Here's how to freeze meatloaf so that you can prepare a delicious, hearty meal in advance without worrying about it going to waste! This ultimate guide will cover the best ways to freeze meatloaf, ensuring it retains its flavor, texture, and quality even after spending time in the freezer! From freezing unbaked meatloaf to cooked whole meatloaf and meatloaf slices, I've got you covered!
Best Methods For Freezing Meatloaf
Meatloaf is one of my favorite dinner options, and I love that I can easily prepare it ahead of time and pop it into the freezer for later. This simple guide will walk you through exactly how to freeze your meatloaf!
Jump to:
Perfect your meatloaf recipes by taking a look at my ultimate guide to making meatloaf, which also covers ideal oven temperatures, the best meat to use, internal temperatures, and how to make meatloaf!
When To Freeze Meatloaf
Meatloaf can easily be stored in the refrigerator. Depending on the recipe, it will be good for about 2-3 days.
However, if you are looking for long-term storage or meal prepping, freezing your meatloaf would be the better option.
Not to mention, meatloaf can be frozen before or after it has been cooked, as well as in full loaves or as individual slices. This makes freezing super convenient for whatever your needs may be!
Freezing Cooked Whole Meatloaf
You can easily freeze a whole, cooked meatloaf. Before doing so, make sure it has cooled to room temperature completely.
Then, wrap the loaf tightly in several layers of plastic wrap as well as one layer of foil. Place the wrapped loaf into a freezer bag and squeeze the excess air out.
Label and date the bag with a permanent marker, then store it in the freezer.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
Freezing Cooked Meatloaf Slices
You can also freeze your individual slices of meatloaf, which is super convenient for meal-prepping lunches! Let your cooked meatloaf cool completely, and then portion it into even-sized slices.
Wrap each slice separately in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by some foil. You can then place the wrapped slices into a large storage bag and squeeze out any excess air.
For an easy lunch, place each wrapped slice into a small sandwich bag so all you need to do is grab a bag, and it is ready to go!
When you're ready to enjoy your leftover meatloaf, make sure you read my guide to reheating meatloaf!
Freezing Raw Meatloaf
To freeze your unbaked meatloaf, prepare and form the mixture as directed in the recipe you are following. You'll want to skip any sauces or toppings for now and save them for when you are ready to bake the meatloaf.
Then, wrap the loaf tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil (this helps to prevent freezer burn).
Place the well-wrapped meatloaf into a freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. Finally, use a permanent marker to label and date the bag (so you don't forget!) and store it in the freezer until ready to bake.
Baking Frozen Meatloaf
The ideal way to bake your frozen meatloaf would be to transfer it to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight beforehand. This way, all you would need to do is bake it as directed in the recipe.
If you forgot to take the meatloaf out of the freezer (it happens to all of us), you can bake it straight from the freezer. However, it will need to be in the oven for 1.5-2 times longer than the original bake time.
Thawing Frozen Meatloaf
The best way to thaw your meatloaf (whether it is raw or baked) is to transfer it to the fridge overnight. If you forgot to do so, you could also use the defrost function on the microwave, but it may thaw unevenly.
How Long Can Meatloaf Be Frozen
Whether your loaf was frozen when it was raw or after it had been cooked, it should last for up to 6 months when properly stored in the freezer.
Is It Better To Freeze Meatloaf Cooked or Uncooked
Ideally, you should freeze your meatloaf before it has been cooked. This way, you'll only need to cook it once, and the texture will not be altered too much.
Making two meatloaves is pretty much just as easy as making one. Anytime you prepare meatloaf for dinner, go ahead and make two so you can bake one and freeze the second one for later.
Freezing meatloaf is a simple way to meal prep or store your leftovers for later. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!
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.
Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Subscribe to the newsletter today (no spam, I promise)! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
How To Freeze Meatloaf: Sweet and Sour Meatloaf (+Tips & Tricks!)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef (80/20 ground chuck or lean ground beef)
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup red bell pepper (diced, about ½ a pepper)
- ¼ cup green bell pepper (diced, about ½ a pepper)
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup sweet and sour sauce (see recipe or use your favorite brand)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and place a wire cooling rack inside a roasting pan or 9x13 baking pan (or use a loaf pan).
- In a large bowl add the meatloaf ingredients including ground beef, plain breadcrumbs, large eggs, diced red and green bell peppers, ketchup, and seasoning - ¼ teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Mix the mixture until just combined then shape your loaf into a 9x5 inch oval and place it onto your cooling rack, or transfer it into a loaf pan.
- Cook at 350°F (175°C) for 50 minutes then remove it from the oven and pour the sweet and sour sauce over the top center of the loaf. Use a pastry brush to cover all sides of your loaf (leaving any extra sauce on the top).
- Return your sauced meatloaf to the oven and finish cooking for an additional 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 155°F (68°C).
- Remove the meatloaf from your oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If you don't have sweet n sour sauce in the fridge, and don't want to cook up some sauce, you can use this quick sauce combo to top your meatloaf:
1 cup ketchup, ¼ cup water, 2 tablespoons mustard, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon white sugar, 2 tablespoons white vinegar (or rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar). Mix and spread on meatloaf after 50 minutes of cooking time. - The red and green bell peppers add amazing flavor to this meatloaf! Without them the meaty mixture can be a touch bland. If you want to skip the peppers be sure to add more seasoning like my tasty meatloaf seasoning recipe. Use 1 whole recipe for this 2 pound meatloaf.
- If cooking your meatloaf in a loaf pan, be sure to drain off the grease before adding the sweet n sour sauce topping.
Sandra Kuntz says
Wonderful recipe...Thanks and also thanks for the tips!! Appreciate them !!
Bridget says
I have a question about freezing the raw meatloaf. I am sure if you want to bake it frozen you could not wrap it in the plastic wrap before the foil, but when I baked in foil only the meat loaf stuck to the foil and was hard to get off . Any suggestions on how to eliminate this problem?
Angela Latimer says
I like to use parchment paper or cling film under the aluminum foil (to avoid freezer burn). So the best idea I have had and that works is to coat your inner wrap with something non-stick (butter, oil, non-stick spray) before wrapping the raw meatloaf. Hope that helps!