Bomb Meatloaf Recipe

This bomb meatloaf recipe is tender, juicy, and topped with a sweet and tangy glaze.

A hunk of meat in the shape of a loaf of bread? What’s not to love?

Meatloaf is a classic American family dish- easy to make, economical, and makes for great leftovers. Unlike a hamburger, meatloaf is packed with flavor and can be eaten on its own.

This bomb meatloaf recipe is so much more than meat shaped like a loaf. We use two special ingredients that take it over the top- French’s Onion Soup mix and a handful of French’s fried onions.

A quick chop in the food processor with these two ingredients and then add them to your meatloaf mixture to make the best meatloaf ever will knock your socks off.

Our meatloaf recipe forgoes any breadcrumbs or Saltines which are often used in Southern meatloaf recipes. With two eggs and the addition of French’s fried onions, you get a juicy meatloaf without any slices falling apart.

There are a lot of different meatloaf recipes and this is a meatloaf recipe without milk- we don’t think you need it. 

A lot of folks add a little milk to ensure the loaf stays moist. However, if you follow our recipe and cover the loaf while baking, your loaf will be tender, juicy, and delicious.

Ingredients

Let’s break down the ingredients to make a rival to your Mom’s meatloaf:

• Meat: We recommend using 85% or 90% lean ground beef.
• French’s fried onions: Salty and delicious, we blend these up to create a kind of breadcrumb for the meatloaf. We also suggest trying these air fryer onions!
• French’s Onion soup mix: This is a Granny-approved move and will add a lot of flavor.
• Garlic and onion: Because more garlic and onion is only going to help.
• Seasonings: We go a little light on the salt since some of the ingredients already mentioned are salty. Add some paprika, ground black pepper, and a squirt of ketchup.
• Eggs: Eggs help bind all the ingredients together. If you have an allergy and need to make a meatloaf without egg, you could use Parmesan cheese instead or skip it all together.
• The glaze: A ketchup glaze of meatloaf is quite literally the icing on top of a delicious meal. Ketchup, white vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper is all you need. Meatloaf without ketchup? We don’t know her.

How to make meatloaf

The first step to make this bomb meatloaf recipe is to put your onion soup mix packet and French’s fried onions in a processor. Give it a few good pulses to break down the onions and mix everything together.

If you don’t have a processor, you could finely chop the onions by hand and then mix together with the seasoning packet.

Place your onion mixture in a large mixing bowl with finely chopped onion and garlic, ground beef, two eggs, salt, pepper, ketchup, and paprika.

Mix everything together until well combined. Be careful not to overmix as this can make the meatloaf really dense and tough.

Lightly grease your meatloaf pan or line with parchment paper. Carefully pour your meat mixture into the pan, gently pressing it down so it’s evenly distributed. 

Cover with foil and bake at 375° F. While that’s baking, combine your glaze ingredients in a small bowl- ketchup, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. 

After 40 minutes of baking, take the meatloaf out of the oven and smear the glaze on top of the loaf. Return it back to the oven, uncovered, and cook for another 15 – 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160°.

What temp to cook meatloaf

Bake meatloaf at 350° or 375°. In our recipe, we bake the meatloaf at 375° for roughly 55 minutes.

What goes with meatloaf

Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes with gravy, and creamed corn are all great sides to enjoy with meatloaf, but really it’s hard to go wrong. 

Other great sides include steamed broccoli, Air Fryer Potato Puffs, green beans, dirty rice, and our delicious broccoli melt recipe.

What temp is meatloaf done

Meatloaf is done when the internal temperature reaches 160° F.

Do you cover meatloaf when baking

You can cook meatloaf covered or uncovered. However, covering the meatloaf with aluminum foil while baking helps it stay moist.

How long to cook meatloaf at 375

At 375° you should cook meatloaf for 40 minutes and remove from the oven to put on the glaze. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 – 20 minutes.

How to reheat meatloaf

To reheat meatloaf, preheat your oven to 250° and place your leftover meatloaf slices in a shallow dish.

To keep it from drying out, sprinkle each piece with roughly a tablespoon of beef broth. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

How long does meatloaf last in the fridge

When stored in an airtight container meatloaf lasts 3 – 4 days in the refrigerator. For a longer shelf life, freeze meatloaf in an airtight container or a freezer bag.

How many calories in meatloaf

It depends on the exact recipe, but there are roughly 250 – 300 calories in meatloaf slice.