Classic Meatloaf Recipe
Our classic meatloaf recipe is comfort food you can feel good about. It's tender, flavorful, and easy to put together, with only 10 minutes of hands-on time. It's weeknight friendly, but totally dinner party-worthy, too.
Servings: 8
Calories: 400kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced small
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt divided
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (56 grams) dry Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup (136 grams) ketchup
- ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence
- 2 pounds (907 grams) ground beef (90% lean)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center.
- Warm the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to become translucent, about five minutes. Cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the remaining salt, the breadcrumbs, ¼ cup of the ketchup, the milk, the Worcestershire sauce, the herbs, and the cooked onions. Mix well.
- Add the ground beef. Use a rubber spatula to gently but thoroughly fold the ingredients together, mixing without compressing the meat. This will help keep the meatloaf light and tender.
- Line a rimmed half sheet pan or other large baking dish with parchment.
- Turn out the meatloaf mixture into the center of the pan and shape it into an even loaf.
- Spread the remaining ¼ cup of ketchup over the top of the loaf.
- Bake for about an hour, until the internal temperature is between 155° and 160°F.
- Let rest for at least five minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- My favorite ground beef to use for classic meatloaf is 90% lean grass-fed and -finished beef. 90% has enough fat to be tender and flavorful but not so much that it gets messy. Grass-fed beef has tons of flavor and is better for animal welfare, the environment, and your bod.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs and Worcestershire sauce. To make it dairy-free, you can substitute chicken or beef broth for the milk.
- If evening time is a factor, you can prep the meatloaf earlier in the day, cover it with foil and pop into the refrigerator. Brush with the ketchup just before cooking. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
- Meatloaf makes great leftovers. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and reheat or eat in sandwiches. Or slice, wrap well, and freeze for up to three months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 932mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g