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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Delicious! Doubled the recipe ! Used 1 lb beef and 1 lb ground pork. I added a bag of thawed Kroger mirepoix for the veggies, added Montreal steak seasoning and used the full 8 oz can of tomato sauce. After i removed from oven drained off the pork fat. Used the oatmeal and it turned out so moist and delicious, glad I doubled the recipe!
★★★★★
Can you use shredded Parmesan cheese ?
Sure!
Thanks! I made them tonight. Loved them !!
★★★★★
Loved this recipe!
★★★★★
I made mine with ground turkey. Not sure if it was the size of my muffin tins or not but I was able to make 12. Got a little messy with the sauce but they turned out awesome.
★★★★★
So good and easy to make. Add to my favorite to cook on a quick dinner night
★★★★★
Came out amazing! Will always use oatmeal from now on!
★★★★★
deliciousness!
★★★★★
This is a great way to make meatloaf in half the time. Super delicious and they taste great even as leftovers! The recipe made 12 and I’ll make this recipe again!
★★★★★
I know I shouldn’t indulge kids too much but I made these for my grandkids! That’s different. I really like the fact that I could vary the toppings on this small format…some plain, some with ketchup and some with BBQ sauce. I stopped at the request for cheddar on some and American cheese on others. 🙂
I love it, glad y’all enjoyed the meatloaf muffins!
First time making muffin meatloaf, but I can tell you these were were so delicious! From now on this will be my only way making meatloaf.
★★★★★
I’ve actually made this a half a dozen times in two weeks! This is the only way my husband will eat meatloaf.
★★★★★
It was so easy. Family loved them. Muffin size makes great for leftovers
★★★★★
Easy, fast, & delicious!
★★★★★
My husband said this is the best meatloaf he’s ever had!
★★★★★
Family favorite!!
★★★★★
Amazing! Added some of my own spices in there and I’m hooooooked!!!
★★★★★
I had ground beef that I needed to use & had everything on hand to make this recipe so I tried it. It is super simple, quick to make & delicious! I tweaked it a bit adding more Worcestershire sauce & opted for jalapeño ketchup but other than that, perfect!
★★★★★
This is a great base recipe!
I’ve made it a few times and have added finely diced shiitake mushrooms, fresh parsley, diced onion and garlic in place of the powder the additions are endless and it comes out great every time!
Was quick and easy to make! Husband and I would definitely eat it again!
★★★★★
Your print link does not print the ingrediants or the instructions
Strange, it works when I click print. Maybe my website was glitches when you accessed it.
Delicious and I will be making these more often
★★★★★
I just made this, exactly as directed (2 eggs) and it was amazing! I added mushrooms and onions, because those were the only veggies I had.
★★★★★
I just made these tonite for dinner. Super easy to make. Just one word of warning…put your muffin pans on a cookie sheet! I did and whew! They do bubble over. Great recipe!!
★★★★★
I made this tonight and it was great!!
★★★★★
Made these there very tasty ,❤️
Made these tonight. So easy and so good. Thank you.
★★★★★