This Easy Homemade Meatloaf recipe is the only meatloaf I will eat. I never liked meatloaf until I tried this one. Now, I am hooked. Simple to make, and the sauce will turn even the most adamant meatloaf hater into a real fan. This recipe is such a hit all over the internet. I can’t wait for you to try it!

Simple Homemade Meatloaf Recipe

Looking for a comforting and satisfying meal that’s easy to make? Look no further than this homemade meatloaf recipe! This classic dish is perfect for a cozy family dinner or meal prep for the week ahead. With a blend of ground beef, breadcrumbs, and seasonings, this easy recipe is perfect for dinner any night of the week.

I know that meatloaf gets a bad reputation in the food world, but that’s because you are probably used to the dry, overcooked, overworked, ketchup-covered meatloaves of generations past—or even worse, the frozen varieties that you just pop in the oven.

This meatloaf is so far away from that that it seems unfair to call it meatloaf, but we’re here to clear the name of this maligned retro dish and help transform it in the eyes of modern cooks.

Try our Smoked Meatloaf too!

Homemade Meatloaf shopping list

Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

apple cider vinegar

light brown sugar

yellow mustard

ketchup

onion

eggs

milk

ketchup

A-1 steak sauce

salt

black pepper

dry mustard

onion powder

garlic powder

dried parsley

garlic

panko bread crumbs

saltine crackers

ground beef

More great BEEF recipes here!

How to make Homemade Meatloaf

This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

Make the glaze

Begin by pouring your glaze mixture of ketchup, yellow mustard, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar into a sauce pan. Stir frequently until it starts to simmer. Let simmer while you are mixing up the meat, keeping a close eye on it and stirring it frequently.

Prep

Chop your onion and dump it into a large bowl. Mix in the eggs, milk, ketchup, A-1, salt, pepper, dry mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, garlic, panko bread crumbs, and crushed up saltines.

Mix this all together well, and then dump in 2 1/2 pounds of 80/20 ground beef.

Stir this until the mixture is fully incorporated. You can get in there with your hands if you want, but I usually use a heavy wooden spoon.

Put into a pan

Place into a large oven-proof baking dish that will fit all the meat, and have some room for the glaze mixture as well.

I press it down into the pan as much as I can, then I take my hands and form a gap between the loaf and the sides of the dish to make room for the glaze and juices from the meat.

Pour about as much of the glaze mixture over the meat as you can, making sure to leave enough room for the extra fat/meat juices that will be coming from the loaf when it bakes. You should have some excess. Keep it warm in the saucepan on the stove while the loaf cooks.

Bake

Bake the meatloaf at 375 for about an hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Test in several different spots and depths of the loaf to make sure it is fully cooked.

Enjoy

Remove from the oven, and pour out the glaze/juices from the loaf pan into the sauce pan. Stir well to combine.

(The fat from the loaf really makes the sauce taste a lot better!)

Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable of your choice.

Ladle some of the glaze/sauce mixture over the individual pieces and potatoes. Enjoy!

Make with our Smoked Garlic Mashed Potatoes

What are some great side dishes to serve with meatloaf?

Check out these great recipes too!

Yield: 10 servings

Not Your Mama's Meatloaf

Name: Not Your Mama's Meatloaf
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar; 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar; 1 tablespoon yellow mustard; 1/4 cup ketchup; 1 small onion, finely diced; 2 whole large eggs; 1 egg yolk; 1/4 cup milk; 1/2 cup ketchup; 2 tablespoons A-1 steak sauce; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon dried parsley; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs; 1 sleeve crushed saltine crackers; 2 1/2 pounds 80/20 ground beef

Moist, juicy, delicious meatloaf with some surprising sauce ingredients that might just make you reconsider your opinion of meatloaf in general!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

Glaze

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/4 cup ketchup

Meatloaf

1 small onion, finely diced
2 whole large eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons A-1 steak sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 sleeve crushed saltine crackers
2 1/2 pounds 80/20 ground beef

Instructions

Place glaze ingredients in a sauce pan and mix well. Heat to simmering, and stir frequently while you mix up the loaf ingredients.
Finely chop the onion and mix in all of the other loaf ingredients except the ground beef. Stir until well combined, and then add ground beef and mix until fully incorporated.
Press down into large oven-safe pan, and make space between the edge of the loaf and the pan.
Pour glaze over the loaf, leaving room for the glaze to mix with the fat and juices from the beef. Keep the remaining glaze warm on the stove until the loaf is done cooking.
Bake the meatloaf at 375 for approximately 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove from oven, and carefully pour the glaze/sauce mixture from the baking dish into the sauce pan. Whisk together well.
Slice the loaf and serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable, spooning some of the sauce/glaze mixture over the individual slices of meatloaf and on the potatoes as well.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 205Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 403mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 0gSugar: 32gProtein: 6g

Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!