USA · Meat Dishes · High protein

Meatloaf

Name: Meatloaf
Prep time: 19 min
Cook time: 44 min
Total time: 63 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 700 g ground beef; 1 cup breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup milk; 1 egg; 1 onion; 2 cloves garlic; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp dried oregano; to taste salt and pepper; 1/2 cup ketchup; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Meatloaf is a traditional American dish — ground meat mixed with breadcrumbs, eggs and spices, baked into a loaf shape and topped with a tomato glaze.

63 min 700 kcal 4 serves Advanced💪High protein🇺🇸USA★★★★★4.6· 5 reviews

Ingredients

ServingsMetric

700 gground beef
1 cupbreadcrumbs
½ cupmilk
1 egg
1 onion
2 clovesgarlic
1 tbspWorcestershire sauce
1 tspdried thyme
1 tspdried oregano
to tastesalt and pepper
½ cupketchup
2 tbspbrown sugar
1 tbspapple cider vinegar

Note from Sergei

Sergei Martynov

“American meatloaf gets a bad reputation from decades of dry, flavorless versions, but a properly made meatloaf is comfort food at its absolute finest. The secret is the same panade that makes meatballs great — bread soaked in milk mixed into the meat — plus a proper glaze that caramelizes into a sweet, tangy shell. I use a mix of ketchup, brown sugar, and a splash of Worcestershire sauce for the glaze, applied in three layers during the last 30 minutes of baking. The biggest mistake people make is slicing it immediately: meatloaf needs a full 15 minutes of rest after coming out of the oven, or all the juices run out and you're left with a crumbly, dry loaf.”

Bake your meatloaf on a sheet pan with a wire rack instead of in a loaf pan. The exposed surface area lets the glaze form a crust on all sides, and fat drains away instead of pooling around the meat.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a large bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the milk and leave for 5 minutes.
Add the mince, egg, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with your hands.
Place meat mixture in a baking dish and form a loaf shape. In a separate bowl, mix together the ingredients for the glaze.
Brush the top of the meatloaf with half of the glaze. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
Take out, brush with the remaining glaze and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 70°C. Let the meatloaf stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

FAQ

Dryness usually comes from using too-lean meat or overbaking. For a juicy meatloaf use ground meat with at least 15–20% fat — an 80/20 beef blend or a mix of beef and pork works best. Add moisture-holding ingredients: 1/2 cup of milk-soaked breadcrumbs per 500 g of meat, one egg, and a couple of tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce or ketchup worked into the mix. Do not overwork the mixture — mix just until combined. Bake at 175°C (350°F) and check the internal temperature rather than relying on time alone; pull it out at 70–71°C and let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.

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Comments (1)

Sergei Martynov✍ Author
29d ago
Let the beef come to room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking meatloaf. Cold meat causes the muscle fibers to contract violently when they hit heat. Room temp beef sears evenly and stays tender.