The Best Ground Chicken Meatloaf

This Easy Ground Chicken Meatloaf is not your grandma's average meatloaf recipe! It's a deliciously moist and juicy comfort food that's sure to please the whole family any day of the week!

Jump to:

• 📋 What You'll Love About this Lighter Meatloaf
• 🛒 Ingredient Notes
• ⁉️ Substitutions and Alterations
• 📓 How to Make Ground Chicken Meatloaf
• ❄️ How to Store and Reheat
• 🔍 Recipe FAQs
• ⁉️ Serving Suggestions 
• 💭 Quick Tips
• 🍴 More Ground Chicken Recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

Incorporating ground chicken recipes into your family's diet is one of the easiest ways to ensure you're meeting your daily protein requirements while also consuming less saturated fat!

And as an expert home chef, it's one of my favorite protein swaps as it's versatile enough to use in various recipes, including Ground Chicken Meatballs, Ground Chicken Sloppy Joes, Ground Chicken Kebabs, and lightened up casseroles like this Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole.

📋 What You'll Love About this Lighter Meatloaf

• High protein, low fat! Traditional meatloaf typically contains almost equal amounts of protein and fat per serving, but this lighter, healthier meatloaf is significantly lower in fat thanks to the ground chicken and addition of fresh veggies. 
• Moist and juicy. Ground chicken usually gets a bad rap for being dry and flavorless, but the interior of this meatloaf is so moist and juicy, no one will mind that it's made without beef. 
• Quick and easy. This homemade meatloaf requires just 20 minutes of prep work. While it bakes, whip up some Fluffy Mashed Potatoes and a nutritious vegetable side dish for a weeknight meal the whole family will love.
• Kid-friendly. With the classic ketchup glaze spread on top, kids won't be able to resist this protein-rich main dish. It's a true family favorite. 
• Perfect for Halloween! Looking for the perfect, easy recipe for your Halloween party? Turn this ground chicken meatloaf into my puff pastry Mummy Meatloaf! 

Looking for more delicious, high protein chicken recipes? Check out my complete collection of Chicken and Turkey Recipes! 

🛒 Ingredient Notes

Making Ground Chicken Meatloaf requires these 5 simple ingredients:

1. Ketchup - When shopping for a healthier ketchup option, I like to look for versions made with a shorter ingredient list and contain cane sugar, like Heinz Simply Tomato Ketchup with No Artificial Sweeteners.
2. Worcestershire sauce - This fermented liquid condiment lends unique flavor and necessary acidity to the ground chicken meatloaf. I love to use the classic Lea and Perrins for the best, authentic flavor.
3. Breadcrumbs - Act as a binder and helps to hold the meatloaf together. They work with the wet ingredients to keep the meat from falling apart. Homemade Bread Crumbs are incredibly easy to make from scratch in a food processor, but if shopping in stores, look for options made without added sugar or fillers such as cornmeal or other additional starches.
4. Eggs - Adds moisture and additional protein to help hold the ingredients together. When possible, spring for organic, pasture-raised eggs. These eggs are often more nutritious, as these hens are raised on a more nutrient-rich feed, leading to eggs with higher levels of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. 
5. Ground chicken - Using ground chicken is a popular choice for those looking for a delicious meatloaf that's leaner than the classic meatloaf recipe you grew up with. 

⁉️ Substitutions and Alterations

• Instead of ground chicken: Substitute ground turkey instead. I do not recommend ground beef for this recipe. If you need a beef recipe, try these Loaded Burger Bowls instead.
• Instead of breadcrumbs: Use crushed crackers, unsweetened cereal, or blended oats to help bind the meat. If gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs. 
• Ketchup alternative: you can use BBQ sauce instead. Depending on the kind you use, it'll lend a smokier, sweeter flavor to the dish.
• Milk substitutes: I used unsweetened almond milk for this recipe. However, you can use any flavorless milk you have on hand. Cow's milk, soy milk, oat milk, rice milk, and cashew milk are all great alternatives. You can use coconut milk, but it may add a slight coconut flavor to the meatloaf.

📓 How to Make Ground Chicken Meatloaf

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a loaf pan by either inserting a sheet of parchment paper that covers the bottom and sides or spraying it with nonstick spray for easy removal. 

2. Make the tangy glaze. In a small mixing bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Set it aside.

3. Cook the onions, carrot, and celery. Place a skillet over medium heat. Drizzle the olive oil on the bottom of the skillet and allow it to heat up before adding onions, garlic, grated carrots and celery. Stirring frequently, cook until the onion turns soft and translucent.

4. Combine eggs and breadcrumbs. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, beat the egg and egg white before adding in the breadcrumbs and milk. Allow the breadcrumbs to soak up the egg and milk

5. Combine the meat mixture. Allow the breadcrumbs to soak up most of the moisture. To the same large bowl, add in the ground chicken, sautéed veggies, and half of the ketchup mixture (about ½ cup). Mix to combine.

6. Transfer the ground meat mixture to loaf pan. Spoon the ground chicken mixture into the prepared loaf pan and smooth it out until it fills the pan from edge to edge.

7. Smooth the rest of the ketchup mixture on top of the meatloaf.

8. Bake. Cover the prepared baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered another 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken meatloaf registers 165 degrees F.
9. Serve. Allow the ground chicken meatloaf to cool slightly before removing from the pan, slicing, and serving as desired while warm. 

❄️ How to Store and Reheat

To store: Leftover meatloaf can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To freeze cooked meatloaf: Wrap the whole (cooled) ground chicken meatloaf tightly in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil before placing it in the freezer. Cooked meatloaf will last 3 to 4 months in the freezer.

To reheat cooked meatloaf: Allow meatloaf to defrost in the refrigerator overnight before heating and serving. Place whole meatloaf on a baking sheet and warm it in a 250 degree F oven for 20-30 minutes or until the center is warmed through.

🔍 Recipe FAQs

⁉️ Serving Suggestions 

Meatloaf is one of my favorite versatile mains that pairs well with several types of sides. Her are some of the most popular well-rated side dishes from the blog: 

• Potatoes: You can't go wrong with a side of Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Fingerling Potatoes, or Instant Pot "Steamed" Potatoes. 
• Roasted Vegetables: Try Roasted Green Beans and Carrots, Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts, Instant Pot Asparagus, Broccoli, Air Fryer Zucchini, or Sautéed Butternut Squash.
• Salad: I love this ground chicken meatloaf recipe paired with my Jerusalem Salad, Fall Cobb Wedge Salad or this Summer Tortellini Caprese Salad when I'm craving something heartier. 
• Bread: Try my Challah Rolls, Air Fryer Garlic Bread, or Round Challah!

💭 Quick Tips

• Use the correct sized loaf pan. Loaf pans come in different sizes. For this recipe, I used a standard US size of 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ inches. If your meatloaf is made in a longer pan, it may take less time to cook since the meat will be spread thinner, while a meatloaf cooked in a smaller, shorter pan might take slightly more time and provide a thicker loaf.
• Avoid glass loaf pans. Believe it or not, the material your loaf pan is made of makes a huge difference. For best results use metal and avoid silicone or glass pans!
• Use ground chicken, not ground chicken breast. Ground chicken is made form a combination of chicken meat and typically includes both dark and white meat. If you only have chicken breasts on hand, make one of my other healthy chicken recipes such as these Classic Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breasts or my popular Chicken Marsala Fettuccine. 

🍴 More Ground Chicken Recipes

Share your cooking with me! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know! Tag @yourhomemadehealthy on Instagram or leave a comment with a rating and some feedback at the bottom of this page!

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