Your whole 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 and tangy brown sugar glaze. This is comfort food at its finest. 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 family, however, loves meatloaf and routinely asks me to make it. I developed this brown sugar meatloaf recipe for them, 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 tasty meatloaf recipe to show for it!
I have since gone on and even created a Smoked Meatloaf and a Cheeseburger Meatloaf recipe. They taste insane, you'll want to check them both out!
How to Make Brown Sugar Meatloaf
This recipe is similar to a classic meatloaf (mom's meatloaf), but with an added secret ingredient. I add one powdered onion soup mix packet to the meatloaf mixture. 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.
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 easy recipe makes it exceptionally tender. If you like a firmer meatloaf you can cut back on these amounts slightly.
To make the meatloaf all of the meat mixture ingredients get combined in a small bowl or mixing bowl. This is then formed into a loaf, typically using a loaf pan. All of the brown sugar sauce ingredients get similarly mixed and then are painted on top of the loaf as a sweet and tangy glaze, as well as inside the loaf pan. At this point, the raw meatloaf is ready for baking!
At what temperature should I bake Meatloaf?
The best temperature for baking meatloaf is in a preheated oven set at 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 cook 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!
Ingredient Substitutions
I understand that not every kitchen is stocked with each ingredient you need, and sometimes you forget to grab the right items at the store. Here are some easy substitutions for this recipe.
- Meat - Rather than using lean ground beef, this would also work excellent as a venison meatloaf. Ground turkey is also a lean meat that can be used to make your meat loaf. Finally, ground pork can also be used. Ground pork works well by itself or blended with your ground beef (Frankly, that would be an amazing combo with the BBQ sauce in my BBQ Meatloaf recipe).
- Breadcrumbs - Rather than traditional breadcrumbs you can use panko breadcrumbs instead, or make your own bread crumbs from crumbling toast or saltine cracker crumbs! I do not recommend using Italian bread crumbs or you will throw off the flavor.
- Milk - Feel free to substitute beef broth.
- Worcestershire sauce - You could add a little soy sauce, or eliminate this ingredient completely.
What hamburger should I use?
The best hamburger to use in meatloaf is the traditional 80/20 blend of meat/fat, such as ground chuck. This is the same blend the best burgers are made from. If you go with lean ground beef, like a 90/10 ground beef, 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 a plain ol' ketchup glaze, however, adding brown sugar and cider vinegar to your ketchup mixture 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 ½ cup of ketchup, ¼ cup of brown sugar, and a quarter cup of cider vinegar and paint it on the meatloaf before it goes in the oven.
Meatloaf FAQs
Yes, you can mix the meatloaf in advance and store it in the freezer prior to baking. I recommend wrapping it in plastic wrap and placing it in a freezer safe bag to prevent freezer burn. Also plan on letting it thaw out in the refrigerator for a day or longer prior to baking.
Leftover meatloaf can be reheated at the same temperature as baking it (350 degrees). However, I do recommend covering it with aluminum foil so it doesn't dry out. It will reheat faster than it initially cooked, so check on it periodically. Use leftovers to make a phenomenal meatloaf sandwich the next day.
Using a loaf pan is the most common way to make meatloaf, but you can certainly make it on a baking sheet as well if you don't have one available. The loaf just needs to be formed with your hands and it will generally keep its shape. You can also use a muffin tin to make individual meatloaves.
What to serve with it?
Mashed potatoes! There is no greater side dish, or more classic pairing to make a complete meal with meatloaf than 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 Glazed Carrots
- Southern Fried Corn
- Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
- Lemon Roasted Green Beans
- Southern Fried Cabbage
- Roasted Asparagus
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Brown Sugar Meatloaf
Equipment
- Bread loaf pan
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 ounce packet onion soup mix
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon table salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup milk
Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ 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 bread 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, then slice and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutritional Information
This recipe was originally published on FoxValleyFoodie.com on April 7, 2017.
Carrieann
I have made this a few times now hubby loves it!!! But I do not use just the ground beef I use the beef and I add a half pound of sausage meat.
Tesha
Could you put this in the crock pot??
Fox Valley Foodie
I have never tried it in a crockpot. However, I know some people do make them in there. I have no doubt using an oven would create a better meatloaf, but a crockpot would still probably give you an edible final product.
Laura
Delicious! Didn’t have onion soup packet so used a can of mushroom soup, onion powder, and omitted the milk. Juicy, flavorful and beautifully caramelized. This is added to my rotating weeknight meals list. Thank you!
David Forster
I have 2 lbs of ground. How much should I up the ingredients?
Mandy
Didn’t have the onion soup or the bread crumbs on hand. Swapped them for a pkg of Au Ju and blended up stuffing. Was wishing I had more sauce 😋
Natasha
Greatest meatloaf ever! The sauce is amazing! I didn’t have any bread crumbs, so I used 1/2 cup of Ritz crackers. I also added 1/4 of chopped red pepper and 1 tbsp of parsley.
Danelle
Wear a beard cover when making videos. I ALWAYS inspect restaurant staff before ordering and I REFUSE to eat something prepared by bearded men. Beards are the dirtiest and filthiest of body hair. I couldnt help but think the secret ingredient was beard hair when I saw you. Meatloaf looks okay. 4 stars for the recipe, 1 star for the chef.
Fox Valley Foodie
Ummm…. you are mad at me for not wearing a beard net when cooking in my home kitchen, for my family??? Who hurt you?
Yooper
I followed the recipe with the following modifications and it was wonderful! Prior to placing in the oven, I dusted the sauce with granulated garlic and topped with French fried onions. Magnificent!
Olivia McKinley
This is the best meat loaf I have ever had. I have never been able to get it right until trying this recipe. Thank you so much!!
Ryan Juel
A lil secret: instead of milk I add a couple dollops of sour cream, I use a real onion, and add the topping with 20 minutes left.
TonyTouch
A bit salty for my liking (likely from the onion soup mix) but otherwise great recipe particularly the flavor and aroma generated from the sauce. Big hit on a cold December day!!!
Sandy
To the people who don’t have onion soup mix or can’t use it for allergies or for whatever reason, I can’t use it either. My husband gets very sick any time I put onion soup mix in a recipe. So, I discovered that you can crush up seasoned croutons and put it in meatloaf or hamburgers instead. It is absolutely delicious and you kill two birds with one stone....it takes care of the extra seasoning and the bread crumbs all at once. Of course I am an onion freak so I do also add some chopped, fresh onion. Thank goodness my hubby can tolerate fresh onions. You don’t have to add much salt either because of the salt in the croutons. Any time I serve meatloaf or hamburgers to friends or family, they just rave about the taste and say it is the best they have ever tasted. Please give it a try....you will be amazed!!!!
Karyn
This was delicious!! My entire family loved it! My daughter always puts ketchup on her meatloaf and she said the sauce was so good, there was no need for ketchup! Definitely a keeper!
Jim DiSanto
BEST meatloaf recipe ever.
Kayla
By far the best meatloaf recipe!! I do not enjoy meatloaf, and this recipe changed my mind! This is definitely a go to favorite!
Kevin
I too, have not been a fan of meatloaf. However, over time, have become more interested. My problem is a picky 11 yr. old, though at this point, it is "eat" or "starve", expressed lovingly of course. My question is this: what is the recommended meat to use, and what fat ratio, (80/20, etc)??
Oh, I like the idea of chopped onions on bottom of pan to help reduce grease on loaf.
Fox Valley Foodie
80/20 hamburger would be recommended.
Kayla
Going to try this tonight! I used to make a meatloaf with honey and brown sugar but I lost the recipe over the years and due to illness haven’t been able to navigate the kitchen so well to keep up the way I used to. My fiancé has a slightly different pallet than I do. I prefer sweets and he’s more into spices so I knew I’d need to tone down the sweetness. I think this recipe will be perfect for both! Going to try the bell pepper advice as well. Thanks for posting! Also,is there a site or group to get new ideas like this I can join? Just getting comfortable trying new things in the kitchen. Used to use only my mothers recipe however since her passing 4 years ago I’ve been looking for some new ideas. She could only teach me so much...Thanks in advance!
L
Seasoned or plain breadcrumbs
Fox Valley Foodie
Plain
Angela
Can you use regular vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar? Just wondering. Making this tonight.
Fox Valley Foodie
I wouldn't. I think it would taste off, but you can certainly try it and see if you like the combination. Worst case scenario you waste 2 minutes of your time and $.20 worth of ingredients.
Kayla
I would like to try making this tonight because it sounds FANTASTIC! I however do not have any onion soup, or brown sugar. 🙁 is there anything else I am able to use in place of these things? Also, could I use crushed ritz crackers in place of the breadcrumbs?
Fox Valley Foodie
You can use plain ol' ketchup for the topping if needed, you can use chili sauce, or you can use white sugar with a dab of molasses. The onion soup mix is harder to substitute since it is the main flavoring for the meatloaf. You can add more Worcestershire, onion and garlic powder, but in all honesty, you are essentially making a whole new recipe at this point. You may be better off trying a different recipe until you have the needed ingredients. Perhaps you have more ingredients for my classic meatloaf
Using crushed crackers should work well though.
Dayna
This sounds amazing! One question, if I use just 1 pound of hamburger, would you recommend cutting everything back by 1/3? Or should I increase it to 2 pounds? Our beef is in 1 pound packages so it's just easier to use whole pounds if I can. Thank you!
Fox Valley Foodie
You can absolutely scale this recipe up or down to fit your needs by adjusting the ingredients in the same percentages, as you have mentioned.