These Mini BBQ Bacon Turkey Meatloaves are packed with flavor and stay tender and juicy! Cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce, and bacon elevate the flavor of lean ground turkey for a meal the whole family will love!
I love a good meatloaf.
I know. Not the most glamorous food (the name alone begs for a makeover), and certainly not high on a lot of people’s lists of favorite foods. But it is on mine! Meatloaf is weeknight nostalgia for me personally, and I grew up eating it on a somewhat regular basis.
These Mini BBQ Bacon Turkey Meatloaves take that classic meatloaf that we grew up eating and elevates the flavors a bit while also lightening things up. Most importantly: they’re really freaking delicious. AND easy.
I sense these becoming a weeknight staple!
The meatloaf base features lean ground turkey and lots of flavorful ingredients to help it be the best it can be: sautéed onions, cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce, and some bacon (just a bit!).
I like to form the mixture into smaller individual meatloaves for a few reasons.
The first being: they’re cute. Secondly, it makes serving them bit easier and more fun. And most importantly, it reduces the chance of a super dry outside and underdone middle. Meaning, when the meatloaves are smaller like this, they bake more evenly and are far less likely to dry out on you.
There’s not much worse than a dry meatloaf. Something I think we call can agree on.
Ingredients You Need to Make These Mini BBQ Bacon Turkey Meatloaves:
- Bacon
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Cheddar cheese
- BBQ sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
- Eggs
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Lean ground turkey – I recommend 93% lean for this recipe
- Fresh parsley
How to Make These Mini BBQ Bacon Turkey Meatloaves:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment or foil (if using foil, spray with nonstick cooking spray).
- Cook the bacon in a skillet on the stove. Once it is crispy, remove and chop into small pieces. Wipe out the skillet and sauté some onion in olive oil until softened.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the cheese, ¼ cup BBQ sauce, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, egg, egg yolk, and panko. Stir in the cooked onions after they have cooled for a few minutes.
- Lastly, fold in the turkey, mixing just enough to combine the ingredients without overmixing the mixture – this will yield tough, dense meatloaves.
- Divide the mixture into 4 equal pieces and form into small meatloaves, roughly 3 x 4-inches, placing them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Top each meatloaf with roughly 2 teaspoons of BBQ sauce and then transfer to the oven, baking for 30-35 minutes or until the centers of the meatloaves register 165°F on a thermometer (or when they are no longer pink in the center).
- Serve while warm and sprinkled with a little fresh parsley.
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:
- Bourbon BBQ Burgers
- BBQ Chicken Nacho Stuffed Peppers
- Lightened-Up Cheesy Turkey Chili Pasta Skillet
- Turkey & Greens Lasagna Rolls
- Mexican Turkey Burgers with Guacamole & Spicy Chipotle Slaw
There is no bad meatloaf in sight here. Only juicy, tender, and incredibly flavorful meatloaf allowed!
These cuties fit the bill and then some!
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Mini BBQ Bacon Turkey Meatloaves
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
These Mini BBQ Bacon Turkey Meatloaves are packed with flavor and stay tender and juicy! Cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce, and bacon elevate the flavor of lean ground turkey. The whole family will love these!
Ingredients
- 3 strips of bacon
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 small (or 1/2 of a medium) yellow onion, finely minced
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, plus additional 2 tablespoons for topping
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1.3 lb ground turkey (I prefer 93% lean)
- Fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment or foil (if using foil, spray with nonstick cooking spray).
- Heat a skillet over medium and add the bacon. Cook until it is crispy and rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan, allow to cool slightly, and then chop into small pieces.
- Wipe out the bacon grease from the skillet and add the olive oil. Return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes or until it is softened.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the cheese, ¼ cup BBQ sauce, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, egg, egg yolk, and panko. Stir in the cooked onions after they have cooled for a few minutes.
- Lastly, fold in the turkey, mixing just enough to combine the ingredients without overmixing the mixture – this will yield tough, dense meatloaves.
- Divide the mixture into 4 equal pieces and form into small meatloaves, roughly 3 x 4-inches, placing them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Top each meatloaf with roughly 2 teaspoons of BBQ sauce and then transfer to the oven.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center of the meatloaves registers 165°F on a thermometer (or when they are no longer pink in the center).
- Serve while warm and sprinkled with a little fresh parsley.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: meat
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
adorably delicious, great idea and love the serving size, thank you!
These were so good!