Mexican Meatloaf is a hearty, savory dinner with beef, chorizo, roasted poblano chiles, and a thick, tangy tomato salsa. Make it for a weekend dinner when you can give the loaf time to bake and rest before cutting into it.
How to make Mexican meatloaf: Shape the beef-and-chorizo mixture into a loaf and bake at 375°F for 60 to 90 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F. Rest it for 10 minutes before slicing.
Why You’ll Love It
- A slice with plenty going on: Chorizo and roasted poblanos run through the loaf, while chunky tomato salsa goes on top.
- Prep while it bakes: You can make the salsa during the loaf’s time in the oven.
- Easy to portion: The shaped loaf serves 8 and gets a short rest before you slice it.
- Heat you can adjust: Remove the serrano seeds if you prefer, or swap in jalapeños.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef and Mexican chorizo both belong in the loaf. Buy Mexican chorizo that you can remove from its casing and crumble into the meat mixture. The beef gives you the main body of the loaf; the chorizo brings its seasoning throughout rather than leaving all the flavor to the topping.
Roasted poblano chiles should be roasted, peeled, and chopped before you begin mixing. The recipe starts with them in that state, so have them ready when you set out the other ingredients. I like to check for any large pieces as I add them so the chiles are distributed through the loaf.
Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic are divided by job: the cooked vegetables and some garlic go into the meat, while more onion and garlic go into the salsa. Keep those portions separate as you chop. It is much easier to follow the skillet steps when the salsa ingredients are not mixed into your pile of loaf vegetables.
Eggs, bread crumbs, ketchup, and sour cream all go into the meat mixture. Beat the eggs before combining them with the seasonings and wet ingredients, then add that mixture to the meat along with the crumbs. My pick is to measure the crumbs before handling the raw meat so everything is ready to mix at once.
Fire-roasted diced tomatoes form the base of the salsa. You want a chunky blend, not a smooth tomato puree, before it goes into the skillet to thicken. Brown sugar, chipotles with their measured adobo sauce, and yellow mustard finish that topping.
Serrano peppers go into the salsa with their stems removed; you can remove the seeds, too. Jalapeños can take their place. I choose the pepper before starting the blender so I can keep the topping separate from the loaf mixture.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped, for the meatloaf
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced, for the meatloaf
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from its casing and crumbled
- 2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, and chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, for the meatloaf
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 15 ounces each, for the salsa
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped, for the salsa
- 4 cloves garlic, minced, for the salsa
- 2–4 serrano peppers, stems removed; seeds may be removed
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
- Kosher salt, for seasoning the salsa
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking pan
How to Make Mexican Meatloaf
1. Heat the oven. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Set out a large skillet, a large mixing bowl, and a 9×13-inch baking pan so you have somewhere to move the vegetables as they cool.
2. Soften the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the meatloaf onion, carrots, and celery for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are just starting to soften. Add the meatloaf garlic, cook for 1 minute more, then take the skillet off the heat and let the vegetables cool.
3. Mix the loaf. Put the cooled vegetables in the large bowl with the ground beef, crumbled chorizo, and chopped poblanos. In a separate bowl, combine the meatloaf salt, black pepper, cayenne, beaten eggs, ketchup, and sour cream. Add that mixture and the bread crumbs to the meat, then mix thoroughly.
4. Shape and bake. Coat the 9×13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and shape the meat mixture into a loaf in the pan. Bake for 60 to 90 minutes. Insert a food thermometer into the center of the loaf and keep baking until it reads 165°F; the browned surface alone cannot tell you when the middle is done.
5. Make the salsa. While the loaf bakes, pulse the fire-roasted tomatoes, salsa onion, salsa garlic, and serrano peppers in a blender until chunky. Move the mixture to a skillet over medium heat, add the brown sugar, minced chipotles, 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce, and mustard, then simmer until thick. Season with kosher salt.
6. Rest and serve. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before you cut it. Spoon the thick salsa over the slices when you serve them.
How to Tell When the Center Is Done
The tomato salsa can cover the top of a slice, and a browned exterior tells you little about the center. Check the meat itself with a food thermometer: this loaf is ready when the center reads 165°F. I rely on that reading rather than trying to decide whether a slice looks done.
The baking range is 60 to 90 minutes because the oven and baking pan can affect how long the loaf takes. Start checking during that range, but do not pull the pan out for its final rest on the strength of the clock alone. The salsa belongs on top at serving time, so you can check the loaf without pushing the thermometer through the topping.
After baking, give the loaf its 10-minute rest before slicing. Use it to bring the salsa to the table rather than cutting straight into the loaf.
Tips for Success
Why is my salsa still thin?
You will see loose tomato liquid around the chunky pieces instead of a topping that sits thickly on the spoon. Leave the salsa in the skillet over medium heat and continue simmering until it thickens. I keep the blender pulses brief; the goal is a chunky salsa before it reaches the skillet.
Why are the vegetables firm in my slice?
Noticeable firm pieces mean the onion, carrots, and celery needed more time in the skillet before mixing. Cook them until they are just starting to soften, then let them cool before adding them to the meat. If you have not shaped the loaf yet, return the vegetables to the skillet rather than counting on mixing to soften them.
Variations
- Use jalapeños: Swap them for the serrano peppers in the salsa.
- Use prepared salsa: Spoon your favorite prepared salsa over the finished loaf instead of making the tomato topping.
- Adjust the serranos: Remove their seeds before blending if that is how you prefer the salsa.
Storage & Reheating
Cut leftovers into smaller portions and refrigerate them in shallow, covered containers within 2 hours. USDA FSIS says leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer; reheat them to 165°F, checking with a food thermometer. You can reheat frozen leftovers without thawing.
What to Serve With It
For a rice dish alongside the meatloaf, consider one-pot Mexican rice casserole. If you are planning more baked dinners, save Mexican tortilla casserole or layered taco bake for another night. For more meatloaf ideas, browse Parmesan meatloaf, old-fashioned Momma’s meatloaf, and French onion meatloaf.
Frequently Asked Questions
What gives this meatloaf its Mexican-style flavor?
The loaf combines ground beef with Mexican chorizo, roasted poblano chiles, and cayenne. Its topping adds serrano peppers and chipotles in adobo to a fire-roasted tomato salsa. You get those flavors in both the slice and the spoonful on top.
Is there cheese inside this meatloaf?
No. The meat mixture contains beef, chorizo, poblanos, cooked vegetables, and the ingredients that bind them, but no cheese filling. Shape it as a loaf rather than enclosing a filling.
Should the salsa be completely smooth?
No; leave the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and peppers chunky after pulsing them in the blender. The salsa then cooks in a skillet until thick, giving you a spoonable topping with pieces of tomato and pepper.
Final Notes
Keep the salsa in its skillet until it is thick enough to spoon over a slice. If you have a question or make this meatloaf, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Mexican Meatloaf
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion chopped; for the meatloaf
- 2 carrots medium, chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced; for the meatloaf
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pound Mexican chorizo removed from casing and crumbled
- 2 poblano chiles roasted, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt for the meatloaf
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes 15 ounces each; for the salsa
- 1/2 cup onion chopped; for the salsa
- 4 cloves garlic minced; for the salsa
- 2–4 serrano peppers stems removed; seeds may be removed
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce minced; include 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
- kosher salt for seasoning the salsa
- nonstick cooking spray for the baking pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the meatloaf onion, carrots and celery until just starting to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the meatloaf garlic and cook 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Transfer the cooled vegetables to a large bowl. Add the ground beef, chorizo and roasted poblano chiles. In a separate bowl, combine the meatloaf salt, black pepper, cayenne, beaten eggs, ketchup and sour cream. Add this mixture and the bread crumbs to the meat and mix thoroughly.
- Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Add the meat mixture and shape it into a loaf. Bake for 60 to 90 minutes, until a food thermometer inserted into the center reads 165°F.
- While the loaf bakes, pulse the canned tomatoes, salsa onion, salsa garlic and serrano peppers in a blender until chunky. Transfer to a skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, chipotles and 1 tablespoon of their adobo sauce, and mustard. Simmer until thick, then season with kosher salt.
- Let the meatloaf rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the salsa on top.
