Meatloaf

This classic meatloaf is one of my favorite ground beef recipes and one of my favorite recipes to serve family and friends. The inside is moist and tender, and the top is glazed with a sweet and tangy sauce made from ketchup.

Can't get enough of cozy, beefy dinners? Try my beef stroganoff next!

About This Recipe

I would say meatloaf was one of the first big dinners I learned to make. My family always had ground beef in our freezer, so I could make it whenever I wanted to. Fast forward to now, I still like to keep ground beef in my freezer, so I end up making it a lot!

A classic meatloaf is comforting, flavorful, and great for feeding a crowd. I love making it when we have friends over, especially in the autumn and winter when all you want is a hearty, cozy meal.

For this recipe, I decided to use only ground beef, but if you want to include ground pork, veal, chicken, or turkey, feel free to do so! But I recommend using at least 50% beef to keep the flavor more traditional.

Key Ingredients

Ground beef: I used extra-lean ground beef today. This is usually my preference to keep things healthier.

Breadcrumbs: I used panko breadcrumbs today, which are on the larger side, but smaller breadcrumbs are better. The purpose of the breadcrumbs is to "lighten" and "fluff" up the texture of the meatloaf. Otherwise, it would have the same texture as a burger patty.

Milk: Milk is needed to add moisture to hydrate the breadcrumbs.

Eggs: These help bind all the ingredients together. They help the meatloaf hold its shape.

Ketchup: We will need ketchup for the meatloaf and the sauce.

Aromatics: Onions and garlic

Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Instructions

STEP 1: Melt the butter in a skillet. Cook the onions and garlic until softened.

STEP 2: In a large bowl, combine the onion mixture and the rest of the meatloaf ingredients. Mix until well combined.

STEP 3: Transfer to a loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the glaze by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl.

STEP 4: Spoon the glaze on top, then bake for another 20-30 minutes until cooked through. An instant-read thermometer should read 160°F.

📋 Recipe

Meatloaf

The best meatloaf recipe! This easy, classic meatloaf is super tender and moist inside, glazed with a sweet and tangy ketchup sauce. I used ground beef, but feel free to replace some of the beef with pork, chicken, or turkey.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Meatloaf

• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
• ▢ 1 medium onion (chopped)
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢ 2 pounds lean ground beef (you can replace ½ of the beef with pork if you like)
• ▢ ½ cup milk
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ ¾ cup breadcrumbs
• ▢ 2 tablespoons ketchup
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or dried parsley; plus more for garnishing)

Glaze

• ▢ ¾ cup ketchup
• ▢ ¼ cup brown sugar packed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.
• To a large bowl, add the onion mixture and the rest of the meatloaf ingredients. Mix well to combine.
• Add the meat to a loaf pan and gently press it down until smooth on top.
• Bake the meatloaf for 40 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients. Spoon the glaze on top of the meatloaf and return to the oven for another 20-30 minutes. Allow the meatloaf to rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle extra parsley on top if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.

Did you make this?Let me know how it was!