Air Fryer Meatloaf
User Reviews
5
18 reviews
Excellent
Air Fryer Meatloaf
Report
Air Fryer Meatloaf combines ground meat with diced onions, mushrooms, garlic, and seasonings, mixed gently and cooked in an air fryer or oven. It is finished with a sweet and tangy ketchup-based glaze that caramelizes during cooking. This method creates a compact meatloaf with a tender interior and flavorful crust.
Description
This recipe mixes ground turkey or other meats with diced onion, mushrooms, garlic, panko breadcrumbs, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Careful mixing ensures the meat remains tender. The mixture is shaped in small loaf pans lined with foil or cooked directly in the air fryer basket, cooking at 400°F for optimal browning and cooking through.
The glaze, made from ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic powder, and optional liquid smoke, is applied partway through cooking, allowing it to thicken and create a flavorful crust. The recipe includes an oven-baking alternative at 350°F with similar glazing steps and target internal temperature of 160°F, resting to reach safe serving temperature.
Resting the cooked meatloaf before slicing helps retain juices. The use of an air fryer speeds up cooking and creates a well-browned exterior without drying out the interior.
Share:
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 ½ pounds ground turkey or ground chicken, ground pork, ground beef, or a combo
- 1 egg lightly beaten, large
- ½ cup white onion diced small, or yellow onion
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs do not use regular bread crumbs
- ¼ cup portobello mushroom diced small, or white button mushroom, baby size
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste, freshly ground
Glaze
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- liquid smoke optional and to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400F.* (See Notes below for Oven Baking Instructions)
- Air Fryer Meatloaf - While the air fryer is preheating, add all the meatloaf ingredients to a large bowl, and gently use a large wooden spoon or clean hands to mix them all together. Tips - I cannot stress the importance of not over-mixing or over-working the mixture so easy does it, and so mix lightly, until just combined. Secondly, of you like more of a "well done" flavor with the onions, mushrooms, and garlic, feel free to saute them in a bit of olive oil in a medium skillet on your stove over medium-high heat before adding them to the meatloaf mixture.
- Line two ceramic mini loaf pans that are 5x3x2-inches with foil (or parchment) and spray well with cooking spray. You can also use metal pans, noting that the meatloaf will cook a bit faster in a metal pan compared to a ceramic pan. Note - If you want to cook the meatloaf without loaf pans and directly on the basket of the air fryer, that's fine. Spray the basket well with cooking spray before you place them on the basket. Any fat in the meat will drip down as the meatloaves air fry. It'll be tricky to cover the tops with foil without a loaf pan so you can omit it. Therefore, you may want to air fry at 350F to 375F range rather than 400F so the tops/outsides don't get too dark.
- Evenly divide the meatloaf mixture between the two pans. Press it in, but don't hard pack it. Tip - For crispier edges, leave a bit of air space around the perimeter of the pans where the meatloaf mixture doesn't touch. Allowing some space for air to circulate will lead to crispier edges of the meatloaf.
- Cover the pans with foil and air fry for 30 minutes, or until a digital thermometer reads 160F.
- Glaze - While the meatloaf is air frying, add all the glaze ingredients into a small saucepan, and simmer for 2 minutes on the stove over medium heat; whisk nearly constantly. Set aside briefly.
- After 30 minutes (or the temp is 160F), peel back the foil on both loaves, and carefully spread or brush glaze over the top of each loaf. Tip - You may not use all the glaze and that's fine. Save the rest for serving with the meatloaf.
- Allow the glazed loaves to air fry uncovered for about 2 minutes, or until glaze sets and thickens a bit.
- Remove the meatloaves from the air fryer, and allow them to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving (with any extra reserved glaze if desired). Tips - It's important to let the meatloaves rest so they don't fall apart upon slicing and so the final internal temperature has a chance to rise to 165F which is the safe temperature to consume poultry so do not skip the resting! All air fryers, ingredients, and climate vary so you may need to experiment with the exact amount of air frying time necessary to properly cook your meatloaf.
- Leftover meatloaf will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in your microwave as desired.
Notes
- If you don’t have an air fryer, bake the meatloaf in an 8x4-inch loaf pan at 350°F, covering with foil for the first 30 minutes and glazing before the final 30 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Lightly sautéing the onions, mushrooms, and garlic before mixing them into the meatloaf can enhance their flavor.
- Rest the meatloaf after cooking to allow juices to redistribute, ensuring moist slices.
- If cooking directly in the air fryer basket without pans, monitor cooking times closely as it may cook faster.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1
Calories
369kcal
(18%)
Carbohydrates
15g
(5%)
Protein
31g
(62%)
Fat
21g
(32%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
13g
(76%)
Cholesterol
151mg
(50%)
Sodium
893mg
(37%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
9g
(18%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 369 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 369kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 15g | 5% |
| Protein | 31g | 62% |
| Fat | 21g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 13g | 76% |
| Cholesterol | 151mg | 50% |
| Sodium | 893mg | 37% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
18 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
