Easy Meatloaf Recipe
Tender, juicy meatloaf with a sweet and tangy double-layer ketchup glaze, shaped free-form on a sheet pan for caramelized edges. Milk-soaked breadcrumbs keep every slice moist, and the whole thing takes about ten minutes of hands-on work.
Ingredients
For the Meatloaf
- 2 pounds ground beef 80/20
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 small yellow onion grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme optional
For the Glaze
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan with foil or parchment.
- In a large bowl, stir the breadcrumbs and milk together. Let them sit for 5 minutes until the crumbs soften into a paste.
- Whisk the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt, pepper, and thyme into the breadcrumb mixture.
- Add the grated onion and minced garlic, then stir once more.
- Add the ground beef and fold everything together gently with your hands. Stop the moment it looks combined.
- Shape the mixture into a loaf on the sheet pan, roughly 9 inches long and 5 inches wide.
- Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Spread half the glaze over the top and sides of the loaf.
- Bake for 40 minutes, then add the remaining glaze.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until the center reaches 160°F.
- Rest the loaf for 10 minutes before slicing.