Meatloaf isn’t pretty. Let’s just get that out on the table. It’s so ugly, in fact, that I couldn’t stop giggling while taking these pictures. All I could think about were those silly post cards with retro pictures of jello molds and other hideous foods from the 1950s. But you know what? After one bite you forget allll about what it looks like. Even the smell is enough to change your mind. This loaf is insane (in a good way).
If you’re not into loaves of meat, I found that this mix makes a pretty excellent Thai turkey burger as well. To taste test the seasoning I had to cook a small dollop in a skillet and it turned into a little mini turkey burger. Quite delicious. Pop one of those onto a Hawaiian roll and you’re golden. Or, you can do it in meatball form.
I covered my mouth-wateringly delicious (yet ugly) meatloaf with a spicy Sriracha glaze. If you don’t like spicy, you can use a jar of sweet chili sauce (not spicy as the name may imply) or even a sweet and sour sauce. But, you know, I had to have my sriracha!
Oh, and this makes a pretty big loaf. It can easily be halved if needed.
Thai Turkey Meatloaf
thai turkey meatloaf
Servings 8Ingredients
LOAF
- 2 lbs ground turkey ($5.36)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 3-4 whole green onions ($0.38)
- 2 inches fresh ginger ($0.30)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.18)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil ($0.19)
- 2 large eggs ($0.46)
- 1.5 cups cooked jasmine rice ($0.26)
GLAZE
- 1/2 cup brown sugar ($0.12)
- 2 Tbsp ketchup ($0.05)
- 2 Tbsp sriracha sauce ($0.17)
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar ($0.04)
Instructions
- Place the ground turkey in a large bowl. Slice the green onions and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the bowl along with the soy sauce and sesame oil. Peel the ginger and grate it directly into the bowl using a fine cheese grater. Mix everything together well.
- Add the eggs and cooked jasmine rice (white rice will work in a pinch). Mix everything together thoroughly. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Place the meat mixture onto the baking sheet and shape it into a loaf.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Once preheated, place the loaf inside and bake for 30 minutes. While the loaf is baking, mix together the sriracha glaze. In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, ketchup, sriracha, and rice vinegar.
- After it has baked 30 minutes, remove the loaf from the oven and spoon half of the sriracha glaze over top. Bake for an additional 30 minutes. Spoon the remaining glaze over top and bake for a final 15 minutes. A meat thermometer placed in the center of the loaf should read 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Allow the loaf to rest for ten minutes before slicing.
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Nutrition
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Step By Step Photos
This is the ground turkey that I used. It is 85% lean, 15% fat. The store did have a leaner ground turkey but it was about a dollar more per pound and I figured the fat would help keep the loaf moist. If you prefer the leaner turkey, it should also work just fine.
Place the ground turkey in a bowl and add the sliced green onions, minced garlic, peeled and grated ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix it all up very well.
Next add two eggs and the cooked jasmine rice. White or brown rice will work in a pinch if you don’t have jasmine rice, but just know that jasmine rice does add some flavor. Mix everything up really well again.
And this is your final Thai turkey mix. You can make it into burgers or meatballs at this point if you don’t want a loaf. It’s pretty wet and sticky, so if you’re making burgers, make sure to use some oil or non-stick spray.
If you’re going the meatloaf route, cover a baking sheet with foil and then spray with non-stick spray. Shape the mixture into a loaf. I prefer to bake meatloaf on a baking sheet rather than a loaf pan because it allows extra moisture to drain away. Loaf pans hold it all in and they often get soupy on the bottom.
Bake the loaf in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. This is what it looks like so far. Not so pretty, but you can see how some of that moisture is draining away.
While the loaf is baking during that first 30 minutes, mix up the sriracha glaze. Stir together the brown sugar, ketchup, sriracha, and rice vinegar.
Spoon about half of the glaze over the meat loaf and spread it all over the sides. Bake for an additional 30 minutes.
After a full 60 minutes of baking, my meatloaf had already exceeded the safety mark of 160 degrees internal temperature. I still had some glaze left so I spooned it over top and baked it for 15 more minutes.
And then it had a nice thick, sticky sriracha glaze! …smells SO good. The meatloaf should lift easily from the baking sheet. The glaze that dripped onto the baking sheet was burned, but none of the meatloaf or glaze on the meatloaf were even close to being burned.
I garnished with a few more sliced green onions and I just happened to have some fresh pineapple that I cut up that morning.
Make sure to allow the meatloaf to rest for at least ten minutes before slicing. This allows the steam pressure to reduce, which keeps the moisture in the loaf instead of driving it out.
Yum! First time making meatloaf, used ground beef and added cilantro. So delicious and easy, next time would make extra glaze to slather all over the sliced meatloaf!
Hello Beth, I was searching your site for a meatloaf recipe so I could use up my ground beef. Could you use ground beef for this recipe? I like the idea of the Asian spices :) Thanks!
Yes, you could. Let me know how it turns out!
Often the best stuff I learn from Beth is the really odd stuff. Like meatloaf works better without a meatloaf pan.
This is my boyfriend’s all-time favorite meal in the world. I love how it is a beautiful combination of Asian flavors and an American classic dish, not to mention it’s easy to put together! Thank you for this Beth :)
This recipe is delicious. It has definitely become a favorite in my house. My boyfriend insisted that I make it for Thanksgiving this year for a pot luck we were attending… he said, “trust me, I know my friends.” I put it on a bed of arugula. Everyone loved it!
I made this last night it was really good, It was a little loose which is fine for meatloaf but I want to make them in them into meatballs for a trial party sampler, any suggestions on making them a little firmer. I was thinking an extra egg and some bread crumbs.
Yes, an egg and bread crumbs will definitely help firm it up :)
The flavors are all there, however I think the recipe is a little off… or at least should be clarified. You mention brown rice can be used. I used brown rice, however I don’t think it works here. My meatloaf ended up being very soft and wet and sort of flattened out in the pan. I think a white rice would be able to absorb the moisture and hold the loaf together better than a brown rice. That being said, it was delicious and I will certainly make this again using white rice.
Love this! We make it with leftover Golden Bowl rice (we always get way more rice than we need) and it tastes great!
Thank you!
I am going to add crushed pineapple, because it’s so close to perfect, and I think that’s all it needs.
This is one of my favorites! I printed it out and have had it in my recipe book for at least 5 months before I made it. WOW! It was so delicious! We like it hot in our house so I doubled the sriracha. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! :)
Jessica
West Linn, OR
Wow this was ahhmazzing… as Beth would say!
I have made many recipes from Beth’s site but when my husband tried this meatloaf and 2012’s #5 Crunchy Asian Salad I paired it with, he said it was the best ever!! He has been known to say this in the past but I apparently one up’d myself thanks to Budget Bytes. My kids loved it too, I added only 1 tablespoon of Sriracha and doubled the ketchup so it wasnt too spicy.
If you have never tried Beth’s recipes 2012’s best 20 is a great place to start!
Beth I wish great things for you in 2013!
Valerie
Golden, CO
I had this and it was really good. I think I used a little too much fresh ginger, but it was good. I also added some red pepper to get a little more veggies in the recipe.
Yes,I think ground chicken would also work well.
Do you think this would taste just as good with ground chicken instead of turkey?
Made this last night, but just tried it today (I wanted it to set up overnight). Wow, what a great flavour, and the glaze is the perfect accompaniment! Since I’ve made a few meatloaves in my life, I added a few personal touches: lightly sauteed the garlic/ginger mixture (to take the sharpness out), added some soaked bread in milk, and I added a cup of cooked quinoa, just because that is what I had on hand. To mold the meatloaf, I used a trick I learned from the Food Network. Spray a loaf pan well with Pam, then fill it with the meat mixture, patting it in well. Then flip it over onto your baking tray, give it a few good taps, and out it pops, beautifully formed! I also love this dish as you could easily use the meat mixture in three ways: as a meatloaf, meatballs (I think the Siracha glaze would be awesome on meatballs), or a burger. 5-star dish!!!