Make a yummy, cheese-topped TexMex Turkey Meatloaf, with onion, bell pepper, and Mexican spices. This EASY TO MAKE main dish has great FLAVOR!
Today I want to share a recipe I created for TexMex turkey meatloaf. When I first made this dish, I had a pound of ground turkey I wanted to use up. I added ingredients I thought would enhance the flavor. My husband and I are the only ones still in our home, so I make this meatloaf with one pound of ground turkey, and it yields 4 servings. It’s a perfect meal for the two of us (and for leftovers). The meatloaf freezes very well, and can easily be doubled.
Turkey tends to be very mild in flavor, so I add garlic powder, ground cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and taco sauce to season the meat. Several veggies are included (carrots, onion and red bell pepper) to add additional flavor. Egg and bread crumbs are also included to bind it all together. The meatloaf is topped with grated cheddar cheese, which melts during baking. The result is a delicious, Southwest-inspired meatloaf! YUM!
With only about 10 minutes of prep work, this truly is a simple, quick dish to prepare and pop in the oven. TexMex meatloaf bakes for about 40 minutes, and then it’s ready to serve! Let me show you how easy it is to make this dish:
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Make The Meatloaf
Preheat your oven to 350°F. The meatloaf takes only a few minutes to prepare, so you want your oven hot and ready! Mix the ingredients for the meatloaf together in a large mixing bowl. To form the meatloaf you will need ground turkey, egg, shredded carrots, yellow onion, red bell pepper, bread crumbs, spices and taco sauce. The spices I use to season the ground turkey are garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.
Combine these ingredients together. I find it easiest to use my clean hands to do this. Once combined, realize you FORGOT to put in the taco sauce so add the taco sauce (forgot to add it before taking the first photo!). Yep, this meatloaf has taco sauce in it. You can use your favorite brand. Make sure the ingredients for the meatloaf have been thoroughly combined.
Bake The Meatloaf
Lightly grease or spray an 8½” or 9″ loaf pan . Spoon the meatloaf mixture into the prepared pan and press it down slightly to fill the pan. NOTE: You will notice the pan will only be filled about half way up the sides (this recipe will yield 4 servings).
Place the pan on a middle rack into your preheated oven. Bake, UNCOVERED, at 350°F. for 40-45 minutes. NOTE: When the meatloaf has baked for 25 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the top of the meatloaf with grated cheddar cheese. Return pan to the oven and finish baking the remaining 15 minutes (uncovered). When done, the meatloaf will be browned and the cheese on top will be melted.
NOTE **If you double this recipe, bake the meatloaf for 55-60 minutes total, due to the increased volume. Add the grated cheese 15 minutes before it is finished baking.
Slice And Serve The TexMex Turkey Meatloaf
Transfer the pan from the oven to a wire rack to cool for a couple of minutes. You can cut the meatloaf right in the pan OR you can remove the entire loaf from the pan after it cools a bit. I typically remove the TexMex turkey meatloaf from the pan (with 2 spatulas), and find it easier to cut and serve that way.
Slice the meatloaf into 4 equal-sized portions, and serve. We enjoy this meatloaf with creamy mashed potatoes and a green veggie on the side. It is a delicious comfort food style meal. The spices and taco sauce provide a nice twist, giving this meatloaf great TexMex flavor.
I hope you have a chance to make this delicious turkey meatloaf for yourself and those you love. Thank you for stopping by today. Please come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care and have a great day.
Looking For More MEATLOAF Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a couple more meatloaf recipes you might enjoy, including Cheesy Italian Meatloaf and Really GOOD Meatloaf. If you enjoy meatloaf, you might also enjoy trying my recipe for Easy Beef Stuffed Rolls.
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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Make a yummy, cheese-topped TexMex Turkey Meatloaf, with onion, bell pepper, and Mexican spices. This EASY TO MAKE main dish has great FLAVOR!
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ½ cup plain bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup yellow onion ,chopped
- ¼ cup red bell pepper , chopped
- ¼ cup shredded carrot
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 Tablespoons taco sauce
- ⅓ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or spray an 8½" or 9" loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients (EXCEPT cheese) together. I find it easiest to use my clean hands to do this.
Spoon the meatloaf mixture into prepared pan; press mixture down slightly to fill the pan. NOTE: Pan will only be filled about half way up the sides.
Place pan on middle rack in oven. Bake, UNCOVERED, at 350°F. for 40-45 minutes. **When meatloaf has baked for 25 minutes, remove pan from oven. Sprinkle top of meatloaf with grated cheese. Return pan to oven and finish baking the remaining 15 minutes (uncovered). When done, meatloaf will be browned and cheese will be melted.
Transfer pan to wire rack to cool 2-3 minutes. Slice into 4 portions and serve.
NOTE: If you double this recipe, bake meatloaf for 55-60 minutes due to the increased volume.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!