This Chicken Meatloaf is the easiest comfort food you’re likely to make! Ground chicken mixed with a host of goodies like Parmesan and Worcestershire to form a moist, satisfying, and deliciously glazed loaf!
What’s in this Chicken Meatloaf Recipe
Chicken Meatloaf makes for a delicious dinner and much-coveted leftovers (if there’s any left!). The meatloaf mix is bursting with deep flavors and serves up a mouthwatering dinner with minimal prep!
- Ground Chicken: A great, healthier, lower-fat option for making meatloaf.
- Breadcrumbs: Help bind the chicken and keep it moist.
- Onion: Adds moisture and an earthy flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds a salty, umami flavor.
- Parsley: Adds a pop of freshness.
- Salt + Pepper: Enhances the flavor of the meatloaf.
- Garlic Powder: Adds a bit of earthiness.
- Milk: Helps keep this meatloaf extra moist.
- Eggs: Binds the meatloaf and keeps it moist.
- Tomato Paste: Adds a rich, slightly acidic flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a salty, umami, and slightly sweet flavor to both the meatloaf and the glaze.
- Ketchup: Adds a tomato flavor and a bit of sweetness.
- Brown Sugar: Enhances the sweetness of the glaze and helps it caramelize in the oven.
Pro Tip: When adding the meatloaf to the loaf pan, gently pat down the meatloaf mixture rather than packing it in too firmly, or it will be too tough.
Variations on Ground Chicken Meatloaf
There are many variations and additions you can make to chicken meatloaf to customize the flavors to your liking. Here are a few ideas:
- Add herbs and spices like thyme, rosemary, or smoked paprika for additional flavor.
- Incorporate different vegetables such as carrots, celery, or spinach to enhance the nutritional profile.
- Try a different glaze, like barbecue sauce to add moisture and a flavorful finish.
Yes, ground chicken can be used as a substitute for ground beef in any meatloaf recipe. However, keep in mind that ground chicken has a lower fat content compared to ground beef, so the resulting meatloaf may be leaner and potentially drier. To compensate for this, you can add moisture by incorporating ingredients like diced vegetables, breadcrumbs, eggs, or sauces.
Chicken meatloaf can be prone to dryness due to the lower fat content in ground chicken. To prevent this, we added some milk for extra moisture. You’ll also want to remove the meatloaf from the oven as soon as it registers 165°F to avoid drying it out by overcooking it.
It’s crucial to cook chicken meatloaf to a safe internal temperature to ensure it’s fully cooked and safe to eat. The USDA recommends cooking chicken meatloaf to an internal temperature of 165°F.
To make ahead just prepare your loaf and refrigerate, it’s good for a day in the fridge before cooking. If the ground chicken has not been previously frozen, you can freeze, without the topping, for cooking later. The meatloaf will keep up to four months in the freezer.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover meatloaf in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Drizzle the meatloaf with 1-2 tablespoons of broth and reheat in a 250°F oven for 25-30 minutes to keep it from drying out.
How to Freeze
Leftovers can be frozen and will keep up to 4 months. You can wrap slices individually in foil and then pack in a freezer bag for easy removal and re-heating.
Serving Suggestions
This meatloaf is a super satisfying main. To make it a full meal you can serve with mashed potatoes or baked sweet potatoes. For some veggies, why not go for roasted veggies, just pop them in during part of the meatloaf cook and you’re good to go!
Leftover meatloaf is so good! It becomes even more flavorful and can be made into dinner with sides, but why not mix things up and slam a slice of meatloaf into a burger bun – delicious!
Chicken Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1¼ cups breadcrumbs
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup milk (see note)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Glaze:
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, crumble the ground chicken.1 pound ground chicken
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients (breadcrumbs, onion, parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper) and stir to mix. Add this to the bowl with the ground chicken and stir.1¼ cups breadcrumbs, ½ cup finely chopped onion, ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the remaining wet ingredients (milk, eggs, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce) and stir to mix.½ cup milk, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- In a small bowl, make the glaze by stirring together the ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce.¾ cup ketchup, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Spoon a couple tablespoons of the glaze into the bottom of an 8×4-inch loaf pan. Add the chicken mixture to the loaf pan and then spread the remaining glaze on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 80-90 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the loaf is cooked through.
Notes
- Note: Some readers have mentioned that 1 cup felt like too much milk. I recommend starting with ½ cup and adding more as needed (up to 1 cup) until you reach your desired consistency.
- When adding the meatloaf to the loaf pan, gently pat down the meatloaf mixture rather than packing it in too firmly, or it will be too tough.
- To check the doneness of the loaf you can use a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should be at 165°F.
- Let the meatloaf rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. This allows time for the mixture to settle, making serving easier.
- There are a number of uses for day-old meatloaf, from easy lunches like sandwiches, to a breakfast skillet or pasta. You can get creative!
Annette Ducedre says
This is a great recipe. The only thing I changed was to rearrange the ingredients to the order that you use them. It saves me having to find them in the list and make sure I don’t miss anything.
Becky Hardin says
Great tip, Annette!!
Madhavi Puri says
Amazing recipe!! Came out very well. Thanks!!
Becky Hardin says
You’re welcome!! Thank YOU for trying it!
Madhavi Puri says
Thanks for the recipe. Came out very well. !!
Becky Hardin says
You’re very welcome!
Terry Ann says
Yikes! I was questioning a full cup of milk, and yup, a liquidy, runny mess. Added in another cup of breadcrumbs to try and absorb some liquid and drained off about a 1/4 cup. After cooked still not as solid a meatloaf as I would prefer, but tasted okay.
Becky Hardin says
I’m sorry this recipe was so much trouble!
Bronson Fargo says
I thought the same thing, thought I’d messed up somehow, Very wet mixture…BUT…it went with the recipe anyway…and it came out just right.
Mary says
Not too fond of the sweetness of it brown sugar tomato paste
Becky Hardin says
I am sorry this isn’t to your taste, Mary!
Coral says
Me thinks Mary doesn’t like to be nice. She comments twice once in Oct and then again on boxing day. Both negative. Be a kind Becky and not a negative Mary is what I say. Great recipy Becky!
Cathy says
Loved the meatloaf! Very tasty! Will definitely make again ! Thank you !
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing, Cathy!
Ann Simpson says
While the recipe makes a very moist (even wet) mixture, the finished loaf was absolutely delicious with a good texture. Try it!
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing, Ann!
Bronson Fargo says
Super easy to make. The glaze is important, and remember, both top and bottom. I used a glass meat loaf Pan, sprayed with Pam. I would gravitate towards 90 minutes, vs 80.
Came out just superb! The glaze made it even better. This recipe is a keeper, especially for non cooks like I am. Big giant easy button…and it is sooo good.
Becky Hardin says
Happy to hear, Bronson!
Carol says
Delicious!!! Will make again for sure!!
Becky Hardin says
That’s great to hear!
Darlene Hewitt says
I was a little worried about the consistency of this yummy concoction because I wasn’t sure if it would turn into a loaf or if I’d be spooning it out. But it finished perfectly. It was really good and fit well into my diet meal plan
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for stopping by!