Honey-Sesame Turkey Meatloaves

Honey-Sesame Turkey Meatloaves are a great Asian twist on the classic American meatloaf recipes. Ground turkey is a leaner, healthier alternative to ground beef or pork. Serve with jasmine rice and a huge plate of your favorite veggies for a delicious complete meal! The entire family will love these mini meatloaves!!!

Sometimes I’m in the mood for a dish that’s light and easy to make for lunch or dinner. Ground Turkey is a leaner, healthier alternative to ground beef or pork. It’s also inexpensive and often on sale in the grocery store. These Honey-Sesame Turkey Meatloaves are a great way to make individual portions that make serving a breeze! They’re moist and packed with a ginger, garlicky flavor inside and a honey sesame glaze on the outside. So good!!!

As I was forming the mini meatloaves, I weighed each meatloaf at 4.5 ounces to form 9 mini meatloaves. If you want to make them a little larger with less servings that is great too! Or 1 large meatloaf of 8 to 9 servings also works great with this recipe. If you have a smaller family or just want to make a smaller portion, halving the recipe works great too. I point this out because sometimes halving a recipe does not work but I promise this one does.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HONEY-SESAME TURKEY MEATLOAVES

  • Small onion
  • Red bell pepper
  • Garlic cloves, minced
  • Fresh ginger or pickled ginger (*see notes)
  • Olive oil
  • Ground turkey
  • Large eggs
  • Panko bread crumbs
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • Green onions, for to garnish (optional)
  • Honey
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • Sesame seeds

HOW TO MAKE HONEY-SESAME TURKEY MEATLOAVES

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and the onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and ginger (*see notes).
  • Sauté the onion mixture, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, onion mixture, eggs, panko bread crumbs, 1-2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp ground black pepper.
  • Mix together with a fork until combined.
  • Shape the turkey mixture into 9 (2 x 4-inch) loaves or 1 large loaf; place on a parchment-lined (optional) baking sheet.
  • Roast the meatloaves for 15-20 minutes, until an instant read thermometer reads 160°F-163°F (it will go under the broiler for a few more minutes up to 165°F) and remove from the oven.
  • Remove any fat that has formed around the meatloaves with a spoon.
  • Preheat the oven to BROIL and move the baking rack to the top.
  • Combine the honey, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a small bowl.
  • Brush on top and sides of the meatloaves.
  • Broil the meatloaves for 2-4 minutes until lightly browned on top.
  • Spoon the pan juices over the meatloaves.
  • Garnish with chopped green onions.

NOTES

  • Ground turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F but at the end of this recipe the meatloaves are glazed, then put back in the oven under the broiler.
  • For this recipe, I recommend first roasting the meatloaves to between 160°F to 163°F. After glazing and putting back in the oven to broil, the turkey meatloaves will be at exactly 165°F. This ensures that they will not be overcooked. No one likes dry meatloaf!!!
  • PICKLED GINGER: If using pickled ginger, don’t sauté (cook) with veggies. Add it directly to the ground turkey-panko mixture. 
  • HALVE THE RECIPE: Makes 4-5 servings or 1 meatloaf
  • 1 LARGE MEATLOAF: Makes 8-9 servings

Honey-Sesame Turkey Meatloaves

Honey-Sesame Turkey Meatloaves are a great Asian twist on the classic American meatloaf recipes. Ground turkey is a leaner, healthier alternative to ground beef or pork. Serve with jasmine rice and a huge plate of your favorite veggies for a delicious complete meal! The entire family will love these mini meatloaves!!!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Asian, Chicken, Lunch, Main Dish, Turkey
Cuisine: American, Asian
Keyword: honey, meatloaf, sesame
Servings: 9 mini meatloaves or 1 large meatloaf
Author: Louise Rio

Ingredients

Meatloaves:

  • 1 small onion, small diced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, small diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (2-inch piece) fresh ginger, peeled, minced or grated or 3-4 Tbsps pickled ginger, minced (*see notes)
  • 2 Tbsps olive oil, divided
  • 2 lbs ground turkey
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • cup panko bread crumbs
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 green onions, chopped to garnish (optional)

Glaze topping:

  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and the onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and ginger (*see notes). Sauté the onion mixture, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, onion mixture, eggs, panko bread crumbs, 1-2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Mix together with a fork until combined. Shape the turkey mixture into 9 (2 x 4-inch) loaves or 1 large loaf; place on a parchment-lined (optional) baking sheet.
  • Roast the meatloaves for 15-20 minutes, until an instant read thermometer reads 160°F-163°F (it will go under the broiler for a few more minutes up to 165°F) and remove from the oven. Remove any fat that has formed around the meatloaves with a spoon. Preheat the oven to BROIL and move the baking rack to the top.
  • Combine the honey, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Brush on top and sides of the meatloaves. Broil the meatloaves for 2-4 minutes until lightly browned on top. Spoon the pan juices over the meatloaves. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Notes

  • Ground turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F but at the end of this recipe the meatloaves are glazed, then put back in the oven under the broiler.
  • For this recipe, I recommend first roasting the meatloaves to between 160°F to 163°F. After glazing and putting back in the oven to broil, the turkey meatloaves will be at exactly 165°F. This ensures that they will not be overcooked. No one likes dry meatloaf!!!
  • PICKLED GINGER: If using pickled ginger, don’t sauté (cook) with veggies. Add it directly to the ground turkey-panko mixture. 
  • HALVE THE RECIPE: Makes 4-5 servings or 1 meatloaf
  • 1 LARGE MEATLOAF: Makes 8-9 servings

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