This is my grandma’s meatloaf recipe, and it’s truly the BEST! It’s an old-fashioned meatloaf made with oats, ground beef, powdered milk, and a sweet glaze that turns out moist and juicy every time.
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“[F]or years I used a loaf pan to make meatloaf because that’s how mom did it! But this time I made it free firm, and I liked the crispy edges all around so much more!” -Lynnette, FoodieCrush reader
A No-Frills Meatloaf Recipe, Straight From My Grandma’s Kitchen!
Homemade meatloaf is one of those recipes that people have strong opinions about. I’ve shared a healthier meatloaf made with ground turkey here on the blog, and yes indeed, it is GOOD, especially alongside my favorite creamy mashed potatoes and some green beans with browned butter almondine!
But for those times when I’m not feeling quite so virtuous, or don’t have a lot of time or ambition, my grandma’s easy meatloaf recipe is the one. Meatloaf sometimes has a sad reputation for being dry, flavorless, or looking like a slab of processed meat before even trying it. Friends, this is not that recipe.
My grandma’s meatloaf is a true mix-and-dump recipe, with no sautéing or cooking needed before mixing, molding, glazing, and baking. It’s just ground beef with a few aromatics and a super simple tangy glaze, plus two surprise ingredients that keep it moist and juicy for the best meatloaf every single time.
It’s like getting a hug from the inside, with a sweet, sloppy, tangy, glazed kiss to go with it.
Enjoy!
The 3 Secret Ingredients for Perfectly Moist Meatloaf
Old-fashioned oats. In this meatloaf recipe, oats are used instead of fresh bread or bread crumbs, adding moisture while making the ground beef mixture less dense. Using oats also lets us make this old-fashioned meatloaf without eggs (which is a common binder that most recipes use these days.)
Powdered milk. In meatloaf and meatballs, regular milk is absorbed into fresh bread to soften it and add moisture when combined with ground beef. Since we’re skipping the bread in this meatloaf recipe, adding regular milk would make the meat mixture too watery and pasty. Instead, powdered milk adds the fat and moisture of regular milk, without the wetness.
Canned crushed tomatoes. Tomatoes add flavor, and once again, moisture to the meatloaf.
The Main Ingredients
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef — Use 85% lean ground beef in this recipe. Extra-lean ground beef makes a dry meatloaf, where the additional fat in 85% lean ground beef helps keeps the meatloaf juicy. You could use a mix of ground beef and ground pork, but I love using all beef here.
- Old-fashioned oats — Thinner-cut quick oats can be substituted for old-fashioned oats.
- Powdered milk — Dry whole milk will add moire moisture and flavor than non-fat powdered milk, but use what you’ve got.
- Garlic + yellow onion — Finely chop, mince, or even grate the aromatics to best incorporate them into the meat mixture. The onion not only adds flavor but releases moisture into the meat as it cooks too.
- Crushed tomatoes — Choose a good brand of canned, crushed tomatoes, or better yet, whole tomatoes you crush finely yourself.
- Worcestershire sauce — Uniquely savory and tangy, Worcestershire sauce adds depth and a vibrant tang to this dish.
- Glaze — Grandma always glazed her meatloaf with a blend of ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar, so I do too. Sweet, tangy, and caramelized, the glaze is often the eater’s favorite part of this dish.
Other Meatloaf Glaze Ideas
- Barbecue sauce (use the bbq sauce from this recipe)
- Chili sauce
- Teriyaki sauce
- Korean gochuchang
How to Make Meatloaf with Oatmeal
- Mince the onion and garlic. Because the onion and garlic are used raw in this recipe, chop, mince, or even grate them finely so they easily incorporate into the mixture, and cook evenly with the beef. Personally, I like tasting the bits of onion in my meatloaf, so I cut my onion in between a fine chop and a mince.
- Use your hands to combine the ingredients. This meatloaf is so easy that there isn’t even any sautéing the veg before baking. Simply combine all of the raw ingredients in a bowl and use your fingers to gently mix until incorporated.
Heidi’s Tip: Use a light but firm hand when incorporating the meat ingredients. Avoid over-mixing the beef or it could result in a meatloaf that’s either gummy and pasty or dry and chalky.
- Bake the meatloaf on a rimmed baking sheet instead of in a loaf pan. Form the meatloaf into about a 9 X 5-inch block, evenly shaping it without overworking it. The meatloaf will release juice and fat as it cooks. To avoid making a mess in the oven, be sure to use a rimmed or lipped baking sheet, casserole dish, or bread pan. Because the ground beef has enough fat in it, there’s no need to grease the pan it’s baked on.
- Glaze the meatloaf before baking. Adding the glaze to the meatloaf before cooking creates a caramelized crust on the top.
- Bake until done. It will need about an hour to reach an internal temperature of 160ºF.
- Let it rest. Once the meatloaf is removed from the oven, give it at least 10-15 minutes to rest for the juices to settle into the meat before cutting it so the juices don’t run out. This also allows the meat to firm up so it won’t break apart when sliced.
FAQs
I bake my meatloaf uncovered and never have any issues with burning.(Baking uncovered helps the glaze on top caramelize and deepen in flavor.)
This meatloaf recipe has you shape the meat into a 9×5-inch rectangle and bake at 350ºF for an hour. You’ll know it’s done when the center is no longer pink or when the internal temperature reaches 160°F on a meat thermometer.
Like spaghetti sauce and homemade chili, meatloaf is one of those dishes that tastes even better when eaten the next day. A little time in the refrigerator after cooking makes the meat mixture more firm and condensed, and perfect for sandwiches.
Or, mix the meatloaf ingredients, mold, and wrap tightly uncooked and without the glaze. Freeze overnight or for up to 3 months.
Yep! Meatloaf can be frozen cooked or uncooked.
If freezing cooked meatloaf, cool completely before wrapping tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and placing it in a freezer bag. If uncooked, wrap tightly, place in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, place frozen meatloaf on a baking sheet and bake from frozen at 350°F for 1 ½ hours or until the center registers 160°F.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
The BEST Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 ½ pounds 85% lean ground beef
- 1 cup minced yellow onion (about ½ medium onion)
- 15 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- ⅓ cup powdered milk
- 3 cloves garlic , pressed or minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Glaze
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- In a large bowl, use your hands to gently mix together the ground beef, onion, tomatoes, oats, powdered milk, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Don't over mix the ingredients.
- On a rimmed baking sheet or in a 9 X 13 baking dish, dump the meat mixture into a pile, and mold the meat into a 9 X 5-inch rectangular loaf.
- In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar until smooth. Spread the glaze evenly over the top of the loaf.
- Bake the meatloaf for 1 hour or until the center registers 160°F. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes, then slice into thick pieces and serve.
Nutrition
What to Serve With Meatloaf
More Easy Dinners Made with Ground Beef
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Carol Shimek
My son and I love meatloaf but in all of my 76 years I have never made a meatloaf without an egg in it. As I was making it I realized it didn’t have an egg in the recipe so I went and looked at the reviews and no one mentioned that the meatloaf was too soft and didn’t hold together well so I went ahead and made it exactly as directed. I even cooked it an extra 10 minutes and let it stand 20 minutes after cooking. Well, I should have followed my instinct and put an egg in it. The texture was much too soft and did not hold together well at all. If I were to make this again I might use half the can of tomatoes and put an egg in it…also, even though the onions were minced they were crunchy and not cooked through so I would put them in a bowl with a teaspoon of oil and cook them in the microwave for a few minutes to soften before adding them to the recipe. The taste was good, the texture was not. I may make tacos or sloppy Joes with the leftovers.
Thanks for your insight Carol, and an egg is always optional!
Stephanie G
This meatloaf was so easy and SO DELICIOUS! The whole family loved it! Accidentally put the ketchup in the meatloaf mix (ooops) and still did the glaze as recipe states. It wasn’t too ketchupy or too tomato flavored.
Thank you for this fantastic recipe. Can’t wait to try more!
Hayley
Thanks for sharing, Stephanie! We’re so happy you and your family loved this! :)
Primrose
Mixed! I used a loaf pan, and thought that I shouldn’t have; the onions didn’t cook. I also question the quantity of onion. unless it’s a huge onion, 1/2 of a regular size onion is not 1 cup minced. So I put in 1 cup minced. Way too much onion.
Lynnette Davis
You know for years I used a loaf pan to make meatloaf because that’s how mom did it! But this time I made it free firm, and I liked the crispy edges all around so much more!
Veronica
I’m curious why you mold the meatloaf and put it in a larger pan instead of just putting it in a meatloaf/bread pan.
Hi Veronica. I’ve made it both ways, but because I like the top and the sides of the loaf to be browned, I form it and cook it on the baking sheet. A also find it’s easier to transfer the whole meatloaf to a cutting board or serving platter if it’s on a baking sheet. You can certainly cook it either way. Hope you enjoy!