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.
This was great! Made exactly as written. I have been looking for a lighter version of meatloaf and this one works!! My husband calls it a “keeper.”
My only change would be double the sauce on top. Other than that? Awesome.
I really like meatloaf but have never been able to make a good one at home. That’s true no more – this was an easy, quick recipe with lots of accessible ingredients and a really great glaze. I was afraid the glaze would be too sweet but it’s definitely not with the addition of the red wine vinegar. I’m definitely saving this recipe.
Great tasting and a simple recipe! I will definitely use again, I think I will maybe add a tad of chopped celery with the onion.
I love meatloaf. And this is almost as good as any restaurant loaf I’ve eaten and better than many. Highly recommend. But make/mix exactly as instructed. It took me two times to get it perfect and worthy of praise.
I make this meatloaf frequently. I’m wasn’t a meatloaf fan but I actually love this. My only secret ingredient is about 1 cup of French’s fried onions and slightly reduce the raw onion. It’s fantastic!
Great meatloaf ❤️
This sounds delicious but I will use ground bison instead of ground beef and I will make a gravy with avocado oil instead of butter cause I have to eat heart healthy. I can’t wait to try it.
Where do you live I’ve never had ground bison
Where does it say anything about butter????
There’s no butter in the recipe. Which ingredients are you trying to avoid? Bison does sound good!
I’ve made this for both family and extended family and it’s always a hit. I’m very picky when it comes to savory foods but this meatloaf has to be my favorite meal.
I’ve made this recipe before and it’s really delicious! This time when I made it I was out of red wine vinegar so I substituted balsamic vinegar. I’m sure it will be just as tasty because when I tasted what was in the little bowl it tasted great!
This is so easy and so delicious, just as it is written! I’ve made it a few times and everyone loves it. But best of all, it’s an easy and inexpensive way to provide a meal for a “meal train” for someone who is sick. It feeds dinner and the leftovers (if there are any) are great for lunch. I served it with roasted brussels sprouts which can be roasted in the over at the same time as the meatloaf. Enjoy!
I used to make the worst meatloaf, I tried many recipes over the years and this one by far is the best. My family would agree. I have made many delicious meals over the past 50years, the only one that I really failed on was meatloaf. No more I have this recipe stored in my computer and will go with it and will pass it down. Thank you
Did you just use 1 lb of ground beef? My recipes always asked for 2 lbs. It seems a lot of ingredients for 1 llb?
This was the best meatloaf I’ve ever had! I did not have powdered garlic so I replaced it with fresh garlic. I will absolutely make this again!
For 2lbs of ground beef, is the bake time 55 minutes (x) times 2? Or 110 minutes? Thank you!
I’ve been making this same recipe for years its always my favorite. I use red wine vinegar its always here for salad but other than that its same and I really really love it
Delish!
BEST meatloaf recipe i’ve ever made.
I made this tonight and it was a winner according to my husband! And I enjoyed it also! I substituted the red wine vinegar with white distilled vinegar for the sauce and it was still amazing. Thank you for sharing it is being added to my recipe now 🙂
This was absolutely perfect! I substituted impossible meat for the ground beef since we are vegetarian and added a quarter cup of finely chopped celery. I didn’t have red wine vinegar so I used sherry vinegar. This is my new go to recipe for vegetarian meatloaf!
Excellent good Ole Fashioned and simple recipe! Very tender and flavorful. I added chopped bacon and roasted red bell peppers with a splash of BBQ sauce the second time I made it. Both versions were outstanding! Mash potatoes and my mommas garlic butter greenbeans rounded up the dish the first time, second time garlic n herb wild rice with lemon zested broccoli….YUMMMM
This is the best meatloaf I have ever had. I used Apple
Cider Vinegar in place of the Red Wine Vinegar and the glaze had an addictive tang. Adding this recipe to the rotation.
My first online review ever!! I tired this recipe since it’s got 100% five stars out of Almost 1000 reviews. I only substituted the Worcestershire sauce with bbq sauce and the red wine vinegar with rice vinegar since I didn’t have them. Mine turned out the exact same look as shown on the site. It looked so delicious that my vegetarian sister was attempted to have a bite:) thank you very much for posting this amazing recipe. ❤️
I think the milk is only for moistening the bread crumbs, so you could use fresh bread moistened with water or use unsweetened rice, oat, or soy milk.