Herbed Beef Meatloaf with Tomato Glaze
A sliced beef meatloaf with a milk-and-breadcrumb panade, grated onion and a tangy tomato glaze. Every addition and operation has its own photo and instruction.
This beef meatloaf makes six dinner portions with a glossy tomato topping and a tender, sliceable centre. Milk softens plain breadcrumbs before grated onion, egg and seasonings go in. The beef is folded in last, then baked in a lined loaf pan. A simple glaze uses measured ketchup, brown sugar and cider vinegar.
The detailed method separates every addition from mixing, shaping, baking, temperature checking, resting and slicing. Allow about 1 hour 50 minutes, with the internal temperature deciding when the loaf is done. Side dishes are optional and are not part of the ingredients or nutrition estimate.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Hydrated breadcrumbs and grated onion bring moisture into the leaner beef mixture. Mixing the seasonings before folding in the meat helps distribute them without prolonged kneading. A loaf pan supports the mixture, and resting makes slicing easier. Temperature checking is essential because a brown glaze cannot tell you whether the centre is cooked.
Before you start · Equipment
Kitchen scale, box grater, knife, board, two mixing bowls, fork, flexible spatula, pastry brush, 23 × 13 × 7 cm metal loaf pan, baking parchment, rimmed baking tray, instant-read food thermometer and heatproof trivet.
Everything you’ll need.
Get your ingredients ready, then follow the quantities in the recipe below.
See ingredient amounts
This guide describes the original 6 portions. Use the recipe card for amounts adjusted to your chosen yield.
A familiar dinner with a detailed method
The method has 31 separately illustrated steps. Each ingredient addition is separate from the stirring or cooking operation that follows, so you can see the exact order.
Let the breadcrumbs soften first
A five-minute rest hydrates the crumbs. Milk and grated onion juice add moisture before the beef goes in. Mix the binder and seasonings thoroughly, then fold in the meat only until uniform.
Use a pan that supports the loaf
The lined metal loaf pan supports the mixture and catches the cooking juices. No pan oil is required. Keep it on a rimmed tray and keep the parchment within its rated temperature.
Glaze with clean utensils
The entire glaze is applied before baking. A brush that touches raw meat must be washed before touching cooked food. Do not leave an unbaked portion of glaze to serve later.
A thermometer decides when it is ready
Start checking after about 60 minutes, but allow longer if needed. The thickest centre must reach at least 160°F (71°C). The illustration does not prove temperature; use your own thermometer.
Rest, portion and store promptly
Rest for 10 minutes before cutting six equal portions. Divide the cooked pan juices between them. Refrigerate shallow leftover portions promptly, keep at 4°C or below for up to three days and reheat to 74°C.
About the ingredients
- Ground beef
Use 800 g raw 90% lean / 10% fat ground beef. Keep it cold and add it last. Ground turkey or fattier beef changes cooking behaviour and the nutrition estimate.
- Breadcrumbs and milk
The panade uses 60 g plain fine dry breadcrumbs and 100 g whole milk. Fresh bread, panko or boxed stuffing mix is not a direct gram-for-gram substitute.
- Onion, garlic and egg
Onion weight is 150 g after peeling; retain the grated juice. Garlic is 10 g peeled. One large egg contributes 50 g without shell and is beaten separately before adding.
- Seasonings
The loaf contains 4 g salt, 1 g pepper and 1 g dried thyme. There is no bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, parsley or additional garnish.
- Tomato glaze
All 100 g standard ketchup, 15 g light brown sugar and 15 g food-grade cider vinegar are mixed and brushed onto the loaf. No extra serving sauce is included. Brand sodium and sugar vary.
How to make Herbed Beef Meatloaf with Tomato Glaze
Prepare the pan and aromatics. Hydrate breadcrumbs with milk; add onion, garlic, beaten egg and each seasoning separately. Mix, fold in beef and shape. Build the glaze one ingredient at a time, brush it over the loaf, bake, check the centre temperature, rest and slice.
1. Preheat the oven
2. Line the loaf pan
3. Grate the onion
4. Mince the garlic
5. Crack the egg
6. Beat the egg
7. Add the breadcrumbs
8. Add the milk
9. Stir the panade
10. Let the crumbs hydrate
11. Add the grated onion
12. Add the minced garlic
13. Add the beaten egg
14. Add the measured salt
15. Add the black pepper
16. Add the dried thyme
17. Mix the seasoned panade
18. Add the cold beef
19. Fold the mixture together
20. Shape the loaf in the pan
21. Add ketchup to a clean bowl
22. Add the brown sugar
23. Add the cider vinegar
24. Stir the glaze smooth
25. Brush all the glaze over the loaf
26. Bake the glazed loaf
27. Check the centre temperature
28. Rest the cooked meatloaf
29. Lift the loaf onto a board
30. Serve with the retained juicesWatch How To Make It
chefzelish.com
Herbed Beef Meatloaf with Tomato Glaze
A sliced beef meatloaf with a milk-and-breadcrumb panade, grated onion and a tangy tomato glaze. Every addition and operation has its own photo and instruction.
Ingredients
0 / 12 readyIngredient amounts for 6 portions
Meatloaf
Tomato glaze
Let’s make it.
- Preparation
Preheat the oven
Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C), conventional setting, with a rack in the centre. Measure the listed ingredients separately. Keep the beef, egg and milk refrigerated until their steps.
- Preparation
Line the loaf pan
Line a 23 × 13 × 7 cm metal loaf pan with baking parchment across the base and long sides, leaving lifting handles above the rim. Put the pan on a rimmed baking tray. Do not add oil or cooking spray.
- Preparation
Grate the onion
Grate the peeled 150 g onion on the coarse side of a box grater into a small clean bowl. Retain the onion juice; it belongs in the mixture.
- Preparation
Mince the garlic
Finely mince all 10 g peeled garlic on a clean board. Keep it separate from the onion for its own addition step.
- Preparation
Crack the egg
Crack one large egg into a separate small bowl. Use 50 g edible egg without shell. Check for shell fragments.
- Preparation
Beat the egg
Beat the egg with a fork until the white and yolk are blended. Wash hands and clean anything touched by raw egg.
- Build the meatloaf
Add the breadcrumbs
Put all 60 g plain dry breadcrumbs into a large clean mixing bowl.
- Build the meatloaf
Add the milk
Pour all 100 g whole milk over the breadcrumbs.
- Build the meatloaf
Stir the panade
Stir the milk and breadcrumbs with a flexible spatula until evenly moistened.
- Build the meatloaf
Let the crumbs hydrate
Leave the breadcrumb mixture for 5 minutes so it softens and absorbs the milk.
- Build the meatloaf
Add the grated onion
Scrape all grated onion and its juice into the hydrated crumbs.
- Build the meatloaf
Add the minced garlic
Add all 10 g minced garlic.
- Build the meatloaf
Add the beaten egg
Pour all the beaten egg into the mixing bowl.
- Build the meatloaf
Add the measured salt
Add the measured 4 g fine table salt. Ketchup and breadcrumbs also contain sodium; no extra seasoning is added later.
- Build the meatloaf
Add the black pepper
Sprinkle all 1 g ground black pepper over the mixture.
- Build the meatloaf
Add the dried thyme
Add all 1 g dried thyme leaves. No extra thyme garnish is used.
- Build the meatloaf
Mix the seasoned panade
Stir thoroughly to distribute the egg, onion, garlic and seasonings through the softened crumbs.
- Build the meatloaf
Add the cold beef
Add all 800 g cold ground beef to the seasoned panade. Do not wash raw meat.
- Build the meatloaf
Fold the mixture together
Use the spatula to fold and turn until the ingredients are evenly distributed and no large pockets of panade remain. Stop once combined; do not knead into a dense paste. Clean hands, tools and surfaces that contact raw beef.
- Build the meatloaf
Shape the loaf in the pan
Transfer all the mixture into the lined loaf pan. Gently press out large air pockets and smooth an even top without packing hard. Keep the pan on its rimmed tray.
- Make and apply glaze
Add ketchup to a clean bowl
Put all 100 g tomato ketchup into a separate clean small bowl. Use clean utensils for the glaze.
- Make and apply glaze
Add the brown sugar
Add all 15 g light brown sugar to the ketchup.
- Make and apply glaze
Add the cider vinegar
Pour all 15 g food-grade cider vinegar into the glaze bowl.
- Make and apply glaze
Stir the glaze smooth
Stir the ketchup, sugar and vinegar until blended and the sugar is dispersed. There is no separate reserved serving sauce.
- Make and apply glaze
Brush all the glaze over the loaf
Brush all the glaze evenly over the raw loaf, scraping out the glaze bowl. Do not reuse the brush or bowl for ready-to-eat food after they touch raw meat; wash them thoroughly.
- Bake, check and serve
Bake the glazed loaf
Bake uncovered on the centre rack for about 60–75 minutes. Keep parchment away from exposed heating elements. If the top darkens early, loosely tent with foil within the parchment maker's heat limit. Start checking the centre at 60 minutes.
- Bake, check and serve
Check the centre temperature
Insert a clean instant-read thermometer from the side into the thickest centre without touching the pan. The centre must reach at least 160°F (71°C). Check a second central spot. If either reading is lower, return to the oven and recheck after 5 minutes using a cleaned probe. Colour and the timer are not safety checks.
- Bake, check and serve
Rest the cooked meatloaf
Once the temperature is safe, leave the loaf in its pan on a heatproof trivet for 10 minutes. Retain the pan juices; they are included in the nutrition estimate.
- Bake, check and serve
Lift the loaf onto a board
Use the parchment handles carefully to lift the rested loaf onto a clean serving board. Keep the cooked juices in the pan for serving. Remove the parchment from under the loaf before slicing.
- Bake, check and serve
Serve with the retained juices
Serve one of the six equal portions and divide all retained cooked pan juices between the portions. This recipe includes no side dish or extra ketchup. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour if the room is hotter than 90°F (32°C). Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below for up to 3 days; reheat to 165°F (74°C).
Nutrition per serving
1 of 6 equal meatloaf portions, including all glaze and retained pan juices. Estimates may vary with ingredients and brands.
- Calories
- 336 kcal
- Protein
- 30.2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 18.2 g
- Fat
- 15.3 g
- Saturated fat
- 5.9 g
- Fiber
- 1.1 g
- Sugar
- 8.6 g
- Sodium
- 592 mg
Checked 10/15/2026. Values are per the serving described above, regardless of recipe yield.
Notes from the kitchen.
Helpful tips
Allow 25 minutes preparation, up to 75 minutes baking and 10 minutes resting. Baking may take longer; 71°C in the centre is the required endpoint.
Make it your own
Changing beef fat level, breadcrumb type, milk or ketchup changes texture and nutrition. The stated estimate uses the exact listed ingredients.
Storage & freezing
Refrigerate shallow leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C. Keep at 4°C or below for up to 3 days and reheat to 74°C.
At the table
Six equal portions include all glaze, fat and cooked pan juices. Side dishes and extra sauce are excluded. The nutrition calculation assumes no fat is drained; drained servings will differ.
A little something delicious.
Keep this recipe close for the next time the craving strikes.
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