Scroll down to watch the step-by-step video.
I love knowing I have an easy, delicious, fuel-focused meal, prepared and in the fridge ready to go for a busy week. This recipe is exactly that.
These Turkey Meatloaf Muffins are packed with high-protein ground turkey, fiber-filled oats, lots of veggies, and some egg whites for good measure.
I think it’s fair to say that these little guys are a lean and mean kind-of-muffin (perhaps they will help me grow my muscles!).
I found this recipe on BodyBuilding.com. They were created by fitness model and author, Jamie Eason. Jamie shares lots of her recipes (and videos) here and offers up lots of great tips and insights about healthy cooking. She really focuses on ‘food-for fitness’ so if your working on building a ‘buff-bod’, you definitely want to check her out.
The first time I made these muffins, I pretty much followed the recipe verbatim and they were delish. The only thing I wanted was a little more moisture. So this time around I tweaked a bit.
You can see the original recipe here. And my update version is listed below (and shown in the video).
I really love how portable these muffins are.
I just packed a couple up with some veggies and hummus and I had a quick-on-the go meal ready to go. Yum!
My kids on the other hand LOVE when I top them with some marinara sauce and melted mozzarella (SO good!).
And I think my personal all-time favorite way to enjoy these muffins is crumbled on top of a crunchy kale and cabbage salad!
Clearly you can enjoy these Turkey Muffins many different ways so this is a great recipe to include in your weekly meal prep. Enjoy!
HELPFUL KITCHEN TOOLS:
- Glass Mixing Bowls
- Glass Mixing Bowls with Lids (great for storage and travel)
- Muffin Pan
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Total Time:40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 chopped cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 lbs. ground turkey (I used 1.5lb. extra lean + .5 lb. dark)
- 1/2 cup egg whites
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground chipotle pepper spice
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. salt
Directions:
- Pre heat oven to 375 and spray 12-cup muffin pan with some cooking spray (or coat with a little olive or coconut oil).
- Heat a medium saute pan over a medium high heat and add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Season with a little salt and pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes until you have the raw edge off of the veggies.
- Stir in worcestershire sauce and chicken broth and cook another 5 minutes until all the veggies are tender and the mixture is heated through. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
- In the meantime, in a large bowl, combine ground turkey, egg whites, oats, cumin, chipotle spice, garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Add in cooked veggies and mix together until everything is well incorporated.
- Roll the mixture into 12 even balls and place each one in the muffin pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Cool and enjoy!
Ines
June 15, 2012 at 12:32 pmadd some shered onion.
Kim
May 20, 2019 at 7:37 amWill be doing this with chicken instead and adding some more adian flavors in place of the heat which my stomach can’t always handle. Green onion, ginger, soy sauce instead of salt, a pinch of chili flakes, plus the other spices. 1/2 tsp sesame oil and a bit of maple syrup sounds good as well.
Dani
May 22, 2019 at 2:10 pmHi Kim. That sounds delicious! Hope you enjoy it.
Shannon
June 15, 2012 at 4:41 pmI made something like this a few weeks ago but I included cranberries which helped with the moisture and went perfect with the turkey.
Pamela
July 25, 2017 at 3:20 pmShannon I did too, even brought some to work and it was a Hit!!!
Lynn
June 16, 2012 at 1:28 pmI have been doing Jamie’s turkey muffins since early January. They are awesome. I eat them as often cold than hot….great both ways. I pair it with either veggies, or crackers and low fat mozzarella cheese. It is so easy to make and freezes well too. Yummy! You must try her other recipes too.
Sheri
June 19, 2012 at 9:06 amMade these last night and used darker turkey meat and made sure to chop up the onions and celery very finely. My husband and I LOVE spicy foods, but found these a bit too spicy even for us, and I had not even used the full chipotle measurements. So we’ll probably scale these down in the “heat” department, but it’s a keeper! I had one for breakfast this morning for a great, easy, protein-packed start to the day!
Emily Freeman
June 19, 2012 at 5:49 pmI’ve been making these forever, 40 minutes is way to long to cook these, I do about 22 minutes. I’ve added and eliminated items based on what I have on hand.
Adriana L
June 28, 2012 at 7:50 amI have been making turkey muffins for a while and one of the recipes I use, I cook up the onions & garlic in a pan first and then add some chicken broth & worcestershire sauce to it until it reduces slightly. It makes for some really moist muffins!
Jenna Stubbs
July 6, 2012 at 1:38 pmi love JE’s turkey muffins and so does my 1 yo daughter. its about all she will eat =) i like to add more celery than recc in the recipe plus I love to add cilantro. Gosh cilantro is my go to add-on. And I agree with above post…her recc amount of chili powder is wayyy too much. Just a few shakes of it is PLENTY!
Cyndi
March 21, 2013 at 3:37 pmJust made these for dinner, they turned out awesome!
I left out the pepper spice and next time I’ll lessen the cumin. Otherwise totally flavorful! Thanks for sharing!
Erin
May 4, 2013 at 10:15 amI also scale back the chipotle pepper a bit, use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder and use one whole egg instead of the eggwhites. Using the whole egg solves the moisture problem and using fresh garlic adds a hint of sweetness that balances the chipotle pepper.
Heather
May 8, 2013 at 2:06 pmSuper tasty! I omitted the celery, but added onion, red bell pepper, spinach and mushrooms (sauteed first) to one batch, the other I added red pepper and pickled jalapenos – very good, worth making and freezing for later too!
Gina
May 15, 2013 at 3:18 pmMy boyfriend and I LOVE this recipe. We usually add a little greek yogurt for moisture and oats for texture/to hold it together better. Delish!
Linda
June 7, 2013 at 8:28 amJust made these last night…OMG…delish, the family and I loved them. Thanks so much!
Gail
July 18, 2013 at 5:40 pmI LOVE these. I no longer use a muffin pan but just a cookie sheet as it is easier to clean. I HATED cleaning the muffin pan. Just roll into balls and place on greased cookie sheet.
Lindsie
October 14, 2013 at 7:46 pmI use rotel tomatoes to give it a kick and helps make them not so dry
Janice
November 4, 2013 at 8:37 pmI make these all the time. We use grated carrots for the additional moisture.
Lewis
November 10, 2013 at 11:00 amI love these just made them and My Very Very Picky Five year old is eating them. I did a couple of things different added spinach, instead of chipotle pepper I used smoked paprika, used fresh garlic, onion powder, I think the best thing is how versatile these are will be sharing.
Sarah
November 12, 2013 at 4:58 pmI add a little spaghetti sauce to turkey muffins. Adds flavor and moisture. But I made these tonight as directed and they were a bit dry but a found them quite flavorful anyway. (I did use the whole egg instead of the egg whites though, just as personal preference.) Thank you for the recipe!
Jennifer
November 23, 2013 at 1:21 pmI put 1/2 c water in the oats and precooked them for 60 seconds. The turkey muffins were not dry at all. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Brandi
January 6, 2014 at 10:35 pmIf I were to add shredded zucchini. How much do you think I should add?
Tiffany
January 13, 2014 at 7:50 pmPopping these in the oven now ! 🙂
Cori
January 17, 2014 at 12:01 pmI used the lean ground turkey instead of extra lean. It has 8 grams of fat per 4 ounces. They came out super moist and delicious!
Renee
January 18, 2014 at 2:32 pmJust a quick question, how come this recipe is only 121 calories but on Jamie’s site they are 182?
Delish. I ground up all dry ingredients firsts in small food processor then the same with the veggies before adding them to turkey. Added cilantro too, fresh garlic instead of powder. Super moist
Mindy
February 26, 2014 at 5:59 pmDelicious! I added a whole egg and some red yellow and orange bell peppers and a little veggie broth, I was worried about the dryness but these were so delicious. I didn’t have Chipotle seasoning but added turmeric and paprika. Soooo good.
Kim
March 27, 2014 at 4:06 pmMine were excellent and not dry at all. Thanks for the recipe.
Kelly
April 1, 2014 at 6:46 pmPlease do not cook a full 40 mins. Mine were done in 22 mins with the internal temperature reaching 180+. They should not be dry. Also, play around with the ingredients. I added real mustard, Worcestershire sauce, celery seed (not a fan of chopped celery), red and yellow bell pepper, hot sauce, and some other spices. Turned out great. If you aren’t a fan of chopped onion, liquefy it in the food processor, first. This will also help to make them more moist. I halved the recipe and still got 9 meatball/muffins @ 105 calories each! Yum. Thank you!
Lenora
April 10, 2014 at 7:16 pmI think I will try them with dried cranberries and use poultry seasoning for the spice. Should taste like Thanksgiving!
sally
April 18, 2014 at 9:56 amHi can anyone help me out?!
I really want to make these on sunday and keep for the whole week as snacks. Will that be ok? How long will they keep for? Thanks
Dani
April 21, 2014 at 12:25 pmYes! I usually make them on a Sunday and then eat them all week long.
Amy and Ben
April 21, 2014 at 9:41 pmAdd green chile! For a tasty New Mexico version. My husband and I are playing the game on diet and these are great for that
Dani
April 22, 2014 at 5:36 amYum! Thanks for the tip:)
Carol
April 22, 2014 at 3:15 pmWe make these every other week and love them.
We dice (using a food chopper) and add to the recipe above:
1 whole red bell pepper (seeded)
2 whole zucchini
A handful of spinach. Usually about 1/2 cup chopped.
Dani
April 23, 2014 at 9:05 amLove the addition of all the extra veggies! I’m going to do this myself next time:)
carly
May 13, 2014 at 8:15 pmThese are SO good. I replace the chili powder with 2-3 table spoons of siracha and its delicious. great with roasted veggies or cauliflower mash.
Gabby
July 11, 2014 at 10:07 amthese are so good. try adding cilantro. gives it so much flavor.
Angie
July 19, 2014 at 12:04 amI make these all the time! Tonight we added red, yellow and orange peppers, an extra sweet onion, handful of chopped baby carrots… basically whatever I have in the fridge and garden get chopped up small and added. I like to use Mrs. Dash Original Blend too – it has a great combo of spices all in one!
Grace
August 9, 2014 at 10:07 pmCould I make these into patties and cook them on the stovetop?
Nancy
August 24, 2014 at 4:42 pmI make these a lot, freeze them and eat them many ways. Easy on-the-go healthy protein. Ground turkey is best- ground chicken is too dry. I use whatever veg. I have on hand. Today’s version was the best- no celery so added 1 medium zucchini and 3 small carrots grated fine added to onion. Super moist! Agree on the spiciness- take it down by at _least_ half. Have ruined more muffin tins than I’d like to admit though with them in spite of a lot of spray. Will try cookie sheet version next time.
Jennie
November 17, 2014 at 12:29 amLove these! I make them all the time! But you spelled her name wrong.. 😉
cynthia
January 14, 2015 at 2:46 pmThese turned out delicious. I did adjust the recipe for what I had … substituted Panko Bread Crumbs for Oats, Turmeric for mustard and cut back on the garlic. They’re delicious. Sharing with my friends at the office so they can make healthy choices too.
Dani
January 14, 2015 at 7:37 pmSo glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing…
Cynthia B
February 6, 2015 at 1:45 amAdd a bit of fat (TBS of olive oil) or use ground turkey that’s not 100% breast – still healthy. Adding shredded veggies is also a great idea, but I make something similar every week and I typically add a bit of fat or use the other turkey.
Dani
February 9, 2015 at 2:59 pmgreat tips!
Nadine
February 20, 2015 at 6:32 pmLoved reading through the comments. I used higher fat turkey, pulverized the onion, used spicy mustard, celery seed, added shredded carrots, halved the garlic and pepper and left out the chipotle spice. Very tasty and still quite flavorful. 375 for 30 minutes was perfect. Mine were very moist. So much so that i immediately took them out of the muffin pan and put them on a plate with paper towels underneath because there was liquid at the bottom of the muffin pan. My 11 month old loved them. My extremely picky 4 year old would only eat 3 bites after bribing her with a treat. Someday I will find a healthy recipe we all like!
Dani
February 21, 2015 at 7:32 amFeeding the little ones is always a processes, isn’t it?! Your muffins sound delicious!
Jenn
February 24, 2015 at 4:04 pmAfter the meatballs are cook in the oven, I’m going to cover them in low fat cream of mushroom soup (combined with water) & serve over brown rice.
Fingers crossed 🙂
Dani
March 2, 2015 at 10:53 amGood luck!
cecille
March 5, 2015 at 2:27 pmHi Dani,
I love watching your videos and thanks for sharing your recipes. Im just curious though what specific pan are you using in sautéing the veggies in this video?
thanks,
C
Dani
March 5, 2015 at 3:27 pmIt is a calphalon ceramic saute pan!
Saras
March 5, 2015 at 6:30 pmI made a soy version of the meatball. Used soy granules instead of turkey. It turned out yummy. My kids dont like minced meat and hence I, use soy granules so they dont miss the protein part.
Saras
March 5, 2015 at 7:54 pmMade a soy version of the meatball. It turned out yummy. I used soy granules instead of mince meat.
Chris Swanzy
March 10, 2015 at 3:46 pmFinally found a turkey muffin recipe that is moist & flavorful!
Dani
March 11, 2015 at 1:14 pmWoot!
submissive
March 11, 2015 at 1:49 pmHi mrs.spies. I love your website because as a mother of two small children as well and I’m looking for ways to add more veggies to our meals. I’m trying this as I type this, I didn’t have worchestire sauce but I did use soy sauce not a lot though. I will let me know how this turns out. Thanks again:)
submissive
March 11, 2015 at 5:13 pmHi Dani just finished making these and it’s delicious. My family loved it!
Mari
April 13, 2015 at 2:59 pmI crumbled the turkey meatloaf muffins into your butternut squash/apple soup along with some cooked spaghetti squash and kale. YUM and so filling!
Laura
May 15, 2015 at 11:20 amHi Dani! I want to make these so bad! But I just found out they don’t have ground turkey where I live, is ground chicken ok to use?
Dani
May 15, 2015 at 11:39 amyes! Ground chicken works well:)
Kellie
July 15, 2015 at 4:41 pmI served them with cauliflower “mashed potatoes” and my husband loved them both! (He hates cauliflower any other way). I plan to use the leftovers over a whole grain spaghetti noodle tonight as a meatball alternative.
Dani
July 20, 2015 at 11:26 amThat sounds great, Kellie. I love the idea of serving them over pasta as an easy meatball substitution – great tip!
Lisa
September 13, 2015 at 2:50 pmI am going to make these. However, I want to make a big batch for my son in College. Should I freeze these before or after i bake them ?
Dani
September 14, 2015 at 11:34 amI would freeze them after they are baked – although I have never tried it before. Would love to know what you decide and how it goes!
Marcia Solomon
September 17, 2015 at 12:51 pmI’ve always liked adding 1 small container of natural no sugar added applesauce to add moisture. I find muffin meatloaves are terrific on many levels and mine have always frozen well. .
Maryann
March 7, 2016 at 9:56 pmI added mushrooms to mine to also help with moisture, I followed the recipe but added the mushrooms! They turned out great!
Dani
March 8, 2016 at 12:49 amYes! Mushrooms are great way to add moisture. So glad you liked them 🙂
Lica
March 8, 2016 at 9:56 amMade these yesterday and they are delicious! I followed the recipe with the following exceptions: I omitted the garlic powder and just used the fresh garlic, and also used whole eggs. It was moist and spiced just right. This is the first of your recipes I’ve tried and I’m definitely going to try more. Thanks Dani!
Dani
March 11, 2016 at 1:26 amSo glad you liked it! Definitely try others, and let me know what you think 🙂
Kasia
August 25, 2016 at 12:35 amLove these muffins. They are truly delicious, and easy to modify with whatever veggies you have on hand. I like that you don’t have to prep the oatmeal in any way. You just use as it comes from the box. Terrific choice for gluten and dairy free diet. They became my meal prep essentials.
Dani
September 10, 2016 at 2:11 pmSo good to know you are enjoying them. I love how versatile they are… so easy!
Emilie
December 10, 2016 at 6:25 pmI just LOVE these little muffin meatloaves and so does my hubby. I made them from the original recipe at first and now I make variations all the time. I’m on the maintenance plan from a diet program and these are a very welcome addition. I’ve lost 55 lbs. and use a bunch of recipes from Clean & Delicious. Thank you SOOOO Much Dani!
Dani
December 13, 2016 at 12:43 amAwe, you’re very welcome, Emilie! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes 🙂
Carla
May 28, 2018 at 3:33 amI know I’m late to the party as this post was posted years ago, but I just had to comment. These turkey muffins are soooo goddamn delicious! I am so happy I’ve found your blog and youtube channel. I’m an avid fan!!
Dani
June 1, 2018 at 9:31 amYay!! So happy you liked them Carla. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Kimberly
August 16, 2018 at 5:26 pmLOVED these meatloaf muffins! Found this recipe preparing for a diet and they were a flavor godsend after multiple days of baked chicken and steamed broccoli! Added some shredded carrot, used whole eggs and substituted the oats for gluten free bread crumbs. I also topped them with a little bit of all natural, sugar free ketchup before baking. We now make these every couple weeks for an easy weeknight dinner. Thank you!
Dani
August 17, 2018 at 3:47 pmSo glad to hear that Kimberly! Thanks for letting me know!
Wendi
March 22, 2019 at 7:45 pmThank you, Dani (and Jamie) for this recipe. I am not a great cook, but these were so easy to make and my kids absolutely LOVED them! I made them using a 50-50 split between the light and dark ground turkey. I also used your idea of melting a little mozzarella cheese on top of them. My kids give them an 11 out of 10. 🙂 I just posted a link to the recipe on my Facebook page too. Thanks!
Dani
March 24, 2019 at 4:28 pmSo glad you enjoyed them Wendi! Thanks for sharing.