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!
Victoria says
What a delicious chicken meatloaf!! Best I have ever made or tasted!!
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!!
Laura says
This was absolutely disgusting. Just a wet mushy mess.
Becky Hardin says
I am sorry it didn’t work out for you!
Kevan Burnett says
It didn’t hold together
Becky Hardin says
I am sorry this didn’t turn out for you.
Lisa says
Easy and delicious! I don’t have a loaf pan, but works perfectly on a cookie sheet.
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
Lisa Hineman-Moore says
A wonderful recipe! Easy, different than meat loaf, my husband just goes crazy over it. I split the loaf in half, add Swiss cheese and the sauce then I put the topping on and the sauce.
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing!!
Victoria says
Just made this for a second time and it was, again, fabulous!! I used my own BBQ sauce as the sauce, but everything else is according to the recipe. Also, from the first time I made it, I froze a large part of the loaf (there are only two of us), and it reheats beautifully in the microwave, retains moisture, etc. Won’t ever make a different kind of chicken meatloaf!!
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing, Victoria!
Liz says
This meatloaf was great! I did use a bit less milk and Asiago cheese because it’s all I had. Used Italian breadcrumbs. So moist and great flavor and texture. Will definitely make again, thank you!
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing, Liz!
Jocelyn says
I was really really worried as I put this in the oven. It was very liquidy. The advice not to press it down seemed silly because that wasn’t even possible. I basically poured it into my pans. Despite that, it did end up cooking well, the final dish held together, and my daughter who hates meatloaf enjoyed it, so I’ll make it again!
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing, Jocelyn!
Mr says
I think there is a misprint in this recipe. I cut the milk in half and it came out great. If I had used all the milk they call for I don’t think I would have even be able to make a loaf
Becky Hardin says
Definitely modify to your liking!
Diane says
Sorry Becky..This is a TERRIBLE..BIG GLOOPY MESS!! I just wasted money on quality ingredients like organic chicken and eggs. This cooked for almost 2hours and temp was over 195 …it was done and still came out like a big pile of mushy vomit! No flavor at all. Even my husband who eats everything and never complains said “lets just cook up some eggs” I wish I could give this a negative star rating.
Becky Hardin says
I am sorry this didn’t work out, Diane!
Lynnie says
Hi! Would this work with ground beef? Thank you.
Becky Hardin says
Yes!