The only thing better than traditional meatloaf is making Mini Meatloaves in a muffin tin. Perfectly portioned and personal sized, no sharing required!
This mini meatloaf recipe is fast and easy to make. There is no scrimping on flavor but there is some shaving down on calories.
Lean ground beef and simple ingredients deliver moist meatloaf in a muffin pan. It's easier than making an entire meatloaf and cooked in 25 minutes making it a great recipe for busy weeknights.
It's a great choice for healthy eating.
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Easy Mini Meatloaves
This recipe is perfect for an easy dinner recipe, meal prepping or freezing for future use. Only a few easy steps make this the best meatloaf recipe for fast dinners.
The type of ground meat can be changed up for different options.
Instead of regular ketchup we've used spicy ketchup to perk up the classic flavor in this individual meatloaf recipe.
The ingredients are easily available at the grocery store with no hard to find ingredients.
They can be served as a main dish as is or used in a bun as a slicer or sandwich. Serve with a green salad and call it dinner!
What makes this skinny?
- Using 96% lean ground beef. The 4% fat content gives the mini loaves with plenty of flavor without excess fat found in regular ground chuck.
- Rolled oats used instead of breadcrumbs
- Less ketchup than traditional meatloaf (only ¾ cup ketchup is used).
- Cooking in a muffin tin automatically creates easy portion control perfect for individual serving sizes.
Servings of regular meatloaf can range up to 295 calories depending on the ingredients used. This version has 125 calories per mini meatloaf and 3 WW SmartPoints for all plans.
Recipe Ingredients + Notes
Lean ground beef. We used our favorite ground beef:9 6% lean ground beef. It has great flavor and less fat.
Carrot. A finely chopped large carrot adds color and nutrition to the tiny meatloaves.
Celery. Finely chopped celery give flavor and substance.
Yellow onion. Half of a medium onion finely chopped or ½ cup.
Rolled Oats. Instead of bread crumbs rolled oats are used as a binder for the meatloaf. Regular or gluten-free rolled oats can be used.
Egg. One large egg helps binding and to give structure
Sriracha ketchup. Some is used in the meatloaf mixture and some is spread on top before cooking. This adds more flavor without making the meatloaves spicy.
Salt and pepper. Used to season. Kosher salt is recommended because it's a less salty tasting salt. Use freshly ground pepper if possible.
Italian parsley. Chopped fresh Italian parsley can be used to sprinkle on top when serving if desired.
Variations
Use different ground meat. Bison, turkey, chicken or ground turkey sausage are all great lean choices. Ground pork is also delicious and could be mixed in with another meat for great flavor though it has a higher fat content.
Spicy ketchup substitutions. Regular ketchup, low-sugar ketchup, chili sauce or barbecue sauce can be substituted. Calories would need to be adjusted accordingly.
Want it spicy? Stir in some red pepper flakes into the mixture before baking.
How to Make it- Step-by-Step
STEP 1. Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
STEP 2. Make the meat mixture
In a large mixing bowl mix beef, carrots, celery, onion, rolled oats, egg, ½ cup of the ketchup, salt and pepper. Mix to fully combine (photos 1-2).
TIP: mixing with clean hands is often the easiest way to do this.
Divide evenly and place equal portions between the 12 muffin cups; form meat loaves but do not pack the meat down (photo 3).
Spoon 1 teaspoon of remaining spicy ketchup onto the top of each meatloaf and spread to cover (photo 4).
STEP 3. Bake the meatloaves
Bake for 25 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 160 degrees F (and will rise after removal from the oven).
STEP 4. Cool
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes (photo 5). This allows the meatloaves to solidify and stay intact when removed.
Serve! The are delicious the next day too!
How to Store
Allow to cool fully and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 4 days.
How to Freeze them
Allow the meatloaves to cool. Place meatloaves on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to freeze for 1-2 hours.
Remove and add to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 4 months.
The meatloaves can be removed individually, thawed in the refrigerator (or on the defrost setting in the microwave) and reheated.
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Recipe
Mini Meatloaves (slimmed down version)
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds 96% lean ground beef beef, bison, turkey, chicken, sausage
- 1 large carrot finely chopped
- 2 large stalks celery finely chopped
- ½ medium yellow Onion about ½ cup when chopped, finely chopped
- ½ cup rolled oats regular or gluten-free
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup Spicy Ketchup or Chile Sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- Garnish option: Chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl combine the meat, carrots, celery, onion, bread crumbs, egg, ½ cup of the spicy ketchup, salt and pepper. Mix to fully combine (using your clean hands is the easiest method).
- Divide the mixture evenly between to 12 muffin cavitities in a muffin pan (fill but do not pack down).
- Spoon 1 teaspoon of the spicy ketchup or chile sauce over the top of each little meatloaf and spread to cover.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes to ensure they stay intact when removed.
Ronnie says
Flavor is fabulous! I used ground turkey and will definitely make these again and might even add chopped mushrooms and more hot sauce to the ketchup as well. Note to lightly oil the muffin tins or the meatloaves will stick to the pan.
Toni Dash says
Great point Ronnie if using turkey which is so low fat (on the pan release). Thanks for your comment and sharing your ideas.
Maya says
Love the mini format!
Valentina says
I LOVE these mini meatloaves! It is such a GREAT idea and so delicious.
Andrea Thueson says
I love meatloaf, and this was a delicious and healthier way for me to indulge. Thank you!
Jamie N. says
These are the perfect size! Perfect for meal prep!!
Mahy says
I've been saying this for ages LOL there is nothing better than a meatloaf.. only a a couple of mini ones 🙂 Fantastic recipe!
Tara says
Oh how fun! I love how you made the meatloaf into individual portions using a muffin tin. So much flavor too!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
Oh wow, this looks so delicious. My family is going to devour it!
Kristen says
These are so cute, haha! Pinned to make for family this weekend. 🙂
Claudia Lamascolo says
These are absolutely delicious and the best part is how easy the recipe is to follow!
Jessica Stroup says
A new family favorite! The kids loved having their “own” meat loaves. This may become a weekly staple.
katerina says
These are incredibly delicious! My family enjoyed them so much!
Gary says
Awesome recipe. The kids loved having their own meatloaf and we loved having the portions sorted out. Filling too!
Marlynn says
I've been looking for new ways to cook meatloaf and came across this recipe. It's a game changer! So delicious - definitely adding to my meal prep rotation!
Stacey Patterson says
Such delicious flavors! Even my youngest devoured it!
Emily Flint says
What a great idea to make mini meatloaves! Not only does it helo with portion control, but they were also the perfect size for my son and he loved them. Great recipe!
Beth says
These are so yummy and adorable. Not low calorie but I piped some mashed potatoes right on the top to make them look like cupcakes.
Toni Dash says
Well even with the mashed potatoes they are still lowER calorie than if you made regular meatloaf Beth lol! So you are still ahead of the game!
Jan says
The recipe makes 12 mini meat loaves but the picture shows two mini loaves on a plate. Do two loaves make one serving?
Toni Dash says
Hi Jan. Sorry for the confusion. The recipe makes 12 servings, 1 meat loaf per serving. That is for the nutritional information and the WW SmartPoints. You certainly can eat more than one!
Julie Fortino says
LOVE this recipe! Who ever thought meatloaf could be cute? The spicy ketchup is a great addition.