Turkey Meatloaf Muffins are a fun and healthier twist on the classic meatloaf recipe. These individually portioned meatloaves are super flavorful and they’re packed with nutritious veggies and loads of protein. They make a great weeknight dinner because they come together easily and cook up fast! They’re also perfect for meal prep and lunches through the week.
I’ve made these mini meatloaves more times than I can count. It’s one of those go-to easy dinner recipes the whole family enjoys. They also pair well with a variety of sides dishes. In fact, my favorite way to enjoy these meatloaf muffins is crumbled on top of a crunchy kale and cabbage salad! My kids, on the other hand, LOVE when I top them with some marinara sauce and melted mozzarella (SO good!).
How Do You Make Meatloaf Muffins?
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 it a bit.
-
Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan with some cooking spray and preheat the oven.
-
Sauté onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic for about 5 minutes.
-
Stir Worcestershire sauce and chicken broth in with the veggies and cook another 5 minutes and 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.
-
Mix the cooked veggies with the turkey mixture, until everything is well incorporated.
-
Roll the mixture into 12 even balls and place each one in the greased muffin cavities.
-
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Cool and enjoy!
You can see the original recipe here. And you’ll find my full updated version in the recipe card below (and shown in the video below).
Can Meatloaf Muffins Be Made Ahead Of Time?
I love making these ahead of time and 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 just packed a couple up with some veggies and hummus and I had a quick-on-the go meal ready to go. So delicious and super convenient!
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
More Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipes:
- Zucchini Taco Boats
- One Pan Roasted Shrimp and Green Beans
- Cast Iron Salmon
- Turkey and Zucchini Skillet Recipe
Thanks so much for reading! You can watch the video down below and if you make this recipe I would love for you to give it a ★ rating below. And be sure to follow me on YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and FaceBook for more healthy food inspiration!
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
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
Instructions
- 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 greased muffin pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Cool and enjoy!
Comments
Ines says
add some shered onion.
Kim says
Will 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 says
Hi Kim. That sounds delicious! Hope you enjoy it.
Shannon says
I made something like this a few weeks ago but I included cranberries which helped with the moisture and went perfect with the turkey.
Pamela says
Shannon I did too, even brought some to work and it was a Hit!!!
Lynn says
I 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 says
Made 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 says
I’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 says
I 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 says
i 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 says
Just 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 says
I 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 says
Super 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 says
My 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 says
Just made these last night…OMG…delish, the family and I loved them. Thanks so much!
Gail says
I 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 says
I use rotel tomatoes to give it a kick and helps make them not so dry
Janice says
I make these all the time. We use grated carrots for the additional moisture.
Lewis says
I 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 says
I 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 says
I 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 says
If I were to add shredded zucchini. How much do you think I should add?
Tiffany says
Popping these in the oven now ! 🙂
Cori says
I 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 says
Just 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 says
Delicious! 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 says
Mine were excellent and not dry at all. Thanks for the recipe.
Kelly says
Please 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 says
I think I will try them with dried cranberries and use poultry seasoning for the spice. Should taste like Thanksgiving!
sally says
Hi 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 says
Yes! I usually make them on a Sunday and then eat them all week long.
Amy and Ben says
Add 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 says
Yum! Thanks for the tip:)
Carol says
We 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 says
Love the addition of all the extra veggies! I’m going to do this myself next time:)
carly says
These 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 says
these are so good. try adding cilantro. gives it so much flavor.
Angie says
I 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 says
Could I make these into patties and cook them on the stovetop?
Nancy says
I 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 says
Love these! I make them all the time! But you spelled her name wrong.. 😉
cynthia says
These 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 says
So glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing…
Cynthia B says
Add 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 says
great tips!
Nadine says
Loved 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 says
Feeding the little ones is always a processes, isn’t it?! Your muffins sound delicious!
Jenn says
After 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 says
Good luck!
cecille says
Hi 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 says
It is a calphalon ceramic saute pan!
Saras says
I 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 says
Made a soy version of the meatball. It turned out yummy. I used soy granules instead of mince meat.
Chris Swanzy says
Finally found a turkey muffin recipe that is moist & flavorful!
Dani says
Woot!
submissive says
Hi 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 says
Hi Dani just finished making these and it’s delicious. My family loved it!
Mari says
I crumbled the turkey meatloaf muffins into your butternut squash/apple soup along with some cooked spaghetti squash and kale. YUM and so filling!
Laura says
Hi 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 says
yes! Ground chicken works well:)
Kellie says
I 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 says
That sounds great, Kellie. I love the idea of serving them over pasta as an easy meatball substitution – great tip!
Lisa says
I am going to make these. Â However, I want to make a big batch for my son in College. Â Should I freeze these before or after i bake them ?
Dani says
I 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 says
I’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. .