Chicken and turkey are popular for being high in protein and low in saturated fats making a mealtime staple for athletes as well as in many healthy eating households. Falling back on the same old recipes starts to become mundane and a little too routine.
Chicken and turkey are popular for being high in protein and low in saturated fats making a mealtime staple for athletes as well as in many healthy eating households. Falling back on the same old recipes starts to become mundane and a little too routine. Finding new ways to cook up the standard bird and keep it interesting (and keep your taste buds dancing) is time-consuming but in this series of recipes, I will highlight many different ways to prepare your poultry so your meal rotation is anything but boring. So whaddya say? Let’s play chicken!
Plain old meatloaf is plain old boring. I like to create a more flavorful meal by combining my main meat base with chorizo for a little kick. Chorizo purchased off the shelf often has less desirable ingredients in it and is typically made with ground pork. Making your own chorizo or purchasing from a butcher shop that doesn’t use preservatives and allows you to request the desired fat content is a good way to go. I prefer to make my own chorizo using a blend of spices so I know exactly what goes into my meal.
To make a chicken chorizo meatloaf, I’ve combined traditional chorizo spices with ground chicken. Using lean chicken or turkey for a meatloaf base significantly reduces the amount of saturated fat so you’ll notice that after you bake it, this meatloaf won’t be swimming in a pool of liquid grease that is common with traditional meatloaves. This little variation of meatloaf has a lot of bold flavor, some veggie value, and is topped with a Sriracha hot sauce to bring even more heat to your dinner table. Any leftovers are more flavorful the next day and make a tasty, easy sandwich filling or lettuce wrap for lunch.
Chicken Chorizo Meatloaf
Calories 252, Protein 28g, Carbs 8g, Fat 12g
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds lean ground chicken or turkey
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 1 bell pepper or poblano pepper, finely diced
- 2 red fresno peppers, finely diced (use a hotter pepper if you like it spicier)
- 2 stems kale, leaves only, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning blend (no salt added)
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan or smoked sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed)
- ½ cup heavy cream or coconut milk
- Sriracha hot sauce
Preparation Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add all ingredients except the Sriracha sauce to a bowl and blend together using clean hands or a fork until well combined.
- Press into a loaf pan and then brush with the Sriracha sauce or squirt the sauce on top in a zig zag pattern.
- Bake about 1 hour until internal temp reaches 165 degrees.
- Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving.
