Bourbon Glazed Meatloaf

Sink your fork into this tender Bourbon Glazed Meatloaf bursting with savory and comforting flavors and a sweet and sticky glaze. Pop open the bottle of bourbon and say cheers to this comfort food classic. Sunday dinner has never tasted so good.

Meatloaf done right is like a total warm hug for the soul. Whether it’s drenched in an embrace of gravy like Turkey Marsala Meatloaf or this spin on more classic flavors, it’s a dish that will have friends and family going back for seconds.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy Process – There is nothing complicated about making this bourbon barbecue meatloaf. The most labor-intensive part of this recipe is simply chopping the vegetables.
• Versatility – Not only can you customize your combination of ground meat for this meatloaf with a bourbon glaze, but you can also cook it in the oven, on the grill, or in your smoker.
• Familiar Flavors – If you love barbecue meatloaf, you will love this recipe. It combines the familiar flavors of a traditional ketchup glazed meatloaf with flavors you might find in your favorite barbecue sauce.
• Accessible Ingredients – Aside form the bourbon, everything else in this recipe is stuff you probably already have or can easily pick up from your local grocery store. It’s easy to shop for and budget friendly.
• Meal Prep – Is there anything better than a leftover meatloaf sandwich piled high with pickles? Not only does this southern meatloaf make awesome leftovers, but you can prepare it a day in advance and keep it refrigerated until ready to cook, and you can also freeze it.
• Texture – Meatloaf should be as much about the tender and moist texture as it is the flavor. No dense and dry meatloaf here! Adding a ton of sauteed vegetables to this meatloaf recipe not only builds additional layers of flavor and adds nutrition, but they also give this meatloaf it crave worthy texture.

Main Ingredients

• Ground Meat – Look at this as a choose your own adventure recipe. I like the combination of ground beef and pork for the flavor and texture, but you can do all ground beef or even turkey. I wouldn’t recommend ground chicken. If you do ground turkey use a combination of ground white and dark meat for more moisture.
• Vegetables – If you’re looking for a way to sneak more vegetables into your cooking, this is it. Onions, celery, carrots, red bell pepper, and garlic keep this meatloaf moist while also adding savory flavor. Sauteed onions add an additional layer of sweetness to the bourbon glaze.
• Bourbon – Pick a bourbon you enjoy sipping on. This adds a layer of sweetness and spiciness to both the meatloaf and also the glaze. Not only does the bourbon deliver complex, smoky flavor but it also helps keep the meat tender.
• Honey – This adds a more complex sweetness than just brown sugar to the glaze while also pairing well with the bourbon. For double the bourbon flavor I used Honey Truck Co. Bourbon Honey.
• Panko Breadcrumbs – These have a light and airy texture and help bind this meatloaf together without making it heavy. Use plain panko breadcrumbs so you can control the amount of sodium in this dish.

How to Make Bourbon Glazed Meatloaf

Perhaps one of the reasons meatloaf is such a beloved comfort food is how easy it is to prepare. Both the meatloaf itself and the glaze can be prepared a day in advance. When you’re ready to cook it, it can go directly from the refrigerator to the grill or oven.

• Sauté – Heat a large skillet over medium heat with your olive oil. Add the onions, celery, and red bell pepper and cook for about five minutes until they’re tender. Add the shredded carrots and garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in your parsley and panko breadcrumbs. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
• Mix – Add your ground beef and pork to a bowl along with the cooled vegetable mixture. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon. Add the egg mixture to the bowl and carefully mix until your meatloaf mixture is just combined. You don’t want to overwork the meat.

• Test for Taste – Form a small patty of the meat mixture and cook it in a skillet over medium heat until golden on both sides and cooked through. This is your way to taste and adjust seasoning. Add any additional salt, pepper, Worcestershire, etc.
• Form – Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the meatloaf mixture into the center of a pan and form a loaf shape. Allow the meatloaf to chill for at least 30 minutes while you make your glaze.
• Glaze – Heat a saucepan over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onions and allow them to cook until they are beginning to turn golden, about 10-15 minutes. Add the bourbon and let it cook for two minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and allow the mixture to cook for ten minutes. It will slightly thicken and turn a little darker in color. Let cool.
• Fire it up – Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. If making meatloaf on the grill, you will want to prepare your charcoal grill for two-zone cooking, banking your charcoal to one side and leaving a cooler side. Add wood chips to your charcoal if desired.

• Baste – Remove 1/4 cup of the cooled bourbon glaze from the saucepan and brush it over the meatloaf creating a thin layer.
• Cook – Allow your meatloaf to cook undisturbed for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes check the temperature. When it is 145 degrees baste it again with a thick layer of the glaze. Allow it to cook for another 15-20 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

• Rest – Let your meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. You can serve it with the remaining bourbon glaze.

How to Freeze Meatloaf

When work and life get crazy there is nothing better than being able to pull a ready to cook meal out of the freeze. You can easily double this recipe or split it into two separate loaves, making one and then freezing the other. Here are the easy steps to follow for freezing your meatloaf as well as defrosting it and baking it. You will want to hold off adding your glaze until just before baking it as it will get watery once defrosted.

• Form – Form your meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap. Tightly wrap the meatloaf with the plastic wrap making sure all of the air escapes.
• Flash Freeze – Once you have formed your meatloaf place the baking sheet in the freezer and allow it to freeze for 1-2 hours until mostly firm.
• Wrap and Freeze – Add an additional layer of plastic wrap and them place the frozen meatloaf into a freezer safe bag. Remove the excess air when closing. Place it back into the freezer. It will keep for up to three months frozen.
• Gently Defrost – When ready to cook your frozen meatloaf, remove it from the freezer the night before and place it in the refrigerator. Allow it to gently defrost overnight.
• Bake – Bake your meatloaf in a 350-degree oven on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Tips From the Beach

• Don’t over mix your meat mixture. Overworking your meat will give you a heavy and dense meatloaf.
• Always make a test patty. This is your chance to taste your meatloaf and make sure it’s seasoned to your liking. Plus, chef snack!
• Don’t skip the step of adding your panko bread crumbs to the vegetable mixture. Not only does this hydrate the bread crumbs, but it’s also makes it easier to gently mix together your meatloaf.
• Experiment with different vegetables. Try swapping out some of the vegetables in this recipe for what you like or have on hand. Shredded zucchini is a great substitute for the shredded carrots. Just make sure to squeeze out the excess liquid. Finely chopped mushrooms are also delicious in this.
• Skip the loaf pan. Cooking your meatloaf on a parchment paper lined sheet pan allows the excess fat to drain from the meatloaf instead of the meatloaf baking in its own fat.

Looking for a great side to serve with this meatloaf? Make sure to check out Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin. And for more meatloaf inspiration check out Hoisin Glazed Meatloaf.

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