There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays than with smoked turkey meatloaf with cranberry barbecue sauce. Thanksgiving meets barbecue in this delicious dish!
Turkey sausage is rolled into large patties and then stuffed with cornbread stuffing and cranberry sauce to create a meatloaf. The meatloaf is then smoked low and slow while being basted with a cranberry BBQ sauce.
In this recipe, you prepare your own homemade poultry rub and cranberry BBQ sauce. If you’re running short on time, you can also use your favorite store-bought poultry rub.
Smoked Turkey Meatloaf Recipe
There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays than with smoked turkey meatloaf with cranberry barbecue sauce. Thanksgiving meets barbecue in this delicious dish!
Preparation 3 hours
Cook 2 hours 30 minutes
Ready in 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Ingredients
Poultry Rub
- 2/3 cup chili powder
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup granulated onion
- 1/4 cup granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme ground
Cranberry BBQ Sauce
- 6 ounces fresh cranberries frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup ketchup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
The Meatloaf
- 2 pounds ground turkey sausage
- 2 cups prepared cornbread stuffing
- 1 can (14 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
Equipment
- smoker
Directions
Poultry Rub
- In a medium bowl combine the chili, sugar, salt, onion, cayenne, and thyme, then mix thoroughly. Set aside.
Cranberry BBQ Sauce
- Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer then cook uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Continue to cook until the berries break down and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Allow the sauce to cool for 10 minutes then mash to a serving consistence. If you have access to a blender, you may choose to puree.
The Meatloaf
- Place half the turkey sausage mixture into a large zip-lock bag and roll it out flat. The plastic bag will make the rolling easy. Cut the top off the bag to leave a perfectly flat sausage patty. Repeat with the remaining sausage.
- Top the sausage patties with 1 cup of stuffing each and half of the cranberry sauce. Roll up into a large log of meatloaf closing any seems. Wrap in plastic wrap and place on a sheet pan in a cooler for 1 to 2 hours to firm up.
- Prepare a smoker or indirect grill to cook at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
- Remove the plastic wrap from the meatloaf and season liberally with the poultry rub.
- Place on a sheet pan fitted with a wire baking rack and cook the meatloaf for 1 ½ to 2 hours until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- Brush the meat with the cranberry BBQ sauce and return to the smoker to set the glaze, about 10 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the cooker and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice and arrange the meatloaf on a platter to serve.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 1274kcalCarbohydrates: 191gProtein: 65gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 171mgSodium: 10997mgPotassium: 2135mgFiber: 23gSugar: 71gVitamin A: 12311IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 356mgIron: 16mg
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