-packed dried tomatoes, or dry-packed. Rehydrate very firm ones for about 10 minutes in hot water.
  • Ground turkey in a bowl, with a grated onion and rasp grater on top.
    4. Grate 1/2 an onion on a coarse grater and add to ground turkey in a large bowl.
  • Ground turkey, eggs, tomato puree, basil and grated cheese in a mixing bowl with a spatula.
    5. Mix in the sun dried tomato mixture, cheese, breadcrumbs, salt, eggs and pepper.
  • Uncooked ground turkey mixed with tomatoes, basil and seasonings in a bowl.
    It helps to use a large fork
    to blend the meatloaf mixture, folding from the bottom to the top.
  • Turkey mixture formed into a meatloaf and arranged on a rimmed baking sheet.
    6. Pat the meat into a smooth football shape and put on a rimmed baking sheet, or pack into a loaf pan.
  • Ketchup spread on top of a baked meatloaf on a sheet 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.
Sliced turkey meatloaf topped with tomato glaze, garnished with fresh basil leaves on a white oval plate. A serving spatula rests beside the slices on a light, textured surface.
5 from 10 ratings

Turkey Meatloaf with Tomato and Basil

Karen Tedesco
Yes, it's turkey meatloaf — and this one is different. Ground turkey thigh (not breast, please), sun-dried tomatoes blended into a paste with garlic and basil, grated onion that melts into the meat, Parmesan, and a ketchup glaze that gets lacquered and a little burnt at the edges in a hot oven. Savory, a little sweet, very Wednesday night.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

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
 

  1. Heat the oven to 425 (220C) degrees.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Cool the meatloaf about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • 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

Calories: 350kcal Carbohydrates: 22g Protein: 43g Fat: 11g Sodium: 1127mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 10g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

Save to Pinterest
Tried this recipe?A star rating takes 5 seconds and helps more people find it.