Make this easy air fryer meatloaf for a quick and delicious weeknight dinner. Traditional meatloaf is a tasty dish that you can pair with your favorite side dishes. This quick recipe is made in your air fryer in just over 30 minutes!
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Why you should make meatloaf in an air fryer
- Making the meatloaf in foil or parchment paper makes for super easy cleanup
- The ketchup glaze is perfectly caramelized
- The meatloaf is juicy, even when you use lean ground beef
- Your oven is free to make the best side dishes
- It cooks faster than in an oven
Browse my collection of easy air fryer beef recipes for more dinner inspiration!
Ingredients
For this recipe, you will need lean ground beef (or ground chicken, pork or turkey), breadcrumbs, onion, egg and ketchup.
To add some flavor, we also use garlic powder, pepper, salt, dried parsley, dried thyme, dried oregano, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. I highly recommend making the recipe as it is, but these ingredients can be omitted if you have an allergy, or substituted to suit your preferences.
Instructions
Finely dice the onion, and combine everything except the mustard and half of the ketchup in a mixing bowl. It's easiest to combine the ingredients using your hands. Everything should be just incorporated - make sure not to over mix it.
Combine the remaining ketchup and mustard in a small bowl to form a glaze. Set this aside.
Line the bottom and sides of an air fryer with aluminum or parchment paper. Optionally, you can use an ovenproof casserole dish or cake pan that fits inside your air fryer.
Then, pre heat the air fryer to 375 F / 190 C. Form a large meatloaf with the ground beef mixture, and place this in your air fryer.
Air fry for about 20 minutes. Then, use a spoon or spatula to spread the ketchup and mustard glaze over the meatloaf, and bake again for 5 more minutes. For the best results, I recommend using a meat thermometer. The meatloaf is perfect when the temperature reaches 160 F / 70 C.
Top tips
- You want to only just combine all the ingredients. Be careful not to over mix the meatloaf, or it can be tough and dry.
- Feel free to change up any of the seasoning to suit your preferences.
- Let the meatloaf rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing it. This allows the juices to settle evenly throughout the meat.
- Use a meat thermometer to cook the meatloaf just right. It's done when a thermometer inserted into the middle of the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160 F / 70 C.
Serving suggestions
Meatloaf is perfect to serve as a main course for lunch or dinner. I love to serve it with a variety of side dishes, including some vegetables. Here are some of my favorite sides to pair it with:
- Healthy Mashed Potatoes - Meatloaf and mash is a perfect match, and I love this recipe.
- Instant Pot Basmati Rice - Simple but tasty cooked rice.
- Lebanese Salad Fattoush - This fresh salad is so tasty and super healthy.
- Spicy Roasted Carrots - I love to serve meatloaf with roasted vegetables, and these carrots are amazing!
Variations
Here are some of my favorite variations of the recipe:
BBQ glaze: Replace the ketchup with BBQ sauce for a BBQ glazed air fryer meatloaf.
Gluten free: You can use gluten free breadcrumbs to make the recipe suit your dietary requirements.
With veggies: Add up to 2 cups of finely diced or grated vegetables, such as peppers, carrots, celery, peas, mushrooms, broccoli and tomatoes. This is a great way to add extra hidden veg to your meal.
Egg free: You can make meatloaf without eggs by replacing them with an egg substitute, such as flax eggs.
Leftovers
Leftover meatloaf can be frozen for up to 6 months, or stored in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 4 days. Thaw and reheat the meatloaf in an air fryer or microwave, and serve the leftovers warm.
You can also reuse the leftover meatloaf in other dishes. I like to crumble the meatloaf and add it to minced beef pasta bake, hamburger soup or healthy bolognese.
Frequently asked questions
You can use any ovenproof dish in an air fryer. Glass, silicone, metal and ceramic dishes that are approved for oven usage all work well. Additionally, you can use cupcake molds, parchment paper and aluminum foil.
Use high fat meat, the correct amount of breadcrumbs, make sure to not over mix or overcook it, and leave it to rest before slicing it are some of the best tricks to make your meatloaf moist.
If your meatloaf falls apart, it usually means that you didn't include enough binding ingredients. Typically, this means eggs and/or breadcrumbs. It could also fall apart if it is overcooked, or simply not mixed well enough.
No. Allow the meatloaf to cook in its own juices, as this will make it really juicy. After the meatloaf has rested, the excess fat can easily be removed before serving.
You might also like these recipes
- BBQ Meatloaf
- Ground Beef and Broccoli
- Ground Beef and Cabbage Skillet
- Air Fryer Pork Roast
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken
- Air Fryer Roast Beef
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Air Fryer Meatloaf
Equipment
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 3 tablespoon ketchup
Instructions
- Combine finely diced onion, ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, oregano, 1 tablespoon of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl using your hands until just combined. Be careful not to over mix it.
- In another bowl, combine the remaining ketchup with the mustard. Set this to the side.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 F / 190 C.
- Cover the air fryer sides and bottom with a piece of parchment paper, and add the ground beef mixture. Use a spatula or spoon to shape it into a round loaf.
- Air fry the meatloaf for about 25 minutes.
- Use a spoon to coat the meatloaf with the ketchup and mustard glaze, and air fry for another 10 minutes.
- Optionally, you can use a meat thermometer to ensure that the meatloaf is perfectly cooked.
- Remove the meatloaf from the air fryer, and leave it to rest for about 10 minutes before you slice and serve it.
Video
Notes
- Leftovers: Freeze the meatloaf for up to 6 months, or store it in a sealed container in a fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat, and serve.
- Temperature: Use a meat thermometer to cook the meatloaf just right. It’s done when a thermometer inserted into the middle of the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160 F / 70 C.
Maria
Great recipe!
Colin
Great recipe, worked really well.