BEST EVER MEATLOAF RECIPE | With the Tastiest Glaze!

The best meatloaf is really easy to make from simple, everyday ingredients. Ground beef is mixed with onion, herbs, and savory flavors, then topped with the tastiest glaze that goes beyond just ketchup.

I love this classic meatloaf because it’s easy, moist, filling, hearty, naturally gluten-free (with oats!) and just like my mom used to make. Serve it with creamy mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables for a cozy, comforting dinner the whole family will love. Oh, it’s also great for meal prep!

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► TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
00:21 Prep the onion, garlic, and parsley.
01:41 What type of ground beef to use for meatloaf.
01:51 Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
03:15 Form the meatloaf in a casserole pan, or place it in a loaf pan.
03:39 Make the meatloaf glaze and brush it on the meatloaf.
04:45 Cook the meatloaf, then let it rest.
05:00 Slice up the meatloaf and serve it with mashed potatoes and broccoli (or other veggies).
06:20 Taste test, storage, and tips.

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#meatloaf #meatloafrecipe #groundbeef

– If there’s one recipe that you should know how to master, it’s a classic meatloaf. (bright music) It’s easy, comforting, and makes for the best leftovers if you’re lucky enough to have any. And while there’s so many different ways you can get creative with meatloaf, this is the recipe

That I go back to time and again because it just hits the spot. So let me show you how to make the best ever meatloaf and give you a few essential tips along the way. To get started, you’ll need to finely dice one small onion or at least a small-ish onion.

This is probably closer to medium-sized, though you guys know I only seem to get gigantor-sized produce here in Southern California, but the onion really serves two purposes. Not only does it add lots of flavor and moisture to the meatloaf, but it also prevents it from becoming too dense.

You don’t want a meatloaf that’s compacted down and thick. It should really just barely hold together enough to slice and then fall apart easily with your fork as soon as you dig in. Next up are four garlic cloves. So give those a smash with your knife and then peel their outer skins off.

I prefer fresh garlic for the most robust flavor, but in a pinch, you could use about a tablespoon of jarred minced garlic as well. To add some greens and freshness into the meatloaf, roughly chop about two tablespoons of flat leaf parsley. Many recipes only use dried seasonings in meatloaf,

But I think the fresh parsley really does amplify the flavor. Plus you can chop a little extra parsley for sprinkling on top at the end to make it look pretty. And then the last ingredient I want to touch on before we start mixing is the oats.

I’m using two thirds cup of quick-cooking oats, though if you like a slightly chunkier texture, you could use rolled oats as well. Not only are oats a great alternative to breadcrumbs because they’re naturally gluten-free, but again, they help prevent the meatloaf from becoming too dense.

Add two pounds of ground beef to a mixing bowl, and I’m using 85% ground beef to keep it really moist, though you can use any leanness you prefer. Then add the onion that you just chopped up along with the garlic, and I just mince those cloves straight into the bowl.

To that, you’ll add two eggs, which help to bind everything together, three tablespoons of ketchup and one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, which I really love in this recipe as it adds that special depth of flavor. The two thirds cup of quick-cooking oats,

One third cup of milk, and you can use dairy or dairy-free. I’m actually using macadamia nut milk today. The two tablespoons of parsley, one teaspoon of Italian seasoning, one teaspoon of kosher salt, and half a teaspoon of ground black pepper. Then dig in with your hands and mix it all together.

You wanna mix it enough so that it’s well combined and the oats naturally start to soak up the milk and Worcestershire sauce to create a panade, but not so much that it’s overworked and becomes dense. I should also add that I prefer to get my ground beef from the butcher for this recipe

Rather than to buy those square plastic containers of prepackaged ground beef, as the beef is usually super compacted in those. Now in terms of cooking the meatloaf, you can use a standard nine inch by five inch loaf pan. It’s super easy that way, but I prefer to freeform the loaf

And cook it on a rimmed baking sheet or casserole pan. And the reason why, well, I’ll get to that in just a second. So transfer your meatloaf to the pan and then use your hands to form it into a loaf about nine inches long by five inches wide.

It really doesn’t have to be perfect. You can just eyeball it. Though if you want to break out the ruler to double check, by all means, go for it. And then the last thing to do is to make the sauce or glaze that goes on top. Some people love straight up ketchup on its own, but I like to add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce again as it enhances the beef so beautifully, though you could always sub in steak sauce as well.

And then one tablespoon of coconut sugar or brown sugar for a little sweetness. Stir that all together and then pour it on top of the meatloaf. Use a pastry brush or silicone brush to spread it all over the meatloaf, including all the way down the sides.

And this right here, my friends, is why I prefer to form the meatloaf rather than to use a loaf pan because you do get glaze down the sides and more glaze means more flavor in every bite. I should also note that some people prefer

To put the glaze on in the last 15 minutes of cooking, but I prefer to put it on right now at the beginning because then I don’t have to try to brush it on while the oven door is open and create a mess. And I also feel like it just keeps the meatloaf

More moist while cooking, though I don’t really have any scientific proof of that. Cook the meatloaf in a preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Then remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

I just love how the glaze is beautifully baked on top. And you can also see that there’s some fat oozing from the meatloaf and that is to be expected. After it’s rested, you can go ahead and evenly slice it up, though my second slice here wasn’t so even,

It was more like a portion and a half for one very hungry belly, but you get the idea. Oh, and I almost forgot to zhuzh it up with some of that leftover chopped parsley. Sprinkle some of that on top for a pop of green, which is a wonderful contrast

To the deep red meatloaf glaze. As I pan through some beauty shots here, you can see that the inside of the meatloaf isn’t overly dense, but it still holds together perfectly. And I love that these slices are great for meal prep and storing, which I’ll tell you about after my taste test.

Meatloaf is one of those recipes that’s just so comforting and cozy, especially on cold winter days, and it reminds me of my childhood when my mom used to serve it up over mashed potatoes. So let’s go ahead and do that now. Add a few dollops of mashed potatoes to a plate.

And alternatively, you could swap in mashed sweet potato or mashed cauliflower for a lighter option. For greens, I’ve got some broccolini today, though you could add any variety of veggie that you love. And lastly, add a slice or two of the meatloaf. This sort of reminds me of those frozen Hungry Man dinners.

Are those even still around? (chuckles) But in healthier, homemade format. And I can’t even joke that it’s a Hungry Man-sized portion because I 100% polished off this entire plate immediately after filming. I am ready to dig in. And this is definitely a portion for a hungry belly,

And it’s a good thing I am hungry. Mm. Delicious. The inside is perfectly moist. It’s got some texture from the onion and the parsley and the oats, so it’s not really compacted, it’s nice and light, you don’t want your meatloaf really dense and compacted. So this is perfect.

And it’s got a lot of the delicious flavor on the inside. And the glaze, the glaze just adds that tomatoey, ketchupey, but with a new umami flair and it’s sweet. The whole thing, it’s just perfect. Now as I mentioned at the beginning, there are so many different ways you can make meatloaf,

And I had a lot of meatloaf as a child because it was just easy to make, to serve up with kids. And my mom would actually serve it with some grape jelly on top, though I have to say, the tomato glaze, ketchup glaze topping is a little bit more classic.

In terms of storage, this will last for about three to four days in the fridge, or you can freeze it for up to three months. And what I like to do is completely slice up the meatloaf and then add it to a storage container

So that when I want to thaw it from the freezer, I can take out an individual slice, move it to the refrigerator where I’ll let it thaw overnight, and then it’s as simple as reheating that piece with whatever sides I wanna serve it with. I hope you guys enjoy today’s video,

And if you did, make sure to give it a thumbs up. And do make sure to tag me when you make this recipe. I always love to see it on social media. Share it with your family and friends, and I will see you again in the next video.