Forget your everyday go-to meatloaf recipe and give this Smoked Meatloaf recipe a try. It's got a deep smoky flavor with sweet undertones and a moist and cheesy interior. You can beat that for a flavor combination with this best-smoked meatloaf recipe.
Ground beef combined with Italian breadcrumbs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and Monterey Jack cheese is then smothered in a sweet and savory glaze and cooked on the smoker for a taste explosion.
Give your Meatloaf Mondays an overhaul and replace it with this smoked version! We guarantee you'll never go back to your old recipe again. Or serve up this smoked meatloaf at your next cookout, family gathering, or holiday celebration. It's easy enough for every day but easily pleases a hungry crowd.
If you like this smoked meatloaf, you'll like this Smoked Queso Dip, Grilled Chicken Wraps, and this Best Meatloaf Recipe.
Why You'll Love Smoked Meatloaf
- Delicious change of pace: Smoker recipes for meatloaf make for a tasty alternative to traditional meatloaf cooked in the oven.
- Crowd pleaser: Sweet, smoky, and cheesy, everyone will surely be asking for seconds.
- Easy: There's nothing complicated about making this meatloaf; combine all the ingredients, shape, and cook.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: We used lean ground beef in this smoked meatloaf recipe.
- Onion: Yellow onion, finely diced, adds flavor and texture to the meat. You can also use a white or Vidalia onion if that's all you've got on hand.
- Cheese: Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, adds a whole new layer of deliciousness to this meatloaf; cheesy, gooey, and good.
- Eggs: Helps bind the meatloaf so it doesn't fall apart.
- Garlic: You can't beat the flavor of fresh minced garlic but if you've run out, jarred is a good substitute.
- Ketchup: Tomato-based ketchup adds both a sweet and savory flavor to the meatloaf.
- Worcestershire sauce: Worcestershire sauce adds a deep savory and salty flavor.
- Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs also help hold the meatloaf together. We used Italian breadcrumbs but you can use regular breadcrumbs if that's all you have. If you want you can add Italian seasoning to plain breadcrumbs to turn them into Italian breadcrumbs.
- Milk: Any fat content of milk adds moisture and flavor.
- Seasonings: We used a combination of salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and paprika.
- Meatloaf Sauce Recipe: The meatloaf glaze is made with ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Change up the meat: Instead of ground beef use ground pork, ground chicken, or a combination of ground meats.
- Modify the sauce: Use your favorite barbecue sauce instead of this ketchup-based one.
- Add some spice: Sprinkle the meat with red chili flakes or add a touch of sriracha to the meatloaf topping.
- Mix in more veggies: Finely diced carrots or celery will add more flavor and texture to the meatloaf as well as sneak in some veggies.
How to Make Smoked Meatloaf
Preheat your smoker or pellet grill to 300℉ and get your meatloaf ready.
- Prepare the meatloaf. Combine the ground beef, onion, cheese, eggs, garlic, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, milk, salt, and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix well to combine and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Get the loaf ready to smoke. Shape the meat into a loaf shape and place it in the center of a wire baking rack and then place the rack on the smoker.
- Cook the meatloaf. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, approximately 2 hours.
- Make the meatloaf sauce and brush on. Combine the meatloaf sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well combined. 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, brush the sauce all over the meatloaf.
- Remove the meatloaf. Once the meatloaf is cooked, remove it from the smoker and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
Hint
Don't overmix the ingredients. For a moist meatloaf, gently combine the ingredients and don't overmix.
Serving Suggestions
This meatloaf goes well with loads of recipes. Here are some great examples of what to serve it with.
- Prepare for a family weeknight meal with these sides for meatloaf; Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes, Cheesy Funeral Potatoes, or Roasted Potatoes and Carrots.
- Make for your next cookout with this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad or Spaghetti Salad, and this nostalgic Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad for dessert.
- Make and serve with your next family Sunday night dinner with this Cucumber Tomato Salad, these Sheetpan Breadsticks, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, these Brioche Bread Rolls, or O'Henry Bars for dessert.
Expert Tips
- Grease your hands: Put a touch of olive oil on your hands before you shape the meat into a loaf so the meat doesn't stick to your fingers.
- Use a meat thermometer: If you have any concerns that your meat is not fully cooked it's always better to be safe than sorry. Using a meat thermometer takes all the guesswork out. The meatloaf temperature should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Storage: Leftover meatloaf keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Make sure to store the leftovers in an airtight container. When freezing, you can slice the meatloaf into individual portions and flash freeze so it's easier to remove one serving at a time.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can cook the meatloaf in the oven but you won't get the deep smoked flavor. Add a few drops of liquid smoke for the smokey flavor and be mindful of the cooking time as the oven will cook at a different pace than the smoker.
Yes, the barbecue works well too. Note the cooktime will also be different from a pellet grill meatloaf so use your meat thermometer to check for doneness.
More Delicious Meat Recipes
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Smoked Meatloaf
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 2 Pounds lean ground beef
- 1 cup yellow onion finely diced
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 2 large eggs
- 3 teaspoons garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Meatloaf Sauce
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker or pellet grill to 300℉.
- In a large bowl, add ground beef, onion, cheese, eggs, garlic, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, milk, salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and paprika. Mix well to combine and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Shape the meat into a loaf and position it in the center of a wire baking rack.
- Place on the smoker and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, approximately 2 hours.
- In a small bowl, combine meatloaf sauce ingredients. Mix until well combined. 30 Minutes before the cooking time is up, brush the sauce on the meatloaf.
- Remove from smoker, and let rest for 5-10 before serving.
Notes
- Grease your hands: Put a touch of olive oil on your hands before you shape the meat into a loaf so the meat doesn't stick to your fingers.
- Use a meat thermometer: If you have any concerns that your meat is not fully cooked it's always better to be safe than sorry. Using a meat thermometer takes all the guesswork out. The meatloaf temperature should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Storage: Leftover meatloaf will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Make sure to store the leftovers in an airtight container. When freezing, you can slice the meatloaf into individual portions and flash freeze so it's easier to remove one serving at a time.
Nutrition
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your prefered nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen
The smokiness of the ground beef and the glaze on top is so amazing together.