These turkey quinoa muffins are like little meatloaf bites that are high in protein and only about 100 calories each.

Turkey quinoa muffins
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Let me apologize up front.

There’s only so much prettying up you can do to muffins made primarily out of ground turkey, quinoa and eggs. You know the saying “lipstick on a pig,” well, here it’s parsley on a turkey muffin.

It helped…a little.

Luckily the saying “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” has some weight to it though because these are a prime example of just that. Not the sexiest guy on the block, but don’t worry ladies, he makes up for it on the inside.

Ok, that’s like three idioms in four sentences…let’s move on.

Turkey quinoa bites

Ulysses made fun of these when I told him what they were. His response was something along the lines of “ohhh, you’re all into protein, protein, protein now. You’re gonna get like super huge muscles eating all this protein….” (said jokingly).

He’s partially right, I am a bit more “into” protein recently since starting the Livefit trainer program but I’m not just downing buckets of cottage cheese or anything.

I’d like to actually enjoy that extra protein and eat something besides egg whites which is pretty much what I’d be doing if following the meal plan exactly.

Also, this is coming from someone who as I’m typing this, is in the room above me telling some stranger on the internet that the enemy is coming up behind him. I think he might actually converse more with his Battlefield friends than me in a given day.

Needless to say, his criticism is taken with a grain of salt.

Muffins with turkey and quinoa

Back to the turkey muffins…

So let’s call a spade a spade, (let’s see how many idioms I can squeeze into one post) these are basically meatloaf muffins.

They’re made with oats and quinoa and a bunch of non traditional meatloaf spices, but that’s basically what they are, perfectly portioned (just about 100 cals, 10g protein, 7 carbs, 3.5g fat for those that care) tastier than average, meatloaf muffins.

Turkey quinoa meatloaf muffins

So go get your ducks in a row, get your feet wet and dig in.

See what I did there? Bam…8 in one post.

If cooking ground white meat freaks you out, be sure to check out this guide on how long to cook ground turkey. It should help boost your confidence for the most tender, juicy, perfectly cooked meat.

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4.50 from 2 votes

Turkey Quinoa Muffins

Servings: 12 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Turkey quinoa meatloaf muffins
These turkey quinoa muffins are like little meatloaf bites that are high in protein and only about 100 calories each.

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 3/4 cooked red quinoa
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a muffin pan or line with muffin cups.
  • Mix all ingredients in a large bowl together.
  • Roll into balls (about 3 tablespoons of the mixture per ball) and place in muffin tin.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes until fully cooked.
  • Let cool for 5 minutes, use a knife to loosen the edges (the egg whites will sort of ooze out a bit and make them stick slightly) and cool on a rack.
  • Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 129kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 11gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 141mgFiber: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
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Adapted from Jamie Eason

Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

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46 Comments

  1. Don’t bake these in a mini muffin pan!! I thought the fat from the 85% turkey would allow them to pop out & I didn’t spray them. They’ve stuck to the muffin tin and crumble when I try to pop them Out with a knife. My next batch I rolled them in balls and put them on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. They didn’t stick but they are still fragile.

  2. Delicious! This will be the perfect treat for those hot days & nights that are around the corner. Love it!

  3. I found this recipe last week and am already making them for the second time right now! Two words.. Simply amazing! (And delicious!!)

  4. I make these all the time. Thank you for the recipe! I don’t use a muffin tin – as I hate cleaning them. I use an ice cream scoop and just put on a baking sheet. After I bake them I cool them and put in the freezer and grab 2 or 3 to take to work for lunch. I have also had them for breakfast! I make these almost every 2 weeks! (double batch)

  5. I’m a new follower. These muffins look delicious! I can’t wait to make them for dinner tomorrow. I know they will be a hit with my kids.
    Thanks,
    Lee

  6. Can’t wait to try this recipe – but have a quick question – do you have a recommendation for the % fat content on the ground turkey? What did you use?

  7. my “muffins” are in the oven and smell delicious! just wanted to clarify…3/4 cup of cooked quinoa, right? i made 3/4 cup dry quinoa which turns out to be a lot more than 3/4 cup cooked. i put 3/4 cup cooked quinoa in my muffins…wasn’t sure if there was supposed to be more?

    1. Yes, 3/4 cooked! Oops, should’ve clarified that. Thanks for pointing it out! Hope you liked them :)

  8. These look awesome. I was going to make Jamie Eason’s muffins this week but I’m glad I didn’t get the ingredients. Making these instead. A half batch. Since I’ll be traveling part of the week. ;)