Classic Beef Meatloaf

4.75 from 16 votes

If you're looking for the BEST old-fashioned classic beef meatloaf I have you covered with this family favorite recipe. It's packed full of flavor and topped with a lightly sweetened ketchup mixture. Trust me, you'll love this simple meatloaf recipe!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef meatloaf recipe, classic beef meatloaf, dinner recipe, ground beef recipe, meatloaf recipe, old fashioned meatloaf recipe, vintage recipes

Servings: servings

Author: Brandy O'Neill

Equipment

Ingredients

For meatloaf:

2 pounds ground beef 85/15
4 slices white bread cut into small cubes
2 large eggs
¾ cup milk
¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
¼ cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon dried poultry seasoning
½ teaspoon black pepper

For meatloaf topping:

1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Instructions

For meatloaf:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, set aside.
In a large bowl add ground beef, cubed bread, eggs, milk, chopped onion, chopped celery, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, poultry seasoning, and black pepper.
Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Because the meat is cold I usually have to take a few breaks to warm my hands up while mixing. You can also use a silicone spatula BUT I think it gets better mixed by hand.
Once your meat is mixed place it on the baking sheet and form into a loaf. I usually make my loaf about 6 inches wide by 12 inches long.
Add to the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.
After an hour of baking remove the meatloaf, top with ketchup mixture, and place back into the oven.
Cook for 15 minutes or until the meatloaf is fully cooked (it should feel firm) and the ketchup mixture on the top has started to bubble. Internally, the meatloaf should reach 160 degrees F.
Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, slice, and enjoy.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

For meatloaf topping:

In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, corn syrup, and brown sugar until smooth and combined.

Notes

If you don't want to use light corn syrup in the ketchup mixture, add more brown sugar or leave it out altogether. How sweet you like your ketchup mixture can vary from person to person.
I like to use 85/15 or 90/10 for my meatloaf. It would be best to have some fat so the meatloaf does not dry out while baking. 80/20 makes a good meatloaf, too, but it will give off more fat.
I like to line my baking sheet with foil as it's much easier to clean up. The foil will catch all the fat from the meatloaf while baking.
Dried poultry seasoning typically consists of sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, nutmeg, and black pepper.
I like to use simple sliced bread like Wonder Bread. If you're using much larger slices (think Pepperidge Farm style bread, which tends to be much larger than traditional bread), then you'll use three slices instead.
Meatloaf is fully cooked at 160 degrees F internally.

Nutrition