Best Ever Healthy Meatloaf Recipe

Slice of meatloaf topped with salsa with a side of potatoes and a fork.

5 from 10 votes

This homemade meatloaf is easy to make and packed full of flavor! Made with lean meats, chopped fresh vegetables, and whole grain rice, this is the absolute best healthy meatloaf recipe you'll ever eat!

Prep Time15

Cook Time50

Total Time1 5

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 264kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Equipment

loaf pan

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
½ green bell pepper, finely chopped
½ lb. ground turkey
½ lb ground beef
1 cup chunky salsa
1 egg, beaten
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup brown rice, cooked

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Using a sharp knife cut and deseed the red and green pepper.
Finely chop the onion, red pepper, and green pepper. Expert TIp: using a vegetable chopper makes this process easier and faster.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and when hot, put the chopped onions and peppers in the skillet. Sauté the vegetables for 3-5 minutes until tender.
In a large bowl, combine the raw ground beef, raw ground turkey, salsa, egg, salt, black pepper, and garlic.
Stir in the sauteed vegetables and then add the cooked brown rice.
Place the mixture in an oblong bread loaf or in a baking dish and form into an oblong loaf.
Bake for 50 minutes to an hour or until the inserted thermometer reaches 165°F.
Allow the meatloaf to cool for 5-10 minutes.
If desired, add additional salsa on top if the cooked meatloaf.
Slice and then serve.

Notes

Any loaf pan will work when making this recipe, but I like using a large loaf mold flexipan. I find that it cooks more evenly and it's easier to clean.
When you remove the baked meatloaf from the oven, excess liquid will remain on top. This is the natural juices from the vegetables and salsa. After 5-10 minutes of cooling, the cooked meatloaf will absorbs the liquids.
With a traditional version, you'll get those perfect slices when you cut into the meatloaf. Don't expect perfect slices with this healthy meatloaf recipe. This recipe calls for fresh and healthy ingredients and if the meatloaf has not cooled long enough, it will crumble when slicing. If this happens, combined the crumbles into a round shape and top with additional salsa. Regardless how it looks, it's still amazingly delicious!
Instead of using part ground turkey and part ground beef, this recipe can be made using all ground turkey, all ground beef, or all ground chicken. Ground chicken is also a good substitute when using two meats.
Use a chunky salsa instead of a thin restaurant style version. Pace picante sauce works well.
If you want to add a bit of spice, use a medium or hot salsa instead of mild. You can also add in chopped jalapeno peppers when sauteing the vegetables.
Cook the brown rice before adding it to the mixture. If you use uncooked rice, it won't cook all the way through while baking. You can use boil-in-a-bag rice or instant cooked rice. Feel free to also substitute with wild rice, quinoa, or white rice.
Other vegetables you can add are chopped fresh mushrooms, zucchini or squash.

Nutrition