A delicious, traditional, home-style Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf is topped with tangy ketchup sauce, a family favorite. This stand-by family dinner is always a quick and easy hit and is made even better with bacon wrapping!
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A Bacon-Infused Meatloaf Marvel
This meatloaf offers a delightful twist on the traditional ground beef version, making it a hit with the whole family. Its ketchup glaze, with a perfect balance of sweetness and tang, elevates the dish from ordinary to extraordinary.
To ensure a healthier and cleaner meal, I prefer cooking the meatloaf on a rack, allowing excess grease to drain away, which is particularly useful when using ground chuck.
This method eliminates the need to drain fat during cooking and is especially beneficial given the 85/15 meat-to-fat ratio of ground chuck, which otherwise results in considerable grease.
🥘 Ingredients
These ingredients come together to create a flavorful, moist meatloaf with a smoky, crispy bacon exterior, complemented by a sweet and tangy ketchup glaze.
- Ground Beef - 2 pounds, 85/15 ground chuck preferred.
- Breadcrumbs - ½ cup for binding and texture.
- Yellow Onion - ½ cup, finely minced for a subtle, sweet flavor.
- Eggs - 2 large, to bind the ingredients together.
- Worcestershire Sauce - 1 tablespoon for a tangy depth of flavor.
- Salt - ¼ teaspoon to enhance the overall taste.
- Pepper - ¼ teaspoon, freshly ground for a bit of heat.
- Garlic Powder - ¼ teaspoon for a mild, aromatic touch.
- Bacon - 12 strips for wrapping the loaf in smoky goodness.
Meatloaf Ketchup Glaze
- Ketchup - ¾ cups, as a tangy base for the glaze.
- Light Brown Sugar - 3 tablespoons, adding a touch of sweetness.
- Smoked Paprika - ½ tablespoon for a subtle smokiness and vibrant color.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
Step 1: Oven and Pan Preparation Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with slices of bacon, ensuring the bottom and sides are fully covered.
Step 2: Mixing the Meatloaf. In a medium bowl, combine 2 pounds of ground beef with ½ cup breadcrumbs, ½ cup finely minced yellow onion, 2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix just until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Step 3: Preparing the Ketchup Glaze. Whisk together ¾ cups of ketchup, 3 tablespoons of light brown sugar, and ½ tablespoon of smoked paprika in a small bowl. Spread one-third of this glaze on the bottom of the bacon-lined loaf pan.
Step 4: Assembling the Meatloaf. Transfer the meat mixture to the bacon-lined loaf pan, smoothing it out over the ketchup glaze. Fold the bacon strips over the top to encase the meatloaf.
Step 5: Inverting the Meatloaf. Cover the loaf pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Flip the pan onto a smooth surface and gently lift away the pan, leaving the meatloaf shaped and wrapped in bacon.
Step 6: Baking Setup. Place the meatloaf, still on the parchment or foil, onto a wire rack set in a baking dish to allow for even cooking and drainage.
Step 7: Glazing and Baking. Top the meatloaf with the remaining ketchup glaze. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C), as checked with a digital meat thermometer.
See USDA food safety guidelines for recommended safe internal food temperatures.
Step 8: Serving. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it rest briefly. Slice, serve warm, and enjoy your savory, bacon-wrapped meatloaf!
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💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Room Temperature Ground Meat: Before mixing your meatloaf, let the ground beef (or any ground meat you're using) sit out for 30 minutes to an hour. This step ensures it loses its chill, leading to a reduced cooking time and more even heat distribution throughout the loaf.
- Choosing the Right Bacon: Opt for thin or regular-cut bacon for easier wrapping and to ensure it cooks evenly with the meatloaf. Thick-cut bacon might not cook through as well.
- Handling the Meatloaf Mix: Mix the ingredients gently to avoid compacting the meat, which can lead to a dense meatloaf. Just mix until the ingredients are combined.
- Testing for Doneness: Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meatloaf, ensuring it reaches the safe 160°F (71°C). This is especially important as the bacon adds extra layers.
- Letting it Rest: Allow the meatloaf to rest for a few minutes after taking it out of the oven. This helps the juices redistribute, making the meatloaf moist and easier to slice.
- Glaze Application: For a more caramelized top, consider broiling the meatloaf for the last few minutes of cooking after applying the final glaze layer.
😋 What To Serve With
Serve your tasty meatloaf with my creamy red skin mashed potatoes, garlic Parmesan roasted broccoli, bacon beef barbecue baked beans, garlic green beans, or Parmesan roasted yellow squash for a great meal!
For more ideas, see my post on what to serve with meatloaf.
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe Card
Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup yellow onion (finely minced)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 12 strips bacon
Ketchup Glaze
- ¾ cups ketchup
- 3 tablespoon light brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375℉ (190℃/Gas Mark 5) and line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with 12 strips bacon.
- In a medium bowl, combine the 2 lbs ground beef with ½ cup breadcrumbs, finely minced ½ cup yellow onion, 2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. Combine just enough to incorporate all of the ingredients.
- In a small bowl, combine ¾ cups ketchup, 3 tablespoon light brown sugar, and ½ tablespoon smoked paprika. Use ⅓ of the ketchup glaze in the bottom of the bacon-lined loaf pan.
- Transfer the ground beef mixture into the bacon lined loaf pan on top of the ketchup glaze. Fill the loaf pan, then wrap remaining edges of the bacon in over the bottom of the formed loaf.
- Using a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil, cover the top of the loaf pan and flip to a smooth working surface. Gently lift the loaf pan away from the formed meatloaf.
- Transfer the meatloaf (on the parchment paper or aluminum foil) onto a wire rack in a baking dish.
- Top the meatloaf with the remaining ketchup glaze.
- Bake at 375℉ (190℃/Gas Mark 5) for 45 – 55 minutes. Your meatloaf should have an internal temperature (taken at the center of the meatloaf) that is a minimum of 160℉ (71℃) as read by a digital meat thermometer.
Notes
- Take the chill off your ground beef (or preferred ground meat) before assembling the meatloaf. Setting your ground beef out for 30 minutes to an hour prior to starting will cut down on the cooking time and ensure that your meatloaf will cook evenly throughout.
Elisa says
Love this recipe! I’ve made with several times now and it always turns out great.
Angela Latimer says
I love hearing that! So glad it's a hit!
Anonymous says
delicious
Monique Collignon says
Top!
Natalie says
This recipe is amazing. I actually used a meatloaf mixture of beef, pork and veal and my husband said it was the best he’s ever had! Thank you 😊
jodi says
Delicious. Only change I made was to use 1 lb ground turkey and 1 lb ground beef. I only gave 4 stars because the bacon does not crisp on the sides or even on top because of the glaze. I love the flavor the bacon added but do not like soggy bacon. I will make again but have to figure out a way to crisp bacon. This is more about my abilities to cook than the recipe! Will make again!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Cook until near done then broil to crisp the bacon, apply glaze and broil for another couple of minutes for caramelization. Enjoy!
Debbie says
Best meat loaf recipe I've every tried. Use it all the time. Really takes a plain meatloaf to the next level.
Colette says
Good evening from France, I just discovered your site, I haven't tested anything but this meatloaf seems tempting to me. I'm going to try it by reducing the servings for 2 people 😀😋😀😋😀😋
See you soon
Carl says
I added a bit of extra oregano and Parmesan cheese to the meatloaf mix, just amazing!
Helen Lynch says
I made this recipe because I wanted to step up meatloaf for guests. Everyone raved over it. I used bison meat. I did not use Worcestershire Sauce. I followed the recipe for all other ingredients. However, as I looked for meatloaf recipes, I saw Bake it With Love, had a meatloaf seasoning recipe. I adjusted this to the bacon meatloaf recipe as follows: I added 1/4 tsp of the following dried herbs: oregano, thyme, paprika, and basil. Preparation time to longer than stated. Try this recipe, you will not be disappointed.
Ruby says
To speed it up use a grater to shred the onions.
Steve says
Excellent recipe. I tweaked it by using one pound of grass fed ground beef 85/15 and one pound of ground pork. I also use fresh minced garlic and double the amount of Worcestershire sauce . Soooo good. Thanks for the well thought out construction ...work great and looks great.
Anonymous says
Served with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob, fantastic dinner recipe.
Isabella Twilight says
I LOVE bacon! I have not tried this yet, but I am sure glad you included photos in order to understand better, especially the bacon wrapping & flipping. 👩🏻🍳👀
Lindie says
I have been making bacon wrapped 2 pound cheesy meatloafs for a few years now and it seems it always takes longer to bake. I’ve followed my grandmas recipe for years but decided tonight just to Google one and opened the first one that came up and it’s yours. So, I did know going in to the oven I’d likely need to bake longer than 55 minutes and that’s ok. Thought I’d just add my experience so people know it can and probably will take longer than 55 minutes. I put cubed velveeta in the middle or babybel’s if I have them. Just gotta be careful when putting cheese inside cause too much can be a thing. LOL! About a decade ago, An old coworker gave me that ingredient to try cause that’s how his wife makes hers and I’ve done it ever since if I have it on hand. But the first time I used way too much.
Mark M. says
This recipe is so easy and so good! It was an instant family favorite. I put the meat loaf in my wood pellet grill/smoker for a little extra flavor. Thanks, Angela!
Susan says
How long did you put it the pellet grill for? I have one and I’m trying to find different ways to use it other than just for regular grilling or smoking. Also what type of wood pellets did you use. So excited to see this comment!!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
You can use the cooking instructions in my smoked meatloaf recipe (made with our Traeger). It's a delicious way to cook any meatloaf!
JG says
Great tasting recipe, once it finally cooked. I followed the recipe exactly but it was at 140 degrees after an hour and a half.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Make sure not to pack the ground beef/meatloaf mixture too firmly. You need to just shape the meatloaf so it bakes correctly. Thanks for sharing!
Michelle says
Beautiful flavours. I cooked for 20mins and then basted again with sauce. I made a larger loaf so put foil over after awhile to prevent the glaze burning. Feed it to 10 men and they loved it.
Suzanne says
i HAVE MADE THE BACON WRAPPED MEATLOAF SEVERAL TIMES AND IT WAS GREAT! i ADDED SOME HOMEMADE PLUM SAUCE TO IT!!
Disappointed says
Meatloaf was at 135 after an hour and a half of cooking. Beware! Not as advertised! Even let the meat sit for over an hour before putting it in the recipe.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Sorry that it took longer than expected. There are so many variables that can affect your cooking time, everything from your oven temperatures (each oven cooks differently) to how well thawed the meat was before starting. The cooking time listed is the average of all the times I've made this tried and true recipe. Hope you enjoyed the flavor!