This rosemary turkey meatloaf is moist, flavorful, and on the table in 70 minutes. A healthy weeknight dinner the whole family will love — 37g protein per serving!
Turkey meatloaf has a reputation for coming out dry and bland, but this Rosemary Turkey Meatloaf is the recipe that changes that! The real difference is in the technique: instead of mixing everything raw, we first sauté the onion, fresh rosemary, and thyme in olive oil until soft and fragrant. That one step builds deep, savory flavor into every bite and keeps the loaf moist all the way through.
With just 10 minutes of prep and simple pantry ingredients, this is the kind of healthy weeknight dinner that earns a permanent spot in your rotation. It’s lighter than classic beef meatloaf but every bit as satisfying! And at 37 grams of protein per serving, it holds up alongside my Slow Cooker Healthy Turkey Chili and Turkey Meatloaf Muffins with Bacon as one of our go-to ground turkey recipes for busy weeks.
Serve it with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes to double down on the herb flavor, or keep it simple with a green salad and call it done!
Ingredients
- Ground turkey: Lower in fat and calories than red meat, but still a great source of protein.
- Onion: White onion is mild in flavor but caramelizes to add great flavor to the meatloaf.
- Garlic: Earthy, nutty, and aromatic that sweetens when it cooks.
- Rosemary: Aromatic, robust, woody flavor that can perk up many mild-tasting foods.
- Thyme: Pairs wonderfully with the rosemary flavor, with it’s earthy, lemony flavor.
- Grill seasoning: Use whatever brand you have to add more flavor to the turkey.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds a tangy, sweet, and salty flavor to the meatloaf.
- Egg white: Helps to bind the meatloaf together while cutting calories and fat by only using the whites.
- Bread crumbs: Works with the egg whites to bind the meatloaf together.
- Ketchup: The classic sauce for meatloaf, it adds flavor but also helps to keep the loaf from drying out.
- Dijon mustard: Adds some more nuance flavor to the sauce.
How to Make Healthy Turkey Meatloaf with Rosemary
Step 1. Start your turkey meatloaf with rosemary by preparing your fresh ingredients. Dice your onion, fresh rosemary, and thyme.
Step 2. Then in a pan over medium-high heat, sauté your onion with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Step 3. Then use a microplane to grate your garlic in with the onions.
Step 4. Then add the fresh herbs of rosemary and thyme.
Step 5. Next take a large bowl and add the ground turkey, cooked onion, and herb mixture.
Step 6. Then sprinkle in your panko bread crumbs, grill seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce.
Step 7. Add the egg white next.
Step 8. Then using your hands (they’re the best tool for this), mix it all together until fully combined.
Step 9. Then take your meat mixture and form a loaf on a prepared baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper (you could also use a loaf pan).
Step 10. In a small bowl, mix your ketchup and Dijon mustard. Then spread the sauce mixture all over the top of the meatloaf.
Bake at 350 for about an hour (until it reaches an internal temp of 170), then serve topped with fresh parsley, and enjoy your Turkey Meatloaf with Rosemary!
Tips for a Moist Meatloaf
- Don’t use 99% lean turkey breast! 93/7 is ideal for moisture and flavor
- Don’t over mix once the turkey is in the bowl; fold gently until just combined
- Let it rest 5-10 minutes before slicing so juices redistribute
- Fresh rosemary releases more essential oils than dried, so use it if you can
More Healthy Dinners
- Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken
- Healthy Chicken Pot Pie
- Honey Mustard Salmon
- Shrimp and Broccoli Penne
- Sausage Pesto Pasta
Eat It, Like It, Share It!
Did you try this recipe and like it? The next time you make it, snap a picture and share it to your socials! Tag @thelemonbowl and #thelemonbowl so we can admire and share your dish.
If meatloaf is your thing, then you won’t want to miss trying my Healthy Turkey Meatloaf with Rosemary.
Your fork is waiting.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with tin foil.
- Bring olive oil to a medium high heat in a pan then saute onions with fresh rosemary, thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper until translucent (5-7 minutes.)1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 cup onion, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Add garlic during last 30 seconds then remove pan from heat.2 cloves garlic
- In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey with grill seasoning, Worcestershire, egg white, panko bread crumbs and cooled onion/rosemary mixture.1 pound ground turkey breast, 1 teaspoon grill seasoning, 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce, 1 egg white, 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- Once combined, add half of the ketchup and mustard (1 tbs each) and save the rest for the topping.
- Form meat mixture into a loaf on the pan then gently spread ketchup and mustard over the top.
- Bake for 60 minutes before serving.
Liz’s Notes
274 calories, 4.8 g fat, .5 g sat fat, 88 mg cholesterol, 923 mg sodium, 18.3 g carb, 1.4 g fiber, 37.7 g protein
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
The egg helps to bind the loaf so it doesn’t fall apart. If you can’t have eggs, you could try using an egg substitute like applesauce, gelatin, or xanthan gum.
You can cook it uncovered. However, depending on your oven, if you’ve had issues with the tops of things burning in the past, you could cover it with foil for the first half of baking and then remove it to finish.
You can use crushed up crackers or pretzels, but if you need to stay gluten free, you can use an unsweetened cereal like cornflakes or rice crisps.
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