moist and flavorful meatloaf

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated November 18, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Yasss The Best Meatloaf Recipe Highly Rated w/ Video

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Youll 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. Its also DELICIOUS! I cant decide which one I like better!

This recipe is different than most meatloaf recipes. No 1, there isnt 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 wouldnt brag about things, but this meatloaf is seriously good.Its 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, Ive been working hard on my photography game and I think Ive managed to take a better photo of my meatloaf. Check it out below! Yay!

This is my absolute favorite comfort foodwaitMy other fav is my Salisbury steak.Im afraid to say this, but I could probably eat the WHOLE2 lbs!

This tasty meatloaf recipe is so easy to make! My family always fight over the last slice.

Back in the day, you wouldnt find me fighting over meatloaf because I pretty muchhated it. That same hatred for the loaf motivated me to develop ameatloaf 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 isnt 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.

Its 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. Its 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 wont add additional flavor.

MEATLOAF SAUCE

Meatloaf sauce is like the icing on the cake. To make the meatloaf sauce, youll 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 dont 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 didnt 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. Its not impossible to make leaner meatloaf stick together but its 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. Its aHUGE 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 instructionsper 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:

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 couldnt wait to sink my teeth into it.

I wont be surprised if your family gobbles it up in minutes. Im just so excited about the FLAVOR! Its the best meatloaf Ive ever tasted. Its 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

April Boller Wright

Yasss may be the only word you utter after your chomp down and savor the bursting flavors of this delicious classic, tender, and moist meatloaf.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Servings 8 people

Calories 472 kcal

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

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!

Better Than Bouillon beef base: Use 1/3 cup of water plus 1/2 tsp or up to 3/4 tsp of BTB. DO NOT USE 1/4 cup of BTB unless you want a saltY meatloaf!Seasonings:The video clip of how to make this meatloaf is new. I added additional optional seasonings. In the video, you'll see that I used 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, pinch or up to 1/4 tsp dried parsley, crushed red peppers (add as much or as little as you like). If you don't care for spice eliminate it.Bread: Use regular store brand white bread. You can break the bread into small pieces or use a food processor. Just make sure the bread is soaked through before you add the bread mixture to the beef.Tough meatloaf is no good - With a light touch, combine the ground beef with the egg, bread, and onion mixture. Do not over-mix.Juicy and tender meatloaf - Fill a baking sheet with water. Place it on bottom oven shelf. Place the meatloaf on the shelf right above the pan of water. Fill with water.Easy cleanup - line the baking sheet with parchment paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil. I used parchment paper for this recipe since I was out of foil, BUT I prefer to use aluminum foil. The baking tray stays a bit cleaner with foil.Rest - let the cooked meatloaf rest for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.Storage - refrigerate meatloaf in airtight containers or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap for 3-4 days.How to freeze - 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. It will last up to 3 months.Freeze raw meatloaf - Wrap each raw meatloaf tightly in saran wrap then foil. Put it into a ziploc bag. Label and date it. Properly storing meatloaf in 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.TOOLS USED TO MAKE THISGDealer Super Fast Instant Read ThermometerBetter Than Bouillon Beef BaseNordicware Aluminum Commercial Bakers Big Sheet PanFYI. Be careful when using Better than bouillon because it contains salt. But for this meatloaf recipe, if you use the measurements shown in the recipe card, you will need to add additional salt to the meat mixture.The meatloaf video below was added to the post on 8/11/2021 Follow Whisk it Real Gud on Instagram.

Calories: 472kcal

Keyword #bestmeatloafrecipe, easymeatloaf, meatloaf, meatloaf recipe