My Easy Meatloaf is a kid-friendly classic, easy to pull together and sure to be a hit. You’ll love this sweet, savory, saucy, and perfectly seasoned baked meatloaf!
Meatloaf is a great recipe for a comfy-cozy dinner that fills you up and makes you feel good. I like it on Sunday nights, as a kind of comfort-food farewell to the weekend! But, it’s also easy enough to put together on a weeknight, if you’d prefer.
This recipe is classic, well-seasoned, saucy, perfect for a wholesome meal and delicious in sandwiches the next day! You can serve it with mashed potatoes and peas for a perfectly traditional American dinner, or check out some of my nifty serving suggestions below.
The unique thing about this recipe is that we are using barbecue sauce in place of the more standard ketchup, and boosting the flavor even more with Italian seasoning and Worcestershire sauce. These prepared ingredients come absolutely packed with flavor, and make pulling the recipe together super fast. You can use any kind of barbecue sauce that you enjoy!
This meatloaf is full of flavor but easy to pull together. Let’s dive in and talk ingredients, shall we?
This super simple recipe only needs to be mixed and baked! It’s a comforting, easy dish that’s perfect for a family meal.
I have to talk about timing when it comes to a heavier bake like meatloaf. I’ve found success with a cook time of 50 minutes, but depending on your oven, your pan and your ingredients, that time may vary. The most important thing is the temperature. Even if you have to cook the meatloaf an extra ten, twenty, or even thirty minutes, be sure it reaches 165°F.
Want to know more about making this recipe great? Follow these easy tips for making an amazing meatloaf dinner!
I like to serve this comforting main course with healthy, simple sides like these. I hope you’ll try one, or more. Either way, bon appetit!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl combine the ground beef, grated onion, egg, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and salt to the breadcrumb mixture. …
- Shape the meat mixture into a loaf approximately 2 inches thick. …
- Put the meatloaf in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Classic Beef Meatloaf
What’s better than a hearty meatloaf? This is a recipe that’s easy and foolproof. No bells and whistles – just a few ingredients including beef, egg, bread crumbs and a simple tomato-based topping.
Total: 75min
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Nutrition Facts: calories 280
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 pounds Ground Beef (93% lean or leaner)
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup ketchup, divided
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instruction:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine Ground Beef, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup ketchup, onion, egg, Worcestershire, garlic, thyme, pepper and salt in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Shape beef into 8 x 4-inch loaf on rack in aluminum foil-lined broiler pan.
- Place on upper oven rack in 350°F oven. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 160°F; brush with remaining 1/4 cup ketchup during last 10 minutes, if desired. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into slices.
Easy Meatloaf Recipe
My Easy Meatloaf is a kid-friendly classic, easy to pull together and sure to be a hit. You’ll love this sweetly saucy, perfectly seasoned baked meatloaf!
Prep: 10min
Total: 60min
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 267 kcal, Carbohydrate 23 g, Protein 27 g, Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 94 mg, Sodium 834 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 13 g, unSaturated Fat 4 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 large egg, (lightly beaten)
- 1 cup barbecue sauce, (divided)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- chopped fresh parsley, (for garnish)
Instruction:
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Line a loaf pan with foil and lightly grease both pan and foil. Leave plenty of overlap to make it easier to remove the meatloaf after cooking.
- In a large bowl, mix ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion, egg, ½-cup barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined, but do not overmix or the meatloaf will be tough.
- Shape the beef mixture into a loaf in the prepared pan. Spread the remaining barbecue sauce over the top.
- Bake for 50 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 165˚F. Let the meatloaf stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
The Best Classic Meatloaf Recipe
This traditional meatloaf recipe is just like mom used to make, made with ground beef and a sweet and tangy ketchup glaze topping.
Prep: 10min
Total: 65min
Yield: 10
Serving Size: 1 /10th of the meatloaf
Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 /10th of the meatloaf, calories 164 kcal, Carbohydrate 14.8 g, Protein 11.7 g, Fat 5.7 g, Saturated Fat 2.2 g, Cholesterol 49.9 mg, Sodium 399.3 mg, Fiber 0.6 g, Sugar 6.7 g
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. 90% lean ground beef
- 1 cup dried bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 2 tbsp. ketchup
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. dried parsley leaves
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- For the Topping:
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Instruction:
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, add the beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, 2 tablespoons ketchup, worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Use your hands to mush and mix these ingredients together until well combined.*
- Add the meat mixture to a loaf pan. Pat the meat down into an even layer.
- In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup ketchup, the brown sugar, and vinegar. Stir to combine. Pour the sauce on top of the meatloaf and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake uncovered for 55 minutes.
- Let the meatloaf rest for 8-10 minutes before serving (or it may fall apart).**
Simple and Easy Meatloaf Recipe
FAQ
What is the secret to moist meatloaf?
The leaner the meat, the dryer and grainier the meatloaf. For an all-beef meatloaf, always use a higher-fat cut, at least 15 percent. For a meatloaf made with a leaner beef or turkey, consider mixing in some ground pork and/or veal in order to achieve a moist, tender meatloaf.
What ingredient keeps meatloaf from falling apart?
What is the basic meatloaf formula?
All recipes for meatloaf start with the same basic formula: 2 pounds of ground meat and a “panade” made of bread or crackers soaked in milk. Along with a few eggs, this panade helps to hold the ground meat together and adds some essential moisture to the mix.
What can I put in meatloaf instead of breadcrumbs?
¼ cup panko. ¼ cup cracker or pretzel crumbs. ¼ cup crushed cornflakes or other unsweetened cereals. ⅔ cup regular rolled oats (Use this only as a substitute for bread crumbs in meat loaf and other meat mixtures, such as burgers.
