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Meatloaf Recipe
After trying dozens of others, I guarantee that this is the best meatloaf recipe you’ll find. It’s loaded with flavor, very easy to prepare, and the sauce totally makes it. Serve it alongside your favorite mashed potatoes and veggies; it will be an instant hit every time you make it.
I’ve talked a lot about Sunday dinners at my grandma’s house, where there was always an abundance of pasta and traditional Italian foods. However, we would often eat dinner at my grandma’s at random times throughout the week, as well. If she knew my parents were busy on a particular day, or happened to be making something she knew we’d like, she would call and tell us to come over. One of my favorite non-Italian meals that she made was meatloaf with mashed potatoes. It’s such a comfort food, and it reminds me of walking into her house on chilly fall and winter evenings, when it was already dark at dinnertime.
Not long after my husband and I began dating, I found out that meatloaf was one of his favorite meals. It took me awhile, but I finally found a meatloaf recipe that we both love and that’s incredibly easy to make.
How To Make Meatloaf
Meatloaf seems like it should be such a simple recipe that there wouldn’t be much variation in terms of ingredients or process, but there are a few tricks that take it from ordinary meatloaf to the absolute best ever.
MY OTHER RECIPES Let’s go through them step-by-step:
The Meat
I’ve found that one of the biggest mistakes you can make with meatloaf is to use only ground beef. Your meatloaf will basically taste like a flavored, loaf-shaped hamburger. We want more depth of flavor and a more tender texture that doesn’t leave the meatloaf crumbly, so in addition to the ground beef, we use ground pork and ground veal.
You’ll often see packages of “meatloaf mix” in the meat case at the grocery store, which is a combination of the three meats. If you don’t see it, you can always ask the butcher to create it for you. (You can substitute 2 pounds of meatloaf mix for the trio of meats in the recipe.)
(Side note: I also use meatloaf mix for my meat sauce and meatballs – it works incredibly well in those dishes, too.)
The Rest of the Ingredients
Meatloaf obviously requires some extra ingredients to give it tons of flavor and to keep it moist and tender, as well. Let’s run through them:
- The Aromatics – Onion and garlic is sautéed before being added to the meatloaf mixture to enhance its flavor (and no one wants to bite into a raw piece of onion!).
- More Flavor – Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and parsley all give this meatloaf a massive oomph in the flavor department.
- Eggs and Milk – Keep the meatloaf tender and bind it together. (You can substitute ½ cup plain yogurt for the milk.)
- Crushed saltine crackers – Lighten the texture the meatloaf, add moisture, as well as bind it together. (You can substitute ⅔ cup quick oats or 1⅓ cups fresh bread crumbs).
- The Glaze – This sauce is super simple but it packs tons of flavor and I would never make meatloaf without it! You only need three ingredients (ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar) for a perfect sweet and tangy glaze. Brush on half before baking, and the other half when it’s almost done in the oven.
The Process
Making this meatloaf recipe is super simple!
Once the onion and garlic are sauteed, you mix together all of the ingredients in a large bowl, either with a fork or your hands, taking care not to overmix (this keeps the meatloaf moist and tender; overmixing can cause it to because tough or dry).
Then, either free form the loaf on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil (easy cleanup!) or you can put the mixture into a loaf pan with a perforated bottom).
(If you want to use your slow cooker, check out this crockpot meatloaf recipe.)
Freezing Meatloaf
Meatloaf is a fabulous candidate for freezing, both before and after baking. It was one of my favorite freezer meals to have stashed away after each of my babies were born. How to do it:
- Freeze Before Baking – Mix together the ingredients, shape the meatloaf, then wrap in plastic wrap, place in a ziploc freezer bag and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed. I recommend freezing it without the glaze and making it/brushing it on right before baking.
- Freeze After Baking – After the meatloaf has been baked and cooled, wrap it in plastic wrap, then in a layer of aluminum foil, place in a ziploc freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 350-degree oven, covered with foil, for about 45 minutes, or until heated through. I do not recommend reheating directly from frozen, as it takes A LONG TIME and the outside can get dry while the inside remains frozen.
I think it has the best texture when it is frozen raw, thawed and baked. Since it’s only baked once, it maintains the best flavor and texture.
Without exception, I serve meatloaf with my favorite mashed potatoes; you can’t have meatloaf without the mashed potatoes as far as I’m concerned!
This meatloaf is husband-approved and making it always reminds me of cozy dinners at my grandma’s house, so it’s a definite win-win for me.
If You Like This Meatloaf Recipe, Try These:
Four years ago: German Beer Cheese Spread
Five years ago: Frito Pie
Six years ago: Potato Skins
Nine years ago: Polenta Pizza
Did you make this recipe?
This classic meatloaf recipe is the absolute best you'll find. It's loaded with flavor, very easy to prepare, and the sauce is delicious.
For the Glaze:
- ½
cup
ketchup
- 4
tablespoons
light brown sugar
- 4
teaspoons
cider vinegar
For the Meatloaf:
- 2
teaspoons
vegetable oil
- 1
medium onion
(finely diced)
- 2
cloves
garlic
(minced)
- 2
eggs
- 2
teaspoons
Dijon mustard
- 2
teaspoons
Worcestershire sauce
- 1
teaspoon
salt
- ½
teaspoon
ground black pepper
- ½
teaspoon
dried thyme
- ⅛
teaspoon
cayenne pepper
- ½
cup
whole milk
- 1
pound
ground beef
- ½
pound
ground pork
- ½
pound
ground veal
- 16
saltine crackers
( crushed)
- ⅓
cup
minced fresh parsley
Make the Glaze: In a small saucepan, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar; set aside.
Make the Meatloaf: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing the remaining ingredients.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne and milk. Add the ground meats, crackers, parsley and cooked onion mixture; mix with a fork until evenly blended.
With wet hands, pat the mixture into a 9-by-5-inch loaf shape. Place on a foil-lined rimmed baking pan (you could also use a 9x5-inch loaf pan with a perforated bottom). Brush with half of the glaze.
Bake meatloaf until it is cooked through (it should register 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer), about 1 hour, brushing with the remaining glaze when there is 15 minutes left. Cool at least 20 minutes, then slice the meatloaf and serve.
- The whole milk can be replaced by ½ cup plain yogurt.
- The crushed saltines can be replaced by ⅔ cup quick oats or 1⅓ cups fresh bread crumbs.
Nutritional values are based on one serving
Calories: 302kcal
Fat: 13g
Saturated fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 121mg
Sodium: 619mg
Potassium: 512mg
Carbohydrates: 17g
Sugar: 10g
Protein: 25g
Vitamin A: 7.7%
Vitamin C: 6.8%
Calcium: 5.5%
Iron: 15.4%
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in October 2014. It was updated in September 2018 with new photos and extensive recipe tips.
[photos by The Almond Eater]
This sounds wonderful and is most definently a comfort food. For those of us in the south it’s a southern staple. I use a recipe that’s very similar. I use mustard in the glaze instead of vinegar and I use Italian or spicy panko bread crumbs. For a bit of a twist try adding in about 3/4 cup of shredded cheese (I use a mac and cheese blend). You can add more if you’d like too. The cheese adds another layer of yumminess to the dish. Great job as usual!
Love the pics! its so inviting!
This is similar to mine, except I mix some horseradish in and use breadcrumbs. Will try the saltines. Hated meatloaf as a kid and realized when I got older it was because she used oatmeal to mix in. Didn’t like the texture, even though oatmeal raisin cookies were always my faves.
Yum. I love meatloaf, and yours looks & sounds wonderful. Last year I created a turkey meatloaf recipe that my family loves.
This really looks yummy! I always add a blob of horseradish!!! Gives it a good kick!
Hi! I was wondering if you could leave out the veal? Is there a substitute? Thanks!! LOVE your site!!
I wouldn’t leave it out unless you absolutely had to; the combination of the beef, pork and veal creates a great flavor and a perfect tender texture. If you have to omit it, just increase the amount of beef and pork.
Thank you for the quick response! Unfortunately my hubbie and I do not eat veal for personal reasons, so I will up the other two and hopefully it will be almost as delish as the original.
I’m French, and I’ve done this basic meatloaf for decades. Breadcrumbs or bread drenched in milk, no thyme, no dijon, no thyme, no garlic and a healthy dollop or two or three of sour cream. I omit vinegar in the glaze. I still serve it with mushroom gravy, that’s the French in mean. DO NOT USE PLAIN GROUND BEEF ONLY that is just a hamburger loaf. It’s pork, ground beef and veal. You can use the same basic recipe for turkey meat loaf.
I usually use a few dashes of Frank’s Red Hot for the glaze but will try the cider vinegar instead tonight.
I love this recipe! Simple yet looks sooo good! Thanks!
I’m such a sucker for a good meatloaf recipe! Must try this!
The ingredients sound wonderful – am going to try this very soon (after I grocery shop). Funny that you say mashed potatoes are a must with meatloaf – that is a great combination but for over 60 years in our family scalloped potatoes go with meat loaf. They cook in the oven with the meatloaf.
Are the scalloped potatoes hard to make? They sound delicious!
My dad loves taking the left over meat loaf and putting a slice on his sandwich in place of lunch meat. Talked me into trying it once and I loved it! Bread, mayo, spicy mustard and a meat loaf slice.
We used to do this with my grandma’s meatloaf, too! We’d put American cheese and ketchup on it ;-)
Thanks for the inspiration. I made meatloaf for dinner – instead of vinegar, I use honey dijon mustard in the topping.
This is my favorite meatloaf recipe also! I love the version that puts bacon across the top! Sadly, I don’t have access to meatloaf mix. I use half venison half beef. It turns out great every time!
Thank you for not putting peppers in it! My mom did that, and I spent half my suppertime picking out the peppers. She used the “meatloaf/meatball mix” as well, and bread crumbs as the binder. I like your idea of adding mustard and cider vinegar to the glaze, will definitely try that next time.
That looks sooooo good! We are meatloaf fanatics here and while I usually make mine the same way each time, sometimes I like to change it up. So I’ll have to give this beauty a try!
WHY WAS NOT MY POST PUBLISHED
Not sure what you’re referring to?
Meatloaf is a favorite in our house. I think it’s the perfect comfort food for this time of year. Your version looks delicious!
I tried your meatloaf today and it was delicious!!!!
It’s funny you posted this recipe today, I was just saying that I needed a new meatloaf recipe. I will have to give this a try. Thanks for sharing.