30-Minute Mini Meat Loaves
Four small, tightly packed meat loaves seared in a skillet for a crust, spooned with brown sugar and ketchup glaze and finished in a 500°F oven in under 10 minutes.
A full-size meatloaf takes the better part of two hours, which is why it became a Sunday dish. America's Test Kitchen's 2011 answer for weeknights is to make four small loaves, brown them in a skillet like burgers, then finish them in a very hot oven, cutting the cooking to about 15 minutes; it also swaps fresh onion and garlic for onion and garlic powder to save chopping. This site-only version keeps everything people want from the big loaf, the glaze included, at a weeknight pace.
Why it works the kitchen science
Small and seared
Four small loaves cook through in a fraction of the time of one big one, and the skillet gives them the browned crust a big loaf only gets after an hour.
A slotted pan in a hot oven
The slots let fat drain away and hot air reach the bottom, so the loaves finish fast without stewing in their own juices.
Step by step
- Step 1
Set a rack in the middle of the oven, put the slotted top of a broiler pan (or a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet) on it and heat the oven to 500°F.
- Step 2
In a large bowl, mix the cracker crumbs, milk, Worcestershire, parsley, mustard, egg, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Add the meat and mix with your hands until evenly combined.
- Step 3
Shape 4 tightly packed loaves, each about 4 by 3 inches.
- Step 4
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Brown the loaves 2 to 3 minutes per side, until well browned top and bottom.
- Step 5
While they brown, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar in a small bowl.
- Step 6
Carefully move the loaves to the hot pan in the oven, spoon 1 tbsp glaze over each and bake 7 to 9 minutes, until the center of a loaf reads 160°F.
- Step 7
Rest 3 minutes, then serve with the rest of the glaze.
30-Minute Mini Meat Loaves
Serves 4 · 4 mini loaves · 30 min total
Meat loaves
- 17 saltines, crushed fine (about 2/3 cup)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 lb meat loaf mix (or 3/4 lb each ground pork and 85% lean ground beef)
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
Glaze
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 tsp cider vinegar
Method
- Set a rack in the middle of the oven, put the slotted top of a broiler pan (or a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet) on it and heat the oven to 500°F.
- In a large bowl, mix the cracker crumbs, milk, Worcestershire, parsley, mustard, egg, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Add the meat and mix with your hands until evenly combined.
- Shape 4 tightly packed loaves, each about 4 by 3 inches.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Brown the loaves 2 to 3 minutes per side, until well browned top and bottom.
- While they brown, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar in a small bowl.
- Carefully move the loaves to the hot pan in the oven, spoon 1 tbsp glaze over each and bake 7 to 9 minutes, until the center of a loaf reads 160°F.
- Rest 3 minutes, then serve with the rest of the glaze.
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen, "30-Minute Meat Loaves" (July 29, 2011), as written for 4 to 6. The 500°F oven, the slotted broiler pan, the 2 to 3 minutes per side, the 7 to 9 minute bake to 160°F and the 3-minute rest are ATK's. We call it 4 servings, use 1 tbsp Dijon from ATK's 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp, and offer a wire rack in a rimmed sheet pan as our substitute for the broiler pan. America's Test Kitchen. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (1)
Tips
- Make ahead (ATK): shape the loaves, wrap and refrigerate overnight; let them sit at room temperature 20 minutes before searing.
- Turn the loaves with two spatulas; they are soft until they brown.
- Serve with quick mashed potatoes or a bagged salad to keep the whole meal near 30 minutes.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Real meatloaf takes an hour. Folklore: ATK's small loaves reach the same 160°F in about 15 minutes of cooking.
- Fresh onion beats powder. Disputed: ATK uses powders here to save time but cooks fresh onion for its full-size loaves (our Classic Glazed American Meatloaf and Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf recipes).
- Pack it loosely. Disputed: most recipes say mix lightly (Quaker, Taste of Home); ATK packs these minis tightly so they hold together in the skillet.
Every other meatloaf
Falscher Hase (German Mock Hare Meatloaf with Eggs)
Germany's "mock hare": a beef and pork loaf bound with soaked rolls, wrapped around three whole hard-boiled eggs, topped with bacon and served with a sour cream pan gravy.
1887 Veal Loaf (The White House Cook Book)
One of the oldest American meat loaves in print: ground veal mixed with eggs, cream, crushed crackers, pepper and sage, shaped by hand and basted with butter as it bakes. No ketchup in sight.
Polpettone Ripieno (Italian Meatloaf with Ham and Provolone)
An Italian beef and pork loaf made with Grana Padano and no bread at all, rolled around sliced ham and provolone, wrapped in parchment and roasted on a bed of rosemary potatoes.
Forloren Hare (Danish Mock Hare)
Denmark's mock hare: a pork and veal loaf bound with oats, covered in bacon, baked in milk, and served with a creamy sauce made from that milk and a spoonful of redcurrant jelly.
Embutido (Filipino Steamed Meatloaf)
Two foil-wrapped logs of beef, pork, ham, carrots and golden raisins, each built around a row of hard-boiled eggs and pimientos, steamed instead of baked and sliced into colorful rounds.
Bobotie (South African Curried Mince with Egg Custard)
Gently curried ground beef sweetened with apricot chutney and raisins, bound with milk-soaked bread and baked under a golden egg custard with bay leaves on top.
Classic Glazed American Meatloaf
The American classic: beef and pork bound with a milk and saltine paste, browned under the broiler, then painted twice with a tangy brown sugar and ketchup glaze and baked to a glossy finish.
Oatmeal Meat Loaf (The Stretch-the-Meat Classic)
A seven-ingredient loaf that stretches a pound and a half of lean beef with rolled oats and tomato juice, pressed into a loaf pan and baked an hour: the thrifty American meatloaf at its simplest.
Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf
A beef, pork and veal loaf brushed with brown sugar and ketchup glaze and covered with overlapping strips of bacon that baste the meat and bake up crisp.
Turkey Meatloaf with Ketchup and Brown Sugar Glaze
A ground turkey loaf kept juicy with butter, Parmesan, quick oats and cornstarch, glazed twice and baked on a rack until it reaches 165°F.
Country-Store Meatloaf (Inspired by Cracker Barrel, Not Official)
A cheesy, tender beef meatloaf made with buttery crackers, onion, green pepper and cheddar, finished with a sweet ketchup, brown sugar and mustard glaze. Inspired by the Southern roadside chain; not its recipe.
Meatballs of the World
Italian-American Meatballs
Big, tender meatballs braised for an hour in red sauce over spaghetti. The one most Americans grew up with.
Pallottine (Abruzzo Meatballs)
Tiny meatballs, smaller than a marble, tossed right through square spaghetti alla chitarra. No bread at all.
Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar)
Small, soft meatballs browned in butter, in a cream sauce made from the same pan, with lingonberry jam on the plate.
Danish Frikadeller
Pork meatballs shaped with a spoon and fried slowly in butter, crusty outside and soft in the middle.
Königsberger Klopse
German meatballs that are never fried: poached, then served in a creamy white sauce with capers.
Spanish Albóndigas in Almond Saffron Sauce
The tapas bar classic: small meatballs in a golden sauce thickened with fried almonds and bread.
Mexican Albóndigas with Chipotle and Mint
Soft meatballs with rice and fresh mint inside, simmered in a smoky tomato and chipotle broth.
Izgara Köfte (Turkish Grilled Meatballs)
Small, flat meatballs kneaded hard, rested cold, and charred on a hot grill pan.
Lion's Head Meatballs
Big, soft pork meatballs, stirred into a sticky paste, fried to set, then braised in a savory sauce.
Chicken Tsukune
Japan's chicken meatball: kneaded sticky, grilled on skewers, glazed with sweet soy tare, dipped in egg yolk.