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There is nothing easier than cooking with a smoker. Set it and let it go.
With that said, there is a true art to smoking. It takes lots of experience to find the right temperature and elapsed time of cooking for each different cut of meat. You have to learn to begin by liberally apply a rub to the meats exterior. And you need to learn how to make just the right sauce to glaze the meat at the end of cooking. I know some real aficionados are wondering why I did not mention a mop. A MOP is liquid concoction applied to the meat at various times during cooking.
Smoked Turkey Meatloaf
Now I owe this recipe to my wife. My wife does not like any beef that is not a steak. Go figure. As a result of my wife’s preference for ground turkey, I always smoke my meatloaves using turkey. I really think this is fortunate because the ground turkey really absorbs the smoke better than beef can. If you are worried about the meat drying out try using a MOP.
The turkey is also more versatile than beef in making a meatloaf. I have had a lot of fun making different styles of meatloaf. One of my favorites is this Korean GUCHUJANG version. It is sweet, spicy and a little bit sour. Another recipe that is a little more complicated to do is this STUFFED CHEESE recipe. The cheese just oozes out. I have many more recipes so search the blog if you are looking for more ideas.
The cast of characters.
Ingredients
The topping sauce ingredients.
Sauce Ingredients
The making and forming of the turkey meatloaf.
Making and Forming of the Turkey Meatloaf
The Smoked Turkey Meatloaf Plated.
Smoked Turkey Meatloaf Plated
Korean Glazed Smoked Turkey Meatloaf
My Korean Glazed Smoked Turkey Meatloaf is so tasty. It gains its unique flavor from the Americana smoke technique and the Korean gochujang.
Ingredients
- 3 LBs Ground Turkey
- 1 Whole Red Onion diced
- 3 Stalks Celery diced
- 3 Whole Carrots diced
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Cumin divided
- 2 Tsp Ancho chili power
- 2 Tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp Salt divided
- 1 Tbsp Fresh ground balck pepper divided
- 2 Tsp Oaxaca - ancho coffee rub
Glaze
- 1/2 Cup Korean BBQ sauce
- 1/2 Cup Tomato sauce
- 3 Tbsp gochujang
Instructions
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Begin by heating the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 2 minutes before adding in the spices (reserving about 1/2 of the cumin, salt & pepper). Cook for another 2 - 3 minutes until softened but still holding a bite. Remove from heat and let cool.
Now, add the remaining spices to the ground turkey with the vegetable mix. Mix really well and form into a loaf.
Place the loaf on a big piece of aluminum foil and place in a 250 degree smoker. Total cooking time will be approximately 3 hours. In the last half hour of cooking, remove the foil and place the meatloaf directly on the grates. Next, liberally apply the glaze a couple of times before removing from the smoker.
Let rest for 5 minutes. Cut in slices.
Serve and enjoy!
Where’s your original recipe with the blackberry mop?! Came back to find it and it’s changed to Korean which isn’t a flavor profile my family likes
I am so sorry. I do not know what happened. I had some work done on the blog – so maybe that screwed things up. Here is a link to one of my BBQ sauces – https://www.feedyoursoul2.com/bbq-sauce/ You could take out the jarred bbq sauce and use ketchup. Then, about 1/2 the jar of the blueberry jam. Hopefully, that helps.
Did you cook the meatloaf on the baking sheet in the smoker the entire time?
Sarah, thx for stopping by the blog. At the very end of the cooking, I took it off the tray to get some crust on the bottom. It is not necessary but it is a good touch.
What is a Mop???
A mop just means you baste the meatloaf during the cooking process.
This was delicious- just had it tonight- the Smokey flavor was amazing, I made a 2 pound meatloaf for 3 people and very little leftover!
Patti, you made my day. I am so glad you and your guests liked it. What kind of smoker do you have?
You don’t need any binders like egg or bread crumbs?
Julianne, I have done it both ways. It is not necessary but you can feel free to use either or both.
Julianne, looking at my pics again, I realize I did use gluten free chickpea breadcrumbs.
This meatloaf is our new favorite! We’ve made it 3 times today is our 4th time. We don’t always do the mop but have done it both ways. Delicious no matter which way you go! Thank for the recipe. We love ground turkey
So glad you liked the recipe. We always use ground turkey because my wife prefers it.
Hi Peter
What temperature do you cook this at in the smoker?
I began at 225 degrees. And finished the last half hour at 275 degrees. You can always do the finger test. If you push your finger on the top of the meat, and there is a lot of give, it is not done. So you can adjust the temperature even higher if you need more cooking time.