This is 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 A 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 Keep It Moist
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.
Loaf Pan Versus Baking Sheet
I prefer to use a loaf pan because it keeps all the glaze in place perfectly and the meat is juicier. But, you could line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Shape the meatloaf into a loaf shape. Top with the glaze. And, bake as normal.
How To Make The Best Meatloaf
*Note: This is a summary. The full printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post.
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.
- Spread it into a flat even layer.
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!
- Let it cool before slicing.
Can This Be Made Ahead Of Time
Absolutely! Just cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until you’re ready for it. Then, uncover it and let it come to room temperature as you’re preheating the oven.
Can This Be Frozen
Yes! Prepare the meatloaf, put it in a loaf pan, and top with glaze according to the recipe directions. Cover the pan and freeze.
Place the frozen meatloaf in the refrigerator to thaw about 24 hours before you want to bake it. Then, uncover it and let it come to room temperature as you’re preheating the oven.
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. 🙂
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The Best Classic Meatloaf Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° 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 ¼ 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).**
Notes
Nutrition
Check out all of my great ground beef recipes.
Best meatloaf I’ve ever had! And super easy to make. I didn’t have red wine vinegar, so I used a little liquid smoke, and it was delicious.
What would be the best way to make this dairy free?
So good…my son requested another loaf! I substituted 1/2 of the ketchup with Whataburger’s Spicy Ketchup and the bread crumbs with Frenchy’s fried onions.
I’ve made this recipe numerous times and it always comes out wonderfully — so tasty and moist! Has anybody tried putting corn in it?
Excellent recipe my kids beg for it every other week!
this recipe as written is delicious! the only problem I had was with its size. It is extremely small, it says 10 servings. I cut it into 6 portions and they were by no means large portions. I would double it next time to make a higher meatloaf as well. it is only 2 – 3 inches high. but it is a fantastic tasting meatloaf and definitely my go to recipe now.
Bland and barely cooked through. 350 for 55 minutes resulted in a gray mass of meat with no crispy browned edges and little flavor outside of the sauce. It tastes just like the meatloaf my mom used to make and that’s not a compliment. The beef and sausage I mixed together for this recipe are amazing on their own or separate but in this recipe were hard to stomach. I wouldn’t make this again except to feed some weird need for nostalgia.
I love this recipe. It’s my Togo recipe for meatloaf. Thanks.
Really good meatloaf, great flavor and texture. Made with Italian Panko breakcrumbs, added some red bell pepper and some roasted hatch green chilis.
Made this tonight and my family loved it!
I had to tweak it a bit when I found I was shy on plain bread crumbs…I substituted 1/2 the amount with Panko crumbs instead. I was also shy on ketchup! I substituted 1/2 the amount with about 2.5 Tbsp of tomato paste.
My husband told me to make sure I save this recipe!
Made it for tomorrow’s dinner snuck a piece and it was wonderful, followed exact recipe. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Great recipe, easy to make, taste yummy too. Best of all it is made with ingredients most people already have in their kitchen
Excellent Meatloaf recipe!!
This is the best meatloaf I have ever made and I have many plenty of them over the years. My husband daughter said it was a keeper . It was perfect nice and juicy and not dry.
Used combo of ground beef, veal and pork. Added Ritz cracker bread crumbs and omitted salt. Used a spicy sweet barbecue sauce instead of catsup and glazed with the same sauces, slightly diluted with a few drop of water and a dash of hot sauce. In addition to onion threw in red and green pepper and a few mushrooms.
My mother liked MY cooking. This is a first.
I will be back to making meatloaf again! PERFECT! SO DELICIOUS. So Moist. The best. This recipe is a winner!
Love this recipe. I’ve made meatloaf many times but this is the best recipe I’ve tried. I added green bell pepper, only change I made. The topping is delish!
What if I use 2 pounds of beef. How long do I cook it?
how much green bell pepper did you add?
Absolutely delicious!!! We love the topping especially which I make with straight red cooking wine…
Was the pepper raw or chipotle style? Did the meatloaf have a stuffed pepper flavor or something different? Thank you
I have made this before so I did it again. While I pulling out the ingredients, a noticed half an Anaheim pepper I had roasted a few days before. So I diced it and added it in.
Great flavor! I added a bit of chopped green pepper.