My whole family loves this cozy chicken meatloaf recipe, especially the tasty ketchup glaze on top! I mixed ground chicken with a host of goodies like breadcrumbs, Parmesan, tomato paste, and Worcestershire to form a moist, flavorful, and delicious homemade meatloaf. With nearly 600 five-star reviews to back me up, my glazed loaf is the easiest weeknight comfort food!
Top Reader Reviews
This is by far the best meatloaf I’ve ever made. My husband agrees.
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I really enjoyed this meatloaf. Who would have thought ground chicken could become such a satisfying meal!
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Ground Chicken Meatloaf with Ketchup Glaze
I always loved meatloaf growing up, and my mom makes one of the best recipes. But I wanted to make meatloaf using ground chicken for a leaner option with just as much flavor! Prepping this ground chicken loaf is so quick, the brown sugar ketchup glaze is lip-smacking good, and every bite is pure comfort. It’s one of my favorite chicken dinners when I need something cozy to fill my belly!
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This meatloaf couldn’t be easier. Just mix, bake, and top with a tasty glaze!
Chicken Meatloaf Recipe
Equipment
- 8×4 inch loaf pan
Ingredients
For the Meatloaf:
- 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 (**)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
For the 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.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 this to the bowl with the ground chicken and combine.
- Add the 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.
- 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
- For easy mixing and even cooking, let the chicken sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before prepping.
- Don’t overmix. Just stir or fold ingredients together until fully combined.
- When adding the ground chicken to the loaf pan, gently pat down the meatloaf mixture rather than packing it in too firmly, or it will become tough.
- If the top of the loaf is starting to brown before it’s done, tent it loosely with foil.
- Ground chicken should reach 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.
- Feel free to line the loaf pan with parchment paper (long pieces that stick over the side) for easy removal.
- If you don’t have a loaf pan: shape the ground meat into an oblong, slightly-domed shape on a baking sheet. I don’t prefer this method, but it works in a pinch.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
🙈 Learn from my mistake!
The first time I made this meatloaf, I added way too much liquid and ended up with soupy ground chicken that looked like it was drowning.
💡Lesson Learned: Add a little bit of milk (about ½ cup at a time) until you get the right consistency. It should be wet, but still stick together easily.
Foolproof Tips
- Don’t overmix. Over-mixing ground meat causes the proteins to toughen up, ultimately leading to a dense and dry loaf. Instead, mix gently just until ingredients are combined.
- Don’t add too much liquid. I recommend starting with ½ cup of milk and adding more as needed (up to 1 cup), until you reach your desired consistency. The ground meat mixture should be wet, but everything should stick together easily.
- Don’t pack in the loaf. If it’s packed in too tightly, it will become dense and firm in the oven. Instead, gently pat the chicken mixture into the loaf pan, so that some air is still incorporated. This leads to a much more tender consistency!
- Don’t slice right away. Once the meatloaf comes out of the oven, give it 5-10 minutes to rest before slicing. This allows it to firm up, so you get clean slices. It also gives the juices time to redistribute, so everything will be nice and juicy.
How to Make Chicken Meatloaf Step by Step
Combine the Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, crumble and break up 1 pound of ground chicken, then set it aside. In a medium bowl, combine 1¼ cups of breadcrumbs, ½ cup of finely chopped onion, ½ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper; stir to mix.
Add the Chicken: Add the breadcrumb mixture to the bowl of ground chicken, and mix to fully combine.
Add the Wet Ingredients: To the ground chicken mixture, add ½ cup of milk (slowly add more if needed), 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, and 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. Stir to fully combine all ingredients.
Fill the Pan: In a small bowl, stir together ¾ cup of ketchup, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Spoon a couple tablespoons (it doesn’t need to be an exact amount) of the glaze into the bottom of an 8×4-inch loaf pan, and spread it into an even layer. Add the meatloaf mixture to the loaf pan, and mold it into an even layer.
Glaze and Bake: Spread the remaining glaze on top of the ground chicken mixture, to fully coat. Bake the glazed chicken meatloaf in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 80-90 minutes; or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the loaf is cooked through.
Serve: Let the loaf rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. I love serving meatloaf with mashed potatoes and some veggies for a classic comfort food meal!
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Let chicken meatloaf cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container; or tightly wrapped in layers of aluminum foil and/or plastic wrap.
- Fridge: Keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. For extra protection, wrap in foil then place in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat: Reheat loaf in a 250°F oven for 25-30 minutes. I recommend drizzling 1-2 tablespoons of broth on top to keep it from drying out. Individual slices can be reheated in the microwave in 30-second increments–but this method can lead to unevenly heated slices.
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