These Meatloaf Muffins are perfectly sized, and they bake up quickly! Who says comfort food can’t be quick and easy?! Perfect for a weeknight meal!
Meatloaf in Muffin Tins
A few years ago, I started making these Meatloaf Muffins for those nights when we wanted meatloaf but faster than the traditional loaf. We pretty much have all of our different meatloaf variations in muffin form because they cook so quickly, and they (the muffins) are perfectly portioned!
This Meatloaf Muffins recipe is always a hit with my kiddos and guests.
Meatloaf seems to be one of those things that people either love or they really hate. There is no middle ground, is there? Personally, I’m in the camp “love it.” However, we don’t eat it too often. It takes about an hour to cook a regular meatloaf, and I don’t have time for that on a weekday. However, we can have this recipe done in about half an hour from start to finish.
Meatloaf Muffins: Ingredeints & Utensils
To make this recipe for Meatloaf Muffins, you will need …
Ingredients
- butter – feel free to use salted or unsalted. Olive oil or other cooking oils can be substituted.
- small onion – use any variety you have on hand or what you prefer (yellow, white, sweet, red).
- lean ground beef – I prefer to use all ground beef, but you can use ground pork for part of your meat mixture.
- large egg – I’m not familiar enough with substitutes for eggs. I have heard you can use mayonnaise or chia seeds.
- milk – any non-flavored variety can be used.
- dried plain bread crumbs – cracker crumbs can also be used. For low-carb, use crumbled pork rinds.
- salt and pepper – you can also include any other seasonings you like.
- brown sugar – I use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar can be used in a pinch. For those watching their sugar intake or who are low-carb, use a golden monk fruit sweetener or a similar low-carb product.
- prepared yellow mustard – whatever kind you prefer.
- ketchup – any kind you prefer. For those watching their sugar intake or who are low-carb, use sugar-free.
Utensils
- knife and cutting board
- measuring cups and spoons
- skillet and cooking spoon or rubber spatula
- large and small mixing bowl
- 12-cup muffin tin
Meatloaf Muffins: FAQs
Meatloaf can be frozen, either fully cooked and cooled, or raw ready-to-bake. Either way, wrap the meat mixture entirely in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight freezer-safe container. Allow the meat to thaw completely before baking or reheating.
Decide if you are freezing the muffins before or after baking. Either way, wrap the meat mixture completely in plastic wrap or place it on an airtight freezer-safe container. Allow the meat to thaw completely before baking or reheating. Use the raw meatloaf mixture within 6 months. Already baked meatloaf needs to be used within 2-3 months.
– OVEN: Preheat your oven to 250F. If your muffins are outside the baking tins, place them in an oven-safe baking dish with one tablespoon of broth or water. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake 10-15 minutes or until heated through. If your muffins are inside the baking tin, cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
– MICROWAVE: Place two muffins on a microwave-safe plate and cover them with a microwave-safe lid or paper towel. Microwave at half-power for 1:00 to 1 minute, adjusting the time depending on your microwave until the muffins are heated through.
Recipe Variations
- Try sautéeing chopped green peppers and/or mushrooms with the onion.
- Stick some cheese (cubes or shredded) in the middle for a gooey treat.
- Skip the ketchup mixture and top your muffins with bacon strips that have been cut in half or thirds.
- Try your favorite BBQ sauce in place of the ketchup mixture.
- Shake things up by omitting the topping altogether and use mashed potatoes on top!
- Spice things up and add a packet of taco seasoning to the ground beef mixture! Instead of the ketchup mixture, use your favorite salsa!
- Watching your carb or sugar intake? Swap out the breadcrumbs for ground-up pork rinds. Use golden monk fruit sweetener (or similar product) in place of the brown sugar, and use sugar-free ketchup.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Meatloaf Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup dried plain bread crumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
- ½ cup ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked onions, beef, egg, milk, and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
- Brush a 12-muffin tin (1/2-cup each) with vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil. Divide the ground beef mixture between the muffin tin. Lightly pat it into each well.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup. Set aside.
- Bake meatloaf muffins for 10 minutes. Remove meatloaf muffins from the oven and top with ketchup mixture. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160°F.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Recipe Variations
- Try sautéeing chopped green peppers and/or mushrooms with the onion.
- Stick some cheese (cubes or shredded) in the middle for a gooey treat.
- Skip the ketchup mixture and top your muffins with bacon strips that have been cut in half or thirds.
- Try your favorite BBQ sauce in place of the ketchup mixture.
- Shake things up by omitting the topping altogether and using mashed potatoes on top!
- Spice things up and add a packet of taco seasoning to the ground beef mixture! Instead of the ketchup mixture, use your favorite salsa!
- Watching your carb or sugar intake? Swap out the breadcrumbs for ground-up pork rinds. Use golden monk fruit sweetener (or similar product) in place of the brown sugar, and use sugar-free ketchup.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
Originally published on September 1, 2015. Updated on February 23, 2022.
Love it ! And I am sure Cheri would like this more than the loaf type meatloaf 🙂
These would be perfect for the two of us!! Easy to store the leftover little muffins for the next day instead of baking a whole meatloaf!!
( Talking about the foodies not the other guy! HA)
Such a terrific idea! I've been waiting for my meatloaf hater to go back to college so I can make some—but now we're having a heat wave. Darn it. Next batch will be in muffin tins—hope it will be soon!
Ok, so now I have a song stuck in my head LOL. These do look really good!
Fun way to serve perfectly portioned meal. I bet my kids would get a kick out of these.
This is definitely my favorite kind of comfort food! Delicious!
I love that you incorporated the band into your meatloaf post, Jamie! I totally had a laugh out loud moment. 🙂 And I DO happen to love meatloaf…the food…notsomuch the band. lol These look so fun and my kids would love them!
Anything in the shape of muffins is better! Love these, Jamie!
Just made these and they were awesome! Even my picky boys loved them 🙂 thanks a bunch!
Just made these and they were awesome! Even my picky boys loved them 🙂 thanks a bunch!
Try swapping out the ketchup for Chili Sauce + a little brown sugar for a sassy version of your yummy recipe.
We have been substituting ground turkey for most of the beef recipes. Can you think of any reason why it wouldn’t work here? I’ve made plenty of turkey meatloafs, so…….. whatcha think?
Thanks for the question, Georgia. I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. I would love to hear how they turn out with the ground turkey! ?
Could I swap oats? For the breadcrumbs?
Can I make these without the milk or use a non-dairy substitute?
Absolutely! Replace with a non-flavored non-dairy substitute or water! ??
Can these be frozen, if so would it be best to freeze them before or after cooking? Then how would be the best process to cook them after freezing?
Do leftover meatloaf muffins freeze well? not everyone is cooking for 6 🙂
if they are frozen, how would you heat them up?
? thank you for sharing your recipe, and reminders of meatloaf?????
My husband and I absolutely LOVE these meatloaf muffins! Thank you so much for the recipe 😊
At what temperature do I cook them at? It says to cook them for 25 minutes. But it doesn’t say anything about what temperature to cook them.
Step one says to “Preheat oven to 350°F.” Please let me know if you don’t see that on the recipe card – sometimes it does wonky stuff and I will need to look into it.