How to Make the Best Crockpot Meatloaf

How to make the best CrockPot meatloaf - This simple and easy slow cooker recipe makes a delicious and healthy dinner with a combination of ground beef and turkey and a packet of onion soup mix.

Pin

Why this is the best CrockPot meatloaf recipe

This Crock Pot meatloaf recipe is classic comfort food - juicy, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Serve it with some simple mashed potatoes or mac and cheese for a perfect weeknight dinner.

This classic meatloaf recipe uses a combination of ground beef and ground turkey, which gives the finished meatloaf a juicy, tender texture but reduces the fat and calorie content of the overall meal.

This meatloaf is cooked entirely in the slow cooker, so there's no need to heat up the oven or wait an hour for it to bake. This recipe is a perfect summer weeknight dinner. Throw it in the crockpot at lunchtime, and it will be done in time for dinner.

The CrockPot makes it really hard to mess up this meatloaf. While meatloaf baked in the oven sometimes turns out dry or tough, that rarely happens with CrockPot meatloaf, especially if you use a good ground beef (see notes below).

Pin

What you'll need to make slow cooker meatloaf

EQUIPMENT

• Crockpot - Obviously, if you're going to make slow cooker meatloaf, you need a slow cooker. Any brand will be fine, but it should be at least a 6-quart model.
• Meat thermometer - This meatloaf contains ground turkey, so it needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165ºF to be safely consumed.

INGREDIENTS

Pin

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• Butter - This is optional and used to brown the onion before adding it to the meatloaf mixture. Salted or unsalted, doesn't matter.
• Finely chopped onion - If you have time, I suggest browning the onion before adding it to the meat mixture because it adds a lot of delicious flavor to the finished meatloaf. If you don't have time, cut the onion small and throw it in raw. It'll cook as the meatloaf cooks.
• Lean ground beef - I normally prefer 93% lean ground beef, but a meatloaf made with beef that lean will be dry. It's best to use an 85/15 or even an 80/20 ground beef for meatloaf.
• Ground turkey - You're going to use less ground turkey than ground beef, but it is enough to give the meatloaf a complex flavor and reduce the calories and fat.
• Onion soup mix - This gives the meatloaf a rich flavor that complements the fresh onions nicely. You don't need to add salt, black pepper, onion powder, or garlic powder because the onion soup mix has all the seasoning taken care of.
• Bread crumbs - You need some breadcrumbs to make the loaf hold together, but you can reduce the amount a bit if you're carb-conscious. Just be aware that reducing the amount of breadcrumbs could cause the meatloaf to crumble when you try to slice it. (They're in there for a reason!) Cracker Barrel uses crushed up buttery Ritz crackers instead of breadcrumbs, so that's something you could try if you feel fancy.
• Large eggs - These bind the meat and breadcrumbs together.
• Worcestershire sauce - This is optional but adds something to the recipe.
• Ketchup - This is the typical meatloaf glaze, right? You can leave it off if you need to.
• A-1 steak sauce - A-1 steak sauce is one of my favorite foods, so I never miss an opportunity to put it in a recipe. It makes the ketchup topping sing. You could also use all A-1 and leave the ketchup out altogether if you want to.

How to make Crock-Pot meatloaf

1. This step is optional but adds a lot of flavor. Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onions are soft and beginning to brown.
2. In a large bowl, mix everything except the ketchup and A-1 Sauce.
   Pin
3. Don't be afraid to use your hands.
   Pin
4. Form the mixture into a loaf in the bottom of your crockpot.
   Pin
5. Mix the ketchup and A-1 Sauce in a small bowl.
   Pin
6. Brush ketchup mixture on top of the meatloaf.
   Pin
7. Cover and cook on high 2½ hours or on low 5 hours.
   Pin
8. Meatloaf is done when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF on a meat thermometer. Note that this is higher than a typical beef temperature, but you've included ground turkey which needs to cook to a higher temperature in order to be safely consumed.
   Pin

Cook's tips

The best way to mix a meatloaf is with your hands. Skip the wooden spoon or spatula. If you don't want to handle the meat, put on a pair of disposable gloves. Get your hands in there, and make sure you mix it well to distribute the ingredients completely.

Slow cooker liners make clean up much easier. If you want to avoid single use plastics, you could line your crockpot with aluminum foil and run it up the sides a bit to catch any juices that may escape during cooking.

My mom and grandma always put a hard-boiled egg in the center of their meatloaf. Did other moms do this? I don't know why they did it, but I'll always remember it. It's easy to form the loaf around an egg, so consider it.

If your meatloaf crumbles instead of cutting into nice slices, it's because you either didn't use enough breadcrumbs or because you didn't mix the ingredients well enough.

Pin

The key to a good, juicy meatloaf is the fat content of the meat. Using anything leaner than 85/15 beef will result in dry meatloaf. If your meatloaf does get dry, serve it with some of the ketchup/A-1 Sauce mixture to slather on top.

What to do with leftover Crock-Pot meatloaf

You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Wrap the meatloaf tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap or slice it and place the slices in an airtight container or zippered plastic bag.

You can also freeze leftover crockpot meatloaf. Wrap it in plastic wrap, put it in a zippered freezer bag or airtight freezer container, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To serve frozen meatloaf, place it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw, then heat individual slices in the microwave or place the whole thing on a baking sheet (the kind with raised edges) at 350ºF for about 15 minutes.

Pin

Try these other delicious CrockPot recipes:

• CrockPot Jambalaya
• CrockPot Steak with Mushrooms and Onions
• CrockPot Chicken and Potatoes
• CrockPot Mexican Steak and Beans
• CrockPot Pulled Pork Loin
• CrockPot Beef Stew with Gravy
• CrockPot Potato Soup
• CrockPot Corn Chowder
• CrockPot Cheeseburger Soup from Taste of Home
• CrockPot Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
• Crockpot Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

Recipe