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You have found the best meatloaf recipe that can be made for dinner for a great hearty easy dinner recipe. When you follow this easy meatloaf recipe you will get a wonderfully moist meatloaf with a tasty meatloaf sauce.
The whole family will enjoy this homemade meatloaf recipe, it is the perfect comfort food. Our recipe has the perfect balance of spices to create the perfect meatloaf. Over time this has quickly become my go-to recipe for the best classic meatloaf recipe and it pairs well with traditional side dishes.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
To make the meatloaf, you need the following ingredients:
- Plain bread crumbs (or panko breadcrumbs)
- Whole milk
- Ground beef (I suggest 80/20 as opposed to lean ground beef, but you can also use ground pork or ground turkey)
- Eggs
- Ketchup
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Ground black pepper
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Dried oregano
- Red onion, finely diced
- Chopped fresh parsley
To make the glaze, you need the following ingredients:
- Ketchup
- Brown sugar
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Apple cider vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to Make Our Meatloaf
Meatloaf Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Hydrate the breadcrumbs. In a small mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the milk. Let them sit while you measure out the remaining ingredients.
- Combine the remaining ingredients. In a large bowl, combine ground beef with the eggs, ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt, garlic powder, oregano, red onion, and fresh parsley. Don’t mix yet.
- Add the breadcrumb mixture to the other ingredients and mix until everything is just incorporated. Do not over-mix the meatloaf mixture.
- Bake. Transfer the ground beef mixture to the prepared baking dish. Push it lightly into the pan so that it gets into the corners. Smooth the top with your hands or a spatula. Place the meatloaf pan in the preheated oven and set the cooking time to 35 minutes.
Meatloaf Glaze Instructions
- Make the glaze. While the meatloaf is cooking make the tangy glaze by whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Glaze the meatloaf. Once the meatloaf has cooked for 35 minutes, brush the sauce over the top of the meatloaf.
- Finish baking. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf reads 160 degrees.
Recipe Notes
- Store leftover meatloaf in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or air fryer.
- If you are not a huge fan of using Worcestershire sauce, try these options such as soy sauce, olive oil, chili sauce, or chicken stock.
Enjoy More Delicious Beef Main Dishes
The possibilities for delicious beef main dishes are endless, from cuts of meat like steak or roast, to family-friendly ground beef dishes, explore our comprehensive collection of beef recipes.
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Meatloaf Recipe
This classic meatloaf recipe features milk-soaked breadcrumbs and seasoned beef topped with a sweet ketchup glaze.
Serving servings
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 pounds ground beef, (I suggest 80/20)
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon black ground pepper
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ medium red onion, finely diced
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Glaze
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1½ Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
Meatloaf Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and the milk. Let them sit while you measure out the remaining ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt, garlic powder, oregano, red onion, and fresh parsley. Don’t mix yet.
- Add the breadcrumb mixture to the other ingredients and mix until everything is just incorporated. Do not over-mix.
- Transfer the ground beef mixture to the prepared loaf pan. Push it lightly into the pan so that it gets into the corners. Smooth the top with your hands or a spatula. Bake for 35 minutes.
Glaze Instructions
- While the meatloaf is cooking, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Once the meatloaf has cooked for 35 minutes, brush the sauce over the top.
- Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf reads 160℉.
Notes
Store leftover meatloaf in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or air fryer.
If you are not a huge fan of using Worcestershire sauce, try these options such as soy sauce, olive oil, chili sauce, or chicken stock.
Nutrition
Calories: 281 kcal · Carbohydrates: 22 g · Protein: 29 g · Fat: 8 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g · Trans Fat: 0.4 g · Cholesterol: 114 mg · Sodium: 1020 mg · Potassium: 637 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 10 g · Vitamin A: 558 IU · Vitamin C: 7 mg · Calcium: 91 mg · Iron: 4 mg
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
This recipe is an improvement over my personal one that I had adapted from what I had learned from my dad. Including the eggs, mustard and breadcrumbs. Soaking the breadcrumbs in the whole milk, along with not over mixing it put it over the edge.
Pro tip: substitute steak sauce (like A1) for the ketchup.
I learned not to like ketchup when someone pointed out that it’s not hypoglycemic (so it can raise your blood sugar). I also started preferring mayonnaise to ketchup from Quentin Tarantino, when Vincent Vega mentioned to Jules that Europeans put mayo on their fries.