How to make the best tender and juicy Meatloaf with a delicious shiny glaze! Cheap, easy and quick to prepare, let the oven do all the work for you!
Look no further for the best Meatloaf recipe because it’s right here! Juicy and flavourful on the inside, with a caramelised shiny glaze on the outside makes this classic Meatloaf a winning centrepiece on any dining table.
The whole family goes crazy over each slice! PLUS… take advantage of leftovers and turn them into the best meatloaf sandwiches!
MEATLOAF RECIPE
Meat lovers…rejoice! Finally, a meatloaf recipe that is guaranteed to come out perfectly juicy, NOT dry, hard, chewy or tasteless. All dreams come true when slicing into this loaf. What better way to serve a thick slice of Meatloaf than on a pile of creamy mashed potato OR mashed cauliflower for a lower calorie idea!
Mix any remaining sauce with leftover pan juices, then pour that sacred juicy sauce ALL over your meatloaf!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST MEATLOAF
There are a couple of things we do differently from a usual Meatloaf recipe, which is what makes this meatloaf stand out from the rest:
- Instead of using breadcrumbs, we use bread slices soaked in milk which is what guarantees a juicy, tender loaf. You see us use the technique here in our mozzarella meatball recipe.
- We sauté onion and garlic together WHILE the bread is soaking to enhance their flavours before mixing them into the meat. Doing this guarantees soft onion pieces with every bite, while infusing the perfect amount of garlic flavour into the meat while baking. You COULD also grate your onion and garlic cloves to save time from sautéing, but we find cooking them yields the best result.
- Everything gets mixed together in the same bowl as the soaked bread to minimise clean up.
EASY MEATLOAF MIXTURE
We add three different ingredients to our meatloaf to add amazing taste:
- Tomato paste
- Dijon mustard
- Parmesan cheese
You can leave them out if you have doubts, but I suggest following this recipe as closely as possible.
HOW TO SHAPE MEATLOAF
There are a couple of options here. You can either:
- Dump your meat mixture onto a baking sheet or oven tray and mould it into a loaf shape yourself, which can take some time to try and achieve even thickness and roundness for even cooking.
- Bake it in a loaf pan: If you go this option, beware you may have soggy edges instead of crisp edges as the loaf cooks in its own juices.
- Our preferred method: Mould it in a loaf pan, then turn the loaf out onto a broiler pan (oven grill pan). This way guarantees even cooking and crisp edges. Use a drip pan underneath and save all drippings.
If choosing option 3, be sure not to press the loaf too hard into the base of the pan, or you may have a hard time getting it out intact! Mould it just enough to get its shape, then turn it out. So much easier than shaping it yourself!
MEATLOAF SAUCE
This glaze has the perfect tasty balance. Not too sweet, not too tart with an additional hint of garlic. Half is spread over the loaf before baking, and then half of the remaining sauce is added on during baking, saving the rest for serving with over your pile of mash!
HOW LONG TO COOK MEATLOAF
Your Meatloaf will need to cook at 400°F (200°C) for 50 minutes. Then,  you are going to spread a little more meatloaf sauce over the top and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until the glaze is nice and sticky.
Let your meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to recirculate back into the meat. If you’re tempted to slice it straight out of the oven, you will find it may fall apart as it is super tender. Tent it with foil while resting to keep it warm.
CAN YOU FREEZE MEATLOAF?
Yes! You can make meatloaf ahead and freeze before cooking. Once the meatloaf mixture has been shaped in your loaf pan, cover loaf pan tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze. Defrost raw frozen meatloaf in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours before baking in the oven.
OR, freeze AFTER cooking! When cooked, allow to cool completely and freeze in individual slices wrapped in parchment or baking paper to keep them juicy. Place all slices in an airtight container or freezer bag, and reheat slices as you need them! Reheat semi-thawed slices in the oven or microwave.
MORE BEEF RECIPES
Chili Mac (Ground Beef Recipe)
Beef Bourguignon (Julia Child Recipe)
Sesame Beef Stir Fry
The BEST Meatloaf NOW ON VIDEO! Watch us make it to help you in the kitchen!
Meatloaf
Ingredients
Meatloaf:
- 4 slices bread, ripped up into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds (1 kg) ground beef mince (regular or lean)
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (please use fresh)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- 3 level tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Glaze:
- 3/4 cup ketchup
 (Australian tomato sauce)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 4 tablespoons cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (or 200°C). Lightly grease a broiler pan (oven grill pan), or regular baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, soak bread slices in the milk, pressing them down with your fingers. Allow to soak while sautéing the onion.
- Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté for a further 30 seconds until fragrant. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
- Mash the soaked bread with a fork to break up large pieces. Add in the onion/garlic, beef, parmesan, eggs, parsley, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until everything is just combined (try not to over-mix).
- Scoop meat mixture into a loaf pan, pressing down lightly to form into a loaf shape. Turn out onto prepared tray.
- In a smaller bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the glaze. Spread half of the sauce evenly over the top; reserve the renaming sauce for later.
- Bake the meatloaf for 50 minutes, then spread half of the remaining sauce over the top. Return to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Mix any pan juices with the remaining sauce to serve!
- Serve with creamy mashed potatoes/cauliflower and/or steamed vegetables.
Virginia Quick says
I’ve made this meatloaf about 4 times now and it is bar far the best meatloaf I have ever eaten. It reminds me of my Mom’s meatloaf with using bread soaked in milk. It turns out perfect every time. There are just two of us and I freeze it in sections for future use. That red sauce is wonderful!
Jeff says
***TIP***
Please buy yourself a meatloaf pan with a removable grease tray. I found a great one at Chef’s Corner Store (I’m not affiliated with them or anybody else) for just over $20. It is very sturdy and heavy duty. Without the insert you can make bread, etc. You will get a lot of use out of the pan in the years to come.
The first time I made this recipe the meatloaf turned out firm and easy to cut into thin slices. I lifted the insert out, slowly slid the meatloaf on my wooden cutting board and let it rest about ten minutes.
This recipe is awesome! I added some BBQ sauce to the glaze and substituted Panko crumbs instead of the bread and milk mixture even though I’m sure the recipe is perfect just as written. Some freshly mashed Russet potatoes with cheese, sour cream, butter and green onion made my tummy happy! Have fun cooking! Jeff
Caitlin OBrien says
The flavors were good, but I made a couple of changes that I would NOT recommend. I think the recipe would have been fantastic if I followed it as written. I added a little more milk because I thought the bread slices I used were bigger than average (Pepperidge Farm hearty white), used 1lb ground chuck (80/20 fat content) and 1lb ground pork. I also thought I was fancy setting my oven at 400 on convection. The high fat content of my meat, and probably the added 1/4 c or so of milk, resulted in a very loose loaf that did not hold shape well as it cooked, and cooking on convection resulted in the glaze burning in some areas rather than just caramelizing. Follow the instructions and I think you’ll be pleased!
Bob says
I made this for the second time tonight and it was delicious! I had exactly 1 pound of lean 90/10 ground beef and a little over a pound of ground pork. I’ve always used a 50/50 blend or sometimes 50% beef and 25% each pork and veal because my moth Always did and we like the flavor and softer consistency. Everything else was followed exactly and it was a big hit again tonight! I think frying the onions and garlic is the key to the great flavor. Made with oven roasted potatoes and sweet corn. Definitely in our rotation!
Carole Yates says
This recipe is perfect for being in pandemic lockdown. We’re in our 9th week, and comfort food is required. This meatloaf is the best I’ve made. Third time in 6 weeks. Really enjoy your recipes
Xclusivelymii says
I have never tasted meatloaf like this before. Thank You for this recipe it was great!!!
Jessica says
Best meatloaf and the sweet tangy sauce is an absolute must! So good! Anyone leaving anything out, put it in! I do use ground beef, pork and veal for the traditional meatloaf mixture but that’s the only thing I do different. Been making my own meatloaf recipe for 20 years which everyone loved but this is my new go to! So good, sometimes I make it twice a week. Also a must have is a sammy with the leftovers! Thanks!
Greg says
Excellent, love it.
We are having trouble with the sauces that ooze out carmelizing into a big burnt mess. Any thoughts or ideas?
Jessica says
I recommend not putting the sauce on until the last 20 minutes of cooking. I like to let the meatloaf get a little browned & crispy first then spread half the sauce on, cook another 10 min, spread other half of sauce, cook 10 more minutes.
Traci says
I was wondering if you think it would turn out just as good if u used gluten free bread? I have celiacs disease and can’t have gluten but this looks so good!!
KA says
Hi Traci,
I just made this with gluten free bread – turned out great! I used the heels since the family doesn’t like that part as much with sandwiches.
Janet Bradley says
Recipe sounds amazing. Since there is only 2 of us, can I make this as stated, but divide it into two loaf pans. Could I freeze one (un-cooked). If so, how would I go about cooking it from frozen.
Thanks, Jan