Meatloaf Recipe with the Best Glaze (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a great meat loaf? ›

The secret to those meatballs' incredible tenderness is mixing bread soaked in milk into the meat mixture. I employ the same trick here, with fresh breadcrumbs in lieu of soft bread. Cook to 160ºF. Overcooking the meatloaf is a culprit in having it dry out.

Using a ground beef that has a slightly higher fat content can definitely help keep your meatloaf moist and tender. A lean or extra lean ground beef (like 90/10 or 93/7) makes a tough meatloaf because it lacks the fat. Try to aim for 80/20. Add Sautéed Veggies.

Milk and other dairy products, like heavy cream and buttermilk, contain both water and fat, adding two types of moisture to our meatloaf. There's a long-held theory that milk can tenderize ground meat, and this is the reason often cited for cooking ground meat in milk to make a Bolognese-style ragù.

Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? The meatloaf can be cooked uncovered. However, if you are concerned about it burning, you can cover the meatloaf with foil for the first 45 minutes and uncover it for the final 15 minutes to allow the meatloaf to brown on top.

When this happens, it's because you didn't use enough. Next time, try adding in an extra egg and/or some more breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rice, barley, corn flakes, crackers, and dried soup mix can also stand in as binding ingredients as well. Including larger quantities of these items should help solve the problem.

Best Meatloaf Glaze

This quick and easy glaze is made with just 3 ingredients including BBQ sauce, ketchup, and brown sugar, and the option of adding a bit more tang, or spice to it. It comes together in minutes and makes an amazing meatloaf topping sauce that'll make you want to lick the spoon!

By free-forming a meatloaf—not cooking it in a loaf pan—we get maximum surface area exposure, and therefore maximum flavor. So not only does it make it easier to slice and guard against sogginess, but mounding your meatloaf instead of panning it also makes your meatloaf literally tastier.

Metal pans are great conductors of heat; in other words, they heat up quickly, but in turn, they also cool down more rapidly once removed from the heat source. Additionally, metal pans can withstand higher temperatures than glass.

What is the basic meatloaf formula? ›

The Basic Meatloaf Formula

All recipes for meatloaf start with the same basic formula: 2 pounds of ground meat and a “panade” made of bread or crackers soaked in milk. Along with a few eggs, this panade helps to hold the ground meat together and adds some essential moisture to the mix.

A BASE GLAZE is a mixture of these three basic groups: SILICA, FLUX AND ALUMINA.

Glazes need a balance of the 3 main ingredients: Silica, Alumina and Flux. Too much flux causes a glaze to run, and tends to create variable texture on the surface. The texture may vary from shiny, where the glass is balanced, to matte where the excessive flux oxides may form visible, possibly lumpy, crystals.

Beware Breadcrumbs: Overusing breadcrumbs can soak up moisture and leave your meatloaf dry. Use breadcrumbs in moderation or try using alternatives like oats or crushed crackers. Use Extra Egg: Eggs act as binders and provide moisture. Add one or two eggs per pound of meat for a moist texture.