Yasss The Best Meatloaf Recipe Highly Rated w/ Video
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You’ll be hollering “Yasss” after you try this delicious classic, tender, and moist meatloaf. Pinterest loves this meatloaf recipe!
And these mashed potatoes are a must! Make sure to check out my Ultimate Southern Style Ritz Cracker Meatloaf. It’s also DELICIOUS! I can’t decide which one I like better!
This recipe is different than most meatloaf recipes. No 1, there isn’t any milk, A super flavorful beef base is used and no need for a meatloaf pan. And everyone loves the glaze with a kick!
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Read more below to find out what I use to make it juicy and tender! I should also mention that there is no need to buy breadcrumbs. Just use regular white bread.
I struggled to snap a perfect picture of my best meatloaf! Normally I wouldn’t brag about things, but this meatloaf is seriously good.😋
It’s hard to make meatloaf look good but at the end of the day, the flavor is all that matters. Right?
UPDATE! I posted the above photo almost two years ago. Since then, I’ve been working hard on my photography game and I think I’ve managed to take a better photo of my meatloaf. Check it out below! Yay!
This is my absolute favorite comfort food…wait…My other fav is my Salisbury steak. I’m afraid to say this, but I could probably eat the WHOLE 2 lbs!
This tasty meatloaf recipe is so easy to make! My family always fight over the last slice.
Back in the day, you wouldn’t find me fighting over meatloaf because I pretty much hated it. That same hatred for the loaf motivated me to develop a meatloaf recipe.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD MEATLOAF RECIPE
The key to good flavorful meatloaf is to use 80% fat ground beef. Too lean ground beef just isn’t as flavorful. 80% ground beef has more fat and that equals more flavor.
Instead of soaking the bread in milk, opt for beef or chicken base. Beef or chicken broth works too but the bases has more flavor.
It’s way more flavorful than milk. Most liquids will help meatloaf stay moist so I love to use flavorful beef broth as much as possible.
For even more flavor, one reader said she used 3/4 tsp of onion and garlic powder. I tried it recently. It’s delish!
WHAT CAN I SUB FOR MILK IN MEATLOAF
As I mentioned above, you can sub milk for just about any liquid. Chicken, beef or vegetable broth work great. You can also add water if you like, but of course it won’t add additional flavor.
MEATLOAF SAUCE
Meatloaf sauce is like the icing on the cake. To make the meatloaf sauce, you’ll need ketchup, brown sugar and pepper. I love to make a peppery brown sugar glaze.
I know it may seem like too much pepper per the recipe, but it so flavorful and delicious. The pepper perks up the sauce!
People that have made this meatloaf, suggested adding chili sauce or chipotle seasonings to the sauce.
Also, if you don’t want to use a meatloaf sauce try wrapping it up in bacon. I got that suggestion from a reader too.
WHY DOES MY MEATLOAF FALL APART
There are a couple reasons why a meatloaf falls apart. It could be that you didn’t add enough eggs or vegetables.
Yes, vegetable do help in binding the meatloaf together. Secondly, you may have used a leaner beef. As I said earlier, opt for an 80% fat ground beef.
The higher fat content helps the meat stay moist and moist meatloaf keeps it from falling apart. It’s not impossible to make leaner meatloaf stick together but it’s tricky.
Thirdly, do not add too much liquid. That will definitely make your meatloaf fall apart. Lastly, let your cooked meatloaf rest for about 10-15 minutes before you slice it. Slicing it right away, may make the meat fall apart.
CAN YOU PREPARE MEATLOAF THE NIGHT BEFORE
Absolutely! We all have busy lives. It’s a HUGE time saver when we can prep meals in advance.
First, prepare the meatloaf mixture.Keep the meatloaf mixture in the bowl.
Next, cover it tightly with a lid, saran wrap or foil. Not only is this a big time saver, but chilling in the fridge also makes the meatloaf more flavorful.
When you are ready to bake it, make the meatloaf into a loaf.
Place it on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet and bake per the recipe. FYI, chilled meatloaf may take a bit longer to cook through.
CAN YOU FREEZE MEATLOAF
- Of course! Wrap each raw meatloaf tightly in saran wrap then foil. Put it into a ziploc bag. Label and date it. Properly storing meatloaf in
the freezer will prevent freezer burn or contamination. Frozen meatloaf wrapped properly will last up to 3 months. - When you are ready to bake it, let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator and proceed with the baking instructions
per the recipe. Yes you can cook the meatloaf frozen, but it will take much longer to cook through.
HOW TO STORE MEATLOAF
Refrigerate cooked meatloaf in airtight containers or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap for 3-4 days.
To freeze cooked meatloaf, wrap room temperature meatloaf tightly in saran wrap then foil. Put it into a ziploc bag.
Label and date it. Next, place in the freezer. Frozen meatloaf wrapped properly will last up to 3 months.
HOW LONG TO COOK MEATLOAF
Most meatloaf recipes take anywhere between 45-60 minutes to cook. This recipe can take up to 60 minutes depending on your stove.
In our old stove, this meatloaf was done in 45 minutes. Our new stove takes longer, about 55-60 minutes to cook through.
HOW TO MAKE MEATLOAF STEP BY STEP
Make the meatloaf
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cover the entire top and sides of a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. If you only have parchment paper line the baking sheet with it.
- Add 4 slices of bread to a food processor and process. Add the bread crumbs to a bowl with the eggs, broth, and seasonings. Soak for 5 mins. Saute the vegetables. Cook until fragrant. Set to the side to cool (photos 1- 4).
- Ketchup glaze: Mix the ketchup, brown sugar and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside. Add the ground beef and soaked bread mixture to a large bowl. GENTLY combine. Do not over mix(photos 5-7).
- Place meatloaf on the baking sheet. Shape into a loaf. Spread the meatloaf sauce over the top. Bake from 45-60 minutes. Brush the remaining meatloaf sauce over the top. Let the meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables(photos 8-9).
MEATLOAF RECIPE TIPS:
- Meatloaf should be full of flavor, therefore, don’t skimp on seasonings and use a generous amount of sautéed onions.The cooked onions makes this meatloaf super delicious. A lot of meatloaf recipes use milk but I don’t use it.
I only use beef broth. It works. Trust me, the beef broth provides so much flavor. I love to use Better Than Bouillon Beef Base.
- Always use fresh bread, not the breadcrumbs from the store. Why so? Well, fresh bread will make moist meatloaf. Use a food processor
to make bread slices into breadcrumbs. - Avoid tough meatloaf using a light touch. Gently combine the ground beef with the egg, bread, and onion mixture.
Do not over-mix. - For an easy cleanup, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Lastly, place an empty baking sheet on the bottom shelf. Fill with water. Place the meatloaf on the shelf right above the pan with water.This will help keep the meatloaf nice and moist.That’s all there is to this meatloaf recipe. Simple is best.
Remember to let the cooked meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes then slice it.
BEST MEATLOAF!
Do you see all that great flavor? The sweet tangy peppery red ketchup glaze. Yum! The diced cooked onions are looking good too!
This meatloaf is amazing. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into it.
I won’t be surprised if your family gobbles it up in minutes. I’m just so excited about the FLAVOR! It’s the best meatloaf I’ve ever tasted. It’s easy to make and so DAMN good!
My sister tried this meatloaf recipe. Her picky husband and daughter both hate meatloaf but LOVED this one! She said it tasted like the ones at them famous restaurants.
Those are the type of things I love to hear. I love cooking and I love helping people create delicious easy food. I hope you can try it! Now how about some simple but so good peach cobbler?
If you LOVE soul food/ southern food join our NEW FB group: Soul Food Love/Southern Recipes.
The Best Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef preferably not lean ground beef
- 4 slices of fresh bread food processed
- 1/3 cup beef broth I used Better Than Bouillon Beef Base**BE SURE TO READ NOTES BELOW
- 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 pinch ground thyme *see seasoning notes
- 2 pinches dry parsley
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups red onion diced
- salt for taste
- pepper for taste
Brown Sugar Glaze
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 4 tbsp light brown sugar about 4-5 tablespoons
- 2 tsp pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the entire top and sides of a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. See notes. Fill a baking sheet or sheet pan with water and place it on the very bottom shelve in the oven. *See notes.
- Add the vegetable oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, enough add the onions and cook until softened about 6-8 minutes. A minute before the onions are done, add the garlic.
- Cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Remove the onions and garlic from the skillet and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
- To a small bowl add the fresh breadcrumbs, eggs, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Mix gently. Let the breadcrumbs soak for 5 minutes.
- To a bowl add the ketchup, pepper and brown sugar. Mix well. Reserve for later.
- Use a bowl big enough for the ground beef and breadcrumb mixture. Add the ground beef to the bowl with all the seasonings, salt, and pepper. Add the breadcrumb mixture, onions and garlic and gently mix.
- For an easy clean up (optional) place the loaf on the baking sheet lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil or line it with parchment paper. Shape the beef into a loaf. Pour only half of the brown sugar ketchup over the meatloaf. Put the meatloaf on the shelf right above the pan with water.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the temperature on your meat thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit *See notes. Cover the meatloaf with the remaining ketchup glaze and serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Sharing is caring, so please share this recipe, so other people can enjoy it!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you make this I’d love to know! Leave a comment below!
Make sure to save this PIN to your Pinterest board for later, read the great reviews and while you are there, follow me!
If you like this meatloaf recipe then you may also like these other beef recipes and sides:
- Ultimate Ritz Crackers Meatloaf (See Pic of it below)
- Instant Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Italian Sausage and Peppers
- Salisbury Steak
- Taco Steak Salad
- Beef Tacos
- Jamaican Beef Patties
- Smothered Chicken
It was so good! I changed a couple things …I had zucchini and bell pepper so I added them and used corn bread stove top stuffing instead of bread, I was delicious!
This was the best meatloaf ever so tasty. I was always afraid to make meatloaf because I thought it would taste like my mother’s which was dry and not much flavor. I will surely make this again.
Uh oh – I hope all heck didn’t break loose…I got overly self-conscious when I read the note about over-mixing the beef with the bread crumb mixture so when I checked on my meatloaf after 45 minutes it didn’t look like a loaf; it looked like a smooshed-up mess…(now I’m getting self conscious about my over-hyphenation)
Sooooo what I did was take two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil and I put them over the meatloaf and squished it until it looked more loa-like. Then I put it back in the oven…I’ll come back and finish the rest of this comment when it’s done/finished (I still get those two words confused)….stay tuned…
HOLY SMOKES THIS IS GOOD!!!!
That’s what he said after the first bite…so I guess I didn’t mess up the the recipe with my self-conscious under-mixing of the ingredients after all…YIPPEE!
I’m very happy y’all enjoyed it! Love your comments! So relatable! Although I cook a lot, Sometimes I feel the same way as you when I’m trying a new recipe, especially when the recipe has no step by step or videos lol.Thank you so much Dionna!
You’re welcome, April. I’m going to try another one of your recipes to see if I can get Mr. Holy Cow to say YASSSSSSS That’s good!
If y’all like this then give my salisbury steak and mashed potatoes a go! Let me know too! Thanks Dionna 🙂
I ended up making your breakfast casserole, but it didn’t turn out as excellent as your meatloaf because I tried to make two recipes at the same time….
Keep ‘em coming, April!
Oh no. I hope it comes out better next time! Thank you! Hope you have a wonderful day Dionna!
The best meatloaf I ever made! Recipe easy to follow, results superb.
I’m happy you liked it! Thank you so much Nita!
Very Good. I skipped sautéing garlic & onion, i just added directly to meat. And i used Italian bread crumbs from store, easier. And i used same list of ingredients as recipe called for but i added a 10oz can of Rotel diced Tom w/ Green Chile’s to meat. So so good & moist. Will def make again & will share this recipe.
Green chilis sounds good. Might have to try that someday! Thank you so much Susan!!!
did you add the rotel to the bread mixture instead of beef broth?
What a great recipe. I used ground turkey instead of beef and it was just as delicious.
Thank you so much Gloria!!
Great method and recipe. Thank you so much for your time. I will make this again. It was flavorful and juicy and super easy to whip up.
Thank you so much Tricia!:)
I’ve never made meatloaf ever but your meatloaf is so tasty and moist….the bomb! Thank you for sharing your delicious recipe. 😊
Thank you!
I make dinner for our church every week and I made 5# loaves – they turned out great and was a huge hit!
How sweet of you! Thank you so much Kevin. So happy to hear that! 🙂
I have never made meatloaf before (not much of a fan, but my husband LOVES it!) Do you think it would be okay to use whole wheat hamburger buns instead of white bread? It’s the only thing we have!
Liz, I’ve never used hamburger buns but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let me know how it goes.
I grew up in a large family and meatloaf was a staple. This mixingspoons down is by far the best I have ever had. I added 2 TBS of Siracha to my katsup because we like a little spicy kick. Will be making again and sharing!
Great idea! Thank you so much!
i’m in the middle of making this, and i accidentally read the directions wrong and added the sauce INTO the meat mixture🤦🏼♀️ will it still turn out okay do you think? or will it be too mushy?
Oh no…It may end up kind of mushy.
I’m actually baking my meatloaf in the oven now. I pray it turns out delicious. I’m making it for my husband, he loves meatloaf. The picture you posted looked so good that I just had to try this recipe. I’ll let you know how this turns out. Thanks for posting it.
Thank you Wilma! Hope you liked it!
This is the best recipe EVER! My family loves it. I have made it 3 times in the past 2 months and it seems as though it gets better with each try! Thanks for posting this. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Haha @ better with each try.Thank you so much!! 🙂
Hi! When you freeze the meatloaf, do you put the glaze on before you freeze or later when you are ready to cook? Thank you!!!
Hi Maria! Sorry I missed your comment! But you add the glaze onto the thawed meatloaf.
Michael in Missouri,
This is the second time I have made this recipe. The only thing I did differently is added bell pepper to the sautéed vegetables. I have made many meatloaf recipes and this is by far the best.
If I have bell pepper, sometimes I’ll add them too! You made my day! Thank you so much Michael!
Yum Yum yum yum yummmm!!! I’ve made this a few times for my family and making it today to give a friend as a Thank You. Crazy how delish that much pepper in the sauce can be!
Thank you so much! Glad you like it. Yes I always add a good amount of pepper to certain dishes. It makes a huge difference in flavor. I’m sure your friend will love it!