Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatloaf

Nothing says comfort food quite like a tender meatloaf and this Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatloaf packs all the flavor you crave with smoky, herbaceous, sweet, and savory notes. This isn’t your mama’s meatloaf yet delivers that ultimate food hug.

Meatloaf when it’s done right is truly a comfort food that will have everyone reaching for seconds. Whether it’s Hoisin Glazed Meatloaf or this smoky, sweet, and slightly spicy meatloaf, it’s always a crowd favorite. It’s special enough for a family dinner, but with its bold flavors also perfect to serve up at any game day party. Meatloaf and football? Absolutely because this one is a total touchdown.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Delicious and Nutritious – This recipe for turkey meatloaf with chipotle glaze is packed with protein while being a leaner meatloaf option thanks to using ground turkey. The addition of cottage cheese boosts the protein in this dish while also giving the finished dish incredible tenderness and moisture. In addition, a generous amount of sautéed vegetables also adds a ton of flavor while giving it extra nutrients. This is a great way to sneak additional veggies onto the plate.
• Texture and Flavor – We’ve probably all had dry, dense meatloaf that could be used as a brick a few times in our life. It’s what gives meatloaf a bad rap and makes it a divisive food. Using an abundance of vegetables like shredded carrots, sweet red bell pepper, and onions not only gives this meatloaf its flavor but also keeps it from being dry. Adding cottage cheese to the egg mixture adds another element that keeps this chipotle glazed turkey meatloaf tender and moist without competing with the other flavors.
• Make Ahead – You can make this meatloaf a day in advance and then bake it before you’re ready to serve. It’s actually recommended to refrigerate it prior to baking. And is there anything better than leftover meatloaf? It’s the dish that keeps giving all week long!

Ingredients

• Ground Turkey – I used 93% lean ground turkey for this recipe, but you can use whatever you have. You will need two pounds.
• Veggies – Onions, garlic, shredded carrots, and red bell pepper give this honey chipotle glazed meatloaf both its flavor and texture. It’s optional but you can also add a finely diced serrano or jalapeno for a little additional heat.
• Spices – In addition to kosher salt you’ll also need chili powder and cumin. These flavors complement the chipotle pepper.
• Binder – In addition to an egg and panko breadcrumbs, cottage cheese is also added to this chipotle glazed meatloaf.
• Flavor Accents – Worcestershire sauce adds umami and Dijon gives a little savory tang, but the start of this meatloaf is chipotles in adobo. They give a smoky element that will have you fighting for the last slice.
• Glaze – You probably have all of the ingredients on hand for this easy honey chipotle glaze. You’ll need ketchup, preferably high fructose free, chipotle peppers, a few teaspoons of their adobo sauce, Worcestershire, Dijon, honey for sweetness, and a sweet onion. That’s it!

How to Make Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatloaf

• Sauté your veggies. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions, shredded carrots, red bell pepper, and jalapeno/serrano if using. Allow them to cook until tender and the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook for 60 second. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro.
• Add the panko to the sauteed vegetables and let the mixture cool. Sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs over the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to totally cool. This will rehydrate the breadcrumbs while also make for less mixing of the meatloaf.
• Whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the cottage cheese, egg, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine.
• Mix together the meatloaf. Add the ground turkey, cooled vegetable and panko mixture, and egg mixture to a large bowl and gently mix until just combined. You don’t want to overmix as that can lead to a dense and tough meatloaf.
• Cook a test patty. Chef snack! Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add a splash of olive oil. Break off a small piece of the meatloaf mixture and form a patty. Brown both sides of the patty until it’s cooked through. Taste it. Do you need more salt? A splash more Worcestershire? Now is your time to add any additional seasoning.

• Let the meatloaf chill. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and form the meat mixture into a loaf shape. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 30 minutes. You can do this portion the day before.
• Prepare the honey chipotle glaze. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the butter or olive oil. Add the onions and cook them until they are just golden, stirring often. Add the remaining ingredients for the glaze and let cook for 5-8 minutes until just beginning to bubble. Remove from the heat and let cool. You can remove 1/3 cup of the glaze and store for leftovers if desired.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and brush a thin layer of the glaze over the meatloaf. Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven on the middle rack.
• Let the meatloaf bake for 30 minutes and then brush with another layer of glaze. Allow the meatloaf to bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees in the middle of the meatloaf. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

How to Grill Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatloaf

• Follow all of the directions for preparing your honey chipotle glazed meatloaf up to preheating the oven.
• Prepare your grill for indirect grilling. If using a charcoal grill bank your charcoal to either side of the grill leaving the middle as a cooler zone. For a gas grill don’t ignite the middle burners. You can add wood chips to your charcoal for additional flavor if desired. Allow the grill to heat to between 350-400 degrees.
• Place the baking sheet in the cool zone of the grill and close the lid. Allow it to cook for 30 minutes before applying another layer of the glaze.
• Let the meatloaf cook for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160.
• Allow the meatloaf to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Substitutions and Variations

• Feel free to use a combination of turkey and ground beef for this recipe, or all ground beef.
• You can also use ground chicken, but the texture will be slightly drier.
• Not a fan of cilantro? No big deal. You can easily swap it out for fresh parsley. You just want that fresh, herby flavor.
• Instead of grated carrots you can also use grated zucchini. Make sure to allow all of the moisture to cook out when sauteing with the onions and bell pepper.

Storage

• You can form the meatloaf up to two days in advance. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to bake. You can also make the glaze in advance. Just keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it will last for up to a week.
• Once the meatloaf has baked it will last for up to five days in the refrigerator. Keep it stored in an airtight container.
• You can also freeze the uncooked meatloaf. Place the meatloaf mixture into a loaf pan and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and foil, or place in a freezer safe bag. When ready to bake, allow it to defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Remove it from the loaf pan and place it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet prior to baking. It will last for up to three months in the freezer.

Tips From the Beach

• The texture of meatloaf is absolutely as important as the flavor profile. Over mixing the meat can give you a dense and tough finished product. That is why the wet ingredients are mixed separately and the breadcrumbs are combined with the veggies; it makes for less mixing.
• Don’t skip the step of cooking a test patty. This is your only chance to add additional seasoning to the meat mixture before it’s cooked.
• Set aside a little glaze for later before glazing the meatloaf. When you reheat leftovers, you can brush it with the reserved glaze to add additional moisture and flavor.
• If you like your meatloaf glaze a little sweeter, give it a little more honey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatloaf

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Nothing says comfort food quite like a tender meatloaf and this Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatloaf packs all the flavor you crave with smoky, herbaceous, sweet, and savory notes.

• Author: Nicole Stover
• Prep Time: 20
• Chilling Time: 30
• Cook Time: 60
• Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 1x
• Category: Entree
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Chipotle Turkey Meatloaf

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 small carrots)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 serrano or jalapeno peppers, optional, remove seeds for less heat if desired
• 2 chipotles, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Honey Chipotle Glaze

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1/2 sweet onion finely diced
• 1 cup ketchup, high fructose corn syrup free recommended
• 2–4 chipotle peppers, finely chopped, start with two and increase depending on level of heat
• 3 tablespoons honey, add a little more if you like it sweeter
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

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Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, grated carrots, and serrano/jalapeno if using. Sauté until the onions are translucent and all of the vegetables are soft. 
2. Add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 60 seconds. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro.
3. Add the panko to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Let the vegetables cool completely. 
4. Add the egg, cottage cheese, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and salt to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
5. In a large bowl add the cooled vegetable mixture, ground turkey, and egg mixture. Gently mix to combine.
6. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add a splash of olive oil. Break off a piece of the meatloaf mixture and form a patty. Brown both sides of the patty and allow it to cook through. Taste it, and add any additional seasoning to your meat mixture if needed.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form a loaf on the pan out of the meat.
8. Let the meatloaf refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while you make your glaze.
9. To make the honey chipotle glaze heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the butter or oil. Add the onions and allow them to cook until lightly golden. Add the remaining glaze ingredients and stir to combine. Let cook until just simmering, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. 
10. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Brush a thin layer of the glaze on the meatloaf.
11. Place the baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven and allow it to cook for 30 minutes.
12. Brush another layer of glaze onto the meatloaf and let it cook another 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the center registers 160 degrees.
13. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

1. To make this on your grill follow all of the directions up to preheating your grill. Instead prepare your grill for indirect grilling. For a charcoal grill bank the charcoal to either side leaving the center as a cooler zone. You can add wood chips for additional flavor. For a gas grill don’t ignite the middle burners. Preheat your grill to between 350-400 degrees. Place the sheet pan in the center, cooler area of the grill. Close the lid and allow it to cook for 30 minutes before brushing with another layer of glaze. Let cook another 20-30 minutes until its internal temperature is 160 degrees.
2. You can prepare your meatloaf up to the point of cooking a day or two in advance. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated until ready to cook.
3. Reserve 1/4-1/3 cup of the glaze prior to brushing on the meatloaf. You can use this when reheating your meatloaf.