There’s just no competing with the Alton Brown meatloaf recipe. You’ll make some magic in your kitchen with this beefy beauty, scientifically engineered by Mr. Brown himself to be the best!

I’m pretty sure if you look up the word “hearty” in the dictionary you’ll find a picture of a dense, rich meatloaf with a shiny, sticky glaze dribbling down the sides. It’s the dish no one else can make quite like mama used to, and having a good meatloaf recipe is probably listed somewhere as the key to a happy marriage (Spoiler Alert: The Alton Brown Meatloaf recipe fits the bill!).

Meatloaf has been around since gladiators were fighting in big arenas, and practically every country on our big, blue globe has some version of ground meat pressed into that classic loaf shape.

I’m sure this is partly because combining meat with some fillers is a great way to stretch an expensive ingredient to feed more mouths, but it’s also because there really aren’t many things that say “comfort food” quite like a quality meatloaf.

When it comes to a meatloaf glaze recipe, it can range from sticky sweet (like the one I use in my brown sugar meatloaf) to a more traditional topping of ketchup, mustard, sugar, and a dash of hot sauce (like the meatloaf Pioneer Woman makes).

If your family loves meatloaf as much as mine, I hope you’ll try our copycat Cracker Barrel meatloaf, traditional meatloaf recipe, and stove top stuffing meatloaf next!

What Is The Best Meatloaf Recipe?

I don’t think anyone’s ever answered that question quite as well as Mr. Brown: “Great meatloaf is always juicy, but it never falls apart. It is neither bland nor so heavily seasoned that it loses its meaty soul.” I agree completely, and I think you’ll agree this meatloaf is real “soul” food.

His Good Eats meatloaf episode is a great one to catch on re-runs or YouTube to learn about different cuts of beef and the benefit of grinding your own for burgers or meatloaf.

Alton Brown Meatloaf Ingredients

Croutons: Rather than using fresh or “seasoned breadcrumbs,” which are usually mixed with Italian seasonings and Parmesan, this recipe uses garlic-flavored croutons. Genius!
Black + Cayenne Pepper: To add just the right notes of heat. Feel free to adjust for your heat preferences.
Chili Powder: This adds great warmth and depth of flavor to the meatloaf.
Dried Thyme: Add a nice herbal flavor to the meat.
Onion: I like onion to use yellow onion in this meatloaf for its mild and a little tangy flavor.
Carrot: Add a mild sweetness to the meatloaf.
Garlic: Use fresh garlic, not the stuff that comes already minced in a jar. It’s preserved in a liquid and has a funky taste.
Bell Pepper: The recipe calls for a red bell pepper. Any color bell pepper will work equally as well.
Ground Meat: This recipe uses a combo of lean cut (ground sirloin) and a flavorful fatty cut (ground chuck) to make sure the flavor-to-fat ratio is just right.
Salt: Use table salt to finish the seasoning just right.
Egg: Use a large size egg.
Ketchup: This is the base of the glaze. It brings a bright tomato sweetness to the meatloaf.
Dried Cumin: This adds a lovely herbal smokiness to the glaze.
Hot Sauce: Just a little hot sauce balances the sweetness of the glaze.
Honey: We use just a wee bit of honey to add the perfect sweet finish.

Tips

Line it – So much caramelization goes on in this recipe, which is what makes the covetable crispy bits on the outside of the meatloaf and thickens the glaze. What you don’t want is all that baking magic happening on top of your best baking dish. Either line the baking sheet with parchment paper or foil to make clean-up easier. If you skip this step, you’ll be tempted to toss that dish!
Glaze – Why don’t we glaze the meatloaf before putting it in the oven? Allowing just ten minutes in the oven for the outside of the meatloaf to dry out and seal in some of the juices means that tasty glaze will actually stay on top, not get watered down by the beefy liquids trying to escape during the cooking process.
Let It Rest – Once the meatloaf is finished baking, let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Let’s talk leftovers – There’s always the classic meatloaf sandwich to make short work of any leftovers, and you can add it to a grilled cheese if you want to up your lunch game. It’s yummy crumbled up, though, in chili or stuffed into bell peppers and baked with a little cheese on top. You can also freeze it.

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? This meatloaf will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Can You Freeze This? Yes, place it in an airtight container and it will last 3-4 months.
Make-Ahead Tips: This meatloaf can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Bake and apply the glaze as directed below.
Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.

How Long Do You Bake Meatloaf In The Oven?

This meatloaf recipe, which has about 2 ¼ pounds of meat, will need about an hour to reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. I know there are some die-hard slow cooker fans out there, and if you opt to make this in your crockpot, it’s quite a bit longer – 5 to 6 hours on low.

Alton Brown Meatloaf Serving Recommendations

This is delicious with make-ahead mashed potatoes, brown sugar glazed carrots, crockpot creamed corn, my super simple but crazy delish roasted broccoli, or kid favorite Arkansas green beans.

If you have time, add my smoked gouda mac and cheese, or sweet corn casserole.

A slice of authentic Southern cornbread or my sweet, cake-like Bisquick cornbread is always delicious. Of course, quick and easy Bisquick biscuits, butter swim biscuits, or Bo Berry Biscuits are great with everything. Pass the butter and honey!

How To Make Alton Brown Meatloaf

Preheat the oven.
Combine the croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is a fine crumb.
Pour the crumb mixture into a mixing bowl. Add onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper to the food processor and pulse until the vegetables are finely chopped.
Add the chopped vegetables, chuck, sirloin, and salt to the breadcrumbs and combine.
Mix in the egg and combine thoroughly, but don’t squeeze the meat.
Press the mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to shape the meatloaf. Turn the meatloaf out onto a prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven.
Meanwhile, make the topping by combining ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
After the meatloaf has been baked for 10 minutes, remove it from the oven and brush the ketchup mixture over the top and sides.
Place back in oven and bake until cooked through about 55-65 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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Sliced alton brown meatloaf with veggies around it

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