The Best Glazed Meatloaf {Tips for Cooking in the Instant Pot}

This is the best meatloaf recipe ever! It has hundreds of five-star recipe reviews. Easy and flavorful, it’s comfort food at its finest!

Finding just the right meatloaf recipe might seem like a feat for a super human individual.

One that will please everyone. The onion haters. The soggy bread haters. The meatloaf haters.

The Best Meatloaf Recipe

I did all the work to find the perfect meatloaf recipe so you don’t have to.

This is it. The recipe that’s united us all as a family of meatloaf lovers, and I’m sticking with it for all time.

Because to be quite honest, getting a meatloaf recipe that pleases everyone has been straight up exhausting.

Meatlof is Easy to Make

This recipe is really easy!

1. Crush saltine crackers, add milk, and let sit for a few minutes until soft.
2. Add the seasonings and eggs and mix well.
3. Add the meat and mix (yep, get your hands right on in there) until well-combined.

What Type of Meat is Best for Meatloaf

I prefer using half ground beef and half ground pork for the best flavor and texture.

Using extra lean meat might result in meatloaf that is tough and dry.

The Glaze is Everything

Meatloaf would just be…well…a loaf of meat without the glaze. The glaze is tangy and saucy and so yummy!

Slather the meatloaf with glaze before baking. And then bake until the meatloaf is baked all the way through and the glaze is bubbly.

A Tried-and-True Recipe

I mean, listen, meatloaf is not a fancy food. It’s not out there winning any gourmet cuisine awards.

But if you want comfort food at its very best, this really is the best meatloaf recipe.

We’ve been making it for years, and it has very much stood the tried-and-true test of time. Others of you agree wholeheartedly!

Rebecca says: The best! My family is definitely opinionated and they LOVE this recipe. I use finely diced onion and sub 3/4 cup breadcrumbs for the crackers since I don’t keep those on hand. Easy to whip up in 5 min, throw in the fridge in a bowl until dinner time. Thanks Mel! 

Mary says: Wow absolutely delicious. 
Loaded with flavor and it was a hit with my husband. Thank You so much for sharing 

S Wiggins says: 23 years of marriage, and I have probably tried 100 meatloaf recipes in attempt to find the right one for my meat-loving husband.  This one wins hands-down, and I can stop searching for the exact one!!  Thank you!!!

One Year Ago: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Two Years Ago: Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Three Years Ago: White Bean Chicken Chili
Four Years Ago: Classic Slow Cooker Chili
Five Years Ago: White Texas Sheet Cake

The Best Glazed Meatloaf

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

4.71 stars (249 ratings)

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Ingredients

Meatloaf:

• 1 cup crushed saltines, 25-30 crackers
• ⅓ cup milk
• ¼ to ½ cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons onion powder, see note to use fresh onions
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, I use coarse, kosher salt – use slightly less for table salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, I use coarse black pepper – use slightly less for finely ground
• 2 pounds ground meat, I use half ground beef/half ground pork (see note)

Glaze:

• ⅔ cup ketchup or BBQ sauce, or a combination
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider or red wine vinegar

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Instructions 

• For the meatloaf, in a large mixing bowl, add the crushed saltines and milk and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes. Add the parsley, eggs, onion powder, garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Add the ground meat and mix until evenly and well combined. (You can use a food processor for all of the above if you want a an even more well combined spice and meat mixture.)
• For the glaze, combine the ketchup (or BBQ sauce), brown sugar, and vinegar and whisk to combine.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray.
• Pile the meat mixture in the middle of the prepared pan and shape into a loaf about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide (it doesn’t have to be perfect; just try to get it an even thickness throughout).
• Spoon the glaze over the meatloaf. Bake for 45-50 minutes until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the center of the meatloaf.
• Loosely tent with foil and let the meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Meat: I prefer using half ground beef and half ground pork for this recipe. You could also try using 100% ground beef or ground turkey (or half ground beef/ground turkey). 

Glaze: if you want to serve some of the glaze on the side, double the ingredients and reserve half to serve after the meatloaf has baked (if desired, you can simmer the reserved glaze and serve warm). 

Onion: over the years, we’ve come to prefer onion powder over fresh onions since several of my kids don’t like onion pieces in the cooked meatloaf; however, if you want the flavor of fresh onions, make sure they are very finely chopped and/or precook them in a skillet to make sure they are tender when the meatloaf is finished cooking.

Author: Mel

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Method: Bake

Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 523kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 163mg, Sodium: 1186mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g

Recommended Products

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Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (varied from this old favorite)

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