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Short-Order Kitchen

Air Fryer Turkey Meatloaf

By Wes Ellis2 min read
A sliced meatloaf on a wooden board with a plate of roasted potatoes behind it.
Recipe card
Servings
4
Prep
20 minutes
Cook
25 minutes and up, to 165°F
Method
Air fryer
Heat
350°F air fryer
Difficulty
Medium
Jump to ingredients & directions ↓

Part 7 of the thread Air fryer weeknights

THE SHORT VERSION4 points
  • Soaked oats keep lean turkey from turning dry and crumbly.
  • Air fry at 350°F and start checking at 25 minutes.
  • Go by the thermometer: 165°F in the center.
  • Ketchup goes on in the last few minutes so it doesn't burn.
THE RECIPE · AIR FRYER TURKEY MEATLOAF

Ingredients

You'll need

  • Air fryer
  • Nonstick skillet
  • Small loaf pan that fits the basket, or a foil sling
  • Large bowl
  • Meat thermometer

Directions

Mix

  1. Stir the oats into the milk and let them soak while you prep everything else.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, add the garlic, oregano, pepper flakes and black pepper for about a minute, then add the spinach and stir until it wilts down. Let it cool a few minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the soaked oats, the spinach mixture, turkey, egg, egg white and Worcestershire. Mix just until combined.
  4. Shape into a compact loaf that fits your pan or basket.

Cook

  1. Heat the air fryer to 350°F. Spray the loaf pan or foil sling and set the meatloaf in it.
  2. Air fry, checking the center at 25 minutes, and keep going until it reads 165°F. Thicker loaves take longer.
  3. Brush the ketchup over the top for the last few minutes of cooking.
  4. Rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes Slices keep up to 4 days in the fridge and reheat well in the microwave, a skillet or the air fryer.

wesellis.com/blog/air-fryer-meatloaf/

Extra-lean turkey breast is great for protein and terrible for meatloaf, at least on its own. There's almost no fat to keep it moist, so it tends to bake up dry and crumbly. This version fixes that with two things that aren't meat: soaked oats and a whole bag of spinach.

Why the oats get soaked

Dry oats pull moisture out of the meat as it cooks. Oats that have already had a few minutes in milk do the opposite, releasing it back and holding the loaf together the way a panade does in a classic meatloaf. The spinach helps too. Cooked down, a six-ounce bag disappears into the mix and keeps every slice from drying out.

Mix gently and stop once it's combined. Overworked ground turkey gets dense and springy.

Heads up

Air fryers vary a lot, and a loaf is thick. There's no reliable fixed time here. Start checking at 25 minutes and trust the thermometer, not the clock.

Fitting it in the basket

Shape the loaf to your machine, not to a standard loaf pan. A shorter, flatter loaf cooks more evenly than a tall one. A small metal loaf pan works, and so does a foil sling with the edges folded up to catch the juices.

Tip

Wait on the ketchup. Brushed on at the start, the sugar burns long before the center is done.

It's a natural match for a Loaded Baked Potato. If you'd rather have the same lean turkey in smaller pieces, the Turkey Meatballs and Zoodles cook in about ten minutes. And the fridge and freezer guide covers how long the leftovers last.

LINKED FROM1 note

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