Chicken meatloaf is healthier than traditional meatloaf, but still packs big flavors in each tender bite.
After spending much of the past week sick, it feels good to be back in the saddle again. Well, not a real saddle per se, it is hard to type while riding a horse, but calling my office chair a saddle does makes it sound cooler… like I am a rough and ready cowboy ready to tame the wilds of the world wide web armed with nothing but a pantry of seasoning and some ground chicken. Hey, it’s my fantasy, let me live it.
Chicken Meatloaf
Chicken meatloaf is prepared much in the same way as a classic beef meatloaf, ground meat is combined with breadcrumbs and seasonings and then baked in the oven until done. The obvious difference is the primary protein is chicken rather than beef.
I tried a variety of glazes and toppings for this meatloaf, but ultimately, my favorite was the same glaze I use in my classic meatloaf recipe. It is delectably sweet and tangy, and perfect for painting on any meatloaf!
In hindsight, I think using a gravy-like sauce such I created for my cocktail meatballs, would have tasted phenomenal as well, had I thought to test it. Perhaps, with a handful of herbs tossed in as well… just an idea to spur your own creativity!
Is Chicken Meatloaf Healthy
Chicken meatloaf is healthier than traditional meatloaf because ground chicken is exceptionally lean. Ground chicken has roughly half the calories as the same sized portion of 80/20 ground beef.
How to Prevent Chicken Meatloaf from Being Dry
The biggest concern when making a meatloaf with lean meat is how to prevent it from being too dry. Fat adds a lot of calories, but it also adds moisture and flavor.
Since the ground chicken doesn’t contain much fat, the moisture in this meatloaf comes from the breadcrumbs soaking up the milk, as well as the shredded Parmesan cheese which will melt into the meatloaf.
How Long to Bake Chicken Meatloaf
It is particularly important to bake chicken meatloaf long enough, since you don’t want to serve your family uncooked chicken. The internal temperature of the meatloaf needs to reach 165 degrees, which will take approximately 90 minutes at 350 degrees.
It is important to note, the baking time will vary depending on the thickness of your meatloaf, so I always recommend using a digital meat thermometer to monitor your progress.
Chicken Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Ground Chicken
- 1 cup Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Milk
- 2 Eggs (beaten)
- 1/2 cup grated Onion
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
- 1/3 cup chopped Parsley
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Table Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Sage
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
Meatloaf Glaze
- 1/2 cup Ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Gently crumble chicken into a large bowl. In a separate dish, combine all dry ingredients and mix together, then sprinkle over ground chicken. Add remaining wet ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine.
- In a separate dish, prepare the meatloaf glaze by mixing ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce together.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of glaze to the bottom of a bread pan and add the chicken meatloaf mixture into the pan and form into a loaf. Paint the chicken meatloaf with the remaining glaze.
- Bake in the oven uncovered for 90 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees with a digital meat thermometer.
- Remove from the oven, let rest for a few minutes, slice and serve.
Notes
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Jeff the Chef says
I don’t believe I’ve ever had poultryloaf. I’ll bet you could go crazy with the spices, since chicken is such a welcoming canvas.
Matt says
Very flavorful! Thanks for the great recipe.
Mama P says
Nice recipe! Enjoyed the flavor. I added some baby Bella mushrooms to the loaf and diced instead of shredding the onion. I like a little more texture to my meat loaves. Only had 1 egg and still was plenty moist. Also used almond cashew milk because that’s what I had.
Nancy says
Really delicious (especially since I accidentally put all of the glaze on the bottom of the pan (once again, I didn’t read the complete instructions!) and ended up making another half batch for the top. Moist and super yummy!