Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf is the best comfort food recipe you can make for dinner.
Ground beef and bacon served as mini meatloaf for individual portion sizes! Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf should appeal to all bacon lovers, and the mini meatloaf portion size should appeal to everyone.
You know I'm a bacon lover, so you can only imagine how much I love this Bacon Wrapped Mini Meatloaf.
If you're familiar with my blog, you'll know that I cook with bacon all the time. There's nothing quite like it on earth. I love it so much I think it should be its own food group. For that matter, parmesan should have its own as well.
I digress. Let's get back to bacon.
Bacon can and should be enjoyed at any meal. Why should breakfast have dibs on bacon when there are so many wonderful things you can do with it? Take this meatloaf wrapped in bacon. I've made plenty of meatloaf in my day - it is one of the best comfort foods, after all. But when I make Bacon Wrapped Mini Meatloaf, I wrapped each little mini meatloaf in thick wonderful bacon and topped it with crispy onion pieces - OH MY. I can't even begin to explain how good it was.
Why this recipe is different:
I have to admit, I made the actual meatloaf portion different than I normally do. When I had made meatloaf in the past, I had mixed the ketchup in along with water and dried onion soup mix (with the egg and bread crumbs, of course).
I went in a pretty different direction this time by including onions and garlic that I had sauteed along with milk instead of water. At first, I was hesitant, but then I reminded myself how delicious my country sausage gravy is and I accepted that I was pouring milk on raw meat.
Secondly, I put the ketchup mixture on the top of the bacon wrapped meatloaf instead of mixing it in. I know that's how a lot of people make it, but I had never done it that way. The crispy fried onions on the top added the perfect amount of crunch and flavor. But most of all, creating individual servings of mini meatloaf and then serving that meatloaf wrapped in bacon - ugh, it was just so darn delicious.
Reasons to make meatloaf with bacon:
Everyone knows a bacon wrapped filet mignon is pure decadent heaven, so it was a given that this meatloaf wrapped in bacon would be outstanding. Since we buy our beef direct from a local grass fed farm, I've become accustomed to cooking with grass fed beef. If you haven't made the switch over to pasture raised beef, you'll never go back. The main difference you'll notice, beyond the incredible taste and health benefits, is that it's usually leaner. This is why wrapping bacon around your mini meatloaf is an even better idea! Bottom line - meatloaf wrapped in bacon is not only super moist, but the flavor can't be beat.
How to make this recipe:
- This mini meatloaf recipe consists of three parts: the meatloaf, the topping, and the bacon.
- Most meatloaf recipes call for an egg to bind everything together and some kind of starch like breadcrumbs. In lieu of the breadcrumbs, you can try using crushed crackers or even cornmeal when you make this delicious bacon meatloaf. Take care when mixing all of the mini meatloaf ingredients so that you don't overwork the meat. Use your hands to form the mini meatloaf patties.
- The sauce on top is very similar to a homemade barbecue sauce. It mixes up quickly and is the perfect addition on top of this bacon meatloaf.
- I have found the easiest way to wrap the bacon around the mini meatloaf is to use longer pieces of bacon if you can find them and then squeeze the mini meatloaf patty until the bacon ends meet. No need to secure them in place but you can use a toothpick if you wish. I have also made this meatloaf with bacon in a jumbo sized muffin pan instead of a baking sheet. The muffin pan helps the bacon wrapped meatloaf hold it's shape, but it doesn't allow for the grease to run off.
- I was a little unsure how long to cook the Bacon Wrapped Mini Meatloaf and was tempted to increase the temperature, but I kept it at a solid 350 degrees for a full hour and fifteen minutes. I wasn't worried one bit that it would dry out because the bacon and the sauce were keeping everything perfectly moist and flavorful. I just waited until the bacon reached perfection and then I served them up with some fresh green beans and mashed potatoes. YUM!
This post was originally published in July 2015, but I've recently updated it to include the recipe video. Enjoy!
Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
CLICK TO PLAY RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 6 bacon slices
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- ½ cup fried onion pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven or grill to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.
- Melt butter in saute pan over medium heat. Cook onions until fragrant and slightly brown while stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add garlic, cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and cooked onions and garlic. Use hands to mix well, but try not to over work the meat. Divide into six equal sized portions and shape into disks.
- Wrap bacon slices around edge of disks. Diameter of meatloaf should be so that the bacon ends just meet or slightly overlap.
- In a separate bowl, combine ketchup with mustard and brown sugar. Divide equally and spread over the tops of the mini meatloaves. Sprinkle tops with crispy fried onions.
- Bake in preheated oven or grill until bacon is just golden, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Julia Dykeman
This is the best way to eat meatloaf, hands down! DELICIOUS!
Darcy
How do you fry the onion pieces for the topping? I have made the recipe several times and it is so YUMMY! But never done the topping, thank you!
Krissy
They're the store bought fried onion pieces; the kind you put on top of green bean casserole. They should be everywhere this time of year! I find myself cooking with them year round because I love them so much, so I buy them at costco and keep them in the pantry.
Kerri
Made this for dinner tonight. My family loved it 😀 I didn’t put the thyme in because I was out. But it has so many other flavors in it that it wasn’t missed. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Susan
I just made the bacon wrapped meatloaf tonight and it was fabulous! When my sister asked if I would make meatloaf the day she came for dinner, I just cringed. I personally feel I always tried dry meatloaf recipes. But when I saw your recipe I thought there might a recipe to make up for all my “disaster loafs.” I was so happy with the outcome. Yummy noises was all you heard at dinner tonight. And how can you go wrong with bacon?! Thanks again for posting your recipe.
Kory
One of my family’s absolute FAVORITE recipes! SO GOOD!! Recently, my husband started a challenge where he had to lower his carbs quite a bit. He was craving these, so I used ground up pork rinds in place of the bread crumbs. You can’t even tell the difference!! The pork rinds smell terrible when you open the bag, but honestly the flavor was still spot on. So there’s a sub you all can use if you’re trying to eat fewer carbs 🙂
Krissy
Great recommendation! You can also use fried onion pieces (like the kind you use to top green bean casserole). Glad you enjoyed it!
Ben Giroux
Made these multiple times now! They are always a hit!
Laura
This knocked hubby's socks off... For the win!
Nicole J
I don't follow recipies very well.. and I'm dairy and gluten intolerant so I have to modify them a lot. However, I took the concept you had here and made 4 oz patties (I used mushrooms and garlic scapes with spinach, marjoram and more garlic, and GF breadcrumbs of course!). Then I followed your prep and cooking directions, and of course wrapped them in bacon and coated in Ketchup. I had to use gluten free bread crumbs for a topping (husband has a hate for onions).. but it worked awesome. I froze all the leftovers...but I'm thinking if I had used fresh Ground beef, I could have frozen them raw for prepcooking. Thank you for the idea!
Liz
Could this be made like a regular meatloaf by just laying the bacon on the top and down the sides?
Krissy
Yep! Just make sure you reach a proper internal temperature. It is likely to take longer if you make one big meatloaf.
Kristen
This was yummy! Mine was super soggy/mushy though. Other than that I enjoyed it! Any suggestions for less soggy even after cooking? Less milk? No milk?
Krissy
You can definitely decrease the amount of milk and it should still work. It's possible your ground beef had more fat than what I was using and perhaps that made it soggy? You could also cook on a grill or place a rack on the baking sheet so that it's not sitting in liquid while it cooks. Glad you enjoyed the taste!
Vanessa
Mine burned a little on the bottom. I know for a fact it was not grass-fed beef, do you think this has anything to do with it due to the excess grease?
Krissy
Yep! Grass fed beef tends to be much more lean.
Beth
I liked your idea of using the large muffin tin. I'm going to drill holes in the
bottom to drain the fat.
Krissy
smart!
Taylor
What can i use besides spicy mustard??
Krissy
You can use regular yellow mustard, mustard powder, or just omit.
Katherine
I've been making these for years, since the recipe was originally posted, and they are amazing! Thank you for the family favorite!
pam grant
This recipe was very good. They were a little burnt on the bottom. Any suggestions? I will be making again anyway.
Krissy
Did you make them on parchment paper? I would just recommend cooking them higher up next time. Or, if you see them browning too much on the bottom, finish cooking them up high.
Adam
This recipe was fantastic! I have never had a better meatloaf. Full stop. Used a mix of sweet Italian sausage meat and medium ground beef and substituted buttermilk. (I also cheated and used a jarred jerk bbq sauce.) The bacon was perfectly crispy, the fried onions crunchy, the meat oh-so tender and juicy. Dinner today, lunch tomorrow, and two frozen to bake up another time – awesome recipe!
Liz Whittenton
No salt and pepper? Seems odd. I’m making it tonight and will add some
Krissy
You can always add it. The bacon added enough salt for me. A lot of the time, I won't add any salt while cooking with ground beef because I prefer to salt after it's cooked when I can take a bite to taste.
Kyle
I made this recipe for a crowd of 18! I fixed them exactly according to your recipe; they turned out perfectly and were a big hit! I served them with hasselback potatoes, green beans with mushrooms, spinach salad, fruit skewers, and banana cream cheesecake.
Thanks for a recipe I will use many times!
Kyle
Krissy
I expect a dinner invite next time!
Joan
Made these last night. Delicious. Look very nice too. I used ground chicken and that worked great. Will try the ground beef next time. No problem with sticking, but I always prepare the cooking surface with PAM. Also, no problem with burning the bottoms. I cook with a gas oven - maybe electric is different? Served with roasted green beans.
Aidan
I scrolled the comments and surprised I didn’t see any regarding trying it in the air fryer. Do you have an air fryer? Have you attempted this recipe in it ? I’ve made it in the oven and loved it.
If you have made it before in the air fryer what temperature and for how long did you cook it for?
Krissy
Hi Aiden, I do have an air fryer but haven't made meatloaf in it but my assistant has and she loves it! No idea how long to cook it for, but if it were me I would insert a thermometer and just continue cooking until the internal temperature hits 160 F. Would love to know how it turns out if you try it!
Andria
I'm making this tonight and I am so EXCITED!!! Can't wait!!!! Thank you for the awesome recipe!!
Yari
Can the milk be substituted for anything else? Beef broth?
Krissy
beef broth would work great!
Julie
I stumbled upon this recipe while searching for yet
again a worthy meatloaf recipe. This recipe will now
be my go to for meatloaf. Super easy, minimal ingredients
but the flavor is outstanding. The thyme is dead on,
and I caramelized my own onions for the topping
and they were delicious. Only addition to the recipe
was S & P but I’m sure we all do that. Thanks for this
recipe and you have a new follower!
Valerie
This sounds awesome, but is the milk necessary/what’s it for?
Krissy
It just moistens the panko bread crumbs and helps keep the mixture all together.
Chris
When using parchment paper, do you still spray it with Pam?
Krissy
Nope! No need. It won't stick if using parchment.
Sue
I have made these a bunch of thymes (see what I did there? Haha) and my family LOVES THEM. The only thing I changed was less thyme. The first time I made them we found that it was too overpowering so now I just put a pinch and it's perfect. Served with mashed potatoes and broccoli. 😊
Krissy
I LOVE spice puns!
Dani
How do you get the bacon crispy?
Krissy
Hi Dani, If you like really crispy bacon, you can par bake it half way on a wire rack on top of a foil lined baking sheet. I would just cook it long enough to partially render the fat but it still has to be very flexible. If you do this step, your bacon will definitely get crispy when you bake the meatloaf.
Lalaine
Wow! You just made my ultimate comfort food 1000x better! Can never wrong with bacon 🙂