Ultimate Meatloaf
Thick slices of juicy beef – studded with aromatics and baked under a sweet/tangy crown. This is the most flavorful, tender meatloaf ever!
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
Pro Tip: Use 85% lean beef for your meatloaf!
When the loaf bakes, the fat melts and binds with the eggs and breadcrumbs, which keeps the meat moist and juicy. Leaner meat doesn’t have enough fat to melt, and your loaf may fall apart.
Make a free form meatloaf so you can enjoy more of the caramelized crust and crispy edges! A free form loaf exposes more meat, so more of the exterior is glazed, thus a more flavorful meatloaf. Shape your meatloaf into an 8×4-inch log on your baking sheet and you’ll have no loaf pan to clean!
Grate your onion. Bigger chunks of onion aren’t always visually appealing, and the meatloaf often crumbles at the onion insertions when sliced. There are two more reasons to grate your onion. First, grated onion spreads out more, ensuring every inch of meat is tasty. Second, the extra juices from the onion are soaked up by the breadcrumbs, which guarantees a more tender loaf!
Firmly pack the meat into a loaf. If your previous attempts at meatloaf resulted in slices that fell apart before they made it to the plate, it’s likely because the ingredients weren’t well-mixed and/or pressed firmly together into a tight loaf. Or perhaps you didn’t add enough binding ingredients.
Adding the correct ratio of ingredients, mixing them well, and pressing them firmly into a loaf is the key to the ultimate meatloaf, and is especially important when making a free form loaf.
Note: Cracks in the loaf are OK (the glaze will seep into the crevices, adding flavor), but fragile meatloaf is not the look we’re going for.
Use ground turkey or chicken if you want. Just make sure it’s regular ground turkey or chicken, not ground breast. Breast meat is too lean, regardless of how many binding ingredients you add. Also, when making a poultry-based meatloaf, the internal temperature should reach 165 degrees.
Make a gluten-free meatloaf if that’s your preference. For a gluten-free meal, simply swap in gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs. You can also crush up gluten-free crackers or crushed-up corn- or rice-based cereals.
Use a loaf pan if you must. While this isn’t my preference, it’s doable with this recipe. The sides won’t be glazed or caramelized, but if you’re firm on this, go for it. Pack the meatloaf into a 9-inch loaf pan and bake as directed. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time to reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Let your meatloaf rest. When your meatloaf has finished baking, let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing; this allows the juices to redistribute as the loaf cools.
Ultimate Meatloaf
Ingredients
For the Meatloaf
- 2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
- 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs, regular or gluten-free
- 2 large eggs
- 1 medium onion, grated, about 1/2 cup grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Glaze
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. If you’re using aluminum foil, spray the foil with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine all the meatloaf ingredients. Use your hands to mix until completely blended. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and shape into an 8×4-inch log.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the glaze ingredients.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Brush the top and sides of the meatloaf with the glaze. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reaches 160 degrees.
- Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing.