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. Taste why readers are calling this the best meatloaf recipe ever!
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!
I have since gone on and even created a BBQ Meatloaf and a Cheeseburger Meatloaf recipe. They taste insane, you’ll want to check them both out!
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.
The best meatloaf is 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. One cup of breadcrumbs and one cup of milk in this recipe makes the meatloaf exceptionally tender. If you like a firmer meatloaf you can cut back on these amounts slightly.
What Temperature to Bake Meatloaf
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.
How long to bake meatloaf
When baking meatloaf in a bread loaf pan it takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. However, it is important to note cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your meatloaf, using a digital oven thermometer will ensure you remove the Brown Sugar Meatloaf as soon as it is done baking. No one wants to eat overcooked dry meatloaf!
What hamburger is best for meatloaf
The best hamburger to use in meatloaf is the traditional 80/20 blend of meat/fat. This is the same blend the best burgers are made from. If you go with a lean hamburger blend, like 90/10, your meatloaf will not have enough moisture and will lack juiciness and flavor. Conversely, too much fat would lead to a big greasy mess. 80/20 beef is the sweet spot where there is enough fat to be juicy but not so much that the meatloaf turns greasy.
Meatloaf Glaze
The meatloaf glaze is what separates a good meatloaf from a great meatloaf. In a pinch you can certainly use plain ol’ ketchup for your glaze, however, adding brown sugar and cider vinegar adds an enticingly sweet and sour component that your family won’t be able to get enough of.
The brown sugar glaze is exceedingly simple to make, just mix together 1/2 cup of ketchup, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and a quarter cup of cider vinegar and paint it on the meatloaf before it goes in the oven.
What to Serve with Meatloaf?
Mashed potatoes! There is no greater side dish, or more classic pairing, than meatloaf with fluffy mashed potatoes! This is a great pairing not only because they taste great together, but also because the mashed potatoes can be prepared on the stove top while the meatloaf bakes. You could even make some buttermilk cornbread to serve with the meatloaf. Cornbread can be made in advance and warmed prior to serving, or you can bake them with the meatloaf, even though the oven temperature may not be perfect.
Try any of these vegetables on the side:
Brown Sugar Meatloaf
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 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 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup milk
Sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 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.
- Mix all sauce ingredients together and spread half of the sauce along the bottom and sides of a loaf pan.
- Add meatloaf to a loaf pan and press firmly into a loaf shape.
- Liberally paint remaining sauce over the loaf.
- Place meatloaf in the oven and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees.
- Let rest for five minutes and serve.
Video
Notes
If you enjoyed reading my Brown Sugar Meatloaf recipe then you should probably like me on Facebook and follow me on Pinterest too. That’s what I would do at least, because if you don’t get to know me but you still use my recipe it is kind of like taking candy from a stranger, and your mom taught you not to do that. Don’t disobey your mom, subscribe to Fox Valley Foodie today.
Marsha says
Instead of using milk for the moisture content what would you use or could it be left out and increase the eggs to 2 .
The recipe looks amazing to me except for the milk.
Can’t wait for your thoughts
Fox Valley Foodie says
Adding milk to breadcrumbs creates a “panade” which creates a more moist and tender meatloaf. The good news is it doesn’t have to be milk. You can use a milk substitute like soy or almond milk, or simply use beef broth instead. They all should turn out great!
Emma says
How do you stop your meatloaf from being a greasy mess? I love meatloaf but hate the poos of oils and
It falling apart..
Fox Valley Foodie says
The grease comes from the fat in the beef. Using leaner beef will result in less greasy meatloaf, but it will also be less moist (not as good in my opinion). If you want to get it out of the pools of grease you can try baking it on a bed of chopped onions. The grease will drain down by the onions while the meatloaf sits high and dry.
Izzy says
Walmart sells a meatloaf pan with an insert that allows grease to drain into bottom. I have used and it works great. Kohls also has them, but they are pretty pricey there.
Marsha says
I made this meatloaf as you suggested with beef broth. The taste was amazing. For the last forty years I have been making the same recipe with hardly any liquid in the meat, resulting in a much firmer texture. So what do you think of cutting the liquid and breadcrumbs by half, would it make too dry, or resemble my standard recipe.
Marjorie says
Well this is it! I seriously doubt that I will make meatloaf with any other recipe. It is moist, flavorful, perfect. Not only is this a great recipe but it is the easiest and quickest to make. Thanks so much for posting this.
Tara says
I am allergic to onions. Could an Italian Seasoning pack be used instead?
Fox Valley Foodie says
I am not sure how good that would taste. Try adding a teaspoon of garlic powder, increase the black pepper to 1/2 tsp, and 1 ground beef bouillon cube. I’m making this up on the fly, but it should taste good.
Melissa says
I am also allergic to onion. Do I just mash the beef cube and sprinkle it into the mix or can it just been thrown in there?
Fox Valley Foodie says
Mash it up into a powder and sprinkle it in.
Debbie Marshall says
This was an awesome recipe my children loved it, they ate the whole pan.
Ashley says
This was AMAZING!! I’m not normally a meatloaf person but this was delicious!!
Lindsay says
I would love to try this. My son is allergic to tomatoes. Is there another ingredient I could mix with the cider vinegar and brown sugar for the top?
Fox Valley Foodie says
Hmm, maybe mix with some melted butter and brush the mixture on the meatloaf, just lightly enough to add flavor. Using BBQ sauce instead would work wonderfully, but that is typically tomato based and the ones that aren’t wouldn’t be a good fit. Otherwise the meatloaf will still taste great without the sauce.
Lindsay says
Thank you!!!!
Doug says
I am not a ketchup fan and I am diabetic, so I cut carbs where I can. I use 1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup mustard, and 1/4 cup A1 Steak sauce. Makes a good, sweet and tangy topping.
Fox Valley Foodie says
That sounds like a fantastic substitution!
Pat says
This was the most disappointment meatloaf recipe I have ever tried.
Diane C Swiontek says
I just put this in the oven for my Husband as I don’t like meatloaf. It’s more of a texture thing for me. I am using ground venison in place of the hamburger. Will see how it turns out
Kelly Church says
I have ground venison to use as well, I need to make meatloaf with venison. How did yours turn out? I dont want to hide the gamey taste that much. Hiding some is ok but not all of it.
Tara says
Best meatloaf ever!!! One made it several times now and it never disappoints ! Thank you for sharing!
Katherine says
Wow! This is the best meatloaf recipe ever! Thanks so much!
Jeff Steele says
Hi Ben,
This was my first ever attempt at making a meatloaf and I am happy to say that it turned out well.
My family thought it was terrific with lots of requests to make it a regular event.
Cant thank you enough, keep up the good work!
Kamela Gahl says
I just made this meatloaf and my boyfriend if 15 years won’t stop eating it and he said this is the best dinner I have ever made. Lol Thank You
Ms B says
I have everything in the cupboard EXCEPT the onion soup packet. Totally disappointed. Is the a substitute for this or can I just omit the onion soup packet completely?
Fox Valley Foodie says
It will be more flavorful with the onion soup packet, but you can certainly do it without. I would increase the black pepper to 1/2 tsp, add some dijon or brown mustard (1 tbsp), and garlic and onion powder (1 tsp each) to compensate – just off the top of my head.
Lori says
My grandmother’s recipe almost exactly!!
Fox Valley Foodie says
That’s crazy! Or maybe I am secretly your grandmother living a double life as a food blogger…
Ashley says
This is an amazing meatloaf recipe – thanks so much for sharing! Meatloaf is my husband’s favorite and I’ve struggled trying to duplicate his mom’s recipe. But this one – he loved! Made your mashed potatoes to go with it and they were delish as well. Bonus: my two girls ages 6 and 3 asked for seconds and cleaned their plates
Kristy says
I forgot to add Worcestershire sauce!! I did everything else exactly as it says. Will it still taste ok?
Fox Valley Foodie says
Yes, it will still taste great.
Randy says
I am making it tonight on my Pit Boss pellet grill. It looks really good can’t wait to try it out.
Thanks Randy
Emily says
I have leftover chopped up onion….how much would I need in place of the onion soup mix? Would that still work?😁
Fox Valley Foodie says
Chopped up onion alone would not be an equal substitution. The onion soup mix adds a lot of additional seasoning to the meatloaf, the onion itself is actually secondary.
Alyssa says
I made this tonight but mixed in ground veal and ground pork with the beef. Plus I added a little spicy mustard to the sauce. It was fantastic!
Fox Valley Foodie says
Those all sound like fantastic substitutions!!!