This easy Mini Meatloaf recipe is made with ground beef or ground turkey and topped with a delicious meatloaf sauce. They cook faster, are easier and healthier than traditional meatloaf.
Looking for more kid-friendly meals? Try Hawaiian Meatballs, American Goulash, or Chicken Pot Pie!
Why I love this meal:
- Fast – Making meatloaf in a muffin tin is easier to make and faster to cook than regular meatloaf.
- Make Ahead – This meatloaf is easily prepped in the morning or even the night before, making dinnertime way less stressful. I also like to make extra and freeze the individual portion sizes for future quick meals.
- The Sauce – The homemade sauce only has four simple ingredients and couldn’t be easier to whip up. It takes this meal over the top with how delicious and flavorful it is!
How to make Mini Meatloaf:
Combine Meatloaf Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl (using your hands or a large spoon), combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion, barbecue sauce, mustard, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and egg.
Press Into Muffin Tin: Divide the meat among the 12 cups in a standard muffin tin, pressing them down to fill the cup. Bake for 15 minutes.
Make the Sauce: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Once meatloaf has cooked for 15 minutes, remove them and blot out any grease in the muffin cups. Spoon the sauce over them.
Return to oven for 10-15 minutes until cooked through. Serve mini meatloaf muffins with a side of Perfect Mashed Potatoes or this Apple Pecan Salad.
Healthy Meatloaf?
These easy mini meatloaf muffins are only 140 calories made with lean ground beef or about 120 calories made with ground turkey (that’s including the sauce!). I often use ground turkey instead of ground beef because once I add the sauce, my family really can’t tell the difference.
Make Ahead, Freezing, and Storing Instructions:
- To Make Ahead: Combine meatloaf ingredients and then press into a muffin tin. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to bake, or up to overnight.
- To Freeze: Grease muffin tin and press meatloaf mixture into each. Cover and “flash freeze” for about an hour. Carefully remove each partially frozen meatloaf muffin and place them in a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place the frozen servings back in muffin tin and allow them to thaw completely in the fridge. Then bake as instructed.
- To Store: Place the cooked muffins in a container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Serve With:
Follow me for more great recipes
Recipe
Mini Meatloaf
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
- 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs , or regular breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup onion , chopped
- 1 Tablespoon barbecue sauce
- 1 Tablespoon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg , lightly beaten
Meatloaf sauce:
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl (using your hands, meat chopper, or a large spoon), combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion, 1 Tbsp barbecue sauce, mustard, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and egg.
- Divide the mixture among the 12 cups in a standard muffin tin, pressing them down to fill the cup. Bake for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, in a small bowl mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce.
- Remove the meatloaf from oven and use a paper towel to soak up any grease on the meatloaf.
- Generously spoon sauce over each mini meat loaf. Return to oven for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
- Serve with mashed potatoes and any extra sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram with #TastesBetterFromScratch!
Follow Me
I originally shared this recipe September 2013. Updated August 2019 and February 2022.
Do we spray/oil up the muffin tin before adding the mixture? Sounds delicious. Trying this week!
You could, but it’s not necessary.