Glazed Meatloaf was one of my favorite meals growing up! Covered in a sweet sticky glaze and packed with flavor, this tender meatloaf is simply divine!
Sticky Glazed Meatloaf Recipe
This Italian-American glazed meatloaf is pretty much one giant meatball. At least that’s what I call it so that kids will love it. But, seriously, it is similar to meatballs, only it has a lot more flavor and is easier to make. I add finely chopped vegetables to this glazed meatloaf that not only keep the meatloaf moist and flavorful, but is a great way to sneak in some extra vegetables into your diet!
I like to serve it with a big salad and twice baked potatoes or mashed potatoes. Leftovers are even better the next day, sliced and topped with melted cheese in a warm sandwich. This meatloaf is coated in a sticky sweet and tangy glaze which adds an extra something-something to the meatloaf both in looks and flavor.
No need to worry about the meatloaf cracking while baking… the glaze not only hides any cracks on the surface of the meatloaf – just think of that glaze dripping down into those cracks and caramelizing while cooking!
What is in Sticky Glazed Meatloaf?
Meatloaf Ingredients
- Ground Beef – this meatloaf is 100% ground beef and it is incredible tender and moist. You can do a mix of beef and pork but I prefer all beef.
- Celery, Carrot, Onion, Garlic – not only do these finely minced veggies add flavor to the meatloaf, it also keeps it moist and is a great way to sneak some extra veggies into your diet!
- Green Onion – I love the freshness green onion adds and the pop of color.
- Parmesan Cheese – the deep flavor of parmesan cheese really elevates this meatloaf. You can sub with Romano cheese or other hard white cheese you have on hand, or omit the cheese.
- Egg – acts as a binder for the meatloaf and helps keep it together along with the bread.
- Worcestershire Sauce – this impossible to pronounce sauce adds an umami flavor to the meatloaf. It can be omitted or subbed with soy sauce.
- Chili Flakes, Basil, Oregano, Salt – this recipe is great for a quick weeknight dinner using pantry staple ingredients as you don’t need fresh herbs to get a great tasting meatloaf! Dried basil, oregano and chili flakes add the perfect flavor profile to this dish.
Glaze Ingredients
- Ketchup – a ketchup based glazed makes this an approachable weeknight dinner. You can use tomato paste instead but I would recommend using ketchup.
- Brown Sugar – the deep rich flavor of brown sugar, as opposed to white granulated sugar is what really takes this glaze to the next level. It caramelizes so beautifully.
- Vinegar – just a splash of vinegar goes a long way in this glaze adding a bit of tang to offset the sweetness of the ketchup and brown sugar
- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Chili Flakes, Salt, Pepper – again, no fresh herbs are needed in this glaze, pantry staple dried herbs and spices work perfectly!
Secret Ingredient
- Bread soaked in milk is the secret to a perfectly moist meatloaf. I like using ground beef in my meatloaf but with this tip you can use any ground meat and it will be extra moist from the bread soaked in milk
How to Prepare Sticky Glazed Meatloaf
This glazed meatloaf is as simple as mixing all of the meatloaf ingredients together in a bowl, forming the meatloaf on foil lined baking dish and baking. The meatloaf can be shaped in advance which makes this a great weeknight dinner.
Full Printable Recipe Below
1 To start line a baking sheet with foil and preheat the oven to 375°F.
2 Finely chop onion, carrot, celery, green onions, garlic and parsley. You can also use a food processor to finely chop all ingredients.
3 Soak cubed bread in milk until completely wet and soft.
4 In a large bowl add the vegetables to the ground beef. Squeeze milk out of the cubed bread and crumble into the bowl. Add parmesan cheese, lightly whisked eggs, Worcestershire and all the other seasonings. Gently combine with your hands. Do not overmix, which can result in a tough/dense meatloaf.
5 Pour the meat mixture onto the foil lined baking tray and shape the meatloaf.
6 Bake the meatloaf uncovered for 30 minutes.
7 In a small bowl, mix all of the glaze ingredients together.
8 Spread half the glaze over the meatloaf and bake 15 minutes covered with foil.
9 Remove the foil cover from the meatloaf. Add remaining glaze and finish baking another 15 minutes, or until internal temperature is 160°F.
10 When done cooking, remove from oven and let rest covered 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the meatloaf to settle so it will not crumble when sliced.
Serve and enjoy!
Serve with my Broccoli Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes – recipe linked here
Can Meatloaf be Frozen?
Yes, meatloaf can be frozen before cooking (without the glaze).
To freeze, prepare the meatloaf as per instructions, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and then freeze.
Thaw the meatloaf in the refrigerator covered and then continue with baking instructions and add glaze during cooking as per recipe instructions.
Leftover Meatloaf?
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, here are some leftover ideas:
- Leftover Meatloaf Sandwiches – add a slice of cheese and broil in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese
- Spaghetti Bolognese – crumble the meatloaf into smaller pieces and add to your favorite tomato sauce recipe
- Beef Tacos – break up the meatloaf into small pieces, sauté with taco seasoning and serve in taco shells with your favorite toppings
- Quick Beef Chili – just stir in small pieces of the meatloaf into your favorite chili recipe
Looking for More Easy Dinners?
- Sesame Chicken – the ultimate combination of crispy chicken in a sweet and tangy sesame sauce! Serve with fried rice for an easy home made takeout style dinner!
- French Onion Pork Chops – fork tender pork chops braised in a caramelized onion gravy, topped with melted cheese! With only 1 hour of cooking you can have a restaurant quality meal on the table.
- Portuguese Style Spicy Mussels – one of my favorite seafood dishes! Flavor packed mussels in a spicy garlic tomato sauce. This is my mom’s classic recipe!
Enjoy!
– Sab
Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission.
Best Sticky Glazed Meatloaf
Ingredients
Meat Loaf
- 2.5 to 3 lbs ground beef, medium or lean (Note: Do not worry about using lean meat – the rest of the ingredients will keep your meatloaf moist and juicy.)
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 5 garlic cloves
- 3 green onions
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cubed bread
- ½ cup milk
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp dry basil
- ½ tsp dry oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp salt
Glaze
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 ½ tsp vinegar
- 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Finely chop onion, carrot, celery, green onions, garlic and parsley. You can also use a food processor to finely chop all ingredients.
- Soak cubed bread in milk until completely wet and soft.
- In a large bowl add the vegetables to the ground beef. Squeeze milk out of the cubed bread and crumble into the bowl. Add parmesan cheese, lightly whisked eggs, worcestershire and all the other seasonings. Gently combine with your hands. Do not overmix, which can result in a tough/dense meatloaf.
- Pour the meat mixture onto the foil lined baking dish and form the meatloaf shape with your hands.
- Bake the meatloaf uncovered for 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix all of the glaze ingredients together.
- Spread half the glaze over the meatloaf and bake 15 minutes covered with foil.
- Remove the foil cover from the meatloaf. Add remaining glaze and finish baking another 15 minutes, or until internal temperature is 160°F.
- When done cooking, remove from oven and let rest covered for 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the meatloaf to settle so it will not crumble when sliced.
Video
Notes
• Leftover Meatloaf Sandwiches – add a slice of cheese and broil in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese
• Make Spaghetti Bolognese – crumble the meatloaf into smaller pieces and add to your favorite tomato sauce recipe
• Beef Tacos – break up the meatloaf into small pieces, sauté with taco seasoning and serve in taco shells with your favorite toppings
• Quick Beef Chili – just stir in small pieces of the meatloaf into your favorite chili recipe Can you freeze Meatloaf? Yes, meatloaf can be frozen before cooking (without the glaze). To freeze, prepare the meatloaf as per instructions, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and then freeze. Thaw the meatloaf in the refrigerator covered and then continue with baking instructions and add glaze during cooking as per recipe instructions.
Kristine
Friday 30th of September 2022
Had to tweak the recipe with what I had on hand. Didn’t have celery so grated a medium zucchini into the carrot and onion mix. Kids didn’t even notice and asked for seconds. Glaze was the bees knees. 10/10, thank you for the recipe!:)
fedbysab
Friday 30th of September 2022
Amazing, so glad you hear you and the kids enjoyed Kristine! :)
Diana
Friday 10th of June 2022
Made this today and it was a HUGE hit. So moist and packed with flavour. The glaze is amazing 🤩
fedbysab
Friday 10th of June 2022
Hi Diana, I am happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe :)
Tony
Monday 29th of November 2021
This was the tastiest and moist meatloaf I’ve ever made. Great recipe.
RossC
Thursday 11th of February 2021
Really interested in the chopped veggies and the glaze. Will make this soon. :O)
fedbysab
Tuesday 23rd of February 2021
The chopped veggies keep the meatloaf very moist! The sticky glaze is my favorite part.. ENJOY :)