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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

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!

Meatloaf mixture

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.

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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.

Meatloaf glaze

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.

What to serve with smoked meatloaf

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!

Traeger Smoked Meatloaf
Yield: 12 servings

Traeger Smoked Meatloaf

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.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Meatloaf

  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 sleeve crushed saltine crackers
  • 3 pounds 85/15 ground beef

Sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1/4 cup ketchup

Instructions

  1. Preheat your smoker to 325° according to factory directions.
  2. 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.
  3. 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!
  4. 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.
  5. Pour 1/3 of the glaze over the loaf, leaving room for the glaze to mix with the fat and juices from the beef.
  6. 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.
  7. Drain out the juices and fat into a heat-safe container.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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:

1

Amount 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!

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Nicole Johnson
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Nicole Johnson, a self-taught expert in grilling and outdoor cooking, launched Or Whatever You Do in 2010. Her blog, renowned for its comprehensive and creative outdoor cooking recipes, has garnered a vast audience of millions. Nicole's hands-on experience and passion for grilling shine through her work. Her husband, Jeremiah Johnson, also plays a pivotal role in recipe development, adding his culinary flair to the mix. Together, they form a dynamic duo, offering a rich and varied outdoor cooking experience to their followers.

TESSIE

Monday 22nd of July 2024

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

Nicole Johnson

Tuesday 23rd of July 2024

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.

Kelly

Sunday 16th of July 2023

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

Karri

Sunday 27th of August 2023

@Nicole Johnson, definitely stuck for us too

Nicole Johnson

Sunday 16th of July 2023

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

Robert Salinas

Saturday 3rd of June 2023

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

Tessa

Tuesday 3rd of January 2023

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!!

Nicole Johnson

Wednesday 4th of January 2023

That sounds like an incredible substitution, and I'm so glad you enjoyed this! Tell your fellow Traeger friends! ;)

Hayley

Saturday 23rd of July 2022

Can I prepare in advance and keep in fridge until grilling time?

Nicole Johnson

Saturday 23rd of July 2022

Yup! I'd keep the sauce separate though until you're ready to cook it.

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