Turkey Meatloaf Muffins (Printable Version)
Moist, flavorful turkey muffins with vegetables and herbs—perfect for meal prep and easy weeknight dining.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb lean ground turkey
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 medium carrot, grated
04 - 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Wet Ingredients
06 - 1/4 cup milk
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
09 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
→ Dry Ingredients
10 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
11 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
12 - 1/2 tsp salt
13 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
→ Topping
14 - 1/4 cup ketchup
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.
03 - Add milk, egg, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Gently mix until just combined — do not overmix.
04 - Evenly divide the mixture among the muffin tin cups, pressing gently to pack.
05 - Top each muffin with a small spoonful of ketchup.
06 - Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and muffins are lightly browned.
07 - Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin. Serve warm.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- They cook in half the time of a traditional meatloaf and portion themselves, which means no arguing over who got the bigger slice.
- The grated carrot and celery disappear into the meat so completely that even my friend who claims vegetables are a personal attack had no idea they were in there.
- Cleanup is almost nonexistent compared to shaping and slicing a full loaf, and they reheat beautifully the next day without drying out.
02 -
- Do not skip the five minute rest or you will watch your beautiful muffins fall apart when you try to remove them, which I learned the hard way on a Tuesday night while hungry and irritable.
- Wet your hands slightly before handling the mixture and it will not stick to your fingers nearly as much, a small trick that saves a surprising amount of annoyance.
03 -
- Use a large cookie scoop to divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups and every portion will be the same size, which means they all finish cooking at the same time instead of some being overdone while others are still pink in the middle.
- Let the mixture sit in the bowl for five minutes before scooping so the breadcrumbs can absorb the milk fully, which makes a noticeable difference in how tender the final muffins turn out.