Recipe video above. Meatloaf is so much more than a giant hunk of ground beef in a loaf shape. It should ooze with flavour, be moist and tender yet not crumble apart when sliced. And the caramelised glaze is the crowning glory!
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT75M
Total time: PT90M
Rating
4.96 stars (453 reviews)
Keywords
Meatloaf, Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup panko breadcrumbs ((Note 1))
1 large onion (, grated (brown, yellow))
1 kg / 2 lb ground beef (mince) (, preferably not lean)
2 eggs
3 garlic cloves (, minced)
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1/4 cup chopped parsley ((optional), or 2 tsp dried parsley or basil)
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Oil or spray a loaf tin. (Note 3)
Glaze: Mix together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Meatloaf: Place breadcrumbs in a very large bowl. Grate over onion. Mix so the breadcrumbs are all wet. (Note 4)
Add remaining ingredients. Mix well using your hands. Form into a loaf shape, pinching together then smoothing over creases and cracks (helps prevent cracks during baking).
Transfer into loaf tin. Brush generously with glaze, using about 1/2.
Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with most of the remaining glaze. If there is excess fat pooling, scoop/pour it off.
Bake for a further 30 minutes. Remove from oven.
Stand for 10 minutes before turning out and cutting into thick slices. You will probably get a bit of crumbling just on the edges of the first couple of slices, this is normal and indicative of the tenderness of the meatloaf (zero crumble indicates firm packed harder meatloaf which isn't as enjoyable!).
Ideal served with a dollop of ketchup, creamy mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 179 g
Calories: 404 kcal
Carbohydrates: 15 g
Protein: 24 g
Fat: 26 g
Saturated Fat: 10 g
Cholesterol: 129 mg
Sodium: 607 mg
Sugar: 7 g
Reviews
Jill Mortimer on 2025-09-05 (3 stars): Sorry Nagi, but for the first time ever in four years of making your recipes, both husband and i agreed that my meat loaf recipe is better! Keep up your hard work and we love every recipe of yours that we try. Happy to send you my meat loaf recipe for you to tinker with!
mick on 2025-08-26 (5 stars): OMG delicious.... i doubled the glaze cos i like more sauce. it was devoured with yum yum yum
Jess on 2025-08-20 (5 stars): So yummy. Thanks for having so many great recipes available Nagi, am yet to find one I didn’t love
Simone Dressing on 2025-08-13 (5 stars): Best meatloaf ever - so moist and easy to make too.
Kim on 2025-07-03 (4 stars): Loved the flavours but mine crumbled. Not sure what I did wrong. First RTE recipe to go astray.
Neela on 2025-06-26 (5 stars): Nagi! Your meatloaf could raise the dead, incredibly delicious!
Ruth on 2025-06-24 (5 stars): Just made this for dinner & it rocked. I'm cooking for two so I made half a recipe. Subbed crushed saltines for the panko & used a mix of beef & pork for the meat.
Dominiquew on 2025-06-16 (5 stars): Loved this so good. Must try
Chaun from NZ on 2025-05-29 (5 stars): My first ever time cooking AND trying meatloaf. This recipe is phenomenal. Quite happy to add this to my family's menu from now on 🤗
Chris on 2025-05-09 (5 stars): My meatloaf is currently in the oven, it's not even halfway through baking and already my kitchen smells INCREDIBLE. I've made meatloaf several times before and it's always delicious but I can tell that this is going to be something special 😁
I had fresh bay leaves handy, so I chucked a couple in the bottom of the loaf pan before putting my loaf in, might have to be a bit careful cutting slices, but we'll see!
Agria mash to go with, was shocked and horrified to very recently learn Australia does not have Agria variety potatoes?!?! You poor things 😢
Stephen Baggaley on 2025-05-06 (5 stars): A short list of ingredients, good advice about how prepare the dish, and the results are outstanding. I prepared it a couple of weeks ago with great success, and now I'm getting ready to make it again for tonight's dinner. This meatloaf is a champion!
Di Cripps on 2025-05-01 (5 stars): I made this meat loaf last night with 5% fat mince I know Nagi said to use high fat content but I prefer this mince. I did 500 gms left the other ingredients almost the same as the 1k. I did use my own meat stock I made and freeze instead of cubes. Made the sauce full too using less sugar .. it was Devine no fat came out and it was so moist and delish. Will have cold meatloaf wrap for lunch today. Thanks for this great recipe Nagi😘
Di Cripps on 2025-05-01 (5 stars): I made this meat loaf last night with 5% fat mince I know Nagi said to use high fat content but I prefer this mince. I did 500 gms left the other ingredients almost the same as the 1k. Made the sauce full too using less sugar .. it was Devine no fat came out and it was so moist and delish. Will have cold meatloaf wrap for lunch today. Thanks for this great recipe Nagi😘
MsLissa on 2025-04-29 (5 stars): So good and tasty!! Hope its even better for left overs... Have made balsamic vinegar Brussel sprouts and parmesan crusty potatoes as sides... My oh my!! Will definitely make again.
Staci on 2025-04-29 (5 stars): This is soooo similar to how I make mine. Except the bouillon cube and the onion grating, which I think is genius. I do use my small food processor to basically purée half the onion and then do a pulse chop for texture. I also add a umami powder (mushroom). I also freestyle bake it vs putting it in a loaf pan.
The thing about meatloaf is it is versatile and crazy controversial. I’ve made Asian and Mexican style/seasoned. I believe the controversy is people have had bad meatloaf…dense, dry, not seasoned enough, too much ketchup, etc. The denseness comes from overmixing. I’ve also seen not adjusting for breadcrumb types…panko vs Italian style. Using weight measurements solves this.
Heather on 2025-02-20 (5 stars): Delicious! I use smashed salada biscuits rather than panko, and add 2 tbsp of American squeezy mustard to the mix. Rather than brushing with glaze I make a shallow swimming pool on top and pour the glaze in (keeps the meatloaf more moist and you don't half to stuff around with reglazing midway through). Freezes really well (cooked) in slices wrapped in Go Between and in a freezer ziplock bag.
