This Greek Meatloaf with Spinach and Feta is a flavorful Mediterranean take on the classic comfort food! It’s made with a handful of common ingredients and pantry staples in just a few simple steps. Cook it in the oven or slow cooker for a stress-free dinner any day of the week!
Why You’ll Love This Greek Meatloaf Recipe:
- Quick and Easy: If you can measure spices and stir ingredients, you can make this recipe! It’s ready in just 15 minutes of active prep; the oven or slow cooker does the rest of the work for you.
- Family-Friendly: My whole family loves the savory, tangy flavors and the hearty texture. Bonus points when I serve it with their favorite sides, like mashed potatoes!
- Cooking Options: Choose to bake or slow cook this recipe based on your available appliances or schedule. The oven is quicker, but the slow cooker is great for busy evenings.
Let’s Get Started! Here’s What You’ll Need:
Meatloaf Ingredients
Lean Ground Turkey - For the most flavor without grease, choose ground turkey with a 93% lean, 7% fat ratio. Leaner cuts of meat, such as turkey breast, will be too dry for the recipe. If needed, you can swap ground chicken.
Feta Cheese - You will need 4 ounces of crumbled feta. Purchase pre-crumbled or a block and crumble it yourself.
Frozen Spinach - A common ingredient in Greek cooking, spinach adds moisture and flavor. Use frozen spinach for convenience, or sautée 2, 5-ounce bags of chopped baby spinach in a tablespoon of oil until wilted.
Breadcrumbs - These are a binding agent that helps hold the meatloaf together. Choose classic or panko unseasoned bread crumbs.
Ketchup - Adds a tangy-sweet underlying flavor, similar to classic meatloaf.
Lemon - Freshly squeeze the whole lemon. Half will brighten and season the Mediterranean meatloaf and the other half adds a tart finish to the tzatziki sauce.
Seasonings - Dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper add great flavor and aromatic notes to the Greek turkey meatloaf. For the best results, always use spices with a good expiration date.
Tzatziki Ingredients
Greek Yogurt - This forms a rich and creamy base for the tzatziki. Always use unsweetened plain yogurt and opt for whole or 2% fat for the richest flavor.
Cucumber - This is seeded and chopped finely before adding to the sauce, adding moisture and a mild and sweet flavor. If desired, you can also shred the cucumber.
Dried Dill: Adds herby notes to the sauce, providing a classic tzatziki flavor. Swap fresh baby dill for dried for delightful and fresh herbal notes. You can also add a bit of garlic powder to the tzatziki sauce if desired.
Equipment:
Microwave-Safe Bowl - For defrosting the spinach. I prefer to use a small mixing bowl or microwave-safe cereal bowl.
Mixing Bowl - For mixing the Greek meatloaf recipe. A medium or large bowl will do.
Measuring Cups and Spoons - To measure the breadcrumbs, ketchup, seasonings, and tzatziki ingredients.
Silicone Scraper or Wooden Spoon - This is used to mix the meatloaf.
8x4-Inch Baking Pan or Slow Cooker - Choose the pan if baking, and a larger one can be used if needed. If cooking in the slow cooker or Crockpot, you will also need a piece of parchment paper to line the dish.
How to Make Greek Meatloaf
Thaw Spinach
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Microwave the spinach in 30-second bursts until the ice is melted. Drain the water from the spinach by squeezing it in a kitchen towel or sturdy paper towels. If swapping fresh spinach, saute in a pan until wilted.
Mix Meatloaf
Add the ground turkey, thawed spinach, crumbled feta cheese, egg, breadcrumbs, ketchup, seasonings, and lemon juice to a large mixing bowl. Gently but thoroughly mix until combined, and the feta is distributed evenly throughout.
Form Meatloaf
Shape the meatloaf mixture into a loaf shape and place it in an at least 8x4-inch baking pan or a slow cooker lined with parchment paper. Tip: crinkling parchment paper into a ball and unwrapping it will help it sit nicely.
Bake
Bake in the 350°F oven for 40-55 minutes or slow cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours, until the thickest part of the meatloaf reads 165°F with a food thermometer. Let meatloaf rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Make Tzatziki Topping & Serve
Peel and seed the cucumber and grate or dice it finely. Add the cucumber, lemon juice, and dried dill to the yogurt and mix well. Salt it to taste, and spoon the tzatziki over the Greek meatloaf with feta. You can prepare the sauce while the meatloaf bakes or while it rests.
Recipe Success Tips
- Squeeze the moisture from the spinach. Prevent a soggy loaf by squeezing the moisture from the spinach, especially if using frozen. It contains quite a bit of water.
- Don’t overmix. Overworking or mixing the ground meat mixture can make it dense or tough. Mix until the seasonings and cheese are just distributed evenly.
- Rest before serving. This gives the meatloaf juices time to redistribute in the meat before serving, making it ultra-flavorful and juicy.
- Cooking options. If you want to bake the recipe but don’t have a loaf pan, you can also shape it into a loaf and bake it on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet or in an 8x8-inch baking pan.
- Optional recipe variations. Make this recipe your own by swapping fresh chopped thyme for dried, adding ½ teaspoon of Mediterranean oregano, or swapping 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar for the lemon juice. You can also fold in seeded and chopped tomatoes, chopped roasted red peppers, or sliced kalamata olives.
Serving Suggestions
Are you wondering what goes well with meatloaf? Enjoy this hearty and savory homestyle meal with your family’s favorite comforting sides, such as:
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Leftovers keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the meatloaf. Cool it to room temperature before transferring it to a freezer-safe container and freezing it for up to 2 months. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator. Sauce texture may change with freezing, making fresh is recommended.
- Reheating: Warm the leftover meatloaf in a baking pan with a splash of chicken broth or water at 300°F for 10-15 minutes until warm. You can also warm it in a pan with a tablespoon of oil over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes per side until hot. You can also steam a heat safe plate of leftovers in a wide covered skillet, or multiple portions in a baking pan covered in foil with a ramekin of water in it to provide the steam.
FAQs
Yes, for a very similar variation, you can make this recipe with ground chicken. For bolder flavors, swap ground beef or ground lamb.
The most common reason meatloaf gets crumbly or dry is overworking or overmixing the meat. Stir the ground meat with the seasonings just until combined and gently shape it into a loaf.
Yes, it is very easy to make meatloaf muffins! Spray 8 cups of a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and scoop ½ cup of the meat mixture into each cup, gently evening off their tops. Bake at 325°F for 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the center of each muffin.
Yes, you can prep this up to 24 hours in advance! Prepare and shape the loaf before transferring it to an airtight container and refrigerating. Let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking or slow cooking. Store sauce in a seperate airtight container in the fridge.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
Enjoy!
I hope your family loves this Mediterranean turkey meatloaf! If you make it I'd love to hear- please tag me on social media or leave a review below!
📖 Recipe
Greek Turkey Meatloaf with Spinach and Feta
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 12 oz frozen spinach
- 1 ea egg
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ ea lemon juice only
Simple Tzatziki Sauce
- 5 oz greek yogurt
- ½ ea cucumber
- ½ ea lemon juice (other half from above)
- ¼ teaspoon dill
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
Meatloaf
- Microwave spinach in 30 second bursts until ice is melted. Drain water, squeezing spinach to remove as much as possible.12 oz frozen spinach
- Add all the meatloaf ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir until well combined, but do not overmix.1 lb ground turkey, 4 oz feta cheese, 1 ea egg, ½ cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup ketchup, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ ea lemon
- Form meatloaf mixture into a loaf shape and place in either a slow cooker lined with parchment paper, or a greased baking dish.
- In a slow cooker, cook on LOW 4-6 hours, or HIGH 2-3 hours, until thickest part is 165. In an oven, bake at 350 for 40-55 minutes, until 165 in the middle.
Tzatziki Topping/Dip
- Peel and seed cucumber, and dice finely. Add cucumber, lemon juice, and dill to yogurt and mix well. Salt to taste.5 oz greek yogurt, ½ ea cucumber, ½ ea lemon, ¼ teaspoon dill, ¼ teaspoon salt
Notes
- Refrigeration: Leftovers keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the meatloaf. Cool it to room temperature before transferring it to a freezer-safe container and freezing it for up to 2 months. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator. Sauce texture may change with freezing, making fresh is recommended.
- Reheating: Warm the meatloaf in a baking pan with a splash of chicken broth or water at 300°F for 10-15 minutes until warm. You can also warm it in a pan with a tablespoon of oil over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes per side until hot. If already sauced, you can also steam a heat safe plate of leftovers in a wide covered skillet.
-
- Squeeze the moisture from the spinach. Prevent a soggy loaf by squeezing the moisture from the spinach, especially if using frozen. It contains quite a bit of water.
- Don’t overmix. Overworking or mixing the ground meat mixture can make it dense or tough. Mix until the seasonings and cheese are just distributed evenly.
- Rest before serving. This gives the meatloaf juices time to redistribute in the meat before serving, making it ultra-flavorful and juicy.
- Cooking options. If you want to bake the recipe but don’t have a loaf pan, you can also shape it into a loaf and bake it on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet or in an 8x8-inch baking pan. You can also portion it into 8 muffin tin wells and make individual meatloaf muffins baking at 325 for 20-30 minutes.
- Optional recipe variations. Make this recipe your own by swapping fresh chopped thyme for dried, adding ½ teaspoon of Mediterranean oregano, or swapping 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar for the lemon juice. You can also fold in seeded and chopped tomatoes, chopped roasted red peppers, or sliced kalamata olives.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. It is recommended to use your preferred calculator with the actual ingredients you use for optimal accuracy.
Anne Aslanides says
My husband is not a big fan of ground turkey, but still loved this and ate every bite!