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Muffin tin meatloaf is an easy way to get a classic comfort food dinner on the table quickly! The mini meatloaf cooks faster, so it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
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Meatloaf has stood the test of time! It’s a classic family dinner that everyone at the table can agree on, made with affordable, hearty ingredients, and ready with minimal effort. This convenient meatloaf in muffin tins is the updated, weeknight version of the old-fashioned favorite!
The Secret to Moist Meatloaf in a Muffin Tin
There are a few key ways to keep this mini meatloaf perfectly moist.
- First, use ground beef with a little bit of fat in it. I like 85% – 93% lean. Any less fat (like ground turkey breast or ground chicken breast) will result in dry meatloaf. Too much fat, and the meatloaf will be greasy. The onion, bell pepper, and ketchup all contribute additional moisture and flavor.
- Next, the soaked oats or breadcrumbs absorb and retain the juices so you have a moister loaf. In preparation, it’s important that you don’t over-mix the meat or you’ll end up with a tough, dry texture.
- Finally, use a thermometer to know when your meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 155-160°F, since over-cooking the meatloaf can yield a dry finished product.
Ingredients
One of the great things about this easy muffin tin meatloaf is that it only requires a handful of basic kitchen staples. This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Eggs: give the meatloaf structure.
- Oats or panko bread crumbs: the binder that keeps the meatloaf moist. You can use fresh bread crumbs, cracker crumbs (like saltines), or day-old cornbread crumbs if you prefer.
- Ketchup: creates a sweet glaze that adds flavor and moisture to the inside and outside of the meatloaf. Use barbecue sauce if you prefer.
- Worcestershire sauce: for salty, umami flavor that pairs nicely with the beef.
- Parsley, thyme, garlic powder, kosher salt, and ground black pepper: add great flavor.
- Ground beef: you’ll need a total of about 1 ½ lbs. of ground meat. Use a “meatloaf mix” that includes ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal if you prefer.
- Green bell pepper and onion: add moisture and savory flavor. I use sweet onion, but yellow onion or white onion works too.
- Light brown sugar and cider vinegar: combine with the ketchup to make the glaze.
How to Make Meatloaf in Muffin Tins
This easy recipe is a great option for cozy family suppers, but it’s also special enough for entertaining guests. Everyone loves comfort food — especially when it’s miniature! The detailed directions are included in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Stir together the oatmeal mixture, and then set it aside to sit and soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Microwave the bell peppers and onions until soft.
- Combine the meat mixture using your hands or a fork.
- Divide the beef mixture between the greased muffin cups.
- Bake for 15 minutes, spread with glaze, and continue baking until done.
How Long to Cook Meatloaf in Muffin Tins
One great aspect of making meatloaf in a muffin tin is that the smaller loaves cook in about half the time that it takes a larger meatloaf to cook through. The total baking time will vary slightly depending on your individual oven.
You’ll know the muffin tin meatloaf is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 155-160°F and the juices run clear. In a 350°F oven, this typically takes about 25-30 minutes total.
What to Serve with this Easy Muffin Tin Meatloaf
This classic comfort food deserves equally delicious, cozy companions! Here are a few sides that go well with muffin tin meatloaf:
- Party Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Baked Potato Wedges, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Easy Potato Salad, or Skin-On Mashed Red Potatoes
- Duke’s Homemade Mac and Cheese, Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Crock Pot Mac and Cheese, Stovetop Shells and Cheese, or No-Boil Easy Mac and Cheese
- Jiffy Corn Casserole
- Coleslaw or Vinegar Coleslaw
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Fried Apples or Baked Apple Slices
- Southern Succotash
- Southern Collard Greens or Sweet and Spicy Collard Greens with Bacon
- Fried Okra
- Broccoli and Cheese, Easy Broccoli Casserole, or Broccoli and Rice Casserole
- Creamed Peas
- Apple and Butternut Squash Casserole or Southern Squash Casserole
- Cornbread Stuffing or Sausage Stuffing
- Cast Iron Cornbread, Fluffy Bakery-Style Corn Muffins, Broccoli Cornbread, Southern Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Sweet Cornbread, Pumpkin Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, Skillet Cornbread, Corn Sticks, or Honey Cornbread
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, 4-Ingredient Butter Swim Biscuits, 7UP Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Pumpkin Spice Biscuits, Cheddar Biscuits with Chives and Bacon, or Drop Biscuits
- Wedge Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
How to Store Mini Meatloaf Muffins
- Prep Ahead! You can prepare the meatloaf up to 24 hours in advance. Keep it covered in the muffin tin in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake, allow the meatloaf to come to room temperature on the counter for at least 30 minutes while you preheat the oven.
- Freeze the mini meatloaf before baking for convenient meal prep! To do so, flash freeze the meatloaf in the muffin tin until firm, and then carefully pop each individual meatloaf out of the tin. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, transfer to freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place the frozen mini meatloaves back in the muffin tin and thaw in the fridge overnight.
- How to Freeze Muffin Tin Meatloaf: You can also freeze the meat loaf after it is cooked. Wrap cooked mini meatloaf tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Wrapped properly, the cooked meatloaf will stay fresh in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 days. Leftovers are great on a meatloaf sandwich!
- How to Reheat Meatloaf: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the meatloaf in a muffin tin. Cover with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until meatloaf is warmed through. You can also warm individual mini meatloaves in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Sauté the bell pepper and onion in a skillet with olive oil or butter instead of using the microwave. The microwave is a nice shortcut, but the stovetop adds a bit more flavor to the veggies.
- Try other herbs in addition to the parsley and thyme. Good options include rosemary, chives, basil, and oregano.
- Add more vegetables to the meatloaf mixture, such as diced celery, grated carrots, or grated zucchini.
- Like muffin tin meatloaf with cheese? Add a handful of grated cheddar (or other good melting cheese) to the meatloaf mixture!
- Instead of just using ground beef, try a 50-50 combination of ground beef and ground pork, ground turkey, or a “meatloaf mix” of ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal.
- Add Dijon mustard or yellow mustard to the glaze for even more of a tangy, zesty flavor.
- 6 Muffin Tin Meatloaf: cut all of the ingredients in half to make just 6 mini meatloaves. This is perfect if you’re cooking for just 1 or 2 people. If you have a Jumbo muffin tin with 6 very large cavities, prepare the full recipe and extend the baking time so that the meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
Tips for the Best Muffin Tin Meatloaf Recipe
- Combine the breadcrumb mixture first, and then let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Soaking the breadcrumbs (or oats) in the wet ingredients creates a “panade,” which acts as a binding agent and prevents the meatloaf from drying out. The ketchup and other liquids activate the starch in the breadcrumbs to form a gel. This behaves similarly to a fat by lubricating the meat’s protein fibers and preventing them from becoming tough.
- Use your hands or a fork to gently combine the meatloaf mixture. Be careful not to over-mix the meat, or it will become dense and mushy.
- Lean ground beef (85%-93% lean) works best in this recipe. You need some fat to keep the meatloaf moist, but you don’t want it to be too greasy.
- Grease the muffin tins — even if you’re using non-stick muffin pans. This is good assurance that the mini meatloaf will pop right out!
- You do not need to cover the meatloaf while it’s baking.
- The eggs and the starches in the breadcrumbs (or oatmeal) act as binding agents to hold the meat mixture together and prevent the meatloaf from falling apart. Don’t omit these important ingredients.
More Meatloaf Recipes to Try
Southern Meatloaf Recipe
1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Mini Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Meatloaf Recipe with Oatmeal
1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Muffin Tin Meatloaf
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Muffin tin meatloaf is a quicker version of the comfort food classic!
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ¾ cup uncooked old-fashioned oats or Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup ketchup (or sub with bbq sauce)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ green bell pepper (about ½ cup), chopped
- ½ small onion (about ½ cup), chopped
- 1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef
Meatloaf Sauce:
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- Optional garnish: additional chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, stir together eggs, oats or breadcrumbs, ketchup, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme, garlic powder, and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a microwave-safe dish, microwave green bell pepper and onion covered at HIGH power for about 1 ½ – 2 minutes, or until softened. Set aside to cool slightly for a few minutes.
- Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add the onion mixture to the large bowl with the egg mixture. Stir to combine. Using your hands or a fork, gently mix in the ground beef, just until all of the ingredients are combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide evenly between the 12 prepared muffin cups, pressing down gently so that the meat mixture fills each cup. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the meatloaf sauce by whisking together the ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven. Use a paper towel to blot the meatloaf, soaking up any visible excess grease. Spoon the sauce over each mini meatloaf. Return to oven for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the meatloaves are cooked through and a thermometer registers 160°F.
Notes
- Combine the breadcrumb mixture first, and then let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Soaking the breadcrumbs (or oats) in the wet ingredients creates a “panade,” which acts as a binding agent and (more importantly) prevents the meatloaf from drying out. The ketchup and other liquids activate the starch in the breadcrumbs to form a gel. This behaves similarly to a fat by lubricating the meat’s protein fibers and preventing them from becoming tough.
- Use your hands or a fork to gently combine the meatloaf mixture. Be careful not to over-mix the meat, or it will become dense and mushy.
- Lean ground beef (85%-93% lean) works best in this recipe. You need some fat to keep the meatloaf moist, but you don’t want it to be too greasy.
- Grease the muffin tins — even if you’re using non-stick muffin pans. This is good assurance that the mini meatloaf will pop right out!
- You do not need to cover the meatloaf while it’s baking.
- The eggs and the starches in the breadcrumbs (or oatmeal) act as binding agents to hold the meat mixture together and prevent the meatloaf from falling apart. Don’t omit these important ingredients.
Nutrition
Serving: 2mini meatloavesCalories: 261kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 28gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 784mgPotassium: 590mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 332IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 4mg
Ooh. Thanks for the reminder. It’s so easy to overlook the good standards when trying to decide what to make. I used to make muffin tin meatloaf but my muffin tins got left behind when I moved. I’m thinking of weighing the mixture and then dividing the mixture by twelve and free styling the loaves on a cookie sheet. Do you think that would work? How long do you think the oatmeal mixture could soak without hurting it? Also, I’m always trying to get more vegetables into me without much effort! How much vegetables would you say the meatloaf could absorb without throwing the balance? Thanks!
Yes, I think it would work fine to shape them into individual portions without the muffin tin. I would say the mixture should be fine overnight. Maybe try adding a cup or so of veggies? Such as some grated zucchini, etc.
Thanks. Do you mean a cup of vegetables including the pepper and the onion or in addition to the pepper and onions. I once read a suggestion to add grated potato to meatloaf. I assume if I add a wet vegetable like potato or zucchini I’ll want to pat out the moisture. Correct?
Yes, I would start with a 1/2 cup – 1 cup in addition to what’s called for in the recipe and just see how you like it. I’ve never tried it, so I can’t say exactly which amounts will work best. I would pat dry any wet veggies to absorb some of that extra moisture.
This looks just perfect. Will be doing very soon. Can I freeze the uncooked mini meatloaf in individual packets, to bake at a later time?
Thank you.
Yes! To do so, flash freeze the meatloaf in the muffin tin until firm, and then carefully pop each individual meatloaf out of the tin. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, transfer to freezer bags, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place the frozen mini meatloaves back in the muffin tin and thaw in the fridge overnight.
It was wonderful
Made it with 1 lb hambuger but added all else
The meat sauce was so hood
Thank you, Betty! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.