Nothing says cozy comfort food like this Homestyle Meatloaf recipe. Simple and utterly delicious. It takes only minutes to throw together and while it’s baking, your home will fill with a mouth watering and soul-warming aroma. Tender, moist and a instant family favorite!
There are so many different recipes out there in the world but this one is my standard, my go-to, our family’s all-time favorite, meatloaf recipe.
My friend Amanda gave me her recipe a long time ago and I’ve used this one and only this one for years. I think the reason why I love it so much is because it’s so simple, yet an instant classic and is utterly delicious. It takes only minutes to throw together and when it’s baking, it will fill your home with a mouth watering, soul-warming aroma.
To Make This Homestyle Meatloaf You Will Need:
- ground chuck
- yellow onion
- garlic
- Italian breadcrumbs
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- dried basil
- Worcestershire sauce
- ketchup
- egg
I make this homestyle meatloaf recipe ALL THE TIME and serve with mashed potatoes, green beans or glazed carrots. This will definitely warm you up on a cold fall day!
Preheat your oven to 375° and lightly oil a foiled-lined, rimmed baking sheet.
Finely mince up half of a yellow onion, about 1/2 cup.
Smash, peel and finely mince 2 garlic cloves.
Add 1-1/2 pounds of ground beef chuck into a large bowl along with the onions and garlic.
Add in 1 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.
Measure and add in 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon dried basil.
Pour in 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce. (I make my own Worcestershire sauce, so that’s why it may look different)
Add in 1/4 cup ketchup.
Then 1 lightly beaten egg.
Make sure your hands are super duper clean so you can mix all of those ingredients together by hand.
Keep going until you have a giant well mixed ball of meat. It might feel gross at first but actually it’s very therapeutic, especially if you’re particularly frustrated. Let’s just say “for example” the dog just chewed up your favorite pair of wool socks. That’s what I do anyways, and let me tell you IT WORKS. In the end, all you want is it all to be mixed well and seasoned throughout.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet.
Then form the mixture into a loaf-like shape and slide it onto the middle rack of your preheated 375° oven to bake for 20 minutes.
When those 20 minutes are up add a little of reserved ketchup and use a pastry or basting brush it all over the top and sides of the meatloaf. Make sure to work it into any nooks and crannies.
TIP: for a sweeter glaze I’ll stir in a tablespoon or two of brown sugar.
This is what your loaf will look like after 20 minutes (40 minutes total).
Slather on the remaining ketchup and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Allow the meatloaf to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring it to a cutting board or serving platter.
Then slice it into thick pieces.
This is the part of the cooking shows where they sink their fork in and take a hot steamy bite. And then you’d see their eyes close and they would go on and on about how it is moist, flavorful and simply the best homestyle meatloaf ever.*sigh*
Because my friends, it so is.
Enjoy! And if you give this Homestyle Meatloaf recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Homestyle Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds ground chuck
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup, plus an additional 1/3 cup for brushing on top
- 1 whole egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° and lightly spray a foil-lined rimmed, metal baking sheet with olive oil.
- Add all ingredients above to a large bowl and mix by hand until combined and well mixed. On your prepared pan, free-form the meatloaf mixture into a loaf shape.
- Bake for 20 minutes, remove and brush with 2/3 of the ketchup before returning the meatloaf to the oven and baking for another 20 minutes.
- Remove, brush with more ketchup and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
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Meatloaf like this would be having my guy singing nothing but good praises. Might have to take a play out of your menu playbook and make this for him real soon. The girls looked so good in their costumes!
Aww thanks!! I hope you enjoy this!
First, your kids are adorable! Great costumes!! 2nd, the meatloaf looks really good!!!! I love meatloaf, let me correct that: I love good meatloaf, and this looks darn good 🙂 I'll have to give this recipe a try soon. YUM!
I agree fantastic costumes, my Indy was a Gnome! ha ha, love this meatloaf and your very detailed shots.
Love the costumes! They looked great! Every Halloween in Montana requires long-johns and winter jackets. LOL. This meatloaf looks so good…definitely going to make it!
I'm eating this as I type and it is delicious!!!! Love this recipe!
Okay, I'm making this tonight. This may be a silly question, but do you take the plastic wrap off before baking? I'm assuming you do…
Thanks!
Also cooking up your rosemary potatoes!
ok, im making this tonight, but there are some things you need to consider when dealing with amatures, like: leave the plastic wrap on?????? I figure off cuz there would be no point to brush with ketchup otherwise (but it took me a while to come to that conclusion)…oh and Kosher salt?? whats the difference?
There is little difference between Kosher Salt and table salt, except the size and texture. So if you are using regular table salt in a recipe that calls for kosher, you will need to use less because it's smaller than kosher salt. I personally like the texture better… and to me it's less "salty" if that makes sense 🙂
Making this for dinner tonight! Complete with fresh green beans and mashed potatoes. SO glad I found your blog 😀
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I love it! Made it this morning and let it sit in the fridge for the day, took it out an hour before cooking and it was moist and delicious!! I made an adjustment or two as my 82 year old mother cant have anything spicy so I omitted the crushed red pepper. I used 1 pound of lean beef and about a 1/4 pound of mild italian sausage, half the bread crumbs and it turned out perfect! (Half the bread crumbs due to the variance in meat) Great recipe and I will make it again for sure!! Thanks!!
My husband & I were craving comfort food ( in 90 degree weather – go figure!) so I made this recipe & I loved everything about it except the Worcestershire sauce, & this comes from an English woman! , I think there is just too much of it especially with the ketchup. So I will make it again when we have our craving & lighten up both sauces. Everything else about it was great! Thank you for a wonderful website!!!! 🙂
I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner tonight and he actually said meatloaf!! and greenbean casserole! I love reading through your recipes, and the pics are great!! Thank you, I am off to the store for ingredients.
Oooh! Enjoy!
I was thinking about becoming a vegetarian when I came across this recipe. I have made it 5 times in the last 6 weeks. When it’s cooking, it’s like lock all the doors cuz we aren’t sharing! I don’t know if it’s the Worcestershire sauce or the basil, but it is crazy good. It’s cooking in my oven now. I make it with Kraft Mac n cheese. Thanks for the great recipe!
This looks really good, I am afraid to use ketchup as my husband hates meatloaf with ketchup. So I thought I would recommend our family favorite for meatloaf…BBQ sauce. I am from Kansas City, so it is natural for us to look for those flavors. I am flirting with your recipe and incorporating BBQ sauce tonight. I will come back and share how it goes! 🙂
Ooh great idea! Enjoy!
Made this tonight with a few minor changes. I wrapped 4 slices of bacon around the base and because I used 2 lbs of meat, I added 10 minutes more of cook time at 425 to get a good crispy exterior. All 5 in the family went nuts over this and I can’t remember the last time that happened. Thanks so much. 🙂
I made this tonight and it was seriously SO GOOD! Both my husband and 3yr old turned their noses up when I said I was making meatloaf for dinner, but both loved it and requested I make again soon! Definitely adding this to my rotation. I followed the recipe to a T, I only added half of a diced green pepper in the meatloaf and a bit of red pepper flakes to the ketchup I brushed on top to give it a little zing! Perfect recipe, thanks a bunch!
YAY! I’m so glad your family enjoyed it Gabrielle!
Did you cook at 425 for the whole cooking time? Or just for the extra 10 minutes that you added to the cooking time ?
(I’m also using 2lbs of meat and it’s my first attempt at this recipe)
Thanks!
jljlj
Read a lot of meatloaf recipes on line but think yours might be the simplest and the best. Going to try it tonight. What do you think if I added as little brown sugar to the ketchup glaze? Hate to change your recipe but I read that other people have done this and it sounds kinda good to me. Thanks Darrell
O you did say to do that.
Delicious
This meatloaf came out perfect! My brother, who doesn’t like meatloaf, came back for seconds! 🙂 Definitely will be making this again!
Would love to know your recipe for Worcesttershire sauce. Thank you.
Hi Beverly! Here’s the link to the Worcestershire sauce recipe. Enjoy! http://www.simplyscratch.com/2015/02/homemade-worcestershire-sauce.html
I want to double or triple the recipe for 8 good eaters .. Should I form two loaves or make one larger one ? How would a bigger one affect cooking time?
That’s a great question Di. I have yet to double or triple this recipe so without testing it, it’s hard for me to say how to approach this. Personally I would bake these as two or three loaves (depending on if you’re doubling or tripling the recipe). But if you’re not up for that, I would bake in two larger loaves and until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Please keep me posted on how this turns out for you. 🙂
I made this the other night and let me tell you OMG so good!! This will definetly be my go to meatloaf recipe.
Every other meatloaf recipe calls for 350 degrees. I am SO GLAD to have found yours cooking at 375. It’s made such an improvement to my meatloaf.
We LOVE this recipe so much in my house! I usually add a bit of brown sugar & siracha to the ketchup glaze – it’s perfect, and I’ve never been a huge meatloaf fan either!
I’m so glad, Michelle! Sometimes I add brown sugar to the glaze too! But I never thought to add Sriracha! BRILLIANT! <3
If I use 2 pounds hamburg do I have to add any to the ingredients?
I wouldn’t think so, Laura. 🙂
My husband loves Heinz 57, I’m about to make this recipe and thinking of using this in place of the Worcestershire. Any comments from anyone who has done this? When first using a recipe, I have always followed given instructions, but think this could work. Any help? Thanks
I bet you would be totally fine 🙂
I really dislike cooks who use another’s recipe, make all kinds of changes, then give a poor review. I am not one of those types to make random changes then complain. I did however experience a wonderful surprise due to necessity. I did not have enough ketchup to brush to top of the meatloaf as it cooked so I used homemade BBQ sauce and my oven is broken so this meatloaf was cooked in my 9×13 crockpot. Boy oh boy did these two (necessary) changes turn out well. We had planned to put half the meatloaf in the freezer for another meal, it never made it. This is a truly good recipe! Give it a try!
I tried this recipe and after it finished cooking I waited for 15 minutes but when I went to cut it was falling apart
I tried making this meatloaf once and my husband and I love it so I am making it again tonight. It stayed moist even after reheating (the leftover) in the microwave and it has so much flavor! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I love that you and your husband enjoy it just as much as we do! It’s my go-to meatloaf recipe and I agree, the leftovers taste just as good (if not better!) the next day. Thanks for leaving such a wonderful review/comment, Mel! 🙂
This meatloaf was amazing! There wasn’t a bit left! And it was simple to make….definitely will be a repeat!
I’m so glad, Kathy! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Ahhh I goofed! I didn’t look at the pictures, I just followed the directions and I didn’t realize that the meat was shaped into a loaf in a cookie sheet, as opposed to putting it inside a meatloaf pan. So now it’s cooking in the pan and I was only able to brush the ketchup on the top. Do you think that will turn out ok??
Hi Diana! I haven’t ever made it this way but I would think so. Keep me posted 🙂
Thanks for the recipe it turned out perfect, home style.
Homestyle!
This is in my oven cooking right now and smells heavenly! Can’t wait to eat it! 🙂
Update: It was delicious! My husband loved it, too. Thanks for such a yummy recipe!
I’m so happy to hear it, Kas! Thanks for taking the time to make the recipe and leave a review. I appreciate it!
Made this tonight, it was DELISH!!! Added brown sugar, vinegar, worchestershire sauce and Katsup for the glaze!!!! Great Recipe, thank you for sharing. Kim
That’s so great! Thank you for taking the time to make this recipe, Kim!
I made this meatloaf because of all the positive comments. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t like it at all and neither did my family! I thought it was really bland. Thought I would try something new, but will be going back to my old recipe
Hi Elise! Sorry to hear this wasn’t a hit. I’ve made this hundreds of times (along with 40+ others), so I can attest that it does indeed have flavor. My only guess is that perhaps salt was accidentally forgotten or the recipe was altered somehow. Either way, I appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe! Merry Christmas!
If I only have one pound of beef, which ingredients do I have to cut
in half and would I have to cook it for the same amount of time?
Thank You….I am anxious to try this recipe.
Hi Nancy! I would leave the remaining ingredients the same and bake it 10 minutes less perhaps. Enjoy!
Made it last night. It turned out very well. My husband really liked it too!! Made a few modifications since I had more group meat. It will be my go-to recipe.
I’m so glad! Thank you for taking the time to make this recipe and come back to leave such a stellar review!
The ONLY meatloaf I will ever make. I’ve been using this recipe for a few years now and it’s such a hit every time! It’s the best meatloaf I’ve had hands down.
I’m SO glad, Kelli! It’s a classic!
I made this tonight and it was amazing very good recipe. I also put some brown sugar in with the glaze so good
Love this recipe but twice it has turned out mushy! What am I doing wrong? Sometimes it turns out well. Other times, not.
Hey Andi! I’m baffled as to why your meatloaf is mushy. Hmmm. What type/ratio of beef are you using?
I’m about to make this recipe…again for the (maybe) 5th time. Reading comments as I refresh my memory to make sure I have all the ingredients. I wanted to comment about why it might have been mushy. My guess is that there’s too much bread crumbs, especially if you’re using 80/20 ground beef.
My boyfriend absolutely loves this meatloaf! Making it for him again for the second time this week tonight by his request!
That’s great, Sarah! My guy loves it too!
Thanks for this recipe. I made it and it was delicious. Just like my Mom used to make.
I have made this several times and it is delicious! I sub 1/2 lb Italian sausage for part of the hamburger meat but other than that I make it exactly as is and it turns out perfectly every time.
I’m so glad, Jac! I’m excited to try it with the italian sausage!
I always enjoy reading your recipes, and have made and several successfully.
My interest was even stronger when i saw the beautiful Flo(w) Blue dish!! I’ve collected for many years. Each is more beautiful than the last, and favorites are just not possible to name. Your is gorgeous. Enjoy!
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This looks smazing.Trying tonight.Thank you for additional directions for only using ine pound of beef in questioons below.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was excellent. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. This one is a keeper for sure : )
I made this last night. It was delicious. My husband loved it
This is the best meatloaf recipe! We never have leftovers for sandwiches the next day! LOL! I’ve made this recipe so many times and always with mashed potatoes!
I’ve been making this meatloaf for years. It’s a favorite in my home and I can almost make it blindfolded now. The aroma that fills the air is amazing. I can’t thank you enough for posting this on your site.