Air Fryer Meatloaf
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If you love classic comfort food but crave an easier, faster way to make it, then this Air Fryer Meatloaf is about to become your new favorite recipe! Juicy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked in 35 minutes, this meatloaf is everything you love about the traditional dish, just with a crispy, caramelized crust and no oven required!
Why you’ll love this meatloaf recipe
Meatloaf is a classic comfort food that we all know and love, but since it takes an hour to cook in the oven, it’s not ideal for an easy weeknight meal. Luckily, we can now make a delicious meatloaf in almost half the time in the air fryer!
It only takes 35 minutes to cook meatloaf in an air fryer, just enough time to make my famous Loaded Mashed Potatoes to go with it. I love this recipe and for these reasons, I know you’ll love it too!
- It’s quick and easy to make! It only takes 10 minutes to prep the meatloaf, then it goes in the air fryer to cook. In under an hour the meatloaf is ready for dinner.
- It’s so flavorful! Mixing my homemade meatloaf seasoning and Worcestershire sauce into this recipe adds a ton of flavor, so you’ll never eat an under-seasoned meatloaf again!
- The leftovers are great! If you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers, they’re perfect for making a meatloaf hash or meatloaf sandwich for breakfast or lunch the next day.
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this air fryer meatloaf recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Olive oil – or another neutral-flavored oil, like vegetable, canola or avocado oil.
- Onion – I recommend a yellow onion for it’s nice, neutral flavor.
- Garlic – I always recommend fresh minced cloves for the best flavor.
- Ground beef – I like to use a ground beef that’s 80/20, meaning 80% lean ground beef and 20% fat. This will give you the perfect amount of fat to make a tender, juicy meatloaf.
- Ground pork – while you can use all ground beef, I do recommend the combination of pork and beef. The pork adds more fat and a different flavor to the mixture, which makes the meatloaf juicy and tender.
- Breadcrumbs – you can use traditional or panko bread crumbs in this recipe. To make it keto, use pork panko.
- Large eggs
- Meatloaf seasoning – my secret to making the best meatloaf is this seasoning recipe. Click the link to grab the recipe. It’s easy to mix up in 5 minutes with spices like salt, black pepper, paprika and parsley.
- Worcestershire sauce – this amazing condiment adds so much flavor to the meatloaf. It’s sweet, salty, tangy and adds a wonderful umami flavor to the meatloaf. If you don’t have any Worcestershire sauce in the kitchen, you can use soy sauce instead.
- Ketchup + brown sugar – combined with more of the meatloaf seasoning and Worcestershire sauce, this delicious sweet and savory combo makes a tasty glaze for the meatloaf.
Instead of making the glaze for the meatloaf, you can replace it with ¾ cup of your favorite bottle of bbq sauce, or use this homemade Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauce or Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce. You can also use marinara sauce instead of the glaze to make an Italian style meatloaf.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Soften the onions and garlic. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on the stove. Add diced onions and cook for 4 minutes, then add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. This will soften the veggies and give them a wonderful texture in the meatloaf.
- Prepare the meatloaf mixture. Add ground beef and ground pork to a large mixing bowl with meatloaf seasoning, eggs, breadcrumbs and Worcestershire sauce. Add the cooked onions and garlic to the bowl and stir to combine everything.
- Form the meatloaf. Once you combine the meat mixture, form it into the shape of a meatloaf. Place it in an air fryer basket with a parchment paper liner for easy removal after it’s cooked. Air fry the meatloaf at 350°F for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the meatloaf glaze. In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and meatloaf seasoning.
- Cover the meatloaf in the glaze. After the meatloaf has cooked in the air fryer for 20 minutes, open the air fryer and brush the meatloaf on the top and sides with half of the prepared glaze. Cook the meatloaf for another 15 minutes at 350°F.
- Brush with the remaining glaze. After the cooking time, open the air fryer and grab the sides of the parchment paper to gently lift the meatloaf from the air fryer and transfer it to a cutting board. Brush the remaining half of the glaze on the meatloaf. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing it. Otherwise it will crumble apart as it’s sliced. Cut into 8 slices and serve. Feel free to garnish with chopped fresh parsley, like I did!
Cosori Air Fryer
This is my go-to air fryer for all of the air fryer recipes on the blog. It’s 5.8 quarts and fits this meatloaf recipe just perfectly!
Recipe notes
- If you prefer not to pre-cook the onions and garlic, I recommend using dried onions and garlic instead. You can either use 3 tablespoons dried minced onions, or 1 tablespoon onion powder to replace the diced onions. And for the garlic, use 2 teaspoons dried minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- I do not recommend preheating the air fryer for this recipe, because you’ll need to use your hands to gently place the meatloaf in the air fryer basket, you risk touching the sides of the air fryer basket and burning your hands.
- This recipe is for a two pound meatloaf. If you’d like to make a one pound meatloaf, simply cut the ingredients in half. For a shortcut, in the recipe card below, click the ½ button just below the word “ingredients” and it will automatically update all of the ingredient amounts in the recipe card to cut the meatloaf in half.
- The meatloaf ingredients can be combined and formed into a meatloaf shape, then stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. This is perfect if you want to make it ahead of time and pop it in the air fryer when you come home for dinner.
Dietary options
To make this meatloaf keto, use pork panko instead of traditional panko bread crumbs. Glaze the meatloaf with this sugar-free bbq sauce recipe. This will reduce the carbs by half.
To make this recipe gluten free, use pork panko instead of traditional panko bread crumbs. Always check the label on the Worcestershire sauce to make sure that it’s gluten-free. Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is gluten free.
Storage and reheating
- Store meatloaf leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Reheat the leftover meatloaf in slices on the stove, in the microwave, or in the air fryer.
- To reheat slices of meatloaf on the stove, heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add slices of meatloaf and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until heated through.
- To reheat slices of meatloaf in the microwave, place them on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 2 minutes.
- To reheat the meatloaf in the air fryer, place slices of meatloaf in an even layer in the air fryer. Reheat at 350°F for 4-5 minutes.
- You can also use the leftover meatloaf to make this Meatloaf Hash. It’s one of my all-time favorite breakfast recipes, and one that I always make when I have leftover meatloaf. It’s also perfect for making a meatloaf sandwich.
What to serve it with
Meatloaf and mashed potatoes are a perfect match. But so are meatloaf and mac and cheese! Honestly, there are so many great combinations, I’ll leave you with the tough decision of deciding which delicious side dishes to serve with this air fryer meatloaf.
- Potatoes: Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Loaded Mashed Potatotes, Smashed Potatoes, Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Mac and Cheese: 15 Minute Homemade Mac and Cheese, Broccoli Mac and Cheese
- Vegetables: Crock Pot Creamed Corn, Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts, Honey Glazed Carrots, Green Beans with Bacon, Roasted Zucchini
More air fryer recipes
With a growing library of over 40 air fryer recipes, I know you’ll find several new recipes to try. Start with the four most popular air fryer recipes on the blog!
Air Fryer Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons meatloaf seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
Meatloaf Glaze
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons meatloaf seasoning
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Add the diced onions, cook for 4-5 minutes, add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Add the ground pork, ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoons meatloaf seasoning and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce to a large bowl.
- Add the cooked onion and garlic, then use your hands to combine everything, but do not over mix it, or the meatloaf will become tough.
- Form the mixture into a loaf shape. Place in an air fryer with a parchment paper liner (for easy removal of the meatloaf after it’s cooked) and cook at 350°F for 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, make the meatloaf glaze by combining the ketchup, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 2 teaspoons meatloaf seasoning.
- After the meatloaf has cooked in the air fryer for 20 minutes, brush it with half of the meatloaf glaze. Air fry for another 15 minutes at 350°F.
- Grab the sides of the parchment paper and lift the meatloaf out of the air fryer. Place it on a cutting board and brush with the remaining meatloaf glaze.
- Rest the meatloaf for 10 minutes, otherwise it will crumble apart as you slice it. After 10 minutes, cut it into 8 slices and serve.
Notes
- Instead of making the glaze for the meatloaf, you can replace it with ¾ cup of your favorite bottle of bbq sauce, or use this homemade Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauce or Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce. You can also use marinara sauce instead of the glaze to make an Italian style meatloaf.
- If you prefer not to pre-cook the onions and garlic, I recommend using dried onions and garlic instead. You can either use 3 tablespoons dried minced onions, or 1 tablespoon onion powder to replace the diced onions. And for the garlic, use 2 teaspoons dried minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- I do not recommend preheating the air fryer for this recipe, because you’ll need to use your hands to gently place the meatloaf in the air fryer basket, you risk touching the sides of the air fryer basket and burning your hands.
- This recipe is for a two pound meatloaf. If you’d like to make a one pound meatloaf, simply cut the ingredients in half. For a shortcut, click the ½ button just below the word “ingredients” above and the ingredient amounts will automatically update to cut the meatloaf in half.
- Store meatloaf leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Reheat the leftover meatloaf in slices on the stove, in the microwave, or in the air fryer.
Nutrition Facts
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