Easy Air Fryer Meatloaf
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Air fryer meatloaf is one of my favorite dishes – it’s quick and easy to make and you can pop some potatoes in so it’s nearly a one-pan meal! I couldn’t have it for years because my ex was allergic to eggs. But now – meatloaf and I are friends again and this air fryer meatloaf will be on your menu too!
Meatloaf is a pretty easy dish to make – but I always crack up when I make it because I think of my mom. Her meatloaf was the worst! I don’t know how she did it but even our stray cat wouldn’t eat it! I still can’t figure out how she could screw it up – but thankfully my Dad taught me how to cook – so I’m good.
Can you air fry meatloaf?
Yes!!! This would be awfully short if you couldn’t! I think the key is keeping the meatloaf OPEN so the air can circulate around the meatloaf and cook it quicker. To do this, lay a piece of foil in your air fryer and coat with non-stick spray. Then mound your meatloaf mixture on the foil and form into a loaf. Then curl up the sides of the foil to make a little “pan” around the loaf. There will be some oil coming out and this will keep it together.
This is also a great time to add some potatoes into the air fryer – I used small baby red potatoes and they cooked in the same time frame and were PERFECTION!
How do you make meatloaf?
This recipe for air fryer meatloaf is easy! That’s the #1 prerequisite for me!
Start out by sautéing a few veggies (onion, carrot and celery) until tender. Then I added in some saucy ingredients (Worcestershire, water and ketchup) and let them cook down a little. In a bowl, combine veggies, ground chuck (you can also use ground turkey or ground pork), egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Then get your hands in and mix it all together! In a separate bowl, I mixed together ketchup and brown sugar for a meatloaf glaze.
From there – you’ll line your air fryer with foil and shape your loaf. If you have potatoes – make sure they’re baby potatoes or that you cut them into 2″ chunks. Then sprinkle olive oil and coarse sea salt on them. They’ll crisp up wonderfully and go great with your meatloaf!
Top the meatloaf with your glaze and air fry for 30 minutes at 375 – temp the meatloaf and be sure it’s 165 degrees. I will say this meatloaf doesn’t make perfect stay-together slices – but it’s so moist and delicious – I loved every bite!
What to serve with the best air fryer meatloaf?!
The sides are everything when it comes to meatloaf. I tossed those baby red potatoes in and they were PERFECTION! So crispy on the outside and butter soft on the inside – but here’s some other yummy ideas:
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Easy Air Fryer Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1/4 yellow onion finely chopped (1/3 cup)
- 1/2 medium carrot finely chopped (1/3 cup)
- 1/2 rib celery finely chopped (1/4 cup)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tbsp dry)
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 cup water
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 pound 85% lean ground chuck
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion, carrot, celery, thyme and salt to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in Worcestshire sauce, water and 1/4 cup ketchup. Remove from heat, let cool.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup ketchup and brown sugar for glaze and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine vegetable mixture with ground chuck, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until it's well-combined.
- Line air fryer with foil and spray with nonstick spray
- Place ground beef mixture onto foil and form into a loaf that's approx 8x4x2, packing firmly.
- Curl up sides of foil to form a "pan" around the meatloaf.
- ** If you're adding potatoes – toss baby red potatoes in olive oil and salt and place around the meatloaf
- Coat top and sides of meatloaf with ketchup/brown sugar glaze
- Air fry for 30 min at 375 degrees. Test with a meat thermometer in the center and temp to 165.
Mmm, loooove meatloaf. My favourite recipe is a honey sesame turkey meatloaf I found in Eating Well. http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/281050/honey-sesame-turkey-meatloaves-with-broccolini/
This is the best meatloaf recipe ever and comes total with a yummy coating. It will take your breath away! My mother never made meatloaf when I was growing up so when I moved out all alone, I began exploring different avenues regarding various recipes and this is my best creation.