The best meatloaf recipe ever! This traditional meatloaf recipe is just like mom used to make, made with ground beef and a sweet and tangy glaze topping.
What makes really good meatloaf?
I think the trick to good meatloaf is using lean ground beef. The problem with a lot of meatloaf recipes is that they call for ground beef with a high fat content. As the meatloaf cooks, the fat cooks out and makes a greasy mess. Not this recipe!
How to make moist meatloaf:
You may be thinking, but won’t lean ground beef make the meatloaf dry? Not at all! The milk, egg, ketchup, and diced onion in the meat mixture are all working to keep the meatloaf moist and delicious.
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This classic meatloaf is perfect for a busy weeknight meal because it can be prepared in minutes. The only thing to chop is a 1/2 cup of onion.
How to make the best meatloaf recipe:
Make the meatloaf.
- Add 90% lean ground beef to a large bowl.
- Add dried bread crumbs and some diced onion.
- Add milk, an egg, ketchup, and worcestershire sauce.
- Add dried parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Mix it together REALLY well.
- Pour the meat mixture into a loaf pan.
Make the ketchup glaze.
- Add ketchup, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar to a bowl.
- Whisk until combined.
- Pour the glaze over the meatloaf.
- Bake it!
I’ve been playing around with this recipe for the past few months, making it many times. And, I didn’t mind the repetition at all because I do believe I ended up with the best classic meatloaf recipe ever. 🙂
Check out these other easy comfort food recipes:
- The Best Classic Chili
- BBQ Chicken Sloppy Joes
- Creamy Crock Pot Pork Chops Potatoes & Onions
- 30 Minute Chicken & Dumplings – From The Slow Roasted Italian
Check out the step by step video for this meatloaf recipe below.
- 1 lb. 90% lean ground beef
- 1 cup dried bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2 tbsp. ketchup
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. dried parsley leaves
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- For the Topping:
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, add the beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, 2 tablespoons ketchup, worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Use your hands to mush and mix these ingredients together until well combined.*
- Add the meat mixture to a loaf pan. Pat the meat down into an even layer.
- In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup ketchup, the brown sugar, and vinegar. Stir to combine. Pour the sauce on top of the meatloaf and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake uncovered for 55 minutes.
Let the meatloaf rest for 8-10 minutes before serving (or it may fall apart).**
Recipe Video
*Be sure to mix the meat really well. This is a very moist meatloaf recipe so under mixing can cause the meatloaf to be too soft/mushy.
**I use two thin spatulas to remove the meatloaf from the pan and transfer it to a cutting board. You could also slice and serve the meatloaf directly from the loaf pan, or use parchment paper to line the pan for easy removal.
This was fantastic and honestly the best meatloaf our family has tasted! We didnt have breadcrumbs so substituted crushed pringles chips, which was all that was available. I just added sauteed mushrooms and sweet onion, reduced the milk. This is flavorful and moist. I plan to triple this recipe next time and I will try rice for a binder next time. Thank you!
This is my husband’s and mine by far, best meatloaf ever…and super easy, used the parchment paper technique, so clean up was easy peasy too
Made this last night and it is the best meat loaf we’ve had in a long time. Moist and flavorful followed the recipe exactly.
Best meatloaf I have ever tasted. I sure will make it again.
Delicious! Used onion powder because I didn’t have an onion at home but it still came out awesome. Thanks!
Thanks for a good recipe for me to follow! I have never made meat loaf before. My husband called and said homemade meatloaf sure would be good – so this is what he got with the changes I made. It was delicious! He actually liked the glaze and wanted a taste of it on every bite. I told him I would make extra next time for him to put on the side! Also, I doubled everything below so that he and I could have it for our lunch tomorrow, and have meatloaf sandwiches tomorrow night for dinner!
1 lb. 90% lean ground beef
1 cup dried bread crumbs (I used cracker crumbs)
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/2 cup milk (I did not use any)
1 large egg beaten
1/2 cup petite diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried parsley leaves (did not use)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
For the Topping:
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Did not using any milk affect the recipe at all?
Beat meatloaf I have ever made. I tweaked it a little. I covered my meatloaf and took off the last 5 minutes of baking. So moist and delicious!! Made this for my sister in-law and brother. She now wants to make it because my brother raved about it. She brought him home some and didn’t tell him later that I had made it. He’s such a picky eater.
Excellent recipe. I didn’t have any Worcester shire so i subbed sweet baby rays bbq sauce. And added 1/2 tsp of s celery salt.
Definitely will make again but with no changes. I’m sure it’s going to be great.
Wow! I am so happy it came out so delicious and flavorful. This is our best meatloaf ever.
Thank You😉
I must say I have made plenty of meatloaf and this one is my favorite.my family just love the way it taste plus the glaze is just delish 😋😋
If I double the recipe. How much longer should I cook it?
It will take longer. I suggest using a meat thermometer and bake it to about 160° F. Oven temperatures and times do fluctuate. Different ingredients and meatloaf size can cause baking time to vary.
Delicious. Very easy to make.
Yup…think I’m the 110th review and giving a great one. Great recipe like mom/grandma used to make. I doubled the recipe, added some green pepper and backed off the bread crumbs and milk a bit. Used fat free turkey burger and 4% ground beef. Big Hit!!!
For years my husband told me he does not like meatloaf so I have never made it. Yesterday I was making food for my 94 year old father and decided I would make a meatloaf for him. After the meatloaf was cooled and I could cut it, I had my hubby taste it. He said it was the best meatloaf he had ever had and could we have some for dinner! Found out his mothers meatloaf was always dry thats why he never wanted meatloaf. Just looking at the recipe again and realized I left out the petite diced tomatoes still came out great. Thank you for posting a great recipe.
My husband and I had this for dinner last night. It was absolutely delicious and it didn’t need one thing added. The sauce was so yummy that I’m surprised it actually made it onto the meatloaf because I kept wanting to lick it off the spoon. One thing, though, there’s no way this would make 10 servings. I say that because in just the one evening we had ALL of it (!). I would say, then, that it serves 4. Thank you for this recipe!
Love the easy recipe of Meatloaf. This is one of the better ones I’ve tried. I didn’t include onion as the partner doesn’t like them, but it still turned out wonderful! I happen to have Jalapeno Ketchup and that spiced the glaze up a little bit. We love spicy! Overall, great recipe, easy to make, and had plenty of leftovers. Thank you for sharing!
I made this meatloaf last week and it was outstanding!!! I didn’t have any Worcestershire sauce as I forgot to pick it up at the grocery store but I did have A1 Steak Sauce handy so I used that instead and it came out delicious. It was so tasty that my children are asking for it for dinner again, I will be making it tomorrow, we are totally looking forward to it LOL!!
If I don’t have red wine vinegar any suggestions for a substitute? Would apple cider vinegar work?
Made to use for burgers. Didn’t have breadcrumbs so used the fried onions I got for green bean toppers. Very excellent.