This is the best ground chicken meatloaf recipe! It's moist, juicy, and packed with flavour! You'll love how easy this healthy meatloaf is to make. It's made with ground chicken, applesauce, vegetables, and spices, and there are no breadcrumbs required, which means this recipe is also gluten free.
Why you will love this recipe:
- This homemade chicken meatloaf is moist, tender and each bite is packed with flavour thanks to the garlic, dijon mustard, applesauce, vegetables, rosemary, and other spices.Â
- It's so quick and easy to make! This ground chicken meatloaf is ready in just four steps.Â
- It freezes really well and makes great leftovers so is great for meal prep.Â
- It is the perfect dish to serve on those busy weeknights.Â
- It's made with pantry staples that I bet you already have on hand.
- The whole family will love this healthy comfort food and you'll love that it makes great leftovers too.
- Not only is this meatloaf healthy and delicious but it is also gluten free and can easily be made paleo and Whole30 compliant.
Key ingredients and substitutions:
- Ground chicken - chicken is centre stage in this dish and takes on a delectable flavour when paired with the rest of the ingredients. I recommend using ground dark chicken meat if possible for more moisture and flavour.
- Applesauce - the secret ingredient to this moist meatloaf. Not only does it add a bit of natural sweetness to the dish but it also pairs nicely with the chicken.
- Spices - dried rosemary and herbes de provence spice blend work perfectly in this recipe. You could easily swap the herbs de Provence spice blend for Italian seasoning and turn this into Italian chicken meatloaf.
- Almond flour - almond flour is used to help bind this easy meatloaf recipe. Instead of almond flour you could use oatmeal, bread crumbs or crushed crackers.
- BBQ sauce - this is optional but I personally love topping meatloaf with bbq sauce to give it even more flavour and turn this into a bbq chicken meatloaf!
How to make this recipe:
Step one:
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step two:
Next, add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix them until well combined.Â
Step three:
Now transfer the meat mixture to a bread pan and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until the loaf is cooked though.Â
Step four:
Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it cool for a moment.
Step five:
Top the meatloaf with barbecue sauce or ketchup and serve while warm.
Tips and variations:
- Line the bread pan with parchment paper to make it even easier to get the meatloaf out of the pan.Â
- Instead of almond flour you could use bread crumbs, oatmeal or crushed crackers.
- Instead of bbq sauce you could top this meatloaf with ketchup.Â
- If you are on a Whole30 diet: be sure the applesauce and bbq sauce you use is Whole30 compliant - or make your own Whole bbq sauce!Â
- If you are on a paleo diet: use paleo friendly bbq sauce to top this meatloaf. Or make your own bbq sauce!
- If you don't want to use bbq sauce or ketchup, you could also top your meatloaf with chicken gravy.
- Not a fan of chicken? Try this meatloaf recipe, it's made with ground beef instead.
- You could also make this recipe with ground turkey meat.
What to serve with meatloaf:
You can pair meatloaf with so many different side dishes. Here are 15 side dishes you can serve with meatloaf:
- French fries
- Baked sweet potatoes
- Coleslaw
- Kale and Apple Salad
- Mac and Cheese
- Honey glazed carrots and parsnips
- Green beans with slivered almonds
- Simple tomato soup
- Cornbread muffins
- Broccoli salad
- Roasted potato wedges
How to store:
Store this meatloaf in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
This meatloaf also freezes really well for up to 3 months. If you are going to freeze it, don't top it with bbq sauce or ketchup before doing so. Add the toppings after it has been thawed.
Frequently asked questions:
Yes! To freeze this the meatloaf, I suggest freezing it before you cook it. Just wrap up the uncooked meatloaf and pop it in the freezer in an air tight container or bag. When you’re ready to make it, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then cook like normal.
While I recommend using chicken in this recipe, you could definitely substitute for ground beef or even ground turkey. If you’re looking for a different meatloaf recipe that uses ground beef, try this Meatloaf Recipe instead.
You do not need to cover your meatloaf when cooking it in the oven. It bakes perfectly even if it’s uncovered.Â
How healthy a meatloaf recipe is will depend on what ingredients are in it. Look for recipes made with natural sweeteners, vegetables, ground meat and without any refined sugars for the healthiest meatloaf options.Â
To keep meatloaf from falling apart it needs binding agents. The most common binders for meatloaf are eggs and breadcrumbs but other binding options include almond flour, almond meal, crushed crackers, or oats.Â
Other recipes you will love:
- Meatloaf with Blueberries
- Healthy Sloppy Joes
- Healthy Stuffed Peppers
- Cranberry Maple Chicken
- Healthy Chicken Stir Fry
Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Facebook where I share even more recipes and healthy living tips! And don’t forget to leave this recipe a star review before you go!
Recipe
Ground Chicken Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon herbes de provence spice blend
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and stir everything well until combined.
- Transfer the meatloaf mixture to a bread pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, until cooked through.
- Top with barbecue sauce and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Instead of almond flour you can use breadcrumbs or crushed crackers for this recipe.
- Instead of bbq sauce you could top it with ketchup instead.
- Store this meatloaf in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
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