Bake these mini meatloaves in a muffin tin so every edge is caramelized and has plenty of tomato glaze. Every portion gets the part everyone wants.
Mini Meatloaf Recipe Baked in a Muffin Tin
My mini meatloaf recipe is baked in a muffin tin, so everyone gets individual portions with caramelized edges, lots of tomato glaze, and a shorter cook time than traditional meatloaf. Every serving gets its own browned edges and rich tomato topping, so nobody ends up with a plain center slice.
Six-year-old me had a complicated relationship with meatloaf.
My mom would bring this giant meatloaf to the table, cut me a thick slice, and set it on my plate. She did that thing where she would mix a couple of handfuls of frozen vegetables into it, so there would be a random pea here, a corn kernel there, and a little carrot cube somewhere in the middle of this giant slab of meat. The top had a very thin layer of plain ketchup spread across it, and because the slice seemed enormous to me, there was never enough of the ketchup to hide the taste.
I wasn’t allowed to complain or make a face because that was bad manners, and I was highly opinionated about meatloaf, so naturally I did both, which always had its own set of consequences.
Then everyone else would finish dinner and leave the table, and I would still be sitting there with my meatloaf. At some point I figured out that I could easily push out the corner of the window screen behind me just enough to slip little pieces outside. My outdoor dog, Sparky, happily accepted his role in what became my own highly organized meatloaf disposal operation. When enough of it had disappeared, I pushed the corner of the screen back into place and skipped off as if I finished my dinner.
These mini meatloaves are what six-year-old me would have made instead. They bake in a muffin tin, so every serving gets plenty of tomato glaze and lots of browned edges. Nobody gets the plain center slab-slice. Every little meatloaf feels like its own dinner, and most importantly, nobody needs an escape route and a loyal accomplice named Sparky.
What Makes This Recipe Different
- I put together this recipe through the lens of what I would have wanted to show up at the table when I was six years old because at that age, traditional meatloaf had a few design issues. The top and the ends are always the best part, and there isn’t enough of either. A couple of people get end slices and everybody else gets the middle. The mini meatloaf concept fixes that. Every one gets its own layer of glaze and spends more time in contact with the heat.
- These are not slices of meatloaf. They’re twelve individual meatloaves. I think that’s an important distinction. They each get their own glaze, they cook in about half the time of a traditional loaf, and nobody ends up staring at a plain middle piece wondering why they have to eat this. Especially if you’re under the age of ten.
- The muffin tin does more than make meatloaf cute. It changes the proportions. More of the meat comes into contact with the heat, the glaze has more places to collect, and you’ll feel like you got the good piece.
Ingredients
- Ground Beef – I use 85/15. It has enough fat to keep the meatloaves tender without turning the muffin tin into a greasy mess.
- Bread Crumbs – They hold everything together and help keep the meatloaf tender.
- Yellow Onion – Adds moisture and flavor.
- Ketchup – Goes into the meat mixture and the glaze because not everything needs reinventing.
- Barbecue Sauce – The amount is small, but it gives the meat mixture a little extra something. Use your favorite.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic tastes different than garlic powder, and this recipe benefits from both.
- Worcestershire Sauce – This is where a lot of the savory flavor comes from.
- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Italian Seasoning – A few pantry spices that season the meat all the way through without making it taste heavily seasoned.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper – They do exactly what they’re supposed to do.
- Egg – Keeps the mini meatloaves together so they come out of the pan as meatloaves instead of seasoned ground beef.
- Brown Sugar – Mixed into the glaze to balance the tomato flavor.
How to Make Mini Meatloaf
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.
- Step One (make the sauce)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stir the ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a small bowl until smooth. Set it aside while you make the meatloaf mixture. It doesn’t look like much at this stage, but it becomes the sweet tomato topping that ends up on every meatloaf. - Step Two (mix the meatloaf)
Add the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, ketchup, barbecue sauce, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and egg to a large bowl. Mix everything together just until combined. Ground beef gets firmer the more you work it, so this is not the place to keep stirring for another minute just because you can. - Step Three (fill the muffin tin)
Grease a 12-cup muffin tin really well. Divide the meat mixture evenly among the cups, about 55 to 60 grams each if you’re weighing them. Try not to pack the meat down. A lighter hand makes a more tender meatloaf. Spoon the sauce over the tops and make sure every one gets its fair share. - Step Four (bake and serve)
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the centers reach 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let the mini meatloaves rest for about 5 minutes before removing them from the pan. They firm up as they sit and are much easier to lift out in one piece.
Recipe Tips
- Mix the meat just until everything comes together. Ground beef has a way of getting firmer the more it’s handled.
- Divide the meat loosely among the muffin cups instead of packing it down. A lighter touch creates a more tender meatloaf.
- Grease the muffin tin generously. The glaze collects around the edges as the meatloaves bake, and a well-greased pan makes removal and cleanup much more pleasant.
- An instant-read thermometer is the easiest way to know when the centers have reached 160°F.
- Let the mini meatloaves rest for about 5 minutes before taking them out of the pan. They hold together better after a short rest and are easier to lift out in one piece.
Storage
- Store leftover mini meatloaves in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To reheat, warm them in the microwave, air fryer, or in a 350°F oven until heated through.
- These freeze well, too. Let them cool completely, transfer them to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
FAQs
- Can I make this as one large meatloaf?
You can. Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan and bake until the center reaches 160°F. The baking time will be considerably longer than the mini version. - Can I make mini meatloaf ahead of time?
Yes. You can mix the meatloaf a day in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. You can also bake the meatloaves completely and simply reheat them for dinner. - Why did my mini meatloaf turn out tough?
Usually one of three things happened. The meat was overmixed, packed too tightly into the muffin tin, or cooked too long. - What should I serve with mini meatloaf?
Mashed potatoes and peas are the classic answer and the combination I grew up with. Macaroni and cheese, green beans, roasted vegetables, fresh creamed corn, or a simple salad are all good alongside these. - Can I use a different ground meat?
Yes. Ground turkey, ground chicken, or a combination of ground meats are all fine. The flavor and texture will be a little different, but the method stays the same. If using poultry, cook the meatloaves until the centers reach 165°F.
From My Kitchen Notes
Small observations from the margins.
- Some people spend their entire lives trying to avoid the middle.
- A lot of my childhood grievances were really complaints about fairness. That might be universal.
- The funny thing about being highly opinionated at six is that it usually doesn’t go away.
- Being the last one at the table made an ordinary dinner feel endless.
- Every family has a meal that one person remembers differently than everyone else.
- The vegetable mosaic meatloaf that arrived on my plate as a kid was a no for me.
- The dog and I had very different feelings about meatloaf.
- Some experiences become reference points and everything that comes after gets compared to them.
- Lots of things don’t need to be better. They just need more sauce.
- There are foods where we all want the same piece.
- Some flavors establish permanent residency.
- Why is it some things improve the minute everyone gets their own?
- The difference between comforting and overwhelming is sometimes only a matter of scale.
- Everyone talks about comfort food as though comfort is universal. It isn’t.
- Some foods don’t disappear because you stopped serving them.
- I have been redesigning meatloaf in my head for a long time.
- A lot of comfort foods I make are my old disappointments with better engineering.
- Some foods don’t always need reinvention. They need editing.
- The improved version isn’t always more sophisticated. It’s kinder.
- I’ve spent a lot of time making things the way I wished they had been the first time.
- The ketchup on slab meatloaf runs out way before the meatloaf does. It seems like a lot of things have that problem.
- Not every memorable thing returns, but some never finish leaving.
- I have never interacted with a muffin tin that wasn’t trying to improve morale.
- Sometimes a recipe becomes more appealing when it no longer resembles a commitment.
- There are meals that want very little from you and somehow become favorites because of it.
More Comfort Food Dinners Worth Revisiting
- Creamy Chicken Stew – chicken, vegetables, creamy broth.
- Cacio e Pepe – Pecorino Romano and black pepper.
- Baked Rigatoni – beef, mozzarella, and red sauce.
- Cottage Pie with Gruyère Mashed Potatoes – crisped potatoes, hearty beef base.
- Sheet Pan Pork Chops – pork chops, potatoes, broccoli.
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Mini Meatloaf Recipe
These mini meatloaves combine seasoned ground beef, onion, breadcrumbs, and a sweet tomato glaze in individual portions baked in a muffin tin. They cook faster than traditional meatloaf and are a great choice for family dinners, leftovers, and meal prep.
Servings: 12 mini meatloaves
Calories: 165kcal
Equipment
- 12-Count Muffin Tin For individual meatloaf portions.
- mixing bowls (large and small). For combining meatloaf ingredients and stirring together tomato glaze.
- digital thermometer The easiest way to verify the centers have reached 160°F (71°C).
Ingredients
Meatloaf Sauce:
- ¾ cup (180 g) ketchup
- 2 tbsps (25 g) light brown sugar
- ½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder
- ½ tsp (1.5 g) onion powder
Mini Meatloaf:
- 1 lb (454 g) ground beef (85/15)
- ⅔ cup (70 g) plain, dry bread crumbs
- ½ cup (75 g) finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 tbsp (15 g) ketchup
- 1 tbsp (15 g) prepared barbecue sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1 tsp (5 g) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder
- 1 tsp (3 g) onion powder
- 1 tsp (1 g) Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt
- ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin very well.cooking spray
- In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder until combined. Set aside.¾ cup (180 g) ketchup, 2 tbsps (25 g) light brown sugar, ½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder, ½ tsp (1.5 g) onion powder
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, ketchup, barbecue sauce, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and egg. Mix just until combined.1 lb (454 g) ground beef (85/15), ⅔ cup (70 g) plain, dry bread crumbs, ½ cup (75 g) finely chopped yellow onion, 1 tbsp (15 g) ketchup, 1 tbsp (15 g) prepared barbecue sauce, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp (5 g) Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder, 1 tsp (3 g) onion powder, 1 tsp (1 g) Italian seasoning, 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt, ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, 1 large egg
- Divide the meat mixture evenly among the 12 muffin cups, about 55 to 60 g per portion. Avoid packing the meat tightly.
- Spoon the prepared sauce evenly over the tops of the meatloaves.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the centers reach 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and serving.
Notes
- Loosely portioning the meat mixture helps keep the mini meatloaves tender.
- 85/15 ground beef provides the best balance of flavor and texture for this recipe.
- A muffin tin creates more caramelized edges than a traditional meatloaf and gives every serving its own layer of glaze.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze cooled mini meatloaves for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Mini Meatloaf Recipe
Amount Per Serving (85 g)
Calories 165
Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 42mg14%
Sodium 360mg16%
Potassium 230mg7%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 120IU2%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have you made this Mini Meatloaf Recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.
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