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I’ve tried many meatloaf recipes, but none compare to this Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Meatloaf, packed with diced veggies and brushed with a sticky, sweet glaze. It’s so juicy, flavorful, and (best of all) easy to make!
Who knew slow-cooker meatloaf could turn out so good? I certainly didn’t until I tried it! Cooking it low and slow makes the turkey meatloaf incredibly tender and juicy, which is exactly how I like it.
I’ve found that cooking it low works better than cooking it high because it keeps the meat from drying out. I also love adding diced bell peppers, onion, celery, and zucchini for extra flavor, texture, and moisture. It’s an easy way to make a delicious meatloaf without turning on the oven!
Recipe Overview
A Few Key Ingredients
Below are the key ingredients you’ll need. Full quantities are in the recipe card further down the post.
Ground turkey: This lean meat has a mild flavor, making it the perfect base for mixing up with seasonings and veggies to make a delicious meatloaf. Ground chicken or lean ground beef are great substitutes, too.
Diced veggies: I use a mix of zucchini, celery, onion, and bell pepper, finely diced and pre-cooked before adding them to the turkey. This removes a lot of excess moisture from the veggies, which stops the meatloaf from getting soggy.
Eggs: An important ingredient that helps bind the ingredients together while keeping things tender.
Panko breadcrumbs: Soak up excess moisture from the meat and veggies so they don’t get too wet while cooking. Regular dried breadcrumbs may also work here.
Sticky glaze: A simple sweet-tart ketchup glaze adds that sticky crust to the top of the meatloaf. It can be briefly broiled after slow-cooking to help it caramelize, if you like.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overworking the meat: As you stir the ground turkey with the veggies, eggs, and breadcrumbs, try to mix only until just combined. Overmixing can make the meat tough and cause it to leak more moisture as it cooks.
- Cooking on HIGH: The slow cooker cooks the meatloaf in a low-heat, moist environment. This is the perfect environment for keeping the loaf juicy as it cooks through.
- Don’t skip pre-cooking the veggies: Pre-cooking diced veggies drives out excess moisture. This is really important when making a slow-cooked meatloaf, as the crockpot traps a lot of steam as it cooks. Using raw or undercooked veggies can therefore lead to a mushy or soggy meatloaf.
- Don’t let the breadcrumbs soak: I like to mix the panko breadcrumbs with the wet ingredients and let them sit for about 10 minutes to hydrate. This locks moisture into the meatloaf mixture and stops the breadcrumbs from drying out the meat.
- Not using a thermometer: All slow cookers will have slight variations in their operating temperatures. The best way to tell if the meatloaf is done is by poking a thermometer into the center of the loaf. It should reach 165F when it’s done.
- Skipping the resting time: After the long cook time, I know it’s tempting to slice it straight away, but you should really let the meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes before doing so. The resting time lets all the flavorful juices redistribute through the loaf, giving it a juicier overall texture.
How to Make Slow Cooker Meatloaf
Cook the veggies
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, zucchini, salt, and pepper.
Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft and most importantly, the liquid released by the zucchini has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Remove from the heat and allow the vegetable mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.
Mix the remaining meatloaf ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, panko, milk, Dijon, and seasonings. Let the mixture sit for about 3 minutes so the breadcrumbs can absorb some of the liquid.
Add the meat and cooled sautéed vegetables. Using clean hands, gently mix everything together just until evenly incorporated.
Don’t compact or overwork the meat mixture. This is one of the most important steps for a tender meatloaf.
Shape and glaze
Place two long strips of parchment paper into the slow cooker in a cross pattern, leaving enough overhang to act as handles later.
Shape the meat mixture into a compact oval loaf approximately 8-9 inches long. Place it in the center of the slow cooker.
In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, tomato paste, Dijon, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and smoked paprika. Spread about half of the glaze evenly over the meatloaf.
Slow cook
Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or until the center of the meatloaf reaches 160°F. I prefer LOW rather than HIGH for this recipe because the gentler cooking produces a more tender meatloaf.
During the final 20-30 minutes of cooking, spread the remaining glaze over the top.
Rest and serve
Once cooked, turn off the slow cooker and let the meatloaf rest uncovered for 10-15 minutes.
Use the parchment handles to carefully lift it from the slow cooker.
Optional caramelized finish
For a more traditional sticky meatloaf crust, transfer the cooked meatloaf to a baking sheet. Brush with any remaining glaze and broil for 2-4 minutes, watching closely, until bubbling and lightly caramelized.
Rest for another 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with mashed potatoes and a simple green vegetable or salad.
Recipe Notes
Smoky glaze: Swap the ketchup for your favorite BBQ sauce.
Add cheese: Mix a handful of finely grated Parmesan cheese into the meatloaf mixture before cooking.
Add mushrooms: Swap the zucchini for 1 1/2 cups diced cremini mushrooms for a more savory flavor.
Storage: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Alternatively, freeze for up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating).
Reheating: Reheat in a casserole dish, loosely covered with foil, in the oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes until piping hot throughout. For a single slice, it can be reheated in the microwave or by pan-frying in a lightly oiled skillet until heated through.
Questions I Get Asked a Lot
No, the recipe includes panko breadcrumbs as written. However, you can substitute them with gluten-free dry breadcrumbs or gluten-free oats instead, if needed.
No. The eggs are needed to bind the meat together, which prevents it from falling apart when you slice it.
Yes, you can swap the milk for your favorite unsweetened, unflavored non-dairy milk.
I like to brush the glaze on in two stages: brush with half the glaze just before turning on the slow cooker, then add the remaining glaze around 30 minutes before it’s done cooking (when it’s around 160F internally).
You can go the classic route and serve this up with a bed of creamy healthy Mashed Potatoes and maybe some of my delicious Roasted Green Beans. For a simple side, I tend to pull together a quick Garden Salad (which is great when having leftover meatloaf for lunch), or some Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts. If there’s time, a pile of fluffy Homemade Dinner Rolls always goes down well, too!
More Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
- Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Slow Cooker Chuck Roast
- Crockpot Chicken Stew
- Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
- Crockpot Beef Rump Roast
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Thanks so much for being here and for cooking with me. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and a ⭐️ rating below.
Slow Cooker Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, very finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, very finely diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, very finely diced
- 1 medium zucchini, very finely diced, about 1½ cups
- 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 pounds ground turkey
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Tomato Glaze
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 1 large sweet onion (very finely diced), 2 celery stalks (very finely diced), 1 large red bell pepper (very finely diced), 1 medium zucchini (very finely diced), 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft and most importantly, the liquid released by the zucchini has evaporated. Add the 4-6 garlic cloves (minced) and cook for another minute.
- Remove from the heat and allow the vegetable mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 large eggs, ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ cup whole milk, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon dried parsley. Let the mixture sit for about 3 minutes so the breadcrumbs can absorb some of the liquid.
- Add the 3 pounds ground turkey and cooled sautéed vegetables. Using clean hands, gently mix everything together just until evenly incorporated.
- Place two long strips of parchment paper into the slow cooker in a cross pattern, leaving enough overhang to act as handles later.
- Shape the meat mixture into a compact oval loaf approximately 8-9 inches long. Place it in the center of the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/3 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika.
- Spread about half of the glaze evenly over the meatloaf.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or until the center of the meatloaf reaches 160°F.
- During the final 20-30 minutes of cooking, spread the remaining glaze over the top.
- Once cooked, turn off the slow cooker and let the meatloaf rest uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Use the parchment handles to carefully lift it from the slow cooker.
Optional caramelized finish:
- For a more traditional sticky meatloaf crust, transfer the cooked meatloaf to a baking sheet. Brush with any remaining glaze and broil for 2-4 minutes, watching closely, until bubbling and lightly caramelized.
- Rest for another 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with mashed potatoes and a simple green vegetable or salad.
Notes
- Ground turkey: I recommend using 93% lean ground turkey for a juicy meatloaf. Extra-lean turkey can turn out a little dry.
- Finely chop the veggies: Dice the onion, celery, bell pepper, and zucchini into small pieces so they blend into the meatloaf and cook evenly.
- Don’t overmix: Mix the ingredients just until combined. Overmixing can make the meatloaf dense.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Regular breadcrumbs can be used instead. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Tomato glaze: You can use either maple syrup or honey to add a little sweetness and balance the tangy tomato flavor.
- Check for doneness: Ground turkey should reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the center.
- Let it rest: Allow the meatloaf to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing so it holds together better.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
