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.
By far the best AND easiest I’ve made and I have tried many! You can put this together in 10-15 minutes, is super moist, and tender. Don’t believe what you hear about over mixing ground beef, the ratio of ground beef to breadcrumbs to dairy is what creates the best loaf or meatball. Hamburgers, because they don’t have those ingredients, should be handled with care.
This is now my go-to recipe for meatloaf!
Moist and the topping is a miracle of tangy flavor!!
Yum.
Thanks You for sharing, Amanda.
Matt
I have tried so many meatloaf recipes that I follow to the T and I am always disappointed. This one is the best ever!
Do you grease pan at all?
Great recipe! I’ve made this over and over and have been greeted with 😋 yums each time I make it for my family! Btw – I’ve both baked this and made it in my instant pot (pressure cooker setting hi for 30 min wrapped in foil) – and both methods turn out equally delicious!
Amanda, this was amazing! So easy and incredibly delicious! Thanks for posting it! My wife and I loved every bite!
Love this meatloaf. I cut the salt back to 1/4 teaspoon. My friends say it’s the best they’ve tasted.
Can’t wait to make this meatloaf
I come to find this recipe every time I make meatloaf for my family. It is genuinely fool proof, not to mention moist and delicious. I do cook the onions real quick in a pan before I add them, but it’s honestly not needed. As long as you cut them small enough, they will soften in the cooking process. One time we didn’t have Worcestershire sauce, but had Allegro steak marinade on hand. So I took a chance and used that instead. It was a delicious, so I use that every time now 🙂 Great recipe! Thanks 😊
My favorite meatloaf recipe!
This is my favorite meatloaf recipe now. We really enjoyed it.
My go to recipe for meatloaf! I don’t even use a pan, I just put tin foil on a baking sheet and form the meat mixture into a loaf shape. Growing up my mom always used Heinz Chili Sauce as the topping so I just put it on about 15 minutes before the meatloaf is done. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
My Mom always used Heinz Chili Sauce as well. So good…………
I’ve been making this meatloaf for a year and it catches me off guard every time I taste it. It’s the best meatloaf I’ve ever had and my family eats every bit of it.
Remarkable! Truly classic. Use lean beef and when placing ingredients in bowl, put the crumbs on top to keep them from clumping. I subbed heavy whipping cream for milk, turned out amazing!
If I double the recipe – does that affect cook time?
Accurate. This IS the best classic meatloaf recipe. I didn’t have 90%, only 80% hamburger meat. Never thought there was a “too moist,” but damn it melted like butter in your mouth. I will use 90% next time. I used the kitchen aid mixer with the paddle attachment, it incorporates nicely. Also I doubled the sauce recipe cause I like it saucy, but maybe I will only do 1/4 extra sauce next time as it was tangy (in a good way). For most peoples tastes just make the recipe as it, & it is perfect. I think I’ll use the same recipe tomorrow to make spaghetti with meatballs to use up the breadcrumbs. Thanks to the OP!!!
Worst meatloaf I’ve ever made! Thought I would give it a shot and it’s just mushy! I mixed it well and even kept in oven longer still mushy.
I, a male of my gender, have done this meatloaf recipe several times and it has been our favorite. I like all of the many ingredients which make it very tasty and I use the veal, beef, and pork ground meat combination for the meat. I am sending this recipe to all my friends. My wife really likes that this is one of my dinner tasks in addition to my several grilling cooking events and she does not have to cook.
Great looking recipe I plan on making soon. Can this be cooked in a smoker? If so, any alterations on recipe? Thank you.
I like making a glaze using bbq sauce red wine vinegar and brown sugar
The first time I made this meatloaf was about six months ago and it’s absolutely delicious 🤤 today is my fourth time making it, I give this recipe to all my friends and family and everybody loves it especially the glaze, I was leery about the glaze at first but I said what the heck let’s just try it at some thing no, my husband loves it I love it thank you for this recipe, are use all the ingredients given but I also add a little of my own as well, I add one pack of beef bouillon, some adobo,Even though this chat onions in it I put a little bit of onion powder and garlic powder of course, this is a awesome meatloaf I’m so happy to have learned this recipe I make it with different sides tonight I’m doing traditional homemade garlic cheesy mashed potatoes
I’ve made this before only on this occasion we needed to feed a gathering of approximately 10 people so I used 3 pounds of Lien ground beef and tried adding one pound of sausage to give it a little bit of a different flavor and add a bit of zest to it! Of course I had to figure out how to increase the amount of ingredients and spices the recipe calls for using basic math and after I was done thoroughly mixed everything together in a large bowl I formed 2 loaves the same size and height to insure even cooking and also used a 15 x 10 Pyrex to bake both loaves at the same time, it was as delicious as the first one I made with what the amount of beef and so on the recipe calls for