Your whole family will love this exceptionally tender Brown Sugar Meatloaf. It is loaded with the rich flavors of Worcestershire and French onion and painted with a sweet and tangy brown sugar glaze. This is comfort food at its finest. Taste why readers are calling this the best meatloaf recipe ever!
Is there any dinner entrée name that sounds more appealing than "Meatloaf"? Think about it... Loaf of meat. Mmm, tantalizing... I guess it is a perfectly descriptive name. Truth in advertising, if you will. However, growing up I never really had meatloaf. What I was served would be more aptly named "meatbrick". It was a largely flavorless, overly dense, hunk of meat, that sent me running from the idea of meatloaf for years.
My family, however, loves meatloaf and routinely asks me to make it. I developed this brown sugar meatloaf recipe for them, and guess what? I love it too! Who knew meatloaf could taste good! Well, I guess everyone but me knew that. So, I guess I may be the last one to the party, but at least I have a tasty meatloaf recipe to show for it!
I have since gone on and even created a Smoked Meatloaf and a Cheeseburger Meatloaf recipe. They taste insane, you'll want to check them both out!
How to Make Brown Sugar Meatloaf
This recipe is similar to a classic meatloaf (mom's meatloaf), but with an added secret ingredient. I add one powdered onion soup mix packet to the meatloaf mixture. I got the idea from my father-in-law, who uses it in his burgers. It really adds a great depth of flavor to the meatloaf, without being overpowering at all.
The best meatloaf is tender, not a dense brick. Adding breadcrumbs and milk helps keep the meatloaf tender while adding moisture, and the egg will bind it all together. One cup of breadcrumbs and one cup of milk in this easy recipe makes it exceptionally tender. If you like a firmer meatloaf you can cut back on these amounts slightly.
To make the meatloaf all of the meat mixture ingredients get combined in a small bowl or mixing bowl. This is then formed into a loaf, typically using a loaf pan. All of the brown sugar sauce ingredients get similarly mixed and then are painted on top of the loaf as a sweet and tangy glaze, as well as inside the loaf pan. At this point, the raw meatloaf is ready for baking!
At what temperature should I bake Meatloaf?
The best temperature for baking meatloaf is in a preheated oven set at 350 degrees. It is a low enough temperature to allow the interior of the meatloaf to heat up before the exterior dries out.
How long to bake meatloaf
When baking meatloaf in a bread loaf pan it takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. However, it is important to note cook time will vary depending on the thickness of your meatloaf, using a digital oven thermometer will ensure you remove the Brown Sugar Meatloaf as soon as it is done baking. No one wants to eat overcooked dry meatloaf!
Ingredient Substitutions
I understand that not every kitchen is stocked with each ingredient you need, and sometimes you forget to grab the right items at the store. Here are some easy substitutions for this recipe.
- Meat - Rather than using lean ground beef, this would also work excellent as a venison meatloaf. Ground turkey is also a lean meat that can be used to make your meat loaf. Finally, ground pork can also be used. Ground pork works well by itself or blended with your ground beef (Frankly, that would be an amazing combo with the BBQ sauce in my BBQ Meatloaf recipe).
- Breadcrumbs - Rather than traditional breadcrumbs you can use panko breadcrumbs instead, or make your own bread crumbs from crumbling toast or saltine cracker crumbs! I do not recommend using Italian bread crumbs or you will throw off the flavor.
- Milk - Feel free to substitute beef broth.
- Worcestershire sauce - You could add a little soy sauce, or eliminate this ingredient completely.
What hamburger should I use?
The best hamburger to use in meatloaf is the traditional 80/20 blend of meat/fat, such as ground chuck. This is the same blend the best burgers are made from. If you go with lean ground beef, like a 90/10 ground beef, your meatloaf will not have enough moisture and will lack juiciness and flavor. Conversely, too much fat would lead to a big greasy mess. 80/20 beef is the sweet spot where there is enough fat to be juicy but not so much that the meatloaf turns greasy.
Meatloaf Glaze
The meatloaf glaze is what separates a good meatloaf from a great meatloaf. In a pinch you can certainly use a plain ol' ketchup glaze, however, adding brown sugar and cider vinegar to your ketchup mixture adds an enticingly sweet and sour component that your family won't be able to get enough of.
The brown sugar glaze is exceedingly simple to make, just mix together ½ cup of ketchup, ¼ cup of brown sugar, and a quarter cup of cider vinegar and paint it on the meatloaf before it goes in the oven.
Meatloaf FAQs
Yes, you can mix the meatloaf in advance and store it in the freezer prior to baking. I recommend wrapping it in plastic wrap and placing it in a freezer safe bag to prevent freezer burn. Also plan on letting it thaw out in the refrigerator for a day or longer prior to baking.
Leftover meatloaf can be reheated at the same temperature as baking it (350 degrees). However, I do recommend covering it with aluminum foil so it doesn't dry out. It will reheat faster than it initially cooked, so check on it periodically. Use leftovers to make a phenomenal meatloaf sandwich the next day.
Using a loaf pan is the most common way to make meatloaf, but you can certainly make it on a baking sheet as well if you don't have one available. The loaf just needs to be formed with your hands and it will generally keep its shape. You can also use a muffin tin to make individual meatloaves.
What to serve with it?
Mashed potatoes! There is no greater side dish, or more classic pairing to make a complete meal with meatloaf than fluffy mashed potatoes! This is a great pairing not only because they taste great together, but also because the mashed potatoes can be prepared on the stove top while the meatloaf bakes. You could even make some buttermilk cornbread to serve with the meatloaf. Cornbread can be made in advance and warmed prior to serving, or you can bake them with the meatloaf, even though the oven temperature may not be perfect.
Try any of these vegetables on the side:
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Southern Fried Corn
- Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
- Lemon Roasted Green Beans
- Southern Fried Cabbage
- Roasted Asparagus
Brown Sugar Meatloaf
Equipment
- Bread loaf pan
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 ounce packet onion soup mix
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon table salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup milk
Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Gently crumble ground beef in a large bowl, breaking up into small pieces. Add remaining meatloaf ingredients to the bowl and gently combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.
- Mix all sauce ingredients together and spread half of the sauce along the bottom and sides of a bread loaf pan.
- Add meatloaf to a loaf pan and press firmly into a loaf shape.
- Liberally paint remaining sauce over the loaf.
- Place meatloaf in the oven and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees.
- Let rest for five minutes, then slice and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutritional Information
This recipe was originally published on FoxValleyFoodie.com on April 7, 2017.
Cindy
Can this be frozen? I usually make my meatloaf into mini loaves about 2-3” long x 1.5” wide. Would you freeze before cooking or after? I am using Fresh meat that I have put into my freezer earlier & thawed out to make recipe.
Fox Valley Foodie
Certainly! I would freeze prior to cooking.
Sheri Knaebel
Love love this meatloaf. Have been using this recipe for years. My only addition is in the sauce have always used chili sauce instead of ketchup. More flavor!!
Angi
My girls love this recipe!! I am always asked to make my meatloaf. Today is my moms birthday and she asked if I would make it for her. I think my girls have the recipe now to make for their families.
Thanks for posting!
Susie
This is the best meatloaf recipe I have found! Hands down! Thank you for sharing
Brenda Kerr
This is excellent and I have made it several times. I got an instant pot for Christmas and made this in my round spring-form pan, lined with foil, on top of my trivet (which was on top of quartered potatoes and 1 cup water)
Cook on high pressure for 25 min and let the pressure release naturally.
Mash and meatloaf in one pan! Thank you for the recipe!
Kim carter
I fed your recipe to a group of 40 people and all of them said it was the best meatloaf that they have ever eaten. I made this up the night before and just threw them all in the ovens the next evening. thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe
Fox Valley Foodie
I am so glad to hear that!
Willow
I made this meatloaf today but I used Italian breadcrumbs instead of the soup mix. My husband won’t eat anything with even a tiny piece of an onion. I also used Worcestershire sauce instead of apple cider vinegar. It was the absolute best meatloaf I’ve ever eaten! If you think you don’t like meatloaf try this recipe and I guarantee that you will start tocrave it and I make an extra big one so I can have lunch and dinner the next day. It tastes even better refrigerated overnight.
Julie
Have been making meatloaf just like yours for years. First time I have actually seen the recipe in print.
My glaze is slightly different; brown sugar, ketchup and tablespoon or so of Worcester sauce, instead of the cider vinegar.
Delicious everytime, husband loves it!
Phyllis
This recipe is delicious. My husband is a picky eater, but we really enjoy this meatloaf.
Al
I am a 71 year old single gentlemen and I made this meatloaf today. After searching many meatloaf recipes this one appealed to me the most. The brown sugar glaze convinced me this is the one I should try.
I followed the recipe, however I formed the meatloaf in a loaf pan but then transferred it to a baking dish for backing. This way the meatloaf would not sit in a pile of grease. I spread some of the glaze in the dish and then place the meatloaf on top and finished topping with the glaze.
Baked according to recipe and OMG it came out so great and tasty I surprised myself. Certainly have enough left over for the week skipping days in-between.
Thanks all
Ryan
I’ve been using the same meatloaf for years but wanted to try something new. I’m so glad I tried this one because it really is amazing and so full of flavor. I use a sheet pan instead of a loaf pan and also cut the sugar in half, for the last few minutes I turn on the broiler and it makes it caramelize the brown sugar a bit more, yum. Great recipe!
Coach Donna
Best Meatloaf ever.
Aaron
Can breadcrumbs be substituted with pork rind crumbs?
Fox Valley Foodie
Yes, that should work fine, however, they will increase how salty the meat is, assuming they are seasoned.
Janette
Honestly the best meatloaf ever! My family loves it, and wants me to make it again. So I’m making it tonight!
Aaron
Can sour cream be substituted for the milk? If so, how much sour cream should be added? Thank you!
Fox Valley Foodie
You would be better off substituting a liquid, such as beef broth. The liquid provides moisture for the breadcrumbs to soak up.
Anna Patrick
SECOND TIME TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS MEATLOAF. I LIKE CRACKER BARREL MEATLOAF A LOT, BUT THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER. THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL RECIPE.
Rona
Hi there,
Could I prepare this the night before and just throw it in the oven the next day?
Thanks for your input!
Fox Valley Foodie
Certainly can. It may even taste better too because the flavors will have time to meld together.
Rona
Perfect, sounds great!! Anything to help cut down on dinner prep during the week is a life saver.
Thanks so much for your prompt reply!
Tina Richards
...always hated meatloaf, until I found this recipe. Delicious and moist! I just added a small amount of grated bell pepper!
Katch
Hi, trying this later but I don’t have brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. Can I substitute with white sugar and skip the apple cider vinegar altogether? Thanks in advance.
Fox Valley Foodie
If you have molasses you can make brown sugar, otherwise, just use ketchup as a topping.
Katherine Nakpil
Thanks. Tried it with half the amount for brown sugar and the whole family loves it!!!
John Price
Simply fantastic!! It is my New go to Meatloaf recipe.
Mike
I’ve tried several meatloaf recipes over the years, but this one has to be the best that I have ever tried! The packet of onion soup mix really takes it to a new level!!! Delicious!!!