Never dry, great for leftovers and incredibly flavorful, this ground chicken meatloaf is a simple and healthy comfort food recipe! No eggs or breadcrumbs needed and a few veggies keep it unbelievably moist.
How to make ground chicken meatloaf that’s not dry
Since ground chicken doesn’t have much fat, it tends to not be as “juicy” as traditional meatloaf.
Here’s how we keep it moist and flavorful in this recipe:
- No breadcrumbs – These just soak up the juices and dry out the meatloaf.
- No eggs – Eggs help bind the meatloaf, but they also thicken the texture.
- Veggies – Finely processed garlic, onion, mushrooms and carrot release liquid when cooking.
- Coconut aminos – This adds some extra salty flavor and liquid to the keep the meatloaf very moist.
Other tips for preparing this chicken meatloaf
This recipe is so versatile and can be used for a large family dinner or meal prep. It’s also freezer friendly!
Here are some practical tips for using this recipe:
- Meal prep – Just slice the meatloaf up and store it in an airtight container. It will keep well for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
- Prep in advance – You can make this in advance and store it in the fridge prior to cooking. Just form the meat mixture into the loaf, cover and refrigerate. Note – If you pop it in the oven directly from the fridge, you will need to add a little to the cooking time.
- Reheating leftovers – You can use the microwave, but the best way to reheat a slice of this meatloaf is to sauté it in a frying pan with a little oil for 2-3 minutes each side, until warmed through.
- Freezing – I recommend slicing and storing the meatloaf slices in serving size packages (1-2 slices). A vacuum sealer is great for this.
What to serve with this low carb ground chicken recipe
This flavorful keto chicken meatloaf can be paired with one of these low carb sides for a complete meal.
- QUICK + EASY AIR FRYER CAULIFLOWER
- SIMPLE ROASTED RADISHES
- LOADED MASHED CAULIFLOWER
- BAKED JICAMA FRIES
Your turn to try this juicy chicken meatloaf
Mix up some ground chicken, seasonings and processed veggies and dump everything in a loaf pan. Kick back and wait while your healthy meatloaf bakes in the oven!
If you try this recipe, be sure to leave a comment below and let us know how it goes. Also, take a pic to share on Instagram. Tag us @realsimplegood, we love to see what you’re cooking!
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Ground Chicken Meatloaf (Juicy & Easy!)
Ingredients
- 8 slices (8 slices) bacon, diced
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) ghee, (or other cooking oil)
- 3 cloves (3 cloves) garlic, peeled
- 1/2 (1/2) onion, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 8 oz (226.8 g) mushrooms
- 1 (1) large carrot, end removed and cut into small chunks
- 2 lbs (907.18 g) ground chicken
- 1/4 cup (60 g) coconut aminos, (see notes)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) oregano
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) parsley
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) pepper
Equipment
- Loaf Pan
Instructions
- Dice bacon and heat a skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to cook, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon just when it is starting to get crispy around the edges, about 6-7 minutes. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.
- While the bacon is cooking. Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan with ghee (or other cooking oil).
- Place garlic, onion, mushrooms and carrot in a food processor. Process until everything is diced into small bits – (It works best to pulse over and over as opposed to just processing constantly). The mixture may get a little watery or mushy, that's ok. If any larger chunks of carrot remain after processing, you can remove them.
- Place chicken in a bowl. To the bowl add the coconut aminos, oregano, parsley, pepper, chopped veggies, and cooked bacon. Use your hands to mix ingredients together to combine.
- Add the meatloaf mixture to the loaf pan and form it to fit the pan. Place in the oven to bake for 90 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165° Fahrenheit.
- Remove and allow to cool at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- As an alternative to coconut aminos, you can make your own using our DIY coconut aminos substitute recipe. Or you can substitute beef broth for the coconut aminos.
- Nutrition details provided are per slice of meatloaf (8 slices for this recipe) and are an estimate provided for those following a Ketogenic or low-carb diet. See our full nutrition information disclosure here.
Absolutely loved this. I made a few changes but I’ll bet it would be wonderful just as is. I substituted 2 TBS milk instead of coconut amimos, and added 1 whole chopped onion instead of 1/2, 1/4 cup chopped parsley instead of 2 TBS, 1-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce and instead of oregano I used 1 tsp poultry seasoning. I sautéed the veggies and since they were chopped finely enough, just added them to the chicken without processing in blender. I also covered the top for about 30 minutes during baking and then uncovered it for about 15-20 more minutes. Mine cooked in less than an hour. Thanks. Great for sandwiches…hot or cold….the next day.
Sounds amazing, glad you made the recipe work for you 🙂
Another hit! The next time, I back off the oven time 5-10 minutes, but it was GREAT. Thanks for flavorful easy recipes that is helping me lower my carbs.
So happy you enjoyed another recipe! 🙂
it was delicious, we did not use bacon and we used beef broth instead of that coconut stuff and with the drippings in the pan we made a gravy and thickened it with some flour..The gravy was very mushroom tasting, delicious, (or you could use cornstarch )I won’t use a oregano the next time it was over powering
So glad to hear you enjoyed it and the gravy sounds tasty! Thanks for coming back to share how it went! 🙂
Delicious! This recipe lived up to expectations: it was moist, flavorful and everyone in the family liked it! I left out the bacon–we don’t eat pork and added salt, which oddly was not in the recipe. It took way less time to reach the desired temperature-only about 65 minutes as opposed to 90.
Glad you enjoyed this Kris! We didn’t add salt because coconut aminos are salty (and bacon too). Also, the cooking time can differ based on the loaf pan you’re using and the oven. Glad you were able to find the right time without overcooking this 🙂
So delicious and tasted great even after freezing. Thanks for giving tips about reheating – makes our weeknight meals so much faster and healthier!
So glad you found the tips helpful Kathy! Thanks for coming back and leaving a rating and review, we appreciate it 🙂
This recipe was really, really good! Great ingredients and my husband and I both loved it! I did cook it for the full 90 minutes before checking the temp…and I will reduce the time just a tad. Delicious..and I will make it again!
So glad you both loved the recipe! Happy to hear that it will be in your regular rotation 🙂
So delicious! I doubled it to put one away in the freezer and I can’t wait to eat it!! A unique twist on meatloaf!
We’re so happy you enjoyed it! And hooray for that second batch tucked away in the freezer! Thanks for coming back to share your review! 🙂
Is there a substitution that I could use for the mushrooms?
Hi Laura – you could sub eggplant. Or, if needed the recipe should still work fine omitting the mushrooms, it just won’t be as juicy.