Make Ahead

Spicy Turkey Meatloaf

Name: Spicy Turkey Meatloaf
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound ground turkey (454 g); 1 onion, finely chopped (220 g); 1 large egg (57 g); 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (15 g); 3/4 cup (or more) breadcrumbs (63 g); 3 tablespoons soy sauce (48 g); 2 tablespoons ketchup (32 g); 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard (32 g); 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (14 g); 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (17 g); 2 teaspoons ground coriander (4 g); 2 teaspoons ground cumin (4 g); 1 teaspoon cayenne (or more to taste) (2 g); Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 1/4 cup ketchup (68 g); 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (28 g); 1 tablespoon sriracha (or more to taste) (20 g); 1 teaspoon ground cumin (2 g)

by: Erin Jeanne McDowell

July 14, 2021

3.6

18 Ratings

Photo by Bobbi Lin

Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 35 minutes
Serves 4

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Author Notes

I can't make this enough—the last time I had to bump it up to four pounds of meat to satisfy the crowd! I've made it with beef and chicken too, but turkey is my fave. —Erin Jeanne McDowell

Test Kitchen Notes

This is one the easiest, most flavorful ways to shake up a traditional ground beef meatloaf—use ground turkey instead, and make it spicy! This recipe will surely be added to your weeknight rotation. Of course, if you have any spice-averse guests, you could use Dijon mustard and add the cayenne and sriracha to taste, but on the other hand, if they love spice, feel free to up the sriracha in the glaze. And yes, as you can see in the recipe, Erin doesn't call for a standard loaf pan here; instead, she uses a foil-lined baking sheet and forms the loaf on there. The glaze won't overflow like it might with a smaller pan, and you can utilize more of the surface area while brushing and basting. We're not sure why we didn't think of that method before!

The loaf also comes together in no time. All you have to do is mix the loaf ingredients in one bowl, then the glaze ingredients in another. Bake in the oven and dinner is ready to go. Adjust the seasonings to your taste too—if you're not into cumin, halve the amount or use your other favorite spice. And be sure to use low-sodium soy sauce if you are seasoning the loaf with more salt; if it's not low-sodium, skip adding any more salt. Whatever spices and seasonings you choose, this foolproof recipe results in a tender, moist meatloaf every time, and we hope that you enjoy it as much as we do. —The Editors

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

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Spicy Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients

Meatloaf
1 pound ground turkey (454 g)
1 onion, finely chopped (220 g)
1 large egg (57 g)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (15 g)
³/₄ cup (or more) breadcrumbs (63 g)
3 tablespoons soy sauce (48 g)
2 tablespoons ketchup (32 g)
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard (32 g)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (14 g)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (17 g)
2 teaspoons ground coriander (4 g)
2 teaspoons ground cumin (4 g)
1 teaspoon cayenne (or more to taste) (2 g)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Spicy Sriracha Glaze
¹/₄ cup ketchup (68 g)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (28 g)
1 tablespoon sriracha (or more to taste) (20 g)
1 teaspoon ground cumin (2 g)

Directions

Heat the oven to 350°F. Make the meatloaf: In a large bowl, mix the turkey, onion, egg, garlic, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, ketchup, brown mustard, rice vinegar, Worcestershire, coriander, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper just to combine. If the mixture feels too wet, add more breadcrumbs. Form the mixture into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet.
Make the glaze: In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, Sriracha, and cumin until well combined.
Brush the glaze all over the loaf (this is why I don't use a loaf pan, so that you can get maximum glaze action).
Bake, basting the loaf occasionally, for 35 to 45 minutes, until cooked through. If you like, you can run the finished loaf under the broiler and the glaze will form a bit of a crust.

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Your Best Meatloaf

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Starmade
Patty Quinten
Regine
Paula Murray Wagner
misslofox

I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!

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40 Reviews

JJones September 19, 2023

This recipe was a train wreck, horrible. I am a gourmet cook, followed the directions to the letter and it was gross. Too many onions and the onions should have been sauteed prior to mixing in. The texture was gross, and the taste odd. DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS RECIPE...wish I could get refunded for my costs and time

Robin R. May 20, 2022

My partner and I love this. I’ve made it at least 10 times and now I triple the recipe so we can eat one when I make it, one a day or two later, and freeze one for when I don’t feel like cooking. I get asked to make it again all the time.

Starmade February 10, 2022

This is a meatloaf recipe I like a lot and use regularly. I have used it with various kinds of meat including beef and pork and chicken, not just turkey though I think the spices complement the turkey especially well. Caveat: turkey and esp. chicken tend to have more water in them than beef or pork so you might need to add more crumbs till the texture feels right. It will be mushy no matter how long cooked if there are not enough crumbs holding it together. Do what feels right.

Alison W. November 26, 2021

Took a chance on this healthier version of meatloaf. Cooked to time and temp but still soft and mushy. Added more time in oven and when that didn't work, put in cast iron pan. That didn't work either. Husband, daughter and I couldn't eat it. Gonna stick with old tried-and-true and less healthy meatloaf.

Patty Q. September 1, 2020

I was excited to try this one but found it to be gross. Too mushy and I even cooked it 15 minutes longer and under the broiler. Too much Cumin and very salty. We took 2 bites and threw it in the green bin. I give it a thumbs down 👎!

JJones September 19, 2023

Gross it was

Patty Q. September 1, 2020

Stevie June 22, 2020

Really delicious. My husband, the meatloaf aficionado thought it was one of the best meatloafs he has had. He praised the spice level and the moist turkey. I didn’t have sriracha, so I substituted Gochujang.

dawer93 May 2, 2020

Loved this recipe! Will definitely make again.

Prince728* May 1, 2020

Made this tonight and really wanted to love it but found the cumin overwhelming and the meatloaf itself very salty! If I made this again I would definitely cut back on the soy sauce.... does not need any extra salt. Found the cooking time too long. Mine was done after 30 minutes and stuck to the foil underneath.

CHR@SF March 24, 2020

It would be helpful to know at what internal temperature the meatloaf should be when sufficiently cooked. I have seen different info on this, so was unsure whether or not my meatloaf was cooked through at 50 mins. & 150 degrees internal temp. Please advise. Also, how do you know if the raw meatloaf is too wet?

justbob November 14, 2020

160 degrees.

Tammy A. March 15, 2019

do you grease the foil or baking sheet that you put the turkey directly on?

Renee B. March 18, 2019

None needed. I made this again just last week. You'll love it.

Merry September 11, 2018

Just tried this last night - delicious! Two minor changes, grated the onion into the meat mixture to give it less onion flavor and left the cumin out of the glaze. Smelled terrific while baking, perfect blend of flavors and we are looking forward to leftovers tonight.

alliemo June 19, 2018

I made this but cut the cayenne in half to make it slightly less spicy. It was a hit!

Venus S. February 28, 2016

First time I made this I added Mozzarella cheese on top at last 5 min. Mmmmm yummy

Renee B. May 20, 2015

My husband and I both loved this. He had no idea it was turkey!

FavourFlavour March 15, 2015

I made this, following the recipe exactly, using panko crumbs (what I had). I did not find it was too heavy on the cumin flavor. It is certainly spicy - really a nice change for meatloaf. I recommend mincing the onions if you want to keep a consistent texture. The sauce that was brushed on is really great - I completely agree that it deserves to get as much sauce as possible on the meatloaf! If you like meatloaf, put this in your rotation.

Regine December 17, 2014

Would love to try this soon; however, I admit that I will definitely skip cumin because I am not too fond of it. 2 tsp of cumin in the meat plus 1 more in the topping will not do it for me. But other than that, I can't wait to try this meatloaf, particularly for my sister who is coming for the holidays and does not eat beef. Thanks for sharing.

VickyD October 18, 2014

I have a double batch in the oven now… recommended cooking time? To clarify--doubled the recipe and divided into 2 loaves.

Paula M. September 30, 2014

Did not use sriracha in my recipe, but loved the way my turkey meatloaf came out with this recipe Will definitely make this spicy turkey meatloaf again for sure. Both my husband and I loved it.

misslofox January 15, 2014

Really delicious, but the cumin is overpowering. Next time I'll half the amount specified. Also, the baking times are off - this recipe needs at least 30 minutes in the oven.

mrslarkin October 20, 2013

made a double batch last night. We loved it! Thanks for the recipe, Erin.

Buck R. October 17, 2013

With this recipe, I will be adding Italian bread crumbs, 96% sirloin beef, spicy hot sausage, celery, mushrooms, onions,Jalapeno catchup on top with mozzarella cheese in the last half hour on top. So almost four lbs of meatloaf of which I call one Hot and Spicy Meatloaf. As the meatloaf cooks, so does the potato's open.
Though covered in olive oil,along my special made seasoning of sea salt, onion powder, garlic powder and white pepper, all mixed together. It's so you are not just getting salt or pepper,but a variety of flavors and taste,to accent your foods, and not a lot of SALT!

hurleyburley April 13, 2012

I made this for dinner the other night and was really surprised by how much flavor it had. It's probably just me, but the onion was a little overpowering. Next time I will sautee it before adding it to the mix but otherwise I thought this was great.

adamnsvetcooking March 25, 2012

I made this recipe today as lunch for during the week. Its great recipe and tasted amazing especially the spicy sause on top. Thank you

LHopkins March 14, 2012

Excellent recipe! I have made it several times and all who have eaten it have totally enjoyed it. However, the instructions call for cooking it 35-45 minutes until done. Well, when I've made it I have had to bake it for at least 60 to 75 minutes until it's cooked through. Of course, if I increase the recipe, I also increase the cooking time. Tonight I used 1 1/2 lbs. of turkey and it took almost 2 hours to cook it until the center was cooked through. Otherwise, this recipe is wonderful.

Net March 11, 2012

I made this yesterday.....it was delicious.

drbabs February 26, 2012

Mine took about an hour, but it was fantastic. My picky eater husband was blown away. Thanks for a great recipe!

suziqcu January 24, 2012

Love, love the sauce. Didn't see the meatloaf recipe til I had already made mine from Giada deLaurentis' feta and sun dried tomato turkey meatloaf. Went looking for a sauce and added this one toward last half of meatloaf cooking time.....so delicious!!!

Hooper's J. October 30, 2011

I did not like this meatloaf at all but my family did. I found it salty, not spicy. What's more, after 40 minutes at 350 degrees per the cooking instructions, the loaf was no where near done. I had to cook it for another 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

davegorf October 14, 2011

If you wanted to make individual meat loaves in muffin pans, ramekins, etc. do you think the cooking time would change?

aligthang October 10, 2011

Thanks for sharing. I made this recipe last week and thought it was really good (wrote it up on my blog: http://epifurious.tumblr.com/post/11294614133/spicy-turkey-meatloaf). Makes a great open-faced sandwich for leftovers as well.

student E. August 28, 2011

i made this tonight for dinner and it was a hit! i tripled the recipe (a couple hungry guys to feed!). it was very well spice and quite flavorful. my only suggestion would be to not add salt -- i used low sodium soy sauce and did not add any salt and it verged on being a little salty for me (i'm sure this will depend on the kind of ketchup, mustard, etc used). i also omitted the cumin from the glaze because there was already a lot in the meat and my jar seemed especially potent. overall, a success!

J-Dizzle August 22, 2011

This is one of the BEST meatloafs I have ever made!! Sooo tasty :o)

Christine M. July 8, 2011

Great recipe!! I am always looking for new meatloaf recipes. I almost added some turkey sausage to the mix (our favorite beef meatloaf recipe uses sausage) but I really didn't want the fennel taste. Maybe andouille or chorizo?? I rarely measure ingredients, but I think I came pretty close with the amounts for this one. I did add some Sriracha to the meatloaf mixture, as well as lots of fresh parsley, but those were my only additions. Delicious!

Sydney January 30, 2011

I absolutely loved this! Though I did not measure everything exactly, I thought the end result with the combination of the spices and the soy sauce/rice vinegar was very tasty. Great idea! Thanks for sharing :)

Erin J. March 18, 2010

Thanks for your input on the recipe! Definitely let me know if you try it halving the spices. You can use the method from the bacon-ey meatloaf in this week's vote and saute a small patty to test for seasoning -- I'm definitely going to try that next time!

RevMcC March 12, 2010

Let me begin by stating that I did not add the glaze because I was cooking this meatloaf for my young daughter, AND, I did not have Worscestershire sauce.

For 1lb of ground turkey, this felt like a lot of seasoning. There was an overwhelming soy/cumin/coriander presence. I would like to try this again, maybe halving the spices. And, of course, using the spicy glaze if it's adults only.