Gluten-Free Meatloaf

Name: Gluten-Free Meatloaf
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 onion; 2 carrots; 2 sticks celery; 1 red pepper; 100 g gluten-free breadcrumbs; 80 ml whole milk; 2 eggs (medium); 500 g beef mince; 500 g pork mince; 100 g BBQ sauce; Small handful fresh parsley; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 3 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed); 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika; 1½ teaspoons salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

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Meatloaf is a great economical alternative to a joint of meat for your Sunday roast dinner and happily serves a huge crowd. This juicy gluten-free meatloaf is moist and incredibly flavourful whilst being packed with vegetables. It slices like a dream without crumbling and is an easy family friendly meal.

Gluten-Free Meatloaf sliced showing moist inside with clean slices.

Table of Contents

This Gluten-Free Meatloaf is the kind of meal that you will be so appreciative of for midweek dinners. It’s perfect for families or just busy cooks and is so versatile and that you can serve so many different ways so you don’t get bored. You can try it with mash and veggies, drowned in gravy and served with your favourite roasties, stuffed into a burger bun for a grab and go meal or topped onto a huge hearty salad for a nutritious lunch.

The secret to a great Meatloaf which the whole family will love is to make sure it slices well. It’s so disappointing when it crumbles and there’s lots of tips below to make sure yours sticks together first time whilst still being super juicy and doesn’t fall to pieces when it sees the knife. It’s all about the bindings, how you prepare the veggies (which this Meatloaf is stuffed to the rafters with), the moisture levels and when you serve it.

Rich gravy pouring over slices of meatloaf in a bowl.

Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Meatloaf

Serves a crowd. If you have a bunch of people to feed then this Meatloaf is a life saver and is very family friendly.
Comfort food that’s easy to adapt. You can enjoy it as a Sunday lunch alternative, midweek dinners, quick lunches. This Meatloaf will pay dividends throughout your week.
Packed with vegetables. We try and cram as many veggies as we can in here; for flavour, for nutrition, for texture and for moisture.
Easy to make. This Meatloaf is super simple. Once you’ve cooked down your vegetables it’s just a bit of quick assembly and easy roasting in the oven.
Slices well. No one wants a crumbly and dry meatloaf. This version is super juicy and creates beautiful slices that are easy to serve or store.

What Makes a Great Gluten-Free Meatloaf

A great meatloaf isn’t made from mince alone. That’s because want the end results to be deliciously juicy and we need the loaf also to stick together and be easy to slice into portions. This means we need to pay attention to our binders and moisture level.

Binders

Gluten-free breadcrumbs: I don’t recommend buying prepared gluten-free breadcrumbs as they are just not absorbent enough and are better as coatings. I encourage you to make your own breadcrumbs. You can happily use a good gluten-free loaf to make your breadcrumbs (no sliced cardboard please) like a farmhouse cob or sourdough loaf. If you also make your own gluten-free bread then that will always be the superior choice in terms of flavour and as an effective binder.

This recipe uses gluten-free breadcrumbs but if you can’t access good suitable gluten-free bread, then you can make meatloaf without breadcrumbs using these alternative choices:

Gluten-free jumbo oats. Oats can be a tricky choice as they are unsuitable for many gluten-free diets due to the avenin protein. However, they are a good swap for breadcrumbs (if you can have them). I recommend blitzing them slightly in the food processor to break them down before adding. You can also reduce by 20g as they are more absorbent than breadcrumbs. Also, make sure they are certified gluten-free oats.
Almond flour. You could swap the breadcrumbs for almond flour (ground blanched almonds, just sold as ‘ground almonds’ in UK supermarkets). It absorbs more moisture so again you should reduce by 20g if you are making this swap.

Eggs. These are also used to bind the meatloaf together and have the added benefit of adding more moisture. The protein in the eggs set with heat so they lock the minced meat, breadcrumbs and vegetables together. The yolks also contain fat which keeps the meatloaf tender and doesn’t dry out. They are even more important in a gluten-free meatloaf than a regular version as the breadcrumbs in our binder doesn’t have enough stretch (due to lack of gluten) so the eggs do double duty.

Egg substitution. If you need an egg-free version then you can swap out for two flax eggs. To make the flax eggs mix together 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons water, allow to rest for 15 minutes to gel then use in a direct replacement of the eggs.

Milk. Used purely for moisture levels. This recipe uses whole milk but you can substitute with plant-based milk if you need to make it dairy-free.

Vegetables

This meatloaf has a good amount of vegetables added in. These are included to give the loaf more flavour plus also moisture and softness. Here we use carrots, celery, red pepper and onion.

However, so that the vegetables bed down properly into the meal and have released all their moisture prior to the oven bake then we need to sauté the vegetables in a little olive oil which also helps to contribute a bit of stickiness, giving a little help to the binding.

Full Ingredients List

Gluten-Free Meatloaf ingredients on a table.

Minced meat. We use 50% beef and 50% pork mince for the best flavour and fat content. The fat percentage of your mince makes a huge difference to the structure of your meatloaf and you should aim for standard mince (not reduced fat) which should be about 15% for both the beef and pork. This will make the meatloaf easier to stick together and slice. Not too fatty or your meatloaf will be greasy.

Olive oil. Used to cook the vegetables prior to adding to the rest of the ingredients. You can swap for an alternative oil or butter if you prefer.

Vegetables. I like the combination of onion, carrots, celery and red pepper. However, you can swap some out for courgette, sweet potato or mushrooms. Make sure to sauté in the same way so they are allowed to release their moisture produce their natural starches.

Gluten-free breadcrumbs. Make your own breadcrumbs which will make a difference to the structure of your meatloaf. Better loaves of gluten-free bread will have better bounce and help contribute to the binding of your meatloaf.

Whole milk. As above, you can swap for dairy-free milk if you prefer.

Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.

BBQ sauce. This is the only glaze we are using on our meatloaf (plus we use it inside the meatloaf for flavour and stickiness) so we need it to taste good and be thick enough to spread. You can use shop bought bottled BBQ sauce, I recommend using a good quality version which errs on sweetness rather than vinegary. Try your sauce and if it is a little too vinegary then add a little brown sugar or honey to compensate. Check your labels – I was surprised (was I really?) how many shop bought sauces contained gluten. However, if you have any Homemade BBQ Sauce on hand then your meatloaf will taste amazing!

Worcestershire sauce. It adds a lovely base of flavour. However, you need to be careful if you are following a gluten-free or vegan diet as the popular Lea & Perrins brand is not compliant with either. I like to use Biona Organic Vegan Worcester Sauce which has a lovely flavour.

Garlic. Use fresh garlic if you can but I admit I’m rather partial to the jars of Lazy Garlic as well.

Smoked sweet paprika. Just a dash to add sweet smokiness (believe it or not!)

Fresh parsley. It’s not just to add a bit of green but also helps add a freshness of flavour. Don’t substitute with dried – just leave out if you don’t have any fresh parsley.

Seasoning. This meatloaf is perfectly seasoned with kosher salt (which is mellow and balanced) and pre-ground black pepper.

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How To Make Gluten-Free Meatloaf

The following gives a short concise method with step-by-step images. For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Chop the vegetables to a very small uniform size and sauté for 25-30 minutes until soft. Stir occasionally so they don’t catch. Allow to cool.

Vegetables cut into small uniform pieces, then placed in large saucepan to cook. Vegetables finished cooking are soft.

Whisk together the breadcrumbs, milk and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the mince along with the rest of the ingredients (but only half of the BBQ sauce – leaving the rest for glazing) and mix everything together until combined and the mince mixture is completely cohesive.

Eggs mixed with milk and breadcrumbs, rest of the ingredients added and mixed together in large mixing bowl.

Tip the mixture carefully into the centre of the baking tray and shape with clean hands into a large loaf shape. Brush with the rest of the BBQ sauce. Bake for 50 minutes.

Gluten-Free Meatloaf shaped on baking tray, covered in BBQ sauce and after cooking.

Expert Tips

You can prep the vegetables up to three days before so you don’t have to wait for them to cool when adding into your meatloaf.

You can certainly mix your meatloaf ingredients by hand, if so, take your time. Since I have a stand mixer I always use that with the paddle beater as it really combines the ingredients evenly so there are no pockets of ingredients and the meat is squidged together tightly.

Your meatloaf is ready when the internal temperature reaches 70°C (158°F) and means the end results will still be lovely and juicy. Use a digital thermometer to check.

Always rest your meatloaf for 15-20 minutes to ensure it has had time to settle and it firms up as it cools so it will be easier to slice.

Once cooled a little in the tin you can use the parchment paper it cooked on to lift the meatloaf onto a cutting board, tipping slightly to drain off the juices back into the pan.

You can pour the juices from the pan over the meatloaf before serving.

If this meatloaf feels too large then you can absolutely halve the recipe which might be more manageable for a small family.

Gluten-Free Meatloaf sliced in a bowl with broccoli.

FAQs

What is the secret to moist meatloaf?

This gluten-free meatloaf is kept moist through using good quality mince with 15% fat, homemade gluten-free breadcrumbs, whole eggs, milk to soften, pre-cooked vegetables to tenderise and a little BBQ sauce for stickiness.

What do you put in meatloaf to keep it from falling apart?

You need good binders such as breadcrumbs, eggs and sticky BBQ sauce to help keep the meatloaf together. There are alternatives to all of these outlined earlier in the post.

Why is my meatloaf falling apart when I slice it?

If you have made the meatloaf exactly per the recipe then you should be fine. However, if you have made any slight adjustments then check the following:
- You sautéed the vegetables low and slow so they have released all their moisture and ‘stick’ to the mince.
- You used good quality breadcrumbs (not panko or shop bought which aren’t suitably absorbent).
- If you have swapped out the breadcrumbs for oats or almond flour you reduced the amount slightly.
- The meatloaf isn’t overly moist. I made the mistake originally of using eggs and flax eggs thinking it would bind it better. Actually it just added too much moisture and it fell apart.
- You rested the meatloaf before slicing.

What meat is best for meatloaf?

Use 50% beef mince and 50% pork mince for a good balance of flavour.

Should meatloaf be covered when it’s baking?

I don’t recommend covering the meatloaf as you want the glaze to caramelise on the surface of the mince and go a little crisp. It also looks more appetising if the glaze is exposed to the oven.

Do you need to cook the meatloaf in a loaf tin?

No, and by cooking the meatloaf free-form in a log shape it means that you can cover the whole of the surface of the meatloaf with your BBQ glaze so it gives a delicious crust.

Can I halve the recipe?

Absolutely, this recipe creates a large meatloaf suitable for a crowd or large family. You can just halve the recipe to make a smaller meatloaf but you probably won’t need to cook it as long so check after 40 minutes using a digital thermometer to check it’s properly cooked. It should read 70°C (158°F).

Why does my meatloaf have a soggy bottom?

As soon as the meatloaf has finished cooking you can spoon out the juices from the bottom of the pan before the resting period so it isn’t sitting in its fatty juices which can also gather unattractively at the base of the meatloaf. Instead use the juices to make your gravy base whilst it’s resting.

Can you freeze meatloaf?

Yes, allow to cool completely. I recommend it’s more manageable to freeze the meatloaf in slices. So then once at room temperature, slice your meatloaf. You can freeze the meatloaf in individual slices or in batches (depending on how many you want to serve at each time). Double wrap the slices in cling film (plastic wrap) and aluminium foil. Allow to thaw overnight in refrigerator before unwrapping.

How do you re-heat meatloaf?

Meatloaf has a tendency to dry out if you re-heat in the oven. If you have a microwave then I’d recommend re-heating in slices that way as then they won’t dry out. Re-heat the slices in a microwave proof container and cover. Heat for three minutes per slice in a 700W microwave.

If you are going to re-heat in the oven then you can but I recommend covering in a little gravy to add the moisture back in and then heat for 15 minutes at 190°C / 170°C fan assisted / gas mark 5 / 375°F in an ovenproof dish covered with aluminium foil.

How long can you store meatloaf in the fridge for?

You can store your cooked meatloaf in the fridge safely for up to 3 days.

Gluten-Free Meatloaf sliced in a bowl with rich gravy.

Serving Suggestions

This Glazed Meatloaf is an excellent substitution to a joint of meat for your Sunday Lunch. Serve the same way with roasted potatoes, your favourite vegetable side dishes and a rich gravy.

Used in place of a burger in your burger bun. Try it stuffed into these Brazilian Style Cheese Rolls or these Yeast-Free Bread Rolls. So good! Don’t forget the relish.

Served alongside an excellent chopped salad for a light but very satisfying lunch.

With mash, broccoli and onion gravy. This is our family favourite.

More Gluten-Free Dinners You’ll Love

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Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie is a deeply flavourful homely recipe that is a favourite with the whole family. Delicious lamb mince cooked in a rich gravy with plenty of vegetables and a crisp buttery potato topping for the ultimate comfort food.

These deliciously easy Barbecue Spare Ribs are the ultimate crowd pleaser and they are on constant rotation in our kitchen. The sweet smoky sticky sauce is juicy with tomatoes and full of body. It's an easy barbecue to sauce to knock up in minutes, then you can pop the ribs into the oven and more or less forget about them for three hours. An absolute favourite.