This easy meatloaf recipe is the best I’ve ever made! It is incredibly flavorful and tender in the middle, and the homemade meatloaf glaze is out of this world.
I cannot wait until you try this amazing meatloaf recipe. Our family loves it, and everyone we’ve shared the recipe with said that it is the best they’ve made. With such high praise, we knew we needed to share this classic meatloaf with you.
Key Ingredients
Ground beef: Use ground beef with at least 15% fat for the juiciest meatloaf. Look for 85/15 or 80/20 on the package when you’re at the store.
Veggies: I cook mushrooms, onion, shallot, bell pepper, and garlic in butter before adding them to my meatloaf mixture. They add so much flavor (especially the mushrooms, which I also use for turkey meatloaf).
Saltine crackers: I use saltine crackers instead of breadcrumbs. They are light and crispy, so they don’t weigh down our meatloaf.
Milk: Helps to keep our meatloaf juicy and tenderizes the meat.
Egg and egg yolk: Keeps the meatloaf tender and prevents it from drying out or falling apart.
Mustard: I use whole-grain or Dijon mustard. It adds so much flavor.
Ketchup: I like store-bought natural or homemade ketchup, which I use in the meatloaf mixture to make the sauce spread on top.
Worcestershire: Seasons our meatloaf and makes it taste more savory.
Maple syrup: Helps sweeten our meatloaf glaze. Thanks to the maple syrup, this is the tastiest glaze I’ve had with meatloaf.
How to Make the Best Meatloaf?
To make meatloaf, you’ll start by cooking the veggies in some butter until soft and sweet. I give the mushrooms a head start and then stir in the onion and shallot. Then, when soft, I add the red bell pepper and garlic. The veggies take about 10 minutes, but cooking them this way guarantees the best texture for your meatloaf.
Once your veggies are cooked and cooled, mix the meatloaf ingredients in a big bowl. You might have been told by someone else not to overmix meatloaf, but I’m going against the grain on this one and telling you to really get in there and mix! You want the mixture to look well blended, which improves flavor AND texture (it’s why our baked meatloaf won’t crumble apart).
I bake my meatloaf on a baking sheet, not in a loaf pan. You can absolutely bake this meatloaf in a loaf pan if you’d like. I prefer the baking sheet for two reasons. First, a baking sheet means the easiest cleanup, which is enough for me, but the second reason I love using a baking sheet is that our delicious meatloaf glaze becomes more caramelized and sticky than when cooked in a loaf pan.
