Mini Meatloaf in a Muffin Tin Recipe
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Mini Meatloaves in a muffin tin? Yes, Please! These Mini Meatloaf Muffins are a fun and delicious alternative to regular meatloaf.
Baking the meatloaf in a muffin tin shortens the cooking time and is always a hit with the kids!
Why Meatloaf Muffins are a Must Make!
We love everything in miniature over here.
- You can cook just about anything in a muffin tin and it will be a success.
- I especially love this recipe because it is so easy and flexible.
- I can hide whatever veggies I have on hand and get no complaints!
- Meatloaf muffins are perfect when you don’t have a lot of time to cook as the cooking time is much shorter than regular meatloaf.
If you haven’t tried your meatloaf in a muffin tin yet, you really should give it a try!
You can use your own favorite meatloaf recipe, just use the cooking time below or my recipe is pretty darn yummy too!
Ingredients in Meatloaf Muffins + Notes
Ingredients at a glance, find the full printable recipe at the bottom of the post.
- Ground Beef | Use a lower fat ground beef if you can. The less fat in the beef, the less fat the will end up in the wells of the muffin pan. Ground turkey works fine too.
- Oatmeal | Oatmeal helps to bind the meat and other add-ins together. You can use bread crumbs in a pinch, but I prefer the texture the oats give to the meatloaf muffins.
- Egg | Large (works with the oats or breadcrums as a binder to help hold the meatloaf together.
- Tomato Sauce | For flavor. Instead of the tomato sauce, I often substitute the tomato sauce with +/- 1/4 cup of ketchup in the meat mixture and at least another 1/4 cup for the top. Personal choice to use the ketchup vs tomato sauce I do prefer the taste of ketchup – probably due to the added sugar.
- Parmesan cheese | For flavor. Use whatever kind you have on hand.
- Seasonings | Garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper
- Optional | A couple of handfuls of whatever other veggies you have on hand. (onions, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, spinach, lentils…)
How To Make Meatloaf Muffins
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, but only use about ¼ of the tomato sauce/ketchup in the meat mixture. Reserve the rest for the tops of the meatloaf muffins.
3. Press the meat into the muffin cups (you should be able to get eight to 10 out of this amount of meat).
4. Top with a dollop of tomato sauce/ketchup on each one.
5. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Don’t forget the spray your muffin man, especially if using turkey or very low fat ground beef.
- Use as low fat meat as you can. This will help keep your muffins from swimming in fat in the muffin tin and also helps the muffins come out in a nice shape. (They wont shrink up quite as much. (Ground beef containing a higher percentage of fat will shrink up more because the fat will cook cook out, leaving less meatloaf muffin.)
- Dont leave out the Worchestershire sauce. It really adds a nice depth of flavor to the meatloaf muffins.
- I’ve made this meatloaf muffin recipe so many times and so many ways that I can tell you, oats instead of breadcrumbs are the way to go.
FAQ’s
Can Muffin Tin Meatloaf be Frozen?
Yes, Of course you can freeze these Meatloaf Muffins!
Follow the recipe as specified and let the mini meatloaves cool. Add to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.
To thaw, place in the fridge overnight and you can either reheat in the microwave (at about a minute per muffin) or all at once in the oven for about 20 minutes. (Use a thermometer to make sure the muffins are fully warm in the center.)
Can this Recipe be Doubled?
Yes, this meatloaf muffin recipe is the perfect recipe for doubling. I often make a double batch to freeze for later.
How Long Do I Cook Meatloaf Muffins?
As I mentioned earlier, one of the benefits of meatloaf muffins over a traditional meatloaf recipe is the faster cooking time. I cook these mini meatloaves for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. I do recommend a meat thermometer to ensure your muffins are cooked completely. (They are done when the center reaches 160 degrees F.)
Variations on this Meatloaf in a Muffin Tin Recipe
- Use barbecue sauce instead of ketchup.
- Like a bit of kick to your food? Add some red pepper flakes.
- Ground turkey can be substituted for ground beef. (Cook time is the same, but use your meat thermometer and make sure the center temperature registers to 165 F for poultry.)
- Slice the mini meatloaves in half and serve as meatloaf sliders.
- I love to hide veggies in my meatloaf. Lentils, carrots, mushrooms, etc… (just dice the veggies into fine pieces.)
Pin this recipe for later
Favorite Sides to Serve With Mini Meatloaves
- Loaded Mashed Potato Bake
- Parmesan Ranch Baked Potato Wedges
- Roasted Baby Carrots
- Corn On The Cob In The Microwave
- Baked Potato Mac And Cheese
Let us Know What You Think!
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. If you share an image on Instagram or Facebook, be sure to tag me and use #scatteredmomrecipes!
Print
Mini Meatloaf in a Muffin Tin Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 35 min
- Yield: 10 to 12 meatloaf muffins 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: american
Description
Meatloaf Muffins are a fabulous alternative to regular meatloaf. Kids just love them and mini meatloaf muffins cook much faster than traditional meatloaf.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs or oatmeal (Either works, but I now use oatmeal)
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (Instead of the tomato sauce, I often substitute with around 1/4 cup of ketchup in the meat mixture and at least another 1/4 cup for the top. Personal choice to use the ketchup vs tomato sauce I do prefer the taste of ketchup – must be the added sugar.)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- several shakes of Worcestershire sauce (about a teaspoon)
- A couple of handfuls of whatever other veggies you have on hand… (onions, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, spinach, lentils…)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, but only use about ¼ of the tomato sauce/ketchup in the meat mixture. Reserve the rest for the tops of the meatloaf muffins.
- Press the meat into the muffin cups (you should be able to get eight to 10 out of this amount of meat).
- Top with a dollop of tomato sauce/ketchup on each one.
- Cook for 30-35 minutes.
- Serve two per person.
Notes
Nutritional Info: Using 1 egg, 93/7 Ground Turkey, 1/2 cup of ketchup and dividing into 10 meatloaf muffins, the calorie count is about 110 per muffin. (Pretty good if you ask me!)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 meatloaf muffins
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 6
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 9
- Protein: 22
Keywords: mini meatloaf, meatloaf muffins
And don’t forget dessert: S’mores on a Stick
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Love this as is perfect size for two. Personal preference is tomato soup vs ketchup or tomato sauce. Still delicious…thank you ever so much for sharing! I would never have thought to use muffin pans…makes the perfect amount of meatloaf for two.
★★★★★
Easy and tasty. I sauteed onion and carrot to sweeten before adding to the other stuff.
★★★★★
Thanks! I’ve used oatmeal for years in my meatloaf, and never met anyone else who does! My friends think I’m weird, but I decided it was healthier than plain bread, and my children never knew the difference anyway. =) This sounds like a great idea in the muffin tins. I will have to try it. P. S. I mix a little A-1 in with the ketchup for the meatloaf and topping.
I bet that is good, gives it a little kick.
This was delicious and loaded with veggies my kids loved it!!!
★★★★★
DS-DELICIOUS!!! Doubled the recipe. Used 2 fresh garlic cloves. Used old fashioned rolled oats..grinded a little. Added chopped onions, mushrooms, and spinach.
★★★★★
This is so good. I sautéed the onion and bell pepper first so they would be more tender. Turned out so good. Will be making this once a week now.
★★★★★
Oh my gosh this recipe was one of the best I have ever tasted !
★★★★★
Hi we love the muffin meatloaf. I wonder about making them up and freezing before cooking. Do you recommend this or tried it this way.
I have only ever tried freezing after cooking, but I don’t see why you could not freeze before cooking. Just let them thaw before putting them in the oven.
Hi Do the veggies need to be cooked first before adding ?
I do not cook the veggies first, but you definitely could.
Delicious! Our 3 year old loved it
★★★★★
I Love these!!! My extra that I put in instead of Worcestershire is your favorite steak sauce, just a bit, maybe a couple of teaspoons, & I make my topping for the tomatoy glaze using ketchup, bbq or steak sauce, & about 3 tsps of light brown sugar.. Yummm..
Another thing I do to make these easier since it’s just hubby & I at the house now. I make up the whole recipe, but only cook what well eat for the night, then freeze raw whats left, of course I freeze it in a different muffin tin for like a day, then they pop out, I can then put them in a food saver bag for a super easy meal in the future. Great job on this recipe, love the oats in this!!
★★★★★
I love my food saver too. If anyone is interested in checking it out, this is the one I have: https://amzn.to/3UmA81Z (the white one.)