Asian Meatloaf swaps the usual ketchup-and-Worcestershire flavor for soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic and green onions, then finishes the loaf with a sticky hoisin and ketchup glaze. It’s made with a mix of ground beef and ground pork, baked in a 9×5-inch loaf pan at 350°F, and it serves 4.
How to make it: Cook the onion, garlic, ginger and green onions for 3 minutes. Stir the hoisin and ketchup together. Mix the beef, pork, breadcrumbs, egg, soy sauce, pepper, the cooked vegetables and half the hoisin mixture, pat it into the pan and bake 45 minutes. Drain the fat, spread on the rest of the glaze and bake 15 minutes more, until the center reads 160°F. Rest 10 minutes and slice.
Why You’ll Love It
- A new take on meatloaf night: the same easy loaf, with soy, ginger and hoisin in place of the classic seasoning.
- Glaze in two stages: half flavors the meat, half goes on top at the end so it stays glossy.
- Beef and pork together: the pork brings richness to the beef.
- Great with rice: slice it and serve it over a bowl of steamed rice.
What Makes a Meatloaf “Asian”?
The flavor comes from a handful of ingredients that show up again and again in Asian-style meatloaf recipes: hoisin sauce, soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic and green onions, with ketchup stirred into the hoisin for the glaze. The soy sauce seasons the meat, the ginger and garlic give it a warm bite, and the hoisin adds a sweet, savory finish.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef and pork: One pound of each, lean. You can make it with beef only; use 1 1/2 pounds.
Aromatics: One chopped onion, 3 cloves of garlic, a 1-inch piece of peeled fresh ginger and 2 green onions, cooked in a tablespoon of vegetable oil before they go into the meat.
Hoisin sauce and ketchup: A quarter cup of each, stirred together. Half goes into the meat and half becomes the glaze.
Soy sauce: Three tablespoons. There’s no added salt in this recipe; the soy sauce seasons it.
Breadcrumbs and egg: One cup of soft breadcrumbs and 1 large egg hold the loaf together. Panko works in place of soft breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 green onions, finely sliced
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound lean ground pork
- 1 cup soft breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
How to Make Asian Meatloaf
1. Cook the aromatics. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium non-stick frying pan. Cook the onion, garlic, ginger and green onions over medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Make the glaze and heat the oven. Stir the hoisin sauce and ketchup together in a small bowl. Heat the oven to 350°F.
3. Mix the meatloaf. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, egg, soy sauce, pepper, the cooked vegetables and half of the hoisin mixture. Mix well.
4. Shape the loaf. Pat the mixture into a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
5. Bake and drain. Bake for 45 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and drain the fat from the pan.
6. Glaze and finish. Spread the rest of the hoisin mixture over the top of the meatloaf. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, until a food thermometer in the center reads 160°F.
7. Rest and serve. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
When the Glaze Goes On and How to Tell It’s Done
Asian meatloaf recipes handle the glaze in different ways. Some pour all of the sauce over the loaf before it goes in the oven; this one splits it. Here’s the timing:
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Mixing | Half the hoisin and ketchup mixture goes into the meat |
| First 45 minutes | The loaf bakes plain at 350°F |
| Drain | Pour off the fat from the pan |
| Last 15 minutes | The rest of the glaze goes on top |
| Done | 160°F in the center on a food thermometer |
| Rest | 10 minutes before slicing |
Drain before you glaze. Pouring off the fat after 45 minutes keeps the glaze on top of the loaf instead of floating in the drippings.
Let the thermometer decide. The 15-minute finish is a guide. USDA FSIS says ground beef and pork are done at 160°F, so check the center of the loaf before you take it out.
Use a tray. Set the loaf pan on a tray or baking sheet in case the juices bubble over.
Variations
- Add heat: stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of sriracha into the glaze.
- Mushrooms: add 1 cup of diced shiitake; white button mushrooms work too.
- More flavor: add 3/4 teaspoon of sesame oil or 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro to the meat.
- Panko: use 1 cup of panko instead of soft breadcrumbs.
- Beef only: use 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef instead of the beef and pork.
- Ground chicken: if you add it to the mix, cook the loaf to 165°F, the FSIS number for poultry.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. USDA FSIS says to eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months; kept longer, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor. Thaw frozen meatloaf in the refrigerator.
Reheat slices covered until they reach 165°F on a food thermometer. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Steamed rice is the easy match, or go with egg fried rice. Add a vegetable like roasted asparagus and carrots or an Asian chicken cranberry salad on the side. Top the slices with more sliced green onion and some roasted sesame seeds. For more Asian-style ground meat dinners, try 15 minute Mongolian ground beef noodles or sweet and sour meatballs. Want the classic? Make old fashioned Momma’s meatloaf.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients in an Asian-flavored meatloaf?
Ground beef and pork with hoisin sauce, soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic and green onions, plus breadcrumbs and an egg to bind it. The glaze is hoisin and ketchup.
When should I put the glaze on?
Mix half of it into the meat, then spread the other half on top after the first 45 minutes, once you’ve drained the fat.
What temperature should Asian meatloaf be when it’s done?
160°F in the center for a beef and pork loaf. If you add ground chicken, cook it to 165°F.
Can I use only ground beef?
Yes. Use 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef in place of the beef and pork.
What do you serve with Asian meatloaf?
Rice is the classic side. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Final Notes
Mince the ginger and garlic first and the rest comes together fast. Mixing half the glaze into the meat and saving half for the top gives you flavor inside and a shiny finish outside. If you make it, tell me in the comments what you served it with.
Asian Meatloaf
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch piece ginger peeled and minced
- 2 green onions finely sliced
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce stirred with the ketchup; half goes in the meat, half on top
- 1/4 cup ketchup stirred with the hoisin sauce
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound lean ground pork
- 1 cup soft breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a medium non-stick frying pan. Cook the onion, garlic, ginger and green onions over medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Stir the hoisin sauce and ketchup together in a small bowl. Heat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, egg, soy sauce, pepper, the cooked vegetables and half of the hoisin mixture. Mix well.
- Pat the mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and drain the fat from the pan.
- Spread the rest of the hoisin mixture over the top of the meatloaf. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, until a food thermometer in the center reads 160°F.
- Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before serving.
