Brown Sugar Meatloaf is a tender beef meatloaf under a sweet, tangy glaze of brown sugar and ketchup. The twist is where that glaze starts: in the bottom of the loaf pan. The meat bakes on top of it, and when you turn the loaf out onto a platter, the glossy glaze is sitting on top. It’s an easy, mostly hands-off family dinner that serves 6.
How to make brown sugar meatloaf: Press 1/2 cup brown sugar into a loaf pan, spread 1/2 cup ketchup over it, pack the meat mixture on top and bake at 375°F for about 1 hour, until the center reads 160°F on a thermometer. Pour off the juices, let it rest 10 minutes, then turn it out.
Why You’ll Love It
- Nine plain ingredients: ground beef, eggs, milk, onion, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, brown sugar and ketchup.
- No glazing halfway through: the glaze goes into the pan first, so once the loaf is in the oven there’s nothing left to do.
- Sweet and tangy: the glaze sits on a savory, tender loaf.
- Freezer friendly: you can mix the meatloaf ahead and freeze it unbaked for a busy night.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef or meatloaf mix: You need 1 1/2 pounds. Meatloaf mix is equal parts ground beef, veal and pork, and all ground beef works fine too. Choose ground chuck, the classic burger blend, over lean ground beef: lean beef doesn’t carry enough moisture and the loaf comes out less juicy, while a very fatty blend turns greasy.
Brown sugar and ketchup: Half a cup of each. They go into the pan before the meat and become the glaze.
Bread crumbs, milk and eggs: The crumbs and milk keep the meatloaf tender and add moisture, and the two eggs bind it all together. For a firmer slice, cut back slightly on the crumbs and milk. If you’re out of milk, beef broth works in its place.
Sweet onion: Half a cup, chopped.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, for the glaze
- 1/2 cup ketchup, for the glaze
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, or meatloaf mix (equal parts ground beef, veal and pork)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
How to Make Brown Sugar Meatloaf
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 375°F.
2. Glaze the pan. Press the brown sugar into the bottom of a 9×5-inch loaf pan, then spread the ketchup over the sugar.
3. Mix the meatloaf. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, eggs, milk, onion, bread crumbs, salt and pepper together.
4. Fill the pan. Press the meat mixture into the loaf pan on top of the ketchup.
5. Bake. Bake for 1 hour, until a thermometer in the center of the loaf reads 160°F.
6. Pour off the juices and rest. Take the pan out of the oven, pour the juices off into a bowl and discard them. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes.
7. Turn it out and slice. Turn the loaf out onto a platter or cutting board so the glaze is on top, then slice and serve.
Brown Sugar Glaze: Bottom, Top or Both?
This recipe starts the glaze in the bottom of the pan. The brown sugar and ketchup bake under the meat for the whole hour, and turning the loaf out puts them on top, with nothing to brush on along the way.
If you’d rather keep the loaf right side up, there are three other ways to glaze it. Each has its own mix, oven temperature and bake time. Those times were set for loaves of 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of beef mixed a little differently from this one, so treat them as a guide:
| Where the glaze goes | Glaze | Oven and time |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom of the pan, loaf turned out | 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup ketchup | 375°F for 1 hour |
| On top before baking | 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce | 350°F for 1 hour, covered with foil |
| Half under, half on top | 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup brown sugar | 350°F for 1 hour 10 minutes |
| On top partway through | 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard | 350°F for 30 minutes, then 375°F for 35 more minutes |
On top before baking: Stir the glaze together in a small bowl. Press the meat into the loaf pan, spoon the glaze over it and cover the pan with aluminum foil.
Half under, half on top: Spread half the glaze along the bottom and sides of the loaf pan, press the meat in firmly, then paint the rest generously over the top.
On top partway through: Shape the loaf in a casserole dish and bake it uncovered. Whisk the glaze, pour it over the loaf, turn the oven up and finish baking. Spoon any sauce left in the dish over the slices when you serve.
Whichever way you glaze it, the loaf is done when the center reads 160°F.
Tips for Success
Why is my meatloaf dense?
The bread crumbs and milk are what keep meatloaf tender instead of a dense brick, so use the full amounts. Crumble the beef into the bowl in small pieces and combine everything gently, without overworking the meat.
Why did my meatloaf come out dry?
An overbaked loaf is a dry loaf. The thickness of your meatloaf changes how long it needs, so check the center with a thermometer toward the end of the hour and take it out as soon as it’s done.
Variations
- Ginger and garlic: add 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and 2 cloves minced garlic to the meat mixture.
- Oat loaf: brown sugar meatloaf is also made with quick-cooking oats instead of bread crumbs and milk, with chopped green onions, green pepper and celery in the mix.
- Other meats: ground pork works on its own or mixed with the beef, and so do ground turkey and venison. Cook ground turkey to 165°F.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Reheat leftover meatloaf to 165°F, and not in a slow cooker.
In the oven, cover the slices with aluminum foil so they don’t dry out and warm them at 350°F; they heat up faster than the loaf first baked, so check them now and then. To get ahead, mix the meatloaf, wrap it in plastic wrap, seal it in a freezer-safe bag and freeze it unbaked. Thaw it in the refrigerator for a day or longer, never on the counter, then glaze the pan and bake as usual.
What to Serve With It
Mashed potatoes are the classic partner, and you can make them on the stove while the meatloaf bakes; try garlic Parmesan mashed potato cups. For something green, add smothered green beans or roasted asparagus and carrots, and for a corn side, easy creamy corn casserole. Cornbread, fried cabbage or roasted broccoli and cauliflower fit the plate too. For your next meatloaf night, try old-fashioned Momma’s meatloaf with its plain ketchup top, or French onion meatloaf with caramelized onions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does brown sugar do for meatloaf?
It turns ketchup into a sweet, tangy glaze. Ketchup on its own works in a pinch, but mix in brown sugar and cider vinegar (1/4 cup of each to 1/2 cup ketchup) and the glaze turns sweet and sour.
What’s the secret ingredient to a great meatloaf?
Try a 1-ounce packet of powdered onion soup mix stirred into the meat mixture. It adds depth of flavor without being overpowering.
What not to put in meatloaf?
Leave out Italian bread crumbs, which throw off the flavor. Plain bread crumbs, panko, crumbled toast or saltine cracker crumbs all work, and so do 3-4 slices of white sandwich bread cut into 1-inch cubes.
Can I bake meatloaf on a baking sheet instead of a loaf pan?
Yes. Shape the loaf with your hands on a baking sheet or in a lightly greased 9×13 pan and it will generally keep its shape; stir the brown sugar and ketchup together and spoon it over the top. A free-form 1 1/2-pound loaf in a 9×13 pan takes about 1 hour at 350°F. A muffin tin makes individual meatloaves, and cooking time depends on thickness, so check smaller loaves early and take them out when the center reads 160°F.
Final Notes
Save a few slices for a meatloaf sandwich the next day. If you make this, tell me in the comments which way you glazed it.
Brown Sugar Meatloaf
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar for the glaze
- 1/2 cup ketchup for the glaze
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef or meatloaf mix (equal parts ground beef, veal and pork)
- 2 eggs beaten
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sweet onion chopped
- 3/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F.
- Press the brown sugar into the bottom of a 9x5-inch loaf pan, then spread the ketchup over the sugar.
- In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, eggs, milk, onion, bread crumbs, salt and pepper together.
- Press the meat mixture into the loaf pan on top of the ketchup.
- Bake for 1 hour, until a thermometer in the center of the loaf reads 160°F.
- Take the pan out of the oven, pour the juices off into a bowl and discard them. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes.
- Turn the loaf out onto a platter or cutting board so the glaze is on top, then slice and serve.
