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The best juicy Mini Turkey Meatloaves that are gluten, grain, and egg-free. Moist, juicy, and perfect comfort food. Every bite is a lovely combination of savory, sweet, and super flavorful. Be sure to read on for this super easy to make Mini Turkey Meatloaves. They are an eye pleaser for your dinner table.
Gorgeous & Delicious – Mini Turkey Meatloaves Recipe
The holiday season is right around the corner. I thought I’d share an alternative to the traditional thanksgiving feast for those of you who want an additional option for your dinner table.
I also want my meat loaves moist and juicy with lovely refreshing herbs like lemon, parsley, and sun-dried tomatoes, to keep them light and airy. They are the perfect counterbalance to any rich main dishes and quite festive looking, aren’t they ?
Meatloaf stuffing with egg-free option
I pack my mini meatloaves with minced shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichokes, and intentionally left slightly larger chunks of crimini mushrooms for texture.
The recipe below comes with both egg and egg-free options. While I’m not personally allergic to eggs, it’s so interesting to discover that for this particular recipe I actually am quite fond of the egg-free option.
I used unsweetened applesauce as a substitute for egg. The applesauce gives a nice lovely sweet taste and guess what ? They are perfect for next day’s breakfast too !
Tips for lovely moist Mini Turkey Meatloaves !
A few things I want to point out so that your Mini Turkey Meatloaves will be as cute and yummy as mine:
- Use ground turkey thigh as opposed to breast. The breast meat will be naturally drier-tasting than thigh meat so if you can please use either all thigh meat or a mixed ratio of thigh and breast.
- If you use thigh meat, great, since it will be more moist than breast. You might need to use a bit more almond flour or less applesauce (half egg instead of 1 egg) to form meatloaf shape. Vice versa for breast meat.
- I use almond flour below to bind the meatloaves with either egg (or applesauce). I personally found that ground meat that comes directly from a butcher has a less watery texture than pre-made packages. Perhaps it’s the difference in the grinding process that makes moisture content different. So please keep in mind that the flour quantity in the recipe is meant to be suggestion. If you’re not sure, start with half beaten egg (or fewer tablespoons of applesauce first) because you can always add more. :))
Make it gorgeous festive looking
I intentionally left out baking tins and used my hands to form the meatloaf shape. It gives them a slightly rustic and free-form appearance. The sun-dried tomatoes, mixed with Italian parsley and fresh lemon juice, not only make the meatloaves gorgeous looking, but also give a nice refreshing citrus flavor.
So my dear readers, if you’re looking for a stress-free holiday meal or a recipe that’s perfectly delicious for everyday use, be sure to make my Mini Turkey Meatloaves. You are going to love it !
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Mini Turkey Meatloaves
Ingredients
Meatloaves:
- 1 lb ground turkey best ground turkey thigh meat or a combination of thigh and breast
- 2 large shallots
- 4-5 oz. mushrooms baby bella, white, or cremini
- About ⅓ cup + artichoke from a jar soaked in olive oil
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes from a jar soaked in olive oil
- ¾ tsp coarse sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp your favorite dried herbs basil, thyme...etc.
- ⅓ to ½ cup almond flour*
- 1 egg well beaten (or ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce)*
Sauce topping:
- ⅔ cup Italian parsley finely chopped
- 5-6 pieces sun dried tomatoes from a jar soaked in olive oil finely chopped
- Handful almond slices
- Half of one whole lemon juice or to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Finely chop shallots and dice/chop mushrooms to smaller bites. (if use food processor it’ll be too fine and the meat texture will be mushy).
- Toss sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke in a food processor. Pulse a few times until they are finely chopped.
- Combine all ingredients listed under “meatloaves” - see more info in the notes section about flour and egg (applesauce) ratio. Form 4 equal size mini meatloaves (about ¼ lb each loaf) in 5 x 2 ½ inches loaf shape.
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and bake the loaves at 375F for 40 minutes or until cooked through. In the meantime prepare “sauce topping” and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Serve the meatloaves hot or in room temperature with a lovely citrus and slightly tart herb topping.
Notes
- If use ground turkey breast, ⅓ cup almond flour + 1 egg well beaten.
- If use ground turkey thigh, ½ cup almond flour + half to 1 whole egg, well beaten.
- Replace 1 egg for ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce.
- Ground meat consistency and moisture content vary. If feels too watery to form meatloaf shape, add a bit more flour or reduce egg/applesauce quantity.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looking for more holiday recipes?
- Herb Stuffed Mushrooms – Vegan, Keto friendly
- Triple Green Kale Salad – Vegan, Keto friendly.
- From Freezer to Table in Minutes – Creamy Muffin Tin Sweet Potato Yam Mash
- Creamy Chicken Kale Soup
- Paleo Sweet Potato Cakes
- Sautéed Cabbage Recipe
- Paleo Cauliflower Gratin
- Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles
- Skillet Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Sounds delish!
Delicious! The topping really adds a wonderful dimension to this entree. I will be adding this to my rotation. Thank you Chihyu!
Thank you, Laurie!
Any suggestions for substitution for almond flour? Have nut allergy
I’d try using cassava flour but reduce the quantity by half first to start because it’s always easier to add more. 🙂
Your recipes always look so delicious and I love the idea of mini meatloaf, especially for leftovers!
This looks so delicious and having an egg-free version is amazing.
I love all the flavors and textures here! Cant wait to make these!