Skip to content
Meatloaf from United States

Meatloaf

📍 Nationwide ★ 4.2
Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Baked seasoned ground-beef loaf with a ketchup glaze.

About Meatloaf

Ground beef is mixed with breadcrumb, onion and egg, formed into a loaf, glazed with ketchup and baked, then sliced thick. It is the epitome of American home comfort food.

🏛️ History & Culture

Meatloaf's origins are debated, but it likely evolved from European meat-pudding and scrapple traditions brought by immigrants, with the first American recipes appearing in the late 19th century as ground meat became more accessible. Its popularity surged during the Great Depression and World War II, when stretched meat with fillers like breadcrumbs and oats became a thrifty, patriotic staple.

Regional variations reflect local tastes: Southern versions often use a brown sugar or tomato glaze, while Midwestern cooks may add oatmeal or grated vegetables, and some New England recipes feature a hard-boiled egg center. Culturally, meatloaf is a symbol of homey, unpretentious cooking, celebrated as a weekday dinner icon and famously revived by TV show "The Office" as a nostalgic comfort food.

🍳 How to make Meatloaf

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

Classic American Meatloaf

A staple of mid-century American supper tables, this ketchup-glazed meatloaf is the kind of unfussy comfort food that turns a Wednesday night into something to look forward to. Sliced thick and served with mashed potatoes, it is the dish many Americans remember from childhood.

Prep
15 min
Cook
65 min
Total
80 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy

Recipe ingredients

  • 900 g (2 lb) ground beef (80/20 chuck), 20% fat content is essential for a moist loaf; leaner blends dry out
  • 150 g (1½ cups) plain dried breadcrumbs, soft, not panko
  • 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk
  • 1 whole (1 medium) yellow onion, finely diced, about 150 g / 5 oz
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 30 g (¼ cup) ketchup, for the mixture
  • 10 g (2 tsp) Dijon mustard
  • 10 g (1 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
  • 8 g (1½ tsp) fine sea salt
  • 3 g (1 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
  • 120 g (½ cup) ketchup, for the glaze
  • 15 g (1 tbsp) brown sugar, light or dark, for the glaze
  • 5 g (1 tsp) white vinegar, for the glaze

Steps

  1. 1 Heat the oven to 175 °C / 350 °F with a rack in the middle position. Lightly grease a 23 × 13 cm / 9 × 5 in loaf pan, or line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
  2. 2 Soften the breadcrumbs: in a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk and let stand 5 minutes so the crumbs absorb the liquid.
  3. 3 Sweat the onion: in a small skillet over medium heat, cook the diced onion with a pinch of salt in 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil until translucent and just turning golden, about 6 minutes. Cool briefly. Pre-cooking the onion is traditional and prevents raw pockets in the finished loaf.
  4. 4 Make the glaze: in a small bowl, whisk together 120 g ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar until smooth. Set aside.
  5. 5 To the breadcrumb mixture, add the ground beef, cooled onion, eggs, 30 g ketchup, Dijon, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until just combined — overmixing makes a dense, tough loaf.
  6. 6 Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan (or shape into a free-form loaf about 20 × 10 cm / 8 × 4 in on the baking sheet). Pat gently to even it out without compacting.
  7. 7 Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, then remove from the oven and spread the glaze evenly over the top and sides, returning to the oven for another 20 to 25 minutes.
  8. 8 Check doneness: insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the loaf — it must read 71 °C / 160 °F for ground beef. The glaze should be caramelized and slightly charred at the edges.
  9. 9 Rest the meatloaf in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing. This lets the juices redistribute so the slices hold together; cut with a serrated knife and serve hot.
Report an issue with this recipe

Protected by reCAPTCHA. No account needed.

Recipes from travellers

No one has shared their own Meatloaf recipe yet. Yours would be the first.

Share how you make Meatloaf

You'll need to be signed in with Google or Facebook so your name can appear on it. Recipes go through an automatic food-safety check before they publish.

Sign in to share your recipe

Ingredients
Steps

✅ Before you go to United States

Round out your trip — most travellers book these alongside their trip.

Reviews

Rate this dish:
No review needed - one click, publishes instantly.

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience with Meatloaf.

Write a review

Sign in to verify you're a real person, then share your thoughts on Meatloaf.

Comments

Sign in with Facebook or Google below to comment. Comments are auto-checked and post instantly.

No comments yet. Be the first to say something about Meatloaf.