A classic meatloaf recipe is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. I love it hot or cold, leftover or fresh, there’s just no wrong way to enjoy it!
In this healthy meatloaf recipe, we’ve lightened things up with the perfect blend of ground beef and chicken or turkey and a good dose of veggies to make it moist.
Flavorful, so tender, and so juicy, I know you’ll love this recipe as much as I do!
A Healthier Version of Meatloaf
- Leaner meats with extra veggies make this recipe a superstar.
- Lighter with less fat, this beef and chicken (or turkey) meatloaf is juicy and stuffed with savory onions and carrots and tangy condiments means that it packs in all of the flavor of a classic version with less calories.
- Even new-ish home cooks can make this easy meatloaf recipe to perfection!
- Garnish with a generous sprinkling of fresh parsley or parmesan cheese before slicing at the table.
- This is the best ever recipe for weekly meal prep! Double the recipe and serve slices with eggs for breakfast, or make hearty meatloaf sammies for a school or workday lunch!
How to Make a Healthier Meatloaf
MEAT: Ground turkey breast or lean ground chicken is lower in fat and we pair it with a lean (not extra lean) blend of ground beef to get that juicy texture. Breadcrumbs hold the ingredients together, but can be switched out with crushed pork rinds for a lower carb meatloaf or oats if you’d prefer.
VEGETABLES: Onions and carrots add a little color, some texture, and lots of moisture this to beef and turkey meatloaf. Mushrooms, zucchini, or green pepper can be added to the mix as long as the mixture stays together. It’s a great way to use up leftover veggies!
SEASONINGS: Most meatloaf recipes have the sauce on the top, but this recipe has sauces cooked in! Switch out the barbecue sauce for ketchup or chile sauce and the mustard for creamy horseradish to make a new recipe every time. Or, mix in a DIY seasoning blend like this Hamburger Seasoning, a Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe, or a spicy blend like this Adobo Seasoning.
How to Make Meatloaf
- Combine carrots, spices, egg, & sauces in a blender.
- Mix the meat & breadcrumbs.
- Shape into a loaf. Cover with foil.
- Bake per recipe below.
- Add topping & bake again.
PRO TIP: Cover the meatloaf with slices of uncooked bacon before baking for an extra juicy & savory loaf.
Storing & Freezing
Keep leftover meatloaf covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Serve cold or reheat portions in a skillet with a little water added to it.
Freeze slices between layers of parchment paper in a zippered bag. Write the date on the outside and place it in the freezer for up to 8 weeks. Thaw portions in the refrigerator before serving or reheating.
What Goes with Meatloaf?
Mashed potatoes of course! Here are some flavorful veggies to add on the side.
- Roasted Vegetables – so crisp & colorful
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
- Sauteed Green Beans – ready in minutes
- Easy Roasted Beets
- Cauliflower au Gratin
Did your family love this Healthy Meatloaf? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Healthy Meatloaf (Beef and Turkey Meatloaf)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground turkey breast or ground chicken
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 carrot cut in chunks
- 1 small onion cut in chunks
- ¼ cup bbq sauce (or ketchup/chili sauce if you don't have bbq sauce)
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried parsley)
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Topping
- ¾ cup bbq sauce or half bbq sauce and half chili sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a blender combine egg, carrot, onion, bbq sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, and pepper. Blend until the carrot & onion are finely chopped and the mixture is fairly smooth (a few chunks are ok).
- In a large bowl, combine blended mixture, beef, turkey and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly combined.
- Spray a foil-lined pan very well with non-stick spray. Place the meat on the pan and form into a loaf shape about 4" wide x 3" high. Cover with foil to create a seal.
- Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil, spread topping over meatloaf, and bake an additional 15-30 minutes or until meatloaf reaches 160°F. (The temperature will rise to 165°F while resting)
- Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Only meatloaf I make now. Make it exactly as written. Love the chili sauce/ketchup mixture! Thanks
You’re welcome Patricia! Enjoy!
Thank you for your recipe, I used it as a guide and adjusted it to my style and it came out delicious. I use ground chicken instead of Turkey. And I cooked onion celery and onions before adding it to the blender then added homemade teriyaki sauce, some garlic and ginger. Mix that with the egg and the panko and added some fresh green onion to the mixture. Then baked it exactly how you wrote in recipe. It’s a great formula and my family loved this Teriyaki meatloaf!
Thanks, Swan Seril
I love your flavor additions, thank you for sharing! So glad you enjoyed it.
Turned out mushy and bland for me.
So sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you Laura, we have a few other meatloaf recipes that may interest you: Best Meatloaf Recipe, a Parmesan Chicken Meatloaf, or even Mini Meatloaf Muffins!
Extremely bland and mushy. Had to throw it out.
Oh no, sorry to hear that Anne! This recipe is usually such a hit with readers. You can adjust the seasonings to your preference or you can try some of our other meatloaf recipes: Turkey Meatloaf, The Best Meatloaf Recipe, or this delicious Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf.
Thank you Holly,I did try this recipe and it turned out fabulous !! I had no chili sauce at the time and used the ketchup it turned out great I followed the recipe exactly as you had wrote it ,this will be my go to meatloaf in the future thank you for sharing .
Glad you enjoyed it Bob!
Came across online searching for recipes. My last meatloaf was a mushy mess. This was PERFECT. Added extra spices such as fresh garlic and onions…penzeys seasoning.. red and green peppers. DELICIOUS and intact. Thanks
Hi Holly, is 1036 mg sodium by the slice? Where does the sodium come from in your recipie? Looks delish!
Hi Jane, this is per slice and is based on slicing the meatloaf into 6 portions. A lot of the sodium is found in the sauce topping, which you could reduce if you wanted :)
Fabulous recipe. Have you ever tried making meatballs from this recipe or do I need to alter it somehow?
I haven’t tried this as meatballs. As long as they hold their shape, it should work just fine.
Have not made it yet but am puzzled by the egg in the topping not the meat. I hoped to make today but am confused. It does sounds delicious. Where do I put the egg??
The egg is not in the topping, it is added to the blender in step 2. The mixture from the blender is combined with the meat.
Hi! If you were making to freeze/save for later, would you cook all the way through first or leave the last part with topping for after?
Hi Sarah, I would leave the last part with topping off and add that once ready to bake and enjoy.
Delicious and so easy.
Happy to hear you enjoyed it Elaine! Thanks.
This was delicious! I didn’t have ground turkey on hand so used 2 packages of lean ground beef, & sub’d cocktail sauce for chili sauce. After 1 hour I uncovered & it looked too wet but was fine after cooking another 15 min uncovered. (I opted to leave off ketchup topping & serve on the side.) I did have to pour off a bit of cooking liquids after cutting so it would hold its shape (but didn’t let it rest long enough). Kid approved!
I am so glad you were able to make this work with what you had and that you enjoyed this recipe Susan!
Man this came out good! I did not add carrots (none in the house) or onion (bad for pups and I have two, mini taste-testers). The remaining ingredients I just mushed together in a bowl. The chili sauce is genius! The meatloaf came out oh so tender and flavorful. Thanks!
So glad you loved it! The chili sauce finishes it off for sure!
I do not have a blender to blend things. Can you do it without a blender?
We haven’t tried this recipe without blending but you could try hand chopping the onions and carrots until finely chopped and mixing the ingredients together by hand. Let us know how it turns out Joan!
Made this yesterday for my husband. His only complaint was the topping was too sweet for him. So, I’ll know to adjust for next time. He was surprised by how moist the meatloaf was and asked me to keep the recipe. Today, he is enjoying the meatloaf in a sandwich. Very easy and great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it! Meatloaf sandwiches are my favorite!!
Hello Holly, I am going to try this tonight, do you have the nutritional information? Calories etc?
Thank you
Good afternoon Michelle! I have updated the recipe to include nutritional information. Enjoy, I absolutely LOVE this meatloaf!
Best meatloaf ever!!
Thank you Bethann!!
just wondering why there’s no salt in your ingredients.
Personal preference. :) You could definitely add salt to taste.
Hi Holly! I love your recipe. Delicious. I like the fact that there is no salt. I have to have low sodium, no table salt added recipes, or my legs swell up bad. Consider adding a 1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms to recipe. I love the turkey because doctor has me on a low red meat diet and I can still have my once a week red meat meal but reduce the red meat with turkey! Thank you for awesome recipe.
Thank you Lydia, I love mushrooms, that would be a great addition to this recipe!
I like to use crushed pork rinds instead of bread crumbs. Spicy pork rinds just add an extra layer of flavor without the carbs in bread.
To make it more nutritious replace the bread crumbs with quick oats.
Made It Used Ground Pork Instead Of The Turkey..Absolutly Fabulous My Family Loved Loved IT!
Hi Holly ~ your meatloaf & leftovers sound great….I’m pondering leaving a meatloaf covered with foil for an hour….does that make it super juicy? I’m not an expert to say the least but we’ve never covered meatloaf to cook….thanks for your feedback & I can’t wait to use the chili sauce….never thought about that….and love the product!
I love chill sauce too! So yummy!
I think it does keep it juicier because it almost “steams” it for the first part of the cooking. Because you are using turkey and lean beef in this recipe, there isn’t tons of fat. Removing the foil at the end lets it get that yummy “crust” on the outside.
Enjoy! I’d love to hear how it works out for you! This is my hands down favorite. :)
My family and I really enjoyed this recipe. I used ground chicken instead of turkey and I used a teaspoon of rooster sauce with the ketchup mixture (I didn’t have chili sauce) also I used red pepper instead of carrots. I also baked it in a large loaf pan. I dumped out some of the moisture. It was REALLY GOOD!! Thanks so much!!