Your family will love this exceptionally tender Brown Sugar Meatloaf. It is loaded with the rich flavors of Worcestershire and French onion and painted with a sweet brown sugar glaze!
Is there any dinner entrée name that sounds more appealing than “Meatloaf”? Think about it… Loaf of meat. Mmm, tantalizing… I guess it is a perfectly descriptive name. Truth in advertising, if you will. However, growing up I never really had meatloaf. What I was served would be more aptly named “meatbrick“. It was a largely flavorless, overly dense, hunk of meat, that sent me running from the idea of meatloaf for years.
My wife, however, loves meatloaf and routinely asks me to make it. I developed this Brown Sugar Meatloaf for her, and guess what? I love it too! Who knew meatloaf could taste good! Well, I guess everyone but me knew that. So, I guess I may be the last one to the party, but at least I have a great meatloaf recipe to show for it!
How to Make Brown Sugar Meatloaf
There is a secret ingredient in my meatloaf. I add one onion soup mix packet. I got the idea from my father in law, who uses it in his burgers. It really adds a great depth of flavor to the meatloaf, without being overpowering at all. That alone is worth trying this Brown Sugar Meatloaf recipe.
A good meatloaf should be tender, not a dense brick. Adding breadcrumbs and milk helps keep the meatloaf tender while adding moisture, and the egg will bind it all together. However, the way in which you work the ingredients together will make a big difference in the final outcome. Much like creating a great meatball, you have to be careful about overworking the meat. If you squish the ground beef or work it excessively your meatloaf will get dense.
In my opinion, the best temperature for baking meatloaf is 350 degrees. It is a low enough temperature to allow the interior of the meatloaf to heat up before the exterior dries out. For this reason, I also recommend using a digital oven thermometer
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Your family will love this exceptionally tender Brown Sugar Meatloaf. It is loaded with the rich flavors of Worcestershire and French onion and painted with a sweet brown sugar glaze!
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 oz packet onion soup mix
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon table salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Gently crumble ground beef in a large bowl, breaking up into small pieces. Add remaining meatloaf ingredients to the bowl and gently combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.
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Mix all sauce ingredients together and spread half of the sauce along the bottom and sides of a loaf pan.
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Add meatloaf to a loaf pan and press firmly into a loaf shape.
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Liberally paint remaining sauce over the loaf.
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Place meatloaf in the oven and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees.
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Let rest for five minutes and serve.
YOU WILL WANT TO SERVE this meatloaf with my Light and Fluffy Mashed Potatoes. Click to find out the secret!
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This was the BEST meatloaf I have ever had!!!!
I hate meatloaf. I make it for my husband. I can eat a small piece when it is fresh out of the oven. I hate leftover meatloaf even more. I made this recipe last night and I LOVED it. I can’t quit eating it! The best I have ever eaten.
I made this recipe tonight (and followed it completely) and it was one of the best meatloaves I have ever had!!! It tangy and flavorful! I will definitely make this again very soon- hit with the entire family 🙂
Do you have freezer instructions you could share? I have never personally made meatloaf but I would like to make a few to freeze
Freezing should work well. Use freezer paper, or a freezer bag (basically something to prevent freezer burn). I would thaw them out prior to baking because the baking time will need to be modified greatly otherwise.
This was perfect! I didn’t have an onion on hand but I did have onion soup packets – perfect solution! Now I wouldn’t make it any other way!
Dunno if you will see this right now, but giving it a shot anyway: dry breadcrumbs or fresh?
You will want dry breadcrumbs.
So good! Used Panko breadcrumbs and a mix of ground beef and pork. Definitely making this one again.
I have tried many many meatloaf recipes trying to find one as good as my mother’s and none were until I tried this one. Oh my, this is a good one! I added bell pepper and onion because my mother did and it was so much like hers! Good job on this recipe!
That’s what I like to hear! Thanks so much!
Best meatloaf I’ve ever had
Have you ever tried to use almond milk?
I am sure it would work, but it isn’t something I buy frequently.
Would crushed ritz crackers work as bread crumbs?
I suspect it would.
When you place in the oven is it covered?
Nope.