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:

There is no bad meatloaf in sight here. Only juicy, tender, and incredibly flavorful meatloaf allowed!

These cuties fit the bill and then some!