How to make the most amazing traditional meatloaf recipe with beef, bread crumbs, and an easy homemade sauce. Classic, nourishing comfort food at its best.
It's no secret I love a good oatmeal meatloaf. It makes me sad that meatloaf gets such a bad rap because made right, it's oh so delicious.
Meatloaf is the quintessential dinner recipe because usually, my family can get 2 meals out of 1. One night we'll eat meatloaf with mashed potatoes and vegetables; the next night we'll have the best meatloaf sandwiches.
A traditional meatloaf is super easy to mix up, as it involves dumping and mixing all the ingredients into one bowl. There is a sauce to go over the top, but even that only has 3 simple ingredients.
You can pat the ground beef into a larger loaf and bake it in a 9×13 pan; we've also made it by patting the meatloaf into a large baking sheet. If you do choose to make it in a sheet pan, it likely won't need as long to bake.
Either way you bake a classic meatloaf recipe, I highly recommend you use a meat thermometer to make sure the meat has come to temp and is fully cooked. We'll talk about how to tell when it's done as you keep reading.
Want everything to cook as a one pot meal? Instant Pot meatloaf with potatoes is the way to go!
WHERE CAN I FIND THE ACTUAL RECIPE CARD?
If you’d rather skip all of my meatloaf making tips, important info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the traditional meatloaf recipe with bread crumbs – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.
INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED:
MEATLOAF INGREDIENTS:
- Ground beef
- Large eggs
- Large yellow onion
- Garlic clove or garlic powder
- Fresh parsley
- Seasoned salt – I prefer to use Badia Complete Seasoning because it's gluten-free and absolutely delicious.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Ketchup
- BBQ sauce
- Dried bread crumbs
SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
Keep in mind, all of the ingredient amounts you’ll need are in the printable recipe card below.
KITCHEN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED:
Large and small mixing bowls – You'll need a large bowl for the meatloaf, and a small bowl for mixing the sauce.
9×13 baking dish or large baking sheet – I love using a 9×13 baking dish to make a big almost 2-pound meatloaf that will stretch to give our family of five more than one meal.
Meat thermometer – We use ours all the time; it really helps to tell if the meat has come to temp and is fully cooked.
WHAT TYPE OF MEAT MAKES REALLY GOOD MEATLOAF?
We really prefer to use 90/10 ground beef in our meatloaf, which we also use for pretty much everything else too.
In our experience, this leaner mixture of ground beef results in less grease around the finished meatloaf, and it's a healthier choice. We also prefer the flavor profile of ground beef as opposed to other meats.
CAN I USE GROUND TURKEY FOR MEATLOAF?
Yes, turkey actually makes a wonderful ground beef substitute, but it will change the look, texture, and flavor of your finished meatloaf.
HOW TO MAKE THIS TRADITIONAL MEATLOAF RECIPE FROM SCRATCH
Before mixing up the meatloaf, be sure to pre-heat your oven to 350° F, and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
Then mix up the ingredients…
- Add all of the meatloaf ingredients, including the ground beef, eggs, minced onion, garlic, parsley, seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, bbq sauce, and bread crumbs to a large bowl.
- Use a large fork (or your hands) to mix everything together really well.
- Transfer the meat mixture to a greased 9×13 baking dish, and shape it into a loaf.
EASY MEATLOAF SAUCE TOPPING
To make the sauce…
- In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, yellow mustard, and light brown sugar.
- Spread the sauce evenly all over the top of the meatloaf.
HOW LONG TO COOK MEATLOAF, PER POUND
Cook time really depends on the size of your meatloaf, as well as your oven, but you're best to cook meatloaf for 30 to 45 minutes per pound.
Set your oven to 350° F, and bake the meatloaf for about 1 hour, or 'til the meatloaf is completely cooked thru and done.
HOW TO TELL WHEN MEATLOAF IS DONE
Your meatloaf needs to reach an internal temperature of at least 160° F with a meat thermometer.
Then allow the meatloaf to rest for about 10 minutes before serving with your favorite sides.
HOW TO MAKE MEATLOAF MOIST
The key to making a moist meatloaf lies in the filler, which is usually a bread product of some kind. The goal is to soak up and retain all of the juices that the meatloaf produces; without a filler, all of these juices would simply drain away.
Believe it or not, meatloaf fillers were originally used to stretch out the recipe. During the Great Depression, it was common for meatloaf to contain up to 50% filler ingredients, typically bread crumbs, which made for an affordable way to feed a family.
HOW TO MAKE A TRADITIONAL MEATLOAF GLUTEN-FREE
This meatloaf recipe is fairly easy to make gluten-free. All of the ingredients can be found gluten-free at one place or another, but here are a couple notes.
- You can use gluten-free bread crumbs, which can be bought at most grocery stores or health food stores.
- For seasoning, I really like the Badia Complete Seasoning, which is gluten-free and absolutely delicious.
- Also, be sure to check your Worcestershire sauce because many times, this can contain gluten.
Just be sure to check all of your ingredient labels to make sure that they're truly gluten-free.
WHY DOES MY MEATLOAF FALL APART?
Raw egg is crucial in making a moist, sliceable meatloaf. The egg is what binds all of the other ingredients together, allowing the meatloaf to hold up to slicing without falling apart.
If your meatloaf has enough egg and still falls apart, it might be that it's overcooked, and sometimes it could even be that your ground beef has too much fat.
Of course, it may also be that your recipe does not include enough filler ingredients, the importance of which I talked about above.
ALTERNATIVE VARIATIONS FOR MEATLOAF
Here are some ideas if you are looking to change up the recipe:
- Try using a different filler ingredient such as crackers, rolled oats, or potato flakes. You can even combine these ingredients.
- Add crushed tomatoes. Every summer my mom boils down crushed tomatoes, fresh from the garden, to add to her meatloaf, and it's amazing.
- Try a different kind of meat. Many people use ground pork, ground chicken, and sometimes even ground veal!
CAN I MAKE MEATLOAF AHEAD?
Yes, meatloaf is a great make-ahead recipe. You can can keep meatloaf in the freezer for up to 6 months (see below), or you can mix it up the night before, wrap it in plastic or foil, and place it in the refrigerator until it's time to bake.
CAN YOU FREEZE MEATLOAF?
Yes, you can freeze meatloaf either before or after baking. Frozen meatloaf will usually keep for up to 6 months.
- To freeze raw meatloaf, simply wrap it in plastic wrap and either wrap again in foil or place in an airtight freezer bag.
- To freeze a baked meatloaf, an airtight container will suffice.
GREAT SIDES TO SERVE WITH A MEATLOAF DINNER
- Delicious Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Honey Glazed Carrots with Rosemary
- Grandma's Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Instant Pot Southern Green Beans
GET THE PRINTABLE CLASSIC MEATLOAF RECIPE
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Traditional Meatloaf Recipe with Easy Sauce Topping
Equipment
- Rorence Stainless Steel Non-Slip Mixing Bowls With Pour Spout, Handle and Lid, Nesting Set of 3, Red
- Badia Complete Seasoning, 6 Pound
- Nordic Ware Classic Metal 9×13 Covered Cake Pan
- ThermoPro Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer with Backlight and Magnet
- Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (10 oz Bottle)
- Rubbermaid Brilliance Storage 14-Piece Plastic Lids | BPA Free, Clear
Ingredients
Meatloaf:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 large yellow onion minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons parsley minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup bbq sauce
- 1 cup dried bread crumbs
Meatloaf Sauce:
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 350° F, and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Add all of the meatloaf ingredients, including the ground beef, eggs, minced onion, seasoned salt, garlic, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, bbq sauce, and bread crumbs to a large bowl.
- Use a large fork (or your hands) to mix everything together really well.
- Transfer the meat mixture to a greased 9×13 baking dish, and shape it into a loaf.
- To make the sauce, mix together the ketchup, yellow mustard, and light brown sugar in a small bowl.
- Spread the sauce evenly all over the top of the meatloaf.
- Bake the meatloaf at 350° F for about 1 hour, or 'til the meatloaf is completely cooked thru and done.* Your meatloaf needs to reach an internal temperature of at least 160° F with a meat thermometer.
- Allow the meatloaf to rest for about 10 minutes before serving with your favorite sides.
Notes
- To freeze raw meatloaf, simply wrap it in plastic wrap, and either wrap again in foil or place in an airtight freezer bag.
- To freeze a baked meatloaf, an airtight container will suffice.
This is my go to meatloaf recipe. It’s delicious!
That’s great, Keri! Thanks for the feedback.
Delicious!!! Used 95% deer meat that i ground and did not put any breadcrumbs in it!!! Wonderful!!!!
Ooh, I bet that’s delicious!
Very good. More like my Mom made when I was young.
Thank you, Dora!
Delicious👍🏻
Thanks, Dora!