Brown Sugar Meatloaf
This brown sugar meatloaf pairs a tender, savory loaf with a sweet and tangy ketchup glaze. And the secret to that glossy topping? We start it on the bottom!
Jump to:
- 🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- ⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🥩 Ingredients you need
- 📝 Ingredient notes
- 💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
- 🤔 Recipe FAQs
- 🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
- Brown Sugar Meatloaf
- 👩🏻🍳 Variations on this recipe
- 🥰 Other meatloaf recipes we love!
- ⭐️ We want to know what you think!
- 🥣 Come on into our kitchen!
I don’t think I’ve met a meatloaf that I didn’t love (or, for that matter, a meatball recipe that didn’t make me swoon), but this brown sugar meatloaf is a particular favorite.
It has all that cozy, savory meatloaf flavor, plus a brown sugar and ketchup glaze that starts out on the bottom of the pan. Once the meatloaf is baked and rested, we flip it over like an upside down cake. And magically, the glaze is on top. Supper with a little kitchen magic? Yes please!
🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- What it is: A tender meatloaf with a sweet and tangy brown sugar and ketchup glaze.
- Prep time: 15 minutes.
- Cook time: 1 hour.
- Resting time: 10 minutes.
- Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes.
- Servings: 6.
- Cooking method: Oven.
- Good for: Cozy family dinners and leftover meatloaf sandwiches.
⭐️ Why this recipe works
- A glaze with a little magic: Brown sugar and ketchup bake underneath the meatloaf, then become the topping when you turn it out of the pan.
- Tender meatloaf: Milk and breadcrumbs help keep the meat mixture moist.
- Simple ingredients: Just nine ingredients, including salt and pepper, make this comfort food supper.
- Lovely leftovers: There are few things in life as wonderful as a meatloaf sandwich. Just saying.
🥩 Ingredients you need
📝 Ingredient notes
- Meat: Use ground beef or a combination of ground beef, pork and veal. Look for a package labeled “meatloaf mix” near the ground beef. I like 80/20 ground beef for its flavor.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar is our usual choice. Dark brown sugar also works and brings a deeper molasses flavor.
- Ketchup: This teams up with the brown sugar to make that sweet and tangy glaze. It goes into the pan in its own layer.
- Breadcrumbs: We love panko, but other plain dried breadcrumbs work too.
- Milk: Don’t leave it out! It moistens the breadcrumbs and helps keep the meatloaf tender.
- Onion: Finely chop your sweet onion so it mixes evenly through the meatloaf.
💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
Missing something or want to swap in something different? Check out the links below to find more ingredient substitution ideas. 👇🏻
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375°F and press ½ cup of brown sugar into the bottom of a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan. Get it good and smooshed in there.
Step 2: Spread ½ cup of ketchup over the brown sugar. Get it all the way to the edges as best you can.
Step 3: Mix 1½ pounds of ground beef or meatloaf mix with 2 beaten eggs, ¾ cup of breadcrumbs, ¾ cup of milk, ½ cup of chopped sweet onion, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Clean hands are the best way to do this, I promise.
Step 4: Smoosh that mixture into your baking dish. Bake for about one hour, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 160°F. Remove from the oven and carefully pour the juices into a heatproof bowl. Let the meatloaf rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Step 5: Set your loaf pan on a small rimmed baking sheet to catch any bubbling juices (your oven will thank you!) and bake for about one hour, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 160°F. Carefully pour the juices into a heatproof bowl, then let the meatloaf rest in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out.
Step 6: Put a cutting board on top of the loaf pan, flip it over so the bottom of the pan is facing you, and then gently wiggle the meatloaf out of the pan. And slice it up!
Honestly, the hardest part is waiting for it to be cool enough to cut it (although I promise you this is an essential step if you want nice cooperative slices of meatloaf).
🤔 Recipe FAQs
Look next to the ground beef in the supermarket meat section. Meatloaf mix is usually a combination of ground beef, pork and veal. If you can’t find it, all ground beef works just fine. I like the 80/20 variety for its flavor.
Stick with brown sugar for this glaze. Its molasses flavor is part of what makes the topping so good! You can use either light or dark brown sugar; dark brown sugar gives it a deeper flavor.
The brown sugar and ketchup bake underneath the meatloaf. When you turn the rested loaf out onto a platter or cutting board, that bottom layer becomes the topping. A little upside down supper magic!
Those 10 minutes give the loaf a chance to settle so it is easier to turn out and cut into nice, cooperative slices. I know it is tempting to dive right in, but this little wait is worth it.
Wrap it well and refrigerate it for another meal. My vote is a leftover meatloaf sandwich with a little extra ketchup. Comfort food, round two!
Pop your question in the Comments section below the recipe card and I will answer pronto!
🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
We love us some roasted green beans with walnuts on the side, and a generous scoop of carrot mashed potatoes (two great tastes that taste great together!).
And how about some caramel apple crisp or a slice of caramel apple cake for dessert? Yes please!
Let’s make it! Grab that loaf pan and let’s turn a handful of everyday ingredients into brown sugar meatloaf wonderfulness.
Brown Sugar Meatloaf
Jazz up your meatloaf with a tangy brown sugar topping! This easy recipe for brown sugar meatloaf will have them asking for meatloaf seconds.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cooling Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 1/2 pounds meatloaf mix (equal parts ground beef, ground veal and ground pork, although all ground beef will work fine too)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Pour the brown sugar into a 9×5 loaf pan and press it into the bottom. Spread the ketchup on top of the sugar.
- Mix all remaining ingredients together and press into the loaf pan on top of the ketchup.
- Bake for one hour. Remove from oven and pour juices into a bowl. Discard juice and let meatloaf rest for 10 minutes.
- Invert loaf onto a platter or cutting board, slice it up and enjoy!
Notes
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- Meat: You can either use all ground beef or a mixture of ground beef, pork and veal. This is usually labeled “meatloaf mixture” and you can find it next to the ground beef in your supermarket. It gives it a slightly lighter flavor.
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- Brown Sugar: We like light brown sugar for this recipe, but dark brown sugar works as well. The sugar taste will be a little more intense because there is extra molasses.
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- Bread Crumbs: We love panko crumbs for this recipe, but any dried breadcrumbs will work.
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- Milk: Whatever you do, don’t leave out the milk! Milk is the secret to moist meatloaf. Tell everyone.
👩🏻🍳 Variations on this recipe
- Change up the meat: Use all ground beef or the beef, pork and veal meatloaf mixture. Both work in this recipe.
- Go deeper with the glaze: Choose dark brown sugar instead of light for a more pronounced molasses flavor.
- Use the breadcrumbs you have: Swap panko for other plain dried breadcrumbs.
- Try a whole new meatloaf adventure: Our easy skillet meatloaf gives everyone extra crispy edges, while cheeseburger meatloaf brings a little cheeseburger happiness to supper.
🥰 Other meatloaf recipes we love!
Looking for more dinner inspiration? Here is our complete collection of dinner recipes!
⭐️ We want to know what you think!
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟) and your thoughts in the Comments section below.
Can you put the brown sugar directly into the meatloaf mixture
Hi Pam! Do you mean can you mix it in? Technically yes you can, but you will get a much better flavor having it as a layer on the top. Hope this helps!
Oh yeah and 10 stars if I could!! Thank you!
Aw, thanks! You made my day!
Can you put the brown sugar into the meatloaf mixture e
Best meatloaf recipe ever! I’ve been using this recipe for five years now, and my husband and kids absolutely love it. Quick question though is there anyway I can freeze leftovers and reheat later? As my kids are getting bigger, they’re eating more and I’m having to double the recipe.
Hi Ashley and thank you for your sweet words! And yes! You can definitely freeze this. Let it cool, and then wrap it first in plastic wrap and then in foil (to prevent freezer burn). It will keep up to 6 months in the freezer. You can either freeze it in slices or freeze the whole loaf. When you are ready to eat it, let it fully defrost and then warm it up in a 200 degree oven for about 15 minutes. (And yes, those kiddos do keep needing more on their plates – I’ve been there!)
I have struggled to find a meatloaf recipe that turns out as perfectly as the recipe claims, but this one definitely does! It baked perfectly and came right out of the pan easily. It was very moist, but stayed together well and was easy to slice. It was so good and the whole family loved it. This will be the only meatloaf recipe I use from now on! And thank you for the tip to add milk…I never knew that!
Kelly! You made my whole day – so glad you love this meatloaf favorite as much as we do! :)
The perfect busy week meal! So easy and the leftovers are ????
There’s nothing like a good meatloaf sandwich, right? :)