Air Fryer Meatloaf
Best Air Fryer Meatloaf Recipe – Learn the easy steps and top tips to air fry perfectly moist, delicious, melt-in-your-mouth amazing meatloaves with a tangy ketchup glaze in only about 30 minutes!
Why We Love This Meatloaf Recipe
A classic meatloaf recipe is an All-American comfort dish that most of us were either raised on or have grown to love. This iconic main dish is tender and moist with a meaty flavor and is typically complimented with a tangy glaze so that every bite is both savory and sweet… In a word: Delicious!
Meatloaf is traditionally made in the oven, like our fantastic Healthy Ground Chicken Meatloaf and Mini Meatloaves recipes. In today’s recipe, we’re using the air fryer to cut down on energy usage and mess! From start to finish the recipe takes only about 40 minutes to make, so it’s also faster than baking. And it’s even great to make-ahead and freeze for later.
But wait, that’s not all! To make this Air Fryer Meatloaf Recipe the best and easiest, we are also using a food processor to chop the fresh vegetables into tiny minced pieces. (You do not have to use a food processor for this recipe but you will need to finally mince all the vegetables, which will take more prep time.)
Serve thick slices of homemade meatloaf with your favorite comfort food sides for a hearty meal that the whole family will love!
Ingredients You Need
- Ground beef – ground chuck or lean ground beef
- Bell pepper – chopped, any color
- Onion – chopped
- Carrot – chopped
- Celery – chopped
- Garlic – whole cloves
- Breadcrumbs – or crushed saltine or Ritz crackers (or GF bread crumbs)
- Milk – whole or 2%
- Egg – large
- Spices – Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper
- For the glaze – ketchup and hot sauce (I use Cholula)
How to Make Meatloaf in the Air Fryer
Roughly chop the fresh produce. It does not need to be chopped well because it’s going in the food processor.
Set out a food processor. Add the chopped bell peppers, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the food processor. Pulse until the vegetables are ground into a fine mince.
Add the breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Pulse again until all ingredients are well combined. But do not puree!
Finally, add the ground beef to the food processor. Pulse until the ground meat is mixed evenly into the rest of the ingredients, and the mixture is smooth.
Pro Tip: Do not overmix the meat mixture. Over-mixing will result in a tough and dry meatloaf texture.
Divide the meat mixture into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a loaf about 3 inches across and 5-6 inches long.
Place the meatloaves directly in the air fryer basket.
Pro Tip: Cut down on mess by placing a square of parchment paper under the meatloaves in the fryer basket. Only do this after the air fryer is preheated, or the paper might blow against the heating element and catch fire.
Set the air fryer to 360°F and air fry for 15 minutes.
For the Glaze: Set out a small bowl and combine the ketchup and hot sauce. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Once the timer goes off, open the air fryer basket and spoon the ketchup mixture over the top of each meatloaf. Use the spoon to maneuver the ketchup so it coats the top of the meatloaf well.
Get the Complete (Printable) Air Fryer Meatloaf Recipe and Video Below. Enjoy!
Continue to air fry for 6 to 9 additional minutes, until the internal temperature reads 160°F on an instant read meat thermometer.
Remove the meatloaves and let them rest for a few minutes on a platter before slicing and serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve thick slices of air fryer meatloaf warm with traditional comfort food side dishes. We especially love southern sides like mashed potatoes, fried or roasted okra, mac and cheese, and corn spoonbread.
For a lighter meal, consider pairing the meatloaf with cauliflower “mashed potatoes” or mashed sweet potatoes.
And any steamed, sauteed, or roasted vegetables are great to enjoy on the side here! Serve your meatloaves with your favorite starches and a generous portion of green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas, or other healthy vegetables you prefer.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a great dish to make ahead and freeze for later. If freezing cooked meat loaves, it’s important to let them cool completely, then wrap them well in a layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure to thaw them completely before reheating. Reheat the meatloaf in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
It is also possible to freeze the meatloaves raw. Wrap them well with plastic and foil. Then freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw completely. Then make the sauce and air fry as directed in the recipe card.
Swap regular breadcrumbs with your favorite gluten-free variety.
No! There is no need to cover meatloaves when air frying.
Take care to not overmix the ground meat before forming it into loaves for the most moist and tender meatloaves. Also, remove them from the air fryer as soon as the crust has set and the inside is just done. Overcooking meatloaf will dry it out quickly.
Leftover meatloaf will keep well for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Looking for More Easy Air Fryer Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Best Air Fryer Hot Dogs
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken with Herbs
- Gluten-Free Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Frozen Salmon in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Everything Bagel Chicken Roll Ups
- Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
Air Fryer Meatloaf Recipe + Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef ground chuck or lean
- ½ cup chopped bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped carrot
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2/3 cup breadcrumbs or GF breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1-2 tablespoons hot sauce I used Cholula
Instructions
- Roughly chop the fresh produce. It does not need to be chopped well because it's going in the food processor.
- Set out a food processor. Add the chopped bell peppers, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the food processor. Pulse until the vegetables are ground into a fine mince.
- Add the breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Pulse again until all ingredients are well combined.
- Finally add the ground beef to the food processor. Pulse until the ground meat is mixed evenly into the rest of the ingredients, and the mixture is smooth. (Do not overmix the meat mixture.)
- Divide the meat mixture into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a loaf about 3 inches across and 5-6 inches long.
- Place the meatloaves in the air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 360°F and air fry for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, set out a small bowl and combine the ketchup and hot sauce. Mix well.
- Once the timer goes off, open the air fryer basket and spoon the ketchup mixture over the top of each meatloaf. Use the spoon to maneuver the ketchup so it coats the top of the meatloaf well. Close the air fryer basket and continue to air fry for 6 to 9 additional minutes, until the internal temperature reads 160°F on a meat thermometer.
- Slice the meatloaf and serve warm.
This is such an amazing meatloaf recipe! I love that I can make it in my air fryer! So easy!
I will never make meatloaf any other way again! So easy and juicy!
This air fryer meatloaf melted in our mouths! So delicious and moist, plus the ketchup glaze is a winner!