Irresistible Garlic Parmesan Meatloaf–easy oven-baked meatloaf made with ground turkey (or chicken or beef), seasoned with garlic, Italian herbs and lots of Parmesan cheese.

Irresistible Garlic Parmesan Meatloaf
This meatloaf is one of those recipes that feels classic but still a little upgraded. It’s easy to mix together, and it bakes up juicy and flavorful. The garlic and Parmesan add lots of flavor. If you want an even faster dinner, the mini meatloaf option is a great trick.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Ground turkey–or ground chicken or lean ground beef
- Panko breadcrumbs–or regular breadcrumbs or seasoned breadcrumbs
- Parmesan cheese–or grated Pecorino Romano
- Minced dried onion–or ¼ cup finely diced fresh onion
- Garlic cloves–or 1 tsp garlic powder
- Egg
- Milk–or half-and-half
- Dried parsley
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Italian seasoning
Steps
Heat oven to 350° F.
In a mixing bowl add the meat, panko, half of the parmesan, onion, garlic, egg, milk, parsley, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix with hands until just combined. Try not to overmix.

Form into a loaf and place in a loaf pan (or you can just place on a sheet pan).
Bake for 45 minutes, use a thermometer to check for doneness. It should be 165° F in the middle. If not, bake for 10-15 more minutes. (I did two mini meatloaves instead of one big one and it only took 30 minutes).

Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on the top and put it under the broiler for a minute to melt and brown up. Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Notes/Tips
- Serve with baked potatoes and roasted green beans or broccoli.
- I used 2 cavities of a 4 cavity mini loaf pan*. A good idea would be to double the recipe and save half in the freezer for another day. If you make one big loaf you can put it into a loaf pan or just set it on a baking sheet. Both work fine.
- Checking doneness: a meat thermometer* is your best friend here…165°F in the center is perfect.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze this meatloaf either before baking (wrapped tightly) or after baking and cooling completely. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Other recipes you can make with panko are Grandpa’s Firehouse Chicken and Daddy’s Comfort Casserole.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.


Irresistible Garlic Parmesan Meatloaf
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-60 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Easy oven-baked meatloaf made with ground turkey (or chicken or beef), seasoned with garlic, Italian herbs and lots of Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 16 oz ground turkey, ground chicken or lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup panko crumbs
- 2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 Tbsp minced dry onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350° F.
- In a mixing bowl add the meat, panko, half of the parmesan, onion, garlic, egg, milk, parsley, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix with hands until just combined. Try not to overmix.
- Form into a loaf and place in a loaf pan (or you can just place on a sheet pan).
- Bake for 45 minutes, use a thermometer to check for doneness. It should be 165° F in the middle. If not, bake for 10-15 more minutes. (I did two mini meatloaves instead of one big one and it only took 30 minutes).
- Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on the top and put it under the broiler for a minute to melt and brown up.
- Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
- Category: Ground Turkey
- Method: Baking
More meatloaf recipes…
Instant Pot Meatloaf and Baked Potatoes
Classic meatloaf with glaze and baked potatoes made together in your Instant Pot
Instant Pot Tennessee Meatloaf
A southern meatloaf recipe that will become your family’s favorite recipe! The sauce is to so addicting. You can make this recipe in the Instant Pot or the slow cooker.
Instant Pot Boarding House Meatloaf Bites
A perfect bite of southern meatloaf with a tangy sauce. An easy and tasty recipe to make with a pound of ground beef! Variations include a whole meatloaf, a slow cooker version and in muffin tins in the oven.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.




definitely irresistible! everyone at the table said Mmm in unison on that first bite. I will be doubling the recipe next time around! so good
forgot to add my rating!
Thanks for the 5 stars!
Sounds like that recipe was a huge hit!
How much Parmesan cheese please? 2/3 what…cup?
yes cup! sorry about that!
Can you make in crockpot ? If so what’s temperature on crock pot low or high and how long?
Yes, you can definitely make this in the slow cooker. Here’s the easiest way to do it:
1. Mix together the meat, panko, half of the parmesan, onion, garlic, egg, milk, parsley, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning just like the recipe says.
2. Form the mixture into a loaf shape.
3. Line your slow cooker with foil or parchment or spray it well with cooking spray. (This helps you lift the meatloaf out later.)
4. Place the loaf in the slow cooker.
5. cook on LOW for 4–5 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours. The meatloaf is done when the middle reaches 165°F.
6. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese on top. If you want the top browned like the oven version, you can place the meatloaf on a baking sheet and broil it for 1–2 minutes, but this step is optional.
This looks delish, Karen! I want a giant slab right now, except it’s 9:45 p.m. Definitely a keeper!
Haha, thank you! I know that feeling sometimes the leftovers calling your name late at night are the hardest to resist 😄 I’m so glad it looks like a keeper to you. Hope you get to enjoy a big slab soon!