Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

Bacon-wrapped meatloaf is what happens when weeknight dinner decides to show off! The bacon crisps into a salty shell, the brown sugar glaze caramelizes on top, and the beef underneath stays tender thanks to a little trick with oats. It’s an easy Sunday supper you can pull off on a Tuesday!

Before You Get Started

Most bacon-wrapped meatloaf problems come down to soft bacon or a loaf that falls apart on the knife. These three things fix both:

1. Use regular-cut bacon. Thick-cut won’t render in time, so you’ll pull a perfectly cooked loaf out of the oven with limp bacon.
2. Skip the loaf pan. A free-form loaf on a foil-lined sheet lets the grease run off instead of pooling around the bottom bacon.
3. Mix gently, then press firmly. Overworking the beef makes it dense. Packing the shaped loaf tight is what keeps your slices from crumbling.

How to Make Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

Nothing here is complicated. The order matters more than the technique, especially the part where the glaze goes on twice.

Step 1: Soak the Oats

Whisk the eggs, milk, Worcestershire, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper together in a large bowl, then stir in the quick oats. 

Let that sit for about five minutes if you have the time. The oats soften and hold onto the liquid, which is what keeps the finished loaf moist instead of crumbly.

⇢ Grate the onion, don’t chop it: Grated onion melts into the meat and disappears. Chopped pieces stay crunchy and create little gaps where slices want to break apart.

Step 2: Mix and Shape the Loaf

Stir the grated onion into the oat mixture, then add the ground beef. Use your hands or a fork and mix just until everything comes together. Stop as soon as you stop seeing streaks of egg.

Turn the meat out onto a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and shape it into a loaf about 9 by 5 inches. Press it together firmly. A loosely shaped loaf will fall apart as the fat renders.

Step 3: Glaze, Then Wrap in Bacon

Whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, and mustard together in a small bowl. 

Brush a thin layer over the top and sides of the loaf and set the rest aside. That first coat seasons the meat itself, which you’d lose entirely if you only glazed the bacon.

Lay the bacon slices crosswise over the loaf, overlapping each one slightly. Cover the top, the ends, and both sides, then tuck the ends underneath. Kitchen shears make quick work of any strips that hang too far.

Step 4: Bake Uncovered at 350°F

Slide the meatloaf into a 350°F oven, uncovered, and bake for 50 minutes. Don’t tent it with foil and don’t cover the pan. Trapped steam is the enemy here. It’ll soften the bacon you just spent five minutes arranging.

The 350°F matters too. At 400°F the sugary glaze scorches and the bacon darkens well before the center of a two-pound loaf gets anywhere near done.

⇢ Go by temperature, not the clock: A two-pound loaf runs about an hour, but figure roughly 30 minutes per pound and start checking early. You’re looking for 160°F in the center.

Step 5: Glaze Again, Then Finish Under the Broiler

Brush the reserved glaze over the bacon and return the pan to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the thermometer reads 160°F. You don’t have to use every last spoonful.

For bacon with real crunch and a glaze that caramelizes instead of just sitting there, run the loaf under the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes. Stand at the oven door and watch it. Sugar goes from glossy to black faster than you’d think.

⇢ If it’s browning too fast, tent it. Loose foil over the top protects the bacon while the center finishes.

Step 6: Let It Rest

Give the meatloaf at least 10 minutes before you cut into it. The juices redistribute and the loaf firms up enough to hold a clean slice. If you cut into it straight out of the oven then you’ll watch it fall apart on the board.

Ways to Change It Up

⇢ Swap the glaze: Honey mustard in place of the ketchup gives you something tangier and less sweet. A cup of your favorite barbecue sauce works too, though it might darken faster under the broiler so keep an eye on it.

⇢ Change the meat: An 80/20 beef and pork blend gives you a richer loaf. Ground turkey works if you want something lighter, but it needs the glaze more than beef does since there’s less fat carrying the flavor. My Healthy Turkey Meatloaf is built around it if you’d rather start there.

⇢ Add some heat: A teaspoon of smoked paprika in the meat mixture or a few dashes of hot sauce in the glaze both work without changing the texture.

What to Serve With Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

This is a rich main, so the plate around it can stay simple. Mashed potatoes are the classic pairing, especially since there’s no gravy here to make (try my Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes). 

Add some veggies or bread and you’ve got a full Sunday plate without much extra work!

• Southern Style Green Beans
• Garlic Roasted Broccoli
• Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
• Southern Cornbread
• Simple Side Salad

Storage, Freezing, and Make-Ahead

Storing leftovers: Keep slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They’ll hold together better cold than warm, so slice the loaf before it goes in if you’re planning on lunches.

Reheating: A 325°F oven for about 15 minutes is the only method that brings any crispness back to the bacon. The microwave works if you’re in a hurry, but the bacon will come out soft.

Make-ahead: Shape the loaf and wrap it in bacon up to a day ahead. Cover it tightly and refrigerate, then glaze and bake straight from the fridge, adding 10 minutes or so to the bake time.

Freezing: Let the baked meatloaf cool completely, then wrap it in plastic and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Freezing individual slices makes for easier lunches down the road.

One more thing worth saying out loud: cold meatloaf between two slices of white bread with a little extra ketchup and mayo is arguably better than the original dinner!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep meatloaf from drying out?

Start with 85% lean ground beef. Anything leaner than that is likely to give you a dry loaf. From there, let the oats sit in the milk for a few minutes so they can soak, mix only until the ingredients come together, and pull the meatloaf the moment it hits 160°F. 

Ground beef goes from juicy to dry in a matter of minutes past that point, so a thermometer is the key.

Can I bake this in a loaf pan if that’s all I have?

You can, but the sides and bottom won’t crisp. The grease has nowhere to go, so the bacon down there sits and steams. If a loaf pan is what you’ve got, shape the meat in the pan to get an even loaf, then turn it out onto a foil-lined sheet before you glaze and wrap it. You’ll get the same tidy shape with all the benefits of the open pan.

Can I use a beef and pork blend or ground turkey?

Yes to both. An 80/20 beef and pork blend gives you a richer, more tender loaf and behaves almost identically in the oven. Ground turkey works too, though it runs leaner and has less fat carrying the flavor, so be generous with the glaze and watch the thermometer closely. Turkey has even less margin than beef past 160°F.

Why did my meatloaf fall apart when I sliced it?

Usually one of three things. The oats didn’t get a chance to soak up the liquid, so there wasn’t enough binder holding things together. The loaf wasn’t pressed firmly enough when you shaped it. Or it went straight from the oven to the cutting board. That 10-minute rest isn’t optional. It lets the loaf firm up enough to hold a clean slice, and a serrated knife helps on the first cut.

More Ground Beef Comfort Dinners

• Homemade Salisbury Steak
• Hamburger Steak with Gravy (Poor Man’s Steak)
• Swedish Meatballs
• Muffin Tin Meatloaf
• Hamburger Casserole