Traeger Smoked Meatloaf
Just when you thought that meatloaf couldn't get any better, in comes a wood-fired Traeger Smoked Meatloaf with the best meatloaf sauce you've ever had. Ever.
Traeger Smoked Meatloaf
This Traeger Smoked Meatloaf has been adapted for the wood-pellet grill from my original meatloaf recipe. That's the meatloaf that made me believe that meatloaf could be GOOD. I'd been pretty skeptical before.
You'll want to use a disposable foil grill pan for the best results. Make sure to give it a spray with non-stick cooking spray, too.
Check out all of my Traeger Recipes!
How To Make Smoked Meatloaf
The meat is the star of this show, so make sure you are buying high-quality ground beef. Ideally, it'll be an 85/15 or 82/20 blend. You need enough fat to keep it moist and delicious, but not so much that the end result is greasy.
You will need a medium-sized onion, and the smaller it is chopped the better. Put this in a large bowl and mix in all of the other meat ingredients. You can use your hands or a wooden spoon to mash it all together, but don't over-mix! That's how you get a tough meatloaf.
Try our other Smoked Bourbon Meatloaf recipe too!
A note about flipping
BE CAREFUL when you are flipping the meatloaf out of the pan and onto the grate. You need to make sure that the meat is cooked enough so that it doesn't fall apart, but still NOT done enough so you don't dry it out during the last phase of cooking. You also don't want to burn yourself with flinging juices of any kind, so use caution!
More Traeger Beef Recipes here!
How to make meatloaf glaze
Make a glaze out of ketchup, yellow mustard, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar in a saucepan. Let it simmer until it is reduced slightly and fully combined.
If you are looking to make this meatloaf for a summer BBQ, you can use BBQ sauce instead. Check out the recipe for my homemade BBQ sauce for a great option.
Can you make this meatloaf in the oven?
You can, but then it won't really be smoked. There isn't really a substitute for real wood smoke, but the base recipe would work just as well in the oven. Just skip the whole "flip it out onto the grill" part for the best results. Your oven will thank you.
How long does smoked meatloaf last in the fridge?
As with any leftover meats, you'll want to keep this no longer than 3 days before finishing it up or tossing it out.
You shouldn't have any trouble finishing it up though. Smoked Meatloaf makes AMAZING meatloaf sandwiches.
Can you skip the flip?
If you are nervous about the integrity of your meatloaf and would rather leave it in the foil pan, you can definitely do that. It won't get as much of the smokey flavor or the crispy edges from being on the grate, but it'll still be delicious.
Serve This With
A good side to serve with this would be this Smoked Potato Salad. A delicious homemade batch of Garlic Mashed Potatoes would also be great to serve with this meatloaf.
To top off your Smoked Meatloaf, make some Traeger Smoked Mac & Cheese that will have you licking the plate.
My Traeger Grilled Corn on the Cob would also be perfect for this!
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Traeger Smoked Meatloaf
Delicious Traeger Smoked Meatloaf with the best meatloaf glaze you've ever had. A cool twist on a traditional dish, you'll never want meatloaf any other way again.
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 sleeve crushed saltine crackers
- 3 pounds 85/15 ground beef
Sauce
- 1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ¼ cup ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 325° according to factory directions.
- Place all of the glaze ingredients in a sauce pan and mix well. Heat to simmering, and stir frequently while you mix up the loaf ingredients. The sauce should thicken slightly and reduce.
- Finely chop the onion and mix in all of the other loaf ingredients except the ground beef. Stir until well combined, and then add ground beef and mix until fully incorporated, but don't over-mix!
- Press the meat mixture down into a disposable 10x13 inch foil pan that's been lightly sprayed with cooking spray, and make some space between the edge of the loaf and the pan.
- Pour ⅓ of the glaze over the loaf, leaving room for the glaze to mix with the fat and juices from the beef.
- Cook on the grill for 30-45 minutes, or until it is solid enough to stay together when you flip it out of the pan onto the grill grates. The time it'll take depends on many different factors, so like everything BBQ, COOK TO FEEL/TEMP and not to time.
- Drain out the juices and fat into a heat-safe container.
- Flip the meatloaf carefully out onto the grill grate, and brush on some more of the glaze, and close the lid. Cook for 10 minutes, baste again, and then close the lid for another 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the grill once the internal temperature is at least 160° by sliding a flat cookie sheet under, or carefully sliding it off onto a cookie sheet.
- Let rest for 10 minutes and then cut into squares and serve.
Notes
There is supposed to be excess sauce/glaze for this recipe. It is delicious spooned over your meatloaf and mashed potatoes on the plate.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 198Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 316mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 0gSugar: 26gProtein: 7g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
Can it be made with Ground Turkey?
I haven't tried that, but let me know how it turns out!
@Nicole Johnson, Any time I have a sauce that I want to be a bit thicker my go to is equal amounts of cornstarch and cold water. One tablespoon of each will usually do the trick but depending on the amount to be thickened just adjust.
I used the measurements for the sauce and it never thickened up stayed liquidy.
The sauce does stay quite liquidy. It isn't like a BBQ sauce. Painting it on the meatloaf periodically while it is on the grill during the final stages tends to let it caramelize on the top though, which is why it looks a bit thicker in the close-up photos. It takes amazing though. Hope the meatloaf was great!
I am super picky when it comes to meatloaf. I love my Mom's and nothing ever compares so I am always dissappointed. I also don't like meat cooked in the Traeger very often. When my husband said he was going to make Traeger meatloaf I cringed but tried it anyway. It is the BEST Meatloaf I have ever put into my mouth. It feels homey, familiar and yet different from what I love but it is all those things but amped up in the best ways possible, juicy, not greasy, full of sweet yet tangy flavor, soft, but a little crispy on the outside and it reheats and makes the best leftovers ever. Sorry Mom, this is better than yours.
WOW. This might be the best comment anyone has ever left on this site. Thank you so much, and I'm so glad you liked it! Share with your other Traeger-loving friends! <3
Skip the Aluminum Pan, go directly on to the Grill, let the fat go into Your grease bucket,,Recipe is good, but We all have Our recipes,,bottom line, go directly to the grill,,,,again,,just My opinion,,,and you don't have to know anything to have an opinion!
I like the aluminum pan method because I find it helps the loaf stay together better without having to pack it too densely, which can wreck the texture. But you can do it however you want. 😉
I Don't use a pan, just gently set, the un-cooked meatloaf, onto the grill, You get a smoky flavor ALL around the meatloaf. To remove it, take a cookie sheet, that is open on one side, and gently slide it on, just My way of doing it,,,,Happy cooking! Hope I gave someone a good idea.
After 30 minutes it was still raw and the glaze was horrible thin and way way too much. Couldn’t even come close to taking out of pan. Left in pan finally hit 160 after 2 hours because of thin glaze..bummer
Weird! Sounds like your grill wasn't hot enough. Also, the glaze wouldn't impact how long it took to come to temp, so something definitely is up here.
@Keith, pretty much our experience too
The cook times are approximate and depend on how thick your loaf is, how consistent your grill temps are, and how hot the simmered sauce is when you add it to the pan. Also, there's supposed to be "too much" sauce. We spoon it over our mashed potatoes and spoon extra over the meatloaf itself on the plate. Hope that helps!
Oh my gosh! This meatloaf was out of this world delicious! I smoked it at a low temp for a few hours for a smokier flavor and then upped it to 325 to finish it, which didn’t take long. Soooo good. I also put it on heavy duty grilling aluminum foil and poked big holes in it for the smoke to penetrate underneath. I thought that would be easier than transitioning it on and then off the grill. Thanks for the keeper recipe.
What a great idea with the holes in the foil! That's genius. So glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know!
I made this last night for dinner and will be making it again! I simmered the sauce for about 45 minutes and it was thick and rich and perfect. I think your sauce would be a great rib sauce or even wing sauce. Have passed it on to a couple friends. I made mine on a foil cookie sheet and poked holes in it as I didn’t want to take the chance on flipping. Thanks for the great recipes!
Hey Carol! Thank you so much for stopping by to let us know. I'm so glad you liked it! That's a GREAT idea on the foil. Love it!!
I loved my mom's meatloaf growing up, and I experimented with a few variations for my kids. They were unmoved.
And then, I stumbled upon this recipe. My kids beg me to make this meatloaf, and I have to say that it's an improvement upon my mom's by a lot! The flavor, texture and sauce make for a righteous loaf that my kids absolutely devour.
My only variation is that I let the loaf smoke for about 45 minutes, fire up the grill to 325 and then start pouring on the sauce. I find that keeping it in the pan (I just use a 13x9 glass pan) makes life a lot easier and allows the leftovers to easily slide into the fridge for the next day.
You will not be disappointed!
Amazing!! This is a favorite of ours also, and is a variation of a recipe that's very popular in my husband's family. I love the apple cider vinegar-heavy sauce, personally. So good! Thank you for sharing. If you send me a picture, I'd love to feature your review on social media or tag your Instagram (if you have one).
I make 3 Meatloaves 3#, or 4, 4#, , basically using all the ingredients above, no pan, and just throw them on the grill, no flipping, and the grease runs out to the Pan, smoke as long as You want, then turn up the heat,, and don't forget the Meat Thermometer, just My way, do as You please!
Awesome! I'm glad that works well for you. I love how there are so many different ways to get to a great end result. Smoke on!
Can I prepare in advance and keep in fridge until grilling time?
Yup! I'd keep the sauce separate though until you're ready to cook it.
This was a winner for sure! Definitely going into our rotation. The only thing we did differently is use crushed pork rinds instead of panko/saltines (to make it keto) and I used half spicy sausage and half beef. Loved the glaze with it too!!
That sounds like an incredible substitution, and I'm so glad you enjoyed this! Tell your fellow Traeger friends! 😉
I made this awesome smoked meatloaf last month. It was out of this world good. Just put in traeger a few minutes ago and not gonna be disappointed. Sauce called for too much apple cider vinegar, so I put less this time. After i pulled from pans, i turned temp to SMOKE for 30 minutes Mouths, then to 275 to sear entire loaves. Perfection I must say ! No doubt BEST MEATLOAF EVER!
Mouth watering till comes out
One vital detail left out of the recipe is to spray the aluminum pan with non stick spray. Was not worried about flipping it but it stuck in the pan. Ended up in pieces in grill and a mess. Not impressed so far
Hey Kelly,
Strange! I've never had this stick, and haven't had this feedback before from any of the 50+ people who have made (and loved) this recipe. I'm sorry you didn't have an awesome experience! I'm going to add this bit to the recipe just to cover the bases. I hope you'll give some more of our recipes a try.
~Nicole
@Nicole Johnson, definitely stuck for us too
Did you spray well with cooking spray? What kind of pan did you use? Or do you mean it stuck to the grill grates?
I love a good sweet and sour sauce but this has way too much vinegar in it! My husband does not care for vinegar that much so I have to hide it in sauces and I added at least another full cup of brown sugar and I don't know how much more ketchup and more mustard and it was still too vinegary ended up taking just a scoop of the sauce and adding even more ketchup and mustard and brown sugar to it. Waiting to see how this turns out. Won't give it a rating yet
Yeah, this sauce is not your typical sauce and is designed to be vinegar-heavy. It does mellow out during the cook a bit, but I wouldn't recommend this for someone who hates vinegar. Also wouldn't recommend rating the recipe since you made so many changes to it.