Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe (2024)

Meatloaf muffins make a quick and easy weeknight meatloaf recipe. They are on the table in less than 30 minutes, but they also freeze beautifully for easy meal prep.

Looking for delicious side dishes to serve with meatloaf? We love mashed potatoes, green beans or creamed spinach, and roasted carrots or a pan of roasted vegetables.

Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe (1)

My mother has made her meatloaf recipe for well over 50 years. It is always a favorite! I turned her recipe into this 30-minute, quick, and easy weeknight meatloaf recipe when I was first married 28 years ago. It has been a favorite ever since.

I first published the recipe in 2011, but I have updated the step-by-step photos, made the instructions even clearer, and included some favorite recipe variations you may also appreciate. I think your family will love this recipe as much as mine does!

Table of Contents

  • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
  • How to Make Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Recipe Variations
  • Storage Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Quick and Easy. This easy meatloaf is ready in 30 minutes!

Delicious. Juicy, tender, and delicious.

Meal Prep Friendly. Individual portions that can be frozen, baked or unbaked.

How to Make Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe

Ingredients

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.

Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe (2)
  • Ground beef, turkey, or chicken – Use your preferred ground protein in this recipe.
  • Egg – See my Recipe Variations below for an egg-free recipe.
  • Bread crumbs – Use bread crumbs or cracker crumbs. See my Recipe Variations below for a gluten-free recipe.
  • Worcestershire sauce – You can also substitute with coconut aminos if sensitive to soy.
  • Stone House Seasoning – My house seasoning blend of garlic, salt, and pepper.
  • Glaze topping – I love to use my favorite homemade BBQ sauce, but my mother used ketchup with brown sugar for a quick glaze as well as a little inside the meatloaf. I’ve included it in the Recipe Variations below.

Optional Ingredients

  • Onion – finely diced and cooked until tender (optional)
  • Bell pepper – finely diced and cooked until tender (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prep. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Brush muffin pan indentions with olive oil. Set aside. Make the glaze.

Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe (3)
Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe (4)
Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe (5)

Make the meatloaf mixture. Combine the ingredients for the meatloaf, along with two tablespoons of the glaze, in a medium mixing bowl. Portion the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.

Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe (6)
Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe (7)

Bake and glaze. Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake until the meatloaf muffins register 160º F for ground beef and 165º F for ground turkey and ground chicken, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread with the glaze. Return to the oven for five more minutes.

Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe (8)

Serve. Remove from the oven, remove from the muffin pan, and serve.

Recipe Variations

Egg-Free Meatloaf Muffins – Mix 1 tablespoon chia seeds + 3 tablespoons water and allow to rest for five minutes before using in place of the egg in the meatloaf mixture. You can use whole or ground chia. You can also use your favorite egg replacement for one egg.

Gluten-Free Meatloaf Muffins – Use certified gluten-free bread crumbs for the bread crumbs in the recipe.

Less Sugar Meatloaf Muffins – Use sugar-free ketchup and your favorite brown sugar replacement in the meatloaf mixture and as the topping for the meatloaf.

BBQ Sauce Topped Meatloaf Muffins – Use my homemade BBQ sauce or your favorite store-bought.

Storage Tips

To store. Store baked and cooled meatloaf within two hours of cooking in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To freeze baked. Store baked and cooled meatloaf within two hours of cooking in an airtight, freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, reheat, and serve.

To freeze unbaked. Form the meatloaf muffins in the muffin pan without adding the glaze, cover with freezer-safe wrap, and freeze overnight. Remove the individual meatloaf muffins from the muffin pan and store them in an airtight, freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, remove one or more from the freezer and place into a muffin pan or on a baking sheet. Bake as directed in the recipe instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I put on meatloaf muffins besides ketchup?

I love to use BBQ sauce for added flavor as a topping for my meatloaf muffins.

Can I make these as mini meatloaf muffins?

This recipe works great as mini meatloaf muffins! Mix together as directed, and then follow my instructions for baking from my easy meatball recipe.

Here’s my Weeknight Meatloaf Muffins Recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe (13)

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Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe

Meatloaf muffins make a quick and easy weeknight meatloaf recipe. They are on the table in less than 30 minutes, but they also freeze beautifully for easy meal prep.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef, or ground turkey or ground chicken
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup bread crumbs, or cracker crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, or coconut aminos
  • 1 teaspoon Stone House Seasoning

Meatloaf Glaze

  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Optional Ingredients

  • 1/2 medium onion, diced and cooked until tender
  • 1/2 medium green pepper, diced and cooked until tender

Instructions

  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Brush muffin pan indentions with olive oil. Set aside.

  • Make the meatloaf mixture. Combine the ingredients for the meatloaf, along with two tablespoons of the glaze, in a medium mixing bowl. Portion the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.

  • Bake and glaze. Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake until the meatloaf muffins register 160º F for ground beef and 165º F for ground turkey and ground chicken, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread with the glaze. Return to the oven for five more minutes.

  • Serve. Remove from the oven, remove from the muffin pan, and serve.

Notes

Recipe Variations

Egg-Free Meatloaf Muffins – Mix 1 tablespoon chia seeds + 3 tablespoons water and allow to rest for five minutes before using in place of the egg in the meatloaf mixture. You can use whole or ground chia. You can also use your favorite egg replacement for one egg.

Gluten-Free Meatloaf Muffins – Use certified gluten-free bread crumbs for the bread crumbs in the recipe.

Sugar-Free Meatloaf Muffins – Use sugar-free ketchup in the meatloaf mixture and as the topping for the meatloaf.

BBQ Sauce Topped Meatloaf Muffins – Use my homemade BBQ sauce or your favorite store-bought.

Storage Tips

To store. Store baked and cooled meatloaf within two hours of cooking in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To freeze baked. Store baked and cooled meatloaf within two hours of cooking in an airtight, freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, reheat, and serve.

To freeze unbaked. Form the meatloaf muffins in the muffin pan without adding the glaze, cover with freezer-safe wrap, and freeze overnight. Remove the individual meatloaf muffins from the muffin pan and store them in an airtight, freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, remove one or more from the freezer and place into a muffin pan or on a baking sheet. Bake as directed in the recipe instructions.

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 221mg | Potassium: 287mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 77IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Categorized as:30 Minutes or Less Recipes, All Recipes, Beef Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Cooking, Dinner Recipes, Freezer Friendly Recipes, Freezer Meal Recipes, Ground Beef Recipes, Make-ahead Recipes, Meal Prep Recipes, Simple Recipes

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Easy Meatloaf Muffins Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a great meat loaf? ›

Clever cooks get deliciously rich texture by adding milk to seasoned breadcrumbs and allowing all the liquid to be absorbed. This time-honored tradition for making the most succulent meatloaf creates a flavorful binder that evenly distributes moisture throughout the loaf.

What is the basic meatloaf formula? ›

The Basic Meatloaf Formula

All recipes for meatloaf start with the same basic formula: 2 pounds of ground meat and a “panade” made of bread or crackers soaked in milk. Along with a few eggs, this panade helps to hold the ground meat together and adds some essential moisture to the mix.

What is the muffin method step by step? ›

How to Make Homemade Muffins
  1. Stir the dry ingredients together and make a well in the center.
  2. Beat the egg, then whisk in the milk and oil.
  3. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir.
  4. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups.
  5. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
6 days ago

What is the best binder for meatloaf? ›

If you don't have any bread, you can substitute it for breadcrumbs, crackers, cereal grains, oatmeal, instant rice, instant barley, or even potato flakes! However, bread is still the best choice of all the potential options.

What ingredient keeps meatloaf from falling apart? ›

In meatloaf, this is most commonly the eggs and breadcrumbs. Your binding ingredient is only second to the meat itself in your recipe and the reason why meatloaf crumbles. When this happens, it's because you didn't use enough. Next time, try adding in an extra egg and/or some more breadcrumbs.

Why do you put milk in meatloaf? ›

Milk and other dairy products, like heavy cream and buttermilk, contain both water and fat, adding two types of moisture to our meatloaf. There's a long-held theory that milk can tenderize ground meat, and this is the reason often cited for cooking ground meat in milk to make a Bolognese-style ragù.

Do you cover meatloaf when baking? ›

Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? The meatloaf can be cooked uncovered. However, if you are concerned about it burning, you can cover the meatloaf with foil for the first 45 minutes and uncover it for the final 15 minutes to allow the meatloaf to brown on top.

What ingredients are used in the muffin method? ›

Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour.
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar.
  • 2 1/2 tsps. baking powder.
  • 1/2 tsp. salt.
  • 1/2 cup melted butter or salad oil.
  • 2 eggs slightly beaten.
  • 3/4 cup milk.
  • 1 tsp. vanilla or another extract.

How to hack muffin mix? ›

5 Ways To Jazz Up Muffin Mix
  1. Add Fresh or Frozen Fruit to the Batter. Our Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix comes with a can of blueberries for your convenience, but you can easily add fruit to any of our mixes. ...
  2. Add a Cream Cheese Filling. ...
  3. Add Nuts to the Batter. ...
  4. Add a Sweet Topping. ...
  5. Make Something Completely Different.

How do you keep meatloaf from sticking to the bottom of the pan? ›

Lining your loaf pan with parchment paper creates a nonstick surface that makes it easy to get the meatloaf out of the pan when it's done.

Why do you put bread slices at the bottom of a meatloaf pan? ›

Here's a simple trick to reduce the grease in your homemade meatloaf. When making meat loaf, line the bottom of your pan with slices of bread. Place the meat mixture in the pan and bake as usual. The bread will absorb most of the fat from the meat as it cooks.

Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? ›

Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? The meatloaf can be cooked uncovered. However, if you are concerned about it burning, you can cover the meatloaf with foil for the first 45 minutes and uncover it for the final 15 minutes to allow the meatloaf to brown on top.

Why is my meatloaf so dry? ›

Beware Breadcrumbs: Overusing breadcrumbs can soak up moisture and leave your meatloaf dry. Use breadcrumbs in moderation or try using alternatives like oats or crushed crackers. Use Extra Egg: Eggs act as binders and provide moisture. Add one or two eggs per pound of meat for a moist texture.

How to make a Bobby Flay meatloaf? ›

Whisk together the eggs and herbs in a large bowl. Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup of the ketchup and 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar, the vegetables and mix until just combined. Mold the meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

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