Extra Delicious Ground Beef Meatloaf Recipe? What is this, some post-hipster revival of American classics that everyone knows is delicious but has been snubbed for societal reasons that I can’t explain? No? Are you positive?
Oh, I see. You already understand that an easily portionable, delicious protein block that stores extremely well and pairs well with LITERALLY ANYTHING is a clear choice for those who wish to prepare their meals in advance. I’m glad you see it my way.
And no, there’s no need to worry. This Ground Beef Meatloaf Recipe is not some highfalutin reinvention, unnecessarily complicated with things nobody thought were missing in the first place. This Ground Beef Meatloaf Recipe is some classic meaty goodness. This is the best damn meatloaf I’ve been able to cobble together in my years.
I attribute every ounce of my success – even my status as a god amongst the Olympiad to my regular consumption of meatloaf. The food, not the rock guy.
Ground Beef Meatloaf Recipe Meat Choice
So first thing’s first, you’ll notice below, right smack at the top of the ingredients list is 3 pounds of ground meat. Well, lemme address that now. You can use literally any ground meat in meatloaf. Ground beef and pork are the most common, but lamb, veal, bison, beefalo, and even poultry like turkey find their way into meatloaves. When picking your meat(s), make sure that, for this recipe at least, you come in at about 10% fat content.
I’ve got 1 pound of ground beef chuck that’s 70/30 (70% lean, 30% fat) that’s mixed with 2 pounds of ground bison, which is ~95% lean. The fat content matters not only for calorie reasons but because it also dictates how much liquid to add to your recipe so that it isn’t bone dry or falling apart.
Extra Delicious Ground Beef Meatloaf Recipe
Print RecipeIngredients
- TO MAKE THE MEATLOAF:
- 3 pounds of ground meat
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup dry breadcrumbs (or crushed saltines if needed, but do not add salt if used)
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup Chipotle peppers
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup hot sauce – I use Franks
- TO MAKE THE SIMPLE GLAZE:
- 1/4 hot sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
Making The Simple Glaze
1. The glaze is one of the signature things about meatloaf that make it delicious. Just mix your hot sauce, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. You could complicate it with homemade ketchup and fancy pepper sauces. Why overthink a good thing? mmm… Glaze…
Making The Meatloaf
Possibly my favorite thing about this recipe is how straightforward it is; there’s little to no heavy prep.
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place racks in the middle.
2. Brown the finely chopped onion and the garlic in a frying pan on high heat. This will make the flavors stand out more while they’re in the meatloaf.
3. Mix all meatloaf ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Get your hands dirty! The kid in me still loves squishing ground meat with my hands.
4. Press into a lightly oiled loaf pan. Make sure that there are no air pockets. Air pockets could pop whilst cook, ruining the shape of your meatloaf and exposing the interior to the harsh heat, which could lose you most of your moisture.
5. Bake for 45 minutes at 350°F. Remove from the oven at the end of 45 minutes.
6. Apply glaze mixture, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes at 400°F. Or until the internal temperature is over 160°F.
7. Remove from heat and LET STAND for 20 minutes. This gives all the moisture and juices rushing around the interior of the meatloaf time to settle and gel. Long story short – if you cut into the meatloaf before it’s stood for 20 minutes, all the juices will leak out, and it will be crap. Be patient.
Quick Nutritional Rundown:
The calories of this dish are largely dependent on the type of meats used and their fat content. Using low-fat meats in your meatloaf will make it an excellent protein source for when you’re on a cut and are tired of the chicken breasts. It’s certainly not the cleanest of foods for a cut, but when paired with celery and 1 cup of white rice, as I have here, it makes a fantastic, well-rounded meal – I approximate that with a 5-ounce serving of meatloaf it comes in at about 900-1000 calories/lunch. For bulking, naturally, just eat more! With additional carbs and sides that aren’t calorie negative like celery, you could easily hit 2000 calories/meal.
For weighing out your portions, I recommend this scale.
Get your hands dirty!
Air pockets in meatloaf are bad!
Get that glaze on that meatloaf!
The meatloaf is finished once the internal temperature reaches 160°F or greater.
