This air fryer turkey meatloaf is loaded with the delicious flavors of parmesan cheese, garlic, and of course, all that crispy bacon it's wrapped in!
I love meatloaf, and I love to make it in all kinds of ways. Recently, I found a package of frozen ground turkey in the freezer, so I decided to give it a try in meatloaf. I was surprised by how delicious it is!
Air Fryer Turkey Meatloaf
This was inspired by my bbq meatloaf recipe and my other instant pot meatloaf recipe on this site and pairs well with this amazing mashed potato casserole recipe.
Ingredients
It only takes a handful of simple ingredients to make this delicious recipe. You'll find everything you need easily at your local grocery store.
- Ground turkey
- Egg
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Bacon slices
See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.
Instructions
It only takes a few simple steps to make this recipe. The hardest part is waiting for it to finish baking!
Step 1: Make the Meatloaf
Combine the turkey, egg, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly but do not over mix.
Then, form a loaf out of the mixture. Wrap the bacon around the meatloaf or lay it on top so it touches and tucks under the bottom of each side of the meatloaf without going underneath it.
If you wrap your meatloaf all the way around you'll need to flip the meatloaf over midway through cooking so shape it as long as possible to make this task easier. You'll be glad you did.
Step 2: Air Fry
Place the meatloaf in a greased air fryer basket, then air fry the meatloaf for 50 to 60 minutes at 380 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Roll or flip your meatloaf at 30 minute mark so your bacon cooks on the bottom of your meatloaf to a crisp as well.
Hint: Roll your meatloaf over at the midway point so your bacon cooks on the bottom or only lay your bacon on top of the meatloaf for best bacon results.
Substitutions
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this air fryer turkey meatloaf.
- Ground Meat - You can use ground chicken, beef, or pork in place of ground turkey.
- Turkey Bacon - Go all the way with the turkey theme and use turkey bacon but adjust your cook time accordingly.
Variations
Want to personalize this air fryer turkey meatloaf recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.
- Spicy - Add red pepper flakes for a kick of heat.
- Barbecue Sauce - Add your favorite barbecue sauce and mix it directly into the turkey meat before making the meatloaf.
- Meatloaf Seasoning - Use our homemade meatloaf seasoning for a change instead to flavor ground turkey.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy our bacon wrapped pork meatloaf, Pork Meatloaf, baked meatloaf burgers or Shepherds Pie With Turkey.
Storage
You can store this meatloaf in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Tips
This recipe is super easy, but even so, I have a couple of tips to help you make it the best it can possibly be.
- Always grease your air fryer basket so nothing sticks.
- Always preheat your air fryer. It's a myth that they don't need to be preheated.
- If your bacon doesn't stay wrapped around the meatloaf, secure it with water soaked toothpicks.
- If bacon begins to crisp and brown too quickly, simply cover it with a piece of tin foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
FAQ
Do you have questions about air fryer turkey meatloaf? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about this air fryer turkey meatloaf recipe.
It depends on the kind of ground turkey used. If you use a lean ground turkey, then it is. If you use a fattier ground turkey, then the calories and fat are actually comparable to ground beef.
You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Wrap it tightly in a double layer of cling wrap and then again in foil. You can do this to the whole loaf or slice it first.
Place the meatloaf in a baking dish and cover it with foil. Then, bake it on the center rack for 25 to 30 minutes at 250 degrees.
More Ground Turkey Recipes
Do you like ground turkey? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
- One-Pot Turkey Chili and Biscuits
- Slow Cooker Turkey Bolognese
- Slow Cooker Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
Air Fryer Turkey Meatloaf
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Turkey Meatloaf
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground turkey meat
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 8 slices bacon
Instructions
- Get out and measure your ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, egg, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Form a loaf with the meat mixture.
- Wrap slices of bacon around your loaf. If you wrap your meatloaf with bacon all the way around you'll need to flip the meatloaf over midway through cooking so shape the meatloaf as long as possible to make this flipping or rolling task easier. You'll be glad you did.
- Place it in your preheated, greased air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 380ºF for 50-60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Roll or flip your meatloaf at 30 minute mark so your bacon cooks on the bottom of your meatloaf to a crisp as well.
- If bacon begins to crisp and brown too quickly, simply cover it with a piece of tin foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
- Enjoy every bite!
Katie says
Thank you for this meatloaf! I always use to keep it safe and stick to my mom's old recipe. The turkey is lighter. Then you kick it up with the bacon. So good. It even looks pretty when I'm cutting it.
Karin and Ken says
I find the turkey lighter too and the bacon adds so much wonderful flavor. Glad you enjoyed it. All the best. Karin