Grilled Meatloaf
Posted: 09/22/22
Updated: 10/13/22
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Savory grilled meatloaf puts a little twist on a comfort-food classic. It’s moist and smoky with a tangy, sweet glaze and pieces of tender onion. Pair it with a helping of mashed potatoes and tender-crisp green beans for a nostalgic, home-cooked meal that’s totally next-level.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Grilled meatloaf is full of delicious flavor you don’t get from classic, oven-baked meatloaf. Sure, you’ve got the flavors you’d expect – ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion, sweet ketchup, tangy yellow mustard, rich brown sugar. But mixed in with all of those flavors is the incredible smokiness that only comes from grilling. It’s a simple element but it really puts this family-favorite comfort food on a whole other level.
- It’s so easy to make! The actual process really isn’t very different from a traditional meatloaf, so if you can handle that, you can totally handle this.
- You can have a lot of fun with the mix-ins and flavoring. We kept it classic, but you could do a BBQ meatloaf, or sauté the onions (and toss in some sautéed bell peppers, too). Add diced sweet potatoes, or change up the seasonings. Really get creative with it!
Chef’s Tips
- Traditional meatloaf is oven-baked in a loaf pan. For the grill, there’s no pan, so to get that iconic loaf shape, you’ll have to form it with your hands before cooking. The key is to make sure the loaves aren’t too thick. You also don’t want to give them their usual domed top, or you’ll end up with an unevenly cooked loaf that’s more well-done at the ends (where it’s shorter) and less well-done in the middle (where the dome is tallest).
- The food safe temperature for ground beef is 160° Fahrenheit. Why, then, do we have you take the meatloaves off the grill when they’re around 155°-158°F? Because they’ll continue to cook a little as they rest thanks to their residual heat! Let them rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing them, not only to lock in the juices and keep the meat from drying out, but so they can come to temperature before serving.
Fire Up the Grill for These Delicious Dishes
- Grilled Acorn Squash with Cinnamon Butter
- Grilled Broccolini
- Mesquite Grilled Chicken
- Grilled Pork Belly
- Grilled Asparagus in Foil
- Baked Potatoes on the Grill
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Grilled Meatloaf
Nostalgic comfort food that's even better than you remember – all thanks to the grill.
slices
Ingredients
For the Meatloaf
- 2 pounds lean ground beef 85/15 or 93/7
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs plain or seasoned
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons salt more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
For the Glaze
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 packed tablespoons brown sugar see Notes
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Equipment
- Grill charcoal or gas
- Aluminum foil 2-3 sheets
- large baking sheet or cutting board
- Large mixing bowl
- Potato masher optional, for mixing meatloaf
- Small mixing bowl
- whisk
- pastry brush
- Internal meat thermometer
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium heat, approximately 325° to 375° Fahrenheit. Layer 2 to 3 sheets of aluminum foil on baking sheet or cutting board and set aside.
- Add ground beef, diced onion, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, ketchup, salt and pepper to large mixing bowl. Using hands or potato masher, mix ingredients together until fully incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Transfer meatloaf mixture to aluminum foil. Divide mixture into 2 equal halves, then form each half into one meatloaf in center of aluminum foil sheets. Loaves should be flat, not domed, and uniform in size and thickness. Be careful not to make loaves too thick. Once formed, set loaves aside.
- Add ketchup, brown sugar, yellow mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to small mixing bowl. Whisk until ingredients are fully combined, then brush glaze mixture generously on top of both loaves.
- Carefully lift foil by edges of sheets. Place foil and meatloaves on grill grate over indirect heat, then close grill lid and let meatloaves cook 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, check internal temperature of meatloaves by inserting meat thermometer directly into center of each loaf. If internal temperature is below 155° Fahrenheit, close grill lid and continue cooking meatloaves, checking every 5 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 155-158° Fahrenheit.
- When temperature is reached, carefully transfer meatloaves from grill to cutting board or baking sheet. Let meatloaves rest, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes, then slice as desired and serve warm with preferred sides.
Notes
- Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Make it Keto: Use crushed pork rinds instead of breadcrumbs and replace the brown sugar with Brown Swerve.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 289kcal | Protein: 26g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Total Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Net Carbs: 17g | Vitamin C: 3mg | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 1105mg | Potassium: 508mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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