These Meatloaf Meatballs turn a classic and comforting meatloaf into individual servings that are baked to perfection in just 40 minutes. Made with a combination of beef and pork for tenderness, they're a reliable, family-friendly option for busy weeknights or easy entertaining.
Meatloaf Meatballs Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Main Course
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 40 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 4-6
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Savory, hearty, and slightly sweet with a tangy glaze
- 🍚 Best Served With: Mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered noodles
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, can be prepped and refrigerated before baking
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This meatloaf meatball recipe became one of my go-tos after I realized they were an easy way to level up Sunday dinner while still making weeknights simpler. Sautéeing the onions and garlic for better texture and deeper flavor is one of my favorite hacks for making them even more amazing. That, along with the pork-and-beef combo, keeps them soft and moist.
Try Mexican meatloaf and BBQ meatloaf if you're looking for more easy and homemade meatloaf recipes. This Italian meatloaf is worth checking out too.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's great for meal prep and freezing: Not only do these reheat well, but they also freeze well, too! They're perfect to make in advance and use for meal prep.
- It's kid and picky eater-approved: The pickiest eaters love these meatloaf meatballs, including kids! Serve them with their favorite side dish, and you can guarantee full bellies.
- It's versatile: There are so many ways to serve these meatballs! From a sandwich to a veggie or starch. They even work as a tasty appetizer: you can't go wrong.
Ingredients
The most important ingredients for these meatloaf meatballs are below, and that includes the meatballs themselves and the sweet glaze on top.
- Ground beef and pork: These are ground beef and pork meatballs. I find the combination provides fat and tenderness (pork) and structure and flavor (beef) make the best meatballs. I like 85% lean beef best, but 80% would be fine.
- Breadcrumbs and milk: The most important ingredients to bind the meatloaf meatballs are the breadcrumbs and milk. I use plain breadcrumbs because you get plenty of flavor from the other ingredients. Whole milk is best here as well. Together, they help retain moisture so the meatballs don't dry out.
- Ketchup: Not only is the base for the glaze on top, but some goes into the meat mixture as well for even more moisture and subtle sweetness to balance the savory ingredients.
- Brown sugar: This is a crucial glaze ingredient, not just as a sweetener, but it helps it to caramelize on the meatballs as they cook in the oven, just like the glaze of a traditional meatloaf.
- Worcestershire sauce: This is the ingredient that sets this recipe apart and makes it taste more like a classic meatloaf. It adds umami flavor to both the meatballs and the sweet glaze.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Use ground turkey instead of beef: Swap the ground beef for ground turkey to make these meatloaf meatballs a little leaner.
- Make the meatballs gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free breadcrumbs or rolled oats to make these meatballs gluten-free.
- Add cheese: Add ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the meatball mixture for a cheesy twist.
How to Make Baked Meatloaf Meatballs
Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Then, you can saute and cool the onions and garlic before adding them to the meatball mix.
Step 1: Combine the ingredients. Add all the ingredients for the meatloaf meatballs to a large mixing bowl and mix until everything is just combined.
Step 2: Roll the meatballs. Scoop and roll 1 ½ inch meatballs and place them onto the prepared sheet pan.
Step 3: Brush with glaze. Combine the ingredients for the glaze and brush it generously onto each meatball.
Step 4: Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake the meatloaf meatballs for 20-23 minutes, then rest them for 5 minutes before serving with mac and cheese with bacon.
Expert Tips
- Don't skip the saute step: Sauteeing the onions and garlic is an important step. This helps build depth of flavor while also softening the onions so you don't add a crunchy texture to your meatballs.
- Avoid overmixing: When combining all the ingredients in the meat mixture, mix it until it is just combined. Overmixing means overworking the meat, which can lead to tough meatloaf meatballs.
- Resting is important: For maximum tenderness and juiciness, allow them to rest for at least 5 minutes after they come out of the oven. This allows the juices to redistribute within the meatballs, so when you cut one open, the juices won't run out and dry them out.
- Wet your hands before forming them: One of my favorite hacks is getting your hands a little wet with water before forming the meatballs to keep the meat from sticking to you. It's simple, but so helpful.
- Storing and freezing the meatballs: Place leftover meatballs in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze, start by placing them on a baking sheet and freezing them for 2 hours or until firm. Then, you can transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
This mini meatloaf recipe is another way to enjoy meatloaf in individual servings.
Serving Suggestions
- Easy side dishes: You can't go wrong with creamy mashed potatoes or a steakhouse baked potato as a delicious side to pair with meatloaf meatballs.
- More appetizer ideas: If you want to serve these as an appetizer for your next party, try these mac and cheese balls, too.
- Repurposing the leftovers: Use your leftover meatloaf meatballs in a meatball sub sandwich as a tasty lunch or a unique dinner.
Check out my crockpot Swedish meatballs if you enjoy recipes like this one.
Meatloaf Meatballs Recipe FAQs
This happens if there's too much moisture or not enough binder. Measure the ingredients as accurately as possible. If you end up with too much milk, add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs at a time until the mixture sticks together.
Your meatloaf balls can turn out dry if they're overcooked or don't have enough moisture-rich ingredients in the mixture. Because they're smaller than a traditional meatloaf, they cook faster and can dry out quickly if left in the oven too long.
In this recipe, I use a good balance of ingredients like eggs, breadcrumbs, and milk, and a mixture of meat with some fat for flavor and tenderness. Bake just until cooked through, then add a generous layer of glaze to help lock in moisture and keep them juicy.
These meatballs with meatloaf mix are ready when they reach an internal temperature of 160°F. Then, you can pull them out to rest.
Yes! Prepare and roll the meatballs and store them uncooked in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Then, you can add the glaze and bake them.
The best way is to bake in a 325°F oven for 8-10 minutes. However, you can reheat them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes in a microwave-safe container with a splash of water to prevent them from drying out.
More Hearty Meatball Recipes
Do you like meatball recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Meatloaf Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 85/15
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ small yellow onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Glaze
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat and sauté the diced onion with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more before removing from heat to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until smooth.
- Add the ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, sautéed onion mixture, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to the bowl.
- Gently mix with your hands just until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Scoop and roll the mixture into 1½-inch meatballs and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce for the glaze.
- Brush or spoon the glaze over each meatball.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- When combining the ingredients for the meat mixture, mix just until everything is incorporated. Overmixing can overwork the meat and result in tough meatloaf meatballs.
- For the most tender, juicy results, let the meatballs rest for at least 5 minutes after removing them from the oven. This helps the juices redistribute so they stay moist instead of running out when cut.
- These meatloaf meatballs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 160°F. At that point, remove them from the oven and let them rest before serving.
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