Meatloaf is actually a German dish by tradition and didn’t show up in the American cookbooks until late in the 19th century. It has typically been made with variations of ground beef, pork or veal and in most recent years, poultry. I think a lot of people tend to avoid using poultry simply because it does tend to dry out a bit faster and because it is more lean, needs assistance to maintain its moisture.
I have been making meatloaf with ground turkey and chicken for years. While the ground beef and pork options do create a very tasty meatloaf, I really try and incorporate lean meats and fish into my diet as frequently as possible.
That said, last night I threw together one of my favorite versions of a ground turkey meatloaf. I used lean ground turkey (93%) and then added my flavors and ingredients prior to baking. I have tried fattier versions of ground turkey, but I find them to be greasier and honestly, I think they dry out faster.
The key component for this recipe is the Tahini. If you haven’t used it before, Tahini is used in a lot of Eastern Mediterranean cuisines and is made from toasted and ground hulled sesame. It’s the main flavor backdrop to things like hummus or baba ghanoush. I keep Tahini in the pantry at all times because it is great for all kinds of dips, dressings and marinades.
You could use 100% peanut butter, but the Tahini gives the meatloaf a nice twist because of the sesame profile, especially when combined with low sodium soy sauce and sesame oil. Adding fresh cilantro, garlic and shallot gives it a brightness and the panko and egg white keep the turkey from drying out when baking.
You can make the meatloaf ahead of time, which I did yesterday, and keep covered in the refrigerator until you’re actually ready to bake, which takes about 45 minutes. It’s a great quick dinner when you don’t have time to babysit the stove.
I served with steamed brown jasmine rice and roasted green beans, sugar snap peas and mushrooms tossed in sesame oil, olive oil, low sodium soy sauce and sesame seeds. I roasted those for about 20 minutes.
I finished the meatloaf off with a horseradish cream, which is basically the same recipe as the blue cheese horseradish cream only without the worcestershire or blue cheese.
The leftovers, which may be my favorite part of this dish, can be reheated in the oven or on the stove with olive oil to crisp up the edges. They also make for a great sandwich with pepper jack cheese and pickled onions , for a deliciously quick and simple lunch.
Asian Inspired Turkey Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 3 TB Tahini
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 TB low sodium soy sauce
- 2 TB olive oil
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 large shallot diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1.5 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 egg white
- 2/3 cup panko
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients until well incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
- In a greased loaf pan, add mixture and gently press until evenly distributed.
- Bake in oven for approximately 45 minutes or until brown on top and thermometer reads 165 degrees.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing to serve.
Leave a Reply