This Veggie Ranch Turkey Meatloaf is packed with zesty ranch flavor, spinach and onions, and topped with zesty dairy free, Paleo and Whole30 ranch sauce! Delicious with roasted sweet potatoes, greens and avocado. Family approved, grain free, paleo and Whole30 compliant, keto.
I’ve decided I need more meatloaf recipes on here, ASAP. Every time I make meatloaf, especially while doing the Whole30, I realize how perfect it is – easy to throw together, filling, flavorful, and goes with any sides.
Plus, making a whole loaf rather than individual portions of meat means we always have leftovers – super handy for Adam to bring for lunch the next day!
So, while I won’t be bombarding you with a bunch of meatloaves all at once, at least a few more will be on my to-do list before spring starts. Beginning with…today’s veggie ranch turkey meatloaf – one that turkey lovers and haters alike will approve of. Well, at least that’s how it went down at my house.
It’s not that I’m a ground turkey hater exactly, it’s just that when given the choice, I typically go for less lean ground meats – beef, pork, lamb. Yum yum yum just thinking about them!
And, when faced with the choice of ground turkey versus chicken, I tend to go with chicken. Especially ground chicken thighs.
But, there definitely are ways to dress up ground turkey so it’s not plain tasting, dried out, and, well, boring. I approached this recipe from the inside out – flavor and juiciness inside, then outside.
You know what?! I was skeptical, but this one turned out far better than I originally predicted. As in, I wound up eating leftovers as a “snack” when I found myself hungry at 9pm a couple of nights, and it tasted just as good as it did the first day. I’d say that’s one of my “official” ways of testing a recipe – hey, it says a lot!
So, let’s get to what’s actually in this turkey meatloaf anyway. I sautéed onions and spinach in ghee (Whole30 cooking gold!) to add flavor and moisture along with a hit of veggies.
Then, I seasoned the meat, ranch style, and adding eggs and blanched almond flour to bind. Everything got mixed together and baked in a loaf pan – easy peasy!
Of course, it’s delicious alone, as is, but I wasn’t about to leave it as is (when “ranch” is in the title, we’re getting ranch!).
I whipped up a creamy ranch sauce in about 30 seconds made up of homemade mayo, a bit of coconut cream, lemon juice, and the perfect ranch seasoning blend.
You don’t actually cook the ranch sauce with the meatloaf, but rather spoon/drizzle it on after baking when ready to serve, leaving extra for dipping! Sauces like these are what make the Whole30 feel like a treat for me – seriously.
I garnished my meatloaf with chopped cilantro (just sort of in the mood) and served with crispy roasted sweet potatoes and ripe avocado – plus more ranch because it’s just that good!
But, you can easily serve this with any of your favorite side dishes and it will really go with anything – mashed potatoes or cauliflower to keep it lower carb, cauli rice, salad, roasted veggies. It’s totally up to you! I hope you’re ready for something delicious, easy, and totally satisfying – let’s cook!
Veggie Ranch Turkey Meatloaf {Paleo, Whole30}
Veggie Ranch Turkey Meatloaf {Paleo, Whole30}
Ingredients
Meatloaf:
- 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey not very lean
- 2 Tbsp ghee or other cooking fat
- 1 small onion minced, or 1/2 medium
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large handfuls fresh spinach chopped
- Sea salt and pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard check for Whole30 compliance
Ranch Sauce:
- 1/2 cup homemade mayo or purchased paleo mayo
- 3 Tbsp coconut cream
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp dried chives
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/8-1/4 tsp salt or to taste
Instructions
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Heat the ghee over medium heat in a skillet, add onions and sautée until translucent. Add garlic and cook until just softened, then add in spinach and cook until wilted. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and set aside.
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and very lightly grease a medium loaf pan with cooking fat.
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In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, eggs, almond flour, salt, pepper, seasonings, and mustard. Once spinach mixture has cooled a bit (it can be warm) add that in as well and mix using your hands or wooden spoon to fully combine.
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Transfer mixture to loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven 45-50 minutes or until done in the center (no longer pink and juices run clear). Allow meatloaf to sit for about 10 minutes, then serve with ranch sauce drizzled over the top and side dishes of choice.
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While meatloaf bakes, whisk together the ranch dressing ingredients, or make beforehand and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.*
Recipe Notes
*Store leftover ranch covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
Nutrition
What I Used To Make My Veggie Ranch Turkey Meatloaf:
Want More Paleo and Whole30 dinner recipes? Try One of These!
Classic Meatloaf with Whole30 Ketchup
Slow Cooker Meatballs with Marinara Sauce
Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes
Crispy Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf
Pork Tenderloin with Teriyaki Sauce
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I LOVE meatloaf, but my husband three kids aren’t huge fans. Not this time! My whole family loved this recipe, even the ranch dressing. Thanks for a great recipe!
It was a hit! Everyone loved and asked for more. Next time I’ll double the recipe to have more leftovers.
Sounds great! And perfect for leftovers 🙂
Can you freeze the sauce
Can’t wait to try this. Can you sub gelatin eggs instead of regular eggs? I have a food sensitivity to eggs.
I did try this using gelatin eggs and arrowroot flour. This is a keeper and on my regular rotation. Love the ranch dressing!
OMG!! I am telling you what! I have yet to find a recipe of yours that we have not liked! This meatloaf was soooooooooo good and so moist! My husband said that next time I have to make a double recipe! Keep coming up with great recipes because I am a loyal follower! Blessings!!
Incredible! So happy you all liked it 🙂
This looks tasty! Is the almond flour necessary to bind? Nut allergies in our house.
Hi! I think you can use tapioca or arrowroot to bind, or even ground flaxseed although I’d probably use 3 Tbsp instead of 1/4 cup.
This was the best meatloaf I’ve ever made/had. I’m forcing the recipe upon all of my clients, imploring them to PLEEEEEASE make it!!!
Thanks for a fab recipe!!!
That’s awesome! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
We loved this! I want to do it again but as meatballs, what do you think? Think I could pressure cook them in the instant pot?
P. S. That ranch recipe is amazing! ! !
Great! I think meatballs would work well but not sure about the instant pot, since I haven’t tried that, but baking or pan frying would work. Let me know if you try the instant pot!
Amazing! Just ate 3 slices
I really don’t like ground turkey but we LOVED this!
Awesome!
I don’t have almond flour. Is it possible to sub coconut flour or tapioca flour?
This was AMAZING. The only modifications I made was to leave out onions and use fresh dill. I was shocked turkey could taste this good. Definitely a keeper!
My husband and I both loved this recipe.The ranch sauce that goes with it is “to die for”!
This was SO GOOD! I used 1 lb of turkey and 1/2 lb of pork. The ranch sauce is absolutely incredible! thank you!
Tasty and juicy!
We loved the flavor and will make it again just like this.
Can you freeze the sauce
The food you shared was delicious, thank you for providing the recipe. online jigsaw puzzles
We made this because my dad is allergic to beef. I assumed it would be kind dry and tasteless compared to beef meatloaf but it was POPPING WITH FLAVOR and will become a regular on our menu.
So good, so yummy, so flavorful! Highly recommend.
Can you make this using beef and can you omit the mustard?
We purchased the paleo at home book and we love it. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
A go to recipe when I don’t know what to make. My husband loves this meatloaf; we don’t need the sauce.
I make this meatloaf on the regular. It stays very moist and the ranch compliments the whole thing perfectly. I like to serve with some roasted sweet potatoes. I think it is pretty good as leftovers too!
This meatloaf is so moist and flavorful. Everyone I have made it for loves it too. I still make it all the time even though I’m not strictly paleo anymore. Highly recommend!
Made this with Bobs Redmill egg substitute & 3 Tbsp arrowroot flour (due to allergies in the family) and it turned out great! Even my 3.5yr old said “mmm” after the first bite 🙂 Saving this one for future use! Thank you
Awesome! We just enjoyed and it was a great meal. The sauce is liquid gold! I was able to get ground dark Turkey meat from our local butcher. Very tasty and moist. Served with roasted redskins and a mixed green salad with lemon vinaigrette. Like others – I’ll
be evangelizing about this recipe to all my friends! Thank you for a very tasty recipe that is Whole30.