Knowing how to make meatloaf is the key to preparing a properly juicy, moist, and delicious meatloaf every time you make it! From tips and tricks to the best kind of meat to use- I have everything you need to know! In this thorough walk through, you'll learn exactly how to make a perfect meatloaf!
How To Make Moist & Juicy Meatloaf
Meatloaf is a classic dish that is loved by families all over the world! When looking at recipes, you may have noticed that there are a ton of different methods and techniques to make meatloaf.
However, I have put together this guide to the perfect meatloaf so you don't have to wonder which methods are the best! Simply follow along and you'll have a flavorful and moist meatloaf ready to enjoy!
Jump to:
Best Meat For Meatloaf
Let me start out by saying that choosing the correct meat for your loaf is actually a huge factor in how well your meatloaf turns out. You need to use meat that is fatty enough to avoid drying out while spending an hour in the oven.
You can choose an all-beef meatloaf if you are really wanting that meaty and beefy flavor, just make sure you use an 80/20 ratio.
My personal preference, however, is to use a blend of beef, pork, and sausage! Yum!
For more helpful information, I have an entire post about the best type of meat for meatloaf! Check it out!
Making The Best Meatloaf
To get started, pull out your favorite meatloaf recipe! For this guide, I'm using my tasty sweet and sour meatloaf. However, you could use it for any meatloaf recipe you like!
This meatloaf guide is for your traditional method of making meatloaf in the oven. For more cooking techniques, check out my air fryer, smoked, and stovetop meatloaf recipes!
Go ahead and preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and you're ready to get started!
1. Prepare Your Ingredients
For the recipe I'm using, we are adding some red and green bell peppers. Adding in veggies adds nutrients as well as texture and flavor!
Use whatever vegetables you like! Some good options would be mushrooms, onions, peppers, carrots, or garlic!
- Make sure that you cut or shred your veggies so that they are relatively close in size. This ensures that they all cook at the same rate!
- I highly recommend sauteeing your vegetables in a skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes. They don't need to be fully cooked, just cooked long enough so that they won't still be crunchy after spending time in the oven.
2. Mix The Ingredients
One of the secrets to obtaining a perfect texture is to avoid overmixing your meat! To do so, ensure that you mix all of your wet and dry ingredients thoroughly together and then add the meat last. This will reduce the amount of time and effort it takes to get everything evenly distributed!
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your wet ingredients and seasonings. For my recipe, this includes eggs, ketchup, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Next, add in your sauteed veggies and the breadcrumbs. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Finally, add in your meat. Use your hands to gently mix the meat with the other ingredients. Stop as soon as everything is combined, being careful not to overmix.
3. Shape Your Meatloaf
Go ahead and place your meatloaf mixture into a baking dish and use your hands to shape it into a 9x5 oval. Of course, you can use a loaf pan as well!
Making Meatloaf Without A Loaf Pan
Many recipes call for making your meatloaf in a loaf pan. Don't worry, you can still make a perfect meatloaf without a special pan! In fact, I prefer to make it without one!
The meatloaf mixture is sturdy enough to simply be molded into a loaf shape with just your hand!
4. Make Your Glaze
A sweet glaze is the best finishing touch to any meatloaf recipe! For my sweet and sour recipe, I'm using some tangy sweet and sour sauce!
You can also use a classic glaze consisting of ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar!
Go ahead and make your preferred sauce, but don't add it to your meatloaf just yet!
5. Bake
In total, your meatloaf will bake in the oven for about 1 hour at 350°F (175°C).
So, place your baking dish into the preheated oven and let it bake! After about 40-50 minutes, remove your meatloaf from the oven and add on your sauce. Make sure to get all of the sides coated as well!
Then, put the meatloaf back into the oven to finish cooking for another 20-30 minutes!
If your meatloaf is made with ground beef, pork, or veal, it is done cooking when the internal temperature reaches 155°F (68°C). Go ahead and remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes (it will raise about another 5°F in this time), then slice and enjoy with your favorite sides!
For more information, take a look at my post about meatloaf internal temperatures.
Tips For The Best Meatloaf
- Don't use ground beef that is too lean as it will dry out in the oven!
- Overmixing your meatloaf can result in a tough, dense, and chewy meatloaf!
- Make sure to let your meatloaf rest after cooking for maximum juiciness!
- For an easy and tasty spice mix, check out my meatloaf seasoning!
Make sure to follow this guide for the most delicious meatloaf out there! Leave a comment down below and let me know your favorite meatloaf glaze!
😋 More Tasty How-Tos
- How To Freeze & Reheat Rice - For meal prepping or saving leftovers, this is the best way to make your rice ahead of time!
- How To Roast Lamb - This helpful guide will walk you through exactly how to make a perfectly juicy roast lamb!
- How To Reheat Pizza - Leftover pizza does taste great cold, but here are the best methods to enjoy it warm!
- How To Scald Milk Quickly For Mashed Potatoes - Scalding milk is the secret trick to having the best mashed potatoes!
- How To Grill With Foil Packets - Foil packets are a handy way of grilling different items, check out how to do it!
- How To Safely Thaw Turkey - Thawing turkey can be intimidating and time-consuming. Check out my handy guide to know exactly when to take your bird out of the freezer!
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 Make Meatloaf: Sweet and Sour Meatloaf (+Best Tips & Tricks For Perfect Meatloaf)
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.
Comments
No Comments