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Home ► Recipes ► American

Best Meatloaf

Updated: 07.28.19 | Marc Matsumoto | 64 Comments

4 from 3 votes
Tender, juicy meatloaf topped with crispy bacon and a sweet tomato glaze. This recipe makes the best meatloaf!
Recipe

It's not your grandma's meatloaf, it's better... there, I said it! I know, some of you are thinking "them's fightin' words" and hitting unsubscribe right now. But in all seriousness, I don't go labeling recipes as being "best" willy-nilly. As a mater of fact, out of nearly 600 recipes, there have so far only been 3 that I've deemed worthy of getting the title "best"

Sure I have a page with a few dozen of my favorite dishes on this site, but in order to get "best" in the title it has to be something unparalleled. In this case, this meatloaf is the kind of delicious that has me sneaking back to the fridge to nibble on leftovers as I write this post.

While meatloaf has legitimate ancestry stretching back to various dishes from across Europe, it didn't become widely popular in the US until the Great Depression. Rationing made it necessary to find clever ways to stretch what little meat was available, and it's around that time that meatloaf became as American as apple pie (which isn't actually American at all, but that's a topic for another post). Sadly the budget friendly, belly filling qualities of meatloaf made it perfect for school cafeterias and microwave dinners, which gave it a bum rap over the years.

The thing with meatloaf is that it's not a solid piece of meat, which means you can season it right to the core, then adjust the richness and texture to suit your tastes. Personally I like my meat tender, moist and flavorful. To paraphrase Descartes: "I crave, therefore I make"

Breadcrumbs and milk not only make the meatloaf tender, the milk adds moisture, while the breadcrumbs reabsorb the juices released by the meat. As for flavor, I throw everything I have in my flavor arsenal at it; this includes onions, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and to top it all off, thick slices of bacon. A sweet tomato glaze on top not only helps disguise the rather unsightly log of meat, it brings a balancing sweetness to the savory meat underneath.

Make It Better.

Add 1 cube of caramelized onions from my perfect caramelized onions post to add a flavor boost that will take this meatloaf to another level.

The other trick to making a great meatloaf is to not take the name so literally. If you make meatloaf in a loaf pan it ends up cooking in its own grease, making it soggy. By forming it into the shape of a loaf on a sheet pan, the excess fat drains away, leaving you with a moist, tender loaf that's neither mushy nor greasy.

Serve this with mashed potatoes, and use the leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches (not that you'll have much in the way of leftovers)

As a house-keeping note, you may have also noticed that I've started adding an equipment section to each post (like the one below). The idea behind the section is to demystify what equipment you'll need to make the dish. Use the arrows to scroll through the list and mouse-over each piece of equipment to see a description of what it is. Also, if you happen to be missing a piece of equipment, I'd be much obliged if you bought it through one of these links, as the small cut of sales I get help pay for the cost of running this site.

📖 Recipe

Best Meatloaf

4 from 3 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Yield 4 people

Units

Ingredients 

  • 450 grams ground beef
  • 280 grams ground pork
  • ½ medium onion (minced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
  • ½ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
  • 40 grams Gruyere cheese (grated)
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon pimentón (smoked paprika)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste)
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme (stems removed, leaves minced)
  • 170 grams thick-cut bacon
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Add the ground beef, ground pork, onion, garlic, panko, Gruyere, egg, milk, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, honey, soy sauce, pimentxf3n, salt, pepper and thyme to a bowl. Put a food-safe glove on and use your hand to knead the mixture until uniform.
  • Line a broiler pan with some parchment paper. This makes cleanup much easier and it prevents the meatloaf from sticking to your pan. Shape the meat mixture into a loaf on the parchment paper. Top with the bacon, slightly overlapping each slice.
  • Bake the meatloaf for 30 minutes. While the meatloaf is in the oven, make the glaze by mixing the ketchup, honey, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a small bowl to combine.
  • Remove the meatloaf from the oven and cover with the glaze. Return the meatloaf to the oven and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until an instand read thermometer reads 160 degrees F.
  • Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting into it. Serve with mashed potatoes.
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Comments

    4 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating





  1. Patrick says

    June 02, 2016 at 2:25 am

    Thanks! I'm sure it's better with the cheese, but it was still mighty flavourful without. I used some nutritional yeast and almond milk.

    Reply
  2. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 31, 2016 at 12:26 am

    Hi Patrick, nutritional yeast would be okay for the flavor that cheese imparts, but I'm not sure if the cashews will do what the milk and cheese does from a texture standpoint. Cashews tend to get thick when heated whereas cheese melts. For the milk you might be better off replacing with your favorite non-dairy milk (soy, rice, coconut etc), as for the cheese, the idea is to introduce fat(in addition to the cheese flavor), so you could probably get away with just using a more fatty ground meat, or adding some chopped bacon inside the meatloaf. You could also use extra soft tofu, which doesn't have much fat, but it gives the meatloaf a more tender texture and a bit of creaminess, which is the reason for wanting more fat in it.

    Reply
  3. Patrick says

    May 30, 2016 at 5:27 pm

    Hi, Marc: I'm going to attempt this recipe but dairy-free. Do you think a cashew/nutritional yeast would be an okay substitute for the cheese and milk?

    Reply
  4. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 18, 2016 at 1:09 am

    Hi Eileen, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this! Marjoram is a great substitute for Thyme, but I imagine cayenne must have made the meatloaf spicy (not that that's a bad thing)!

    Reply
  5. Eileen says

    May 17, 2016 at 4:53 pm

    This meatloaf was absolutely amazing! And I love that you used parchment paper also! I had to make a couple of changes because I didn't realize (until last minute) that I didn't have the paprika and thyme! I quickly looked online for a substitute and although it seemed a little odd, I used marjoram and a little cayenne pepper. It was the best meatloaf we've ever had! I'll definitely pass this one on and make it again and again! Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 19, 2015 at 7:54 am

    Thanks, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it:-)

    Reply
  7. Clarice says

    October 19, 2015 at 7:47 am

    This IS the best meatloaf recipe ever!! I got tired of meatloaf for a while but I'm a fan again after this one.

    Reply
  8. Sarah Mcl says

    August 22, 2014 at 7:46 pm

    Fully expected this to be a let down. WOW. So tasty. A new favourite that will be getting made regularly - so easy too!

    Reply
  9. Marc Matsumoto says

    August 13, 2014 at 9:35 pm

    Hi Baily, glad to hear you enjoyed it!

    Reply
  10. Baily says

    August 13, 2014 at 5:08 am

    This is one of the best meat loaf I ever ate! I follow the recipe exactly, but opt out the bacon, not a fan of bacon. It was still so tasty! thank you for sharing this recipe with the world! I found my new favorites dish to make!

    Reply
  11. Michelle says

    February 11, 2014 at 3:54 am

    AWESOME!!! So excited about this recipe...I added a good handful of chopped flat leaf parsley to the mix and followed all the rest. I wish I had another stomach :)). I will be including this in my rotations. BEST EVER!!! I am so happy to have such a hit to share or maybe I'll keep 'em guessing. Thank you very much, I'll be checking out more of your work.

    Reply
  12. Nathan Oberle says

    January 23, 2014 at 8:59 pm

    Awesome recipe! When I make it, I like to add an extra tsp of pimenton, don't overlap the bacon (it gets soggy) , and finish under the broiler to get the bacon extra crispy.

    Reply
  13. Marc Matsumoto says

    November 17, 2013 at 2:43 am

    I know what you mean, and I'm glad to hear this was able to change your mind:-)

    Reply
  14. Tina says

    November 16, 2013 at 7:50 pm

    I am NOT a fan of meat loaf, but my husband is. So when I found this recipe I had to make it for my husband. Let me just say that because of this recipe I am now a meat loaf LOVER!!!!! It is AMAZING, and my kids ( 6 and 9 ) love it too!!! Thanks for this awesome recipe, and opening my pallet to bigger, and better things 😀

    Reply
  15. amy says

    October 23, 2013 at 6:39 pm

    oh my its in the oven at this very moment and it smells and looks very delsih!!!!
    thanks for this easy and incredible recipes

    Reply
  16. Brenda says

    August 15, 2013 at 9:57 pm

    Marc, I made this meatloaf tonight and my family could not seem to get enough of it. It was simply delicious. This recipe is the best and will be used by me often. I hated meatloaf but this did not even taste like what I was used to. My husband is already looking forward to me making it again..

    Reply
  17. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 31, 2013 at 10:45 pm

    Glad to hear you enjoyed it! If you're looking for crispy bacon on top, I can see how par frying it would definitely work better:-)

    Reply
  18. Rudy the cat says

    July 31, 2013 at 4:17 pm

    Marc, loved your meatloaf, changed one thing, (not any of the receipt), cooked the bacon bout half way and cut it into smaller pieces and sprinkled it on top of the glaze. That seems to work better for me. Thanks.

    Reply
  19. jatipete says

    July 18, 2013 at 6:15 am

    it looks and reads yummy. gotta try it sooooooooooooooooooon...

    Reply
  20. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 11, 2013 at 9:28 am

    Comte, is the closest, but cheddar, pecorino, or even parmesan would work.

    Reply
  21. Judy says

    July 10, 2013 at 8:37 pm

    What other cheese can u use other than gruyere?

    Reply
  22. Marc Matsumoto says

    June 24, 2013 at 3:32 am

    Hi Sandy, if you look in the ingredients list, Worcestershire sauce and honey are listed twice (once in the middle and once towards the bottom). I separated out the measurements to avoid the problem you had. Did you end up adding worcestershire sauce and honey twice to the meat or did you just miss the second time they were listed in the ingredients?

    Reply
  23. SandyS says

    June 23, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    It says to put the Worcestershire sauce and the honey in with the meat mixture. Then at the bottom it says to make the glaze with them. I think I just messed this up. To late now, it's in the oven:/ Hope it still tastes good.

    Reply
  24. rebecca at thisfineday says

    June 17, 2013 at 11:45 pm

    I hate hate hate meatloaf, but I may be able to make a serious exception for this bad boy! Thanks- you may have just converted me to a meatloaf lover.

    https://thisfineday.com

    Reply
  25. Natasha says

    March 28, 2013 at 3:30 pm

    I literally just served this up to my family!! My goodness this in my opinion is the BEST meatloaf recipe I have ever cooked, it was a huge hit. This will now be my go to recipe. Unfortunately I had no bacon in the house but everything else, if it tastes this good without bacon I can't wait to try it with. Moist, flavourful and just absolutely delicious. Thank you soooo much for posting this, I have been looking for this recipe for years!!! 🙂

    Reply
  26. Gina says

    February 25, 2013 at 3:36 pm

    Finally made is yesterday and it is so yummy!!! I also made the mistake of adding mustard (like one of your readers below) and put in 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce instead of 1 TBSP (mistook the measurement of the glaze recipe to the meat mixture) ..but the meatloaf still turned out great! Thanks Marc for sharing this recipe. Will do this again soon!

    Reply
  27. Gina says

    February 25, 2013 at 11:36 am

    Finally made is yesterday and it is so yummy!!! I also made the mistake of adding mustard (like one of your readers below) and put in 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce instead of 1 TBSP (mistook the measurement of the glaze recipe to the meat mixture) ..but the meatloaf still turned out great! Thanks Marc for sharing this recipe. Will do this again soon!

    Reply
  28. AmyAlbrecht says

    February 15, 2013 at 7:51 pm

    Have to try 🙂

    Reply
  29. Sela says

    February 03, 2013 at 9:47 pm

    The best meatloaf ever!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe, Sela from Michigan.

    Reply
  30. pcstock says

    November 10, 2012 at 9:16 pm

    Thx. Just didn't know if your amounts were with the tube tomato paste. That is the only kind I use.

    Reply
  31. pcstock says

    November 10, 2012 at 5:16 pm

    Thx. Just didn't know if your amounts were with the tube tomato paste. That is the only kind I use.

    Reply
  32. Marc Matsumoto says

    November 08, 2012 at 11:08 pm

    I use the type in a tube too. Just squeeze it into a measuring spoon.

    Reply
  33. pcstock says

    November 08, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    I use concentrated tomato paste in a tube. How do you advise according to your recipe quantity?

    Reply
  34. Thomas Abraham says

    November 06, 2012 at 11:58 pm

    I'm not seeing a recipe for the glaze??

    Reply
  35. Marilia says

    November 06, 2012 at 7:59 pm

    Never mind! I see it now! In the oven 😉

    Reply
  36. Marilia says

    November 06, 2012 at 7:58 pm

    I'm not seeing a recipe for the glaze??

    Reply
  37. Marilia says

    October 17, 2012 at 1:34 pm

    I made this last night for dinner and it was a hit! The only thing I would do differently is cook the bacon before hand so it is crispy and crumble it into the meat mixture. The glaze would be the only thing on top. When I made it your way the bacon was not crispy and the meatloaf was hard to slice. Otherwise it was delicious!

    Reply
  38. Island Embrace says

    October 09, 2012 at 11:58 pm

    Made it and it was truly amazing. Thanks for the great recipe.

    Reply
  39. Evan Jacobs says

    September 06, 2012 at 10:10 pm

    This is an amazing tip. I never thought to test cook the meat mixture in the microwave!

    Reply
  40. Marc Matsumoto says

    August 19, 2012 at 5:38 am

    Yep that's right. It's good to flavor both the meatloaf and the glaze.

    Reply
  41. Island Embrace says

    August 18, 2012 at 8:23 pm

    Looks fab...however, the recipe is confusing: the glaze ingredients also seem to be included in the meatloaf itself. Is that correct?? Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
  42. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 13, 2012 at 1:29 am

    Hi Tim, If you're using kosher salt (any brand but Morton's) you'll need to double the salt. If you're worried, take a spoonful of the mixture, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds until cooked, and taste it before you bake the whole thing. Keep in mind there's salt in the bacon and glaze. Lastly, if you're refrigerating the mix, be sure to give it more time in the oven as you'll be starting from a lower internal temperature and it will take more time to cook through.

    Reply
  43. Tim says

    July 12, 2012 at 9:22 pm

    Mix is made and chilling/marinading in the fridge for cooking in about 6 hours. Accidentally put the mustard into the meatloaf mix. Hoping that won't be too overpowering. Probably just give it a bit of zing. Half a teaspoon of salt seems light for so much meat. I guess though there is salt coming in from the soy and worcestershire. Shall report back on the level of brownie points this gains me with the fiancee and parents. Thanks!

    Reply
  44. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 11, 2012 at 12:30 am

    Hi Chester, I used to use Kosher salt measures for all my recipes, but because the salinity of Kosher salt varies wildly by brand (Morton's brand is twice as salty as Star), it caused issues with readers ending up with food that was too salty. Since Kosher salt (with the exception of Morton's) is half as salty as table salt, you generally need to double the amount of salt called for in a recipe (unless it specifically says to use Kosher salt).

    I realize this is a pain, and confusing, but it's the unfortunate reality thanks to a lack of standards about what Kosher salt is. My best advice is to taste everything as you go so you can adjust accordingly. In the case of meatloaf since you won't want to eat the mix raw, you can microwave a small clump of meat for a few seconds until cooked and give it a go.

    Reply
  45. Chester says

    July 08, 2012 at 6:18 pm

    Had this for dinner tonight and it was great but I was left feeling it could use more salt. I used Kosher salt in the mix, is that what was intended or should I have used table salt?

    Reply
  46. Moodie Foodie says

    June 13, 2012 at 4:01 am

    Just made this tonight for dinner.  The addition of the paprika brought it home for me.  Thanks for this great recipe

    Reply
  47. Moodie Foodie says

    June 13, 2012 at 12:01 am

    Just made this tonight for dinner.  The addition of the paprika brought it home for me.  Thanks for this great recipe

    Reply
  48. Marc Matsumoto says

    June 03, 2012 at 3:42 pm

    Food processors are great, I have lots of recipes on here that I use a food processor in,  but this just isn't one of them:-) Good luck!

    Reply
  49. Agnesma says

    June 03, 2012 at 3:22 pm

    tks, I will try tonight by hand mixing. I will find other ways to use the food processor then.

    Reply
  50. Agnesma says

    June 03, 2012 at 11:22 am

    tks, I will try tonight by hand mixing. I will find other ways to use the food processor then.

    Reply
  51. Marc Matsumoto says

    June 03, 2012 at 2:18 am

    Honestly I'm not sure because it will depend on how powerful the motor on your food processor is, the size of it, etc. One thing I do know is that you won't want to run it continuously as it will not mix evenly. You'll want to pulse it, scraping down the sides as you go. If you're worried about how it's going to turn out, hand-mixing is a safer/faster option since you don't need to worry about over-mixing and you won't have to keep opening up the food processor to scrape down the sides.

    Reply
  52. Agnesma says

    June 02, 2012 at 8:27 pm

    tks, Marc. If I do 45 seconds will that be considered too long? Sorry, I am new in cooking.

    Reply
  53. Agnesma says

    June 02, 2012 at 4:27 pm

    tks, Marc. If I do 45 seconds will that be considered too long? Sorry, I am new in cooking.

    Reply
  54. Marc Matsumoto says

    June 02, 2012 at 2:18 am

    Hi Agnes, you want everything to be well mixed together, but be careful not to over-process the mixture otherwise the meatloaf will take on a rubbery texture.

    Reply
  55. Agnesma says

    June 01, 2012 at 2:18 pm

    Hi, Marc; If I use my food processor to mix the ingredients together, how many pauses do I need to do? Do I need to mix or knead till all ingredients are all stick together or just till combined? tks for reply

    Reply
  56. IGredux says

    May 29, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    that top picture...  ohhhh...  that top picture...   i think my eyes are melting...

    Reply
  57. Oui, Chef says

    May 29, 2012 at 11:06 am

    WOW...sounds great, and you even made it look good in a photo, a near impossibility with meatloaf!

    Reply
  58. Simon @ SoyRiceFire.com says

    May 28, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    A very sophisticated meatloaf.  Great job!

    Reply
  59. Jennifer says

    May 28, 2012 at 5:38 pm

    That looks amazing Marc!  

    Reply
  60. Jennifer says

    May 28, 2012 at 1:38 pm

    That looks amazing Marc!

    Reply
  61. The Culinary Chase says

    May 28, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    yum!

    Reply
  62. Marilia says

    May 28, 2012 at 10:21 am

    I really love your blog and the concept behind it! Gorgeous photos, too! 🙂

    Reply
  63. The Culinary Chase says

    May 28, 2012 at 8:06 am

    yum!

    Reply
  64. Marilia says

    May 27, 2012 at 5:57 pm

    Looks amazing! makes me hungry at midnight..

    Reply
Marc Matsumoto

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I’m Marc Matsumoto, a former chef raising a family in Tokyo, Japan. I believe anyone can become a great cook with the right ingredients and a few techniques, so I created No Recipes to help you unlock your culinary potential!

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