How to make Meatloaf in a Slow Cooker? (Classic Taste)

This slow cooker meatloaf recipe simplifies your favorite classic meatloaf recipe.

You’ll have a soft, delicious meatloaf ready to eat as soon as you walk in the door if you cook it in the Crockpot. Excellent for busy weeknights or meal prep!

Why Is This Recipe So Delicious?

• This recipe has so much going for it. It tastes fantastic, is quite simple to prepare, and clean-up is a breeze… My favorite aspect, though, is that you can have a delicious meatloaf waiting for you when you return home from work, do errands, or do the million other things on your to-do list thanks to the slow cooker.
• This slow cooker meatloaf has the most incredible texture. You may be concerned that cooking it for so long may result in it becoming dry or rough, but I assure you that it will not! It turns out incredibly juicy and soft, in my opinion even better than the usual oven approach.
• Slow cooker meatloaf is simple to adapt dish. Perhaps you prefer more spices, different meat, or no onions. Play with your food if you want to.
  Important Ingredients

Important Ingredients

CLASSIC GROUND BEEF. Ground turkey, ground bison, or a mixture of ground beef and ground sausage could also be used. Make this meatloaf in the crockpot your own!

Breadcrumbs – Another meatloaf essential is breadcrumbs. The slow cooker meatloaf is held together by a binder (breadcrumbs and eggs).

Use Italian breadcrumbs to add some more flavor. Crushed pork rinds or buttery crackers might also be used. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if you’re gluten-free.

Milk – Wait for the milk. Milk? What’s in meatloaf? Meatloaf may be made in a variety of ways, so this may be a new meatloaf component for you.

But believe me when I say that! Milk provides a rich flavor to the slow cooker meatloaf and keeps it moist. You can substitute your favorite non-dairy milk if you don’t eat dairy.

Make sure it’s not sweetened! The beef broth could be used instead, but the flavor and consistency will be different.

Chef’s Advice

• To determine when your slow cooker meatloaf is done, use an internal meat thermometer. Because of a variety of circumstances, each Crockpot behaves differently, and you don’t want to serve undercooked or overcooked meat. Ground beef should attain an internal temperature of 160° Fahrenheit for food safety.
• Use ground beef with a higher fat content for a more tender meatloaf. A 90/10 mix will still sound great, but there will be a minor variation when compared to an 80/20 mix.
• Although I note it in the recipe card below, it’s worth repeating: don’t overmix the meatloaf ingredients! Overworking the beef mixture will cause it to toughen and become quite thick. Use your hands to stir only until everything is mixed to maintain it light and delicate.

Meatloaf in a Slow Cooker

This slow cooker meatloaf recipe simplifies your favorite classic meatloaf recipe. You’ll have a soft, delicious meatloaf ready to eat as soon as you walk in the door if you cook it in the Crockpot. Excellent for busy weeknights or meal prep!

Ingredients

For the Meatloaf

• 2 pounds of ground beef
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup breadcrumbs
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ½ cup milk of choice see Notes
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the Glaze

• ⅔ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup brown sugar see Notes
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Equipment

• Large bowl & spoon or silicone spatula
• Aluminum Foil
• Crockpot or other slow cookers
• Baking sheet
• Small bowl & whisk
• Broiler

Instructions For Meatloaf in a Slow Cooker

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all meatloaf ingredients until well incorporated. Make sure you don’t overmix.
2. Aluminum foil the ceramic slow cooker insert. Form the meat mixture into a loaf on foil. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours in a slow cooker with a lid.
3. When the cooking time is up, use an internal meat thermometer to check the center of the meatloaf. For food safety, the internal temperature of ground beef should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember that meatloaf will continue to cook somewhat after it has been cooked, so don’t overcook it. When the meatloaf is done, remove it from the slow cooker and place it on a baking sheet.
4. Combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Place baking sheet under the broiler and spread glaze over top of meatloaf.
5. 3–4 minutes on high heat, until the glaze is sticky. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Notes

• Use your favorite unsweetened, non-dairy milk to make it dairy-free.
• Use gluten-free breadcrumbs to make it gluten-free.
• Reduce the sugar content by using sugar-free ketchup (store-bought or homemade Keto or Whole30 ketchup) and replacing the brown sugar in the glaze with Brown Swerve or coconut sugar. Because Worcestershire sauce contains a small quantity of sugar, the dish will not be sugar-free entirely, but these substitutions will assist.

This recipe serves roughly 8 people. Your desired portion sizes will determine the number of servings.

The nutritional values indicated are for one serving and are rough suggestions. The exact macros will vary depending on the brands and types of ingredients utilized.

Prepare the recipe as directed to get the weight of one serving. Weigh the final recipe, then divide the weight (excluding the weight of the container in which the food is stored) by 8. The weight of one serving will be the result.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 321kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 122mg, Sodium: 953mg, Potassium: 518mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 197IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 3mg, Net Carbs: 20g