Air Fryer Meatloaf Recipe
If you're craving comfort food for dinner tonight, you can't go wrong with meatloaf! But there's no reason to wait an hour for your meatloaf to cook in the oven if you have an air fryer in your kitchen. With this quick and easy air fryer meatloaf recipe, you can prepare your main dish in a fraction of the time it takes to cook meatloaf in the oven. And since this recipe is packed with flavor thanks to a delicious seasoning blend, it's going to be your go-to weeknight dinner recipe.
*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn a commission on qualifying purchases.
What Do I Need to Make This Air Fryer Meatloaf Recipe?
Making your meatloaf in the air fryer is a similar process to making it in the oven. That means you'll need most of the same ingredients for both types of recipes. To make homemade meatloaf, you'll need:
- Ground beef
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Minced onion
- Dried green onion
- Breadcrumbs
- Horseradish
- Egg
- Worcestershire sauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Ketchup
- Light brown sugar
How Do I Make This Air Fryer Meatloaf Recipe?
You're going to love how simple it is to make meatloaf in your air fryer! That's because there's no need to wait forever for your meatloaf to finish cooking. And the best part is that you don't need to adjust the size of your meatloaf just because you're cooking it in the air fryer. With this easy recipe, you can prepare two pounds of meatloaf in one batch!
Step One: Prepare the Meatloaf
Combine the ground beef with the seasonings, including the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, minced onion, and dried green onion. After that, add the breadcrumbs, horseradish, egg, and Worcestershire sauce. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together, making sure the beef is thoroughly mixed with the rest of the meatloaf ingredients without overmixing.
Step Two: Form a Loaf
Once you have the meatloaf ingredients well combined, remove the mixture from the bowl and form it into a loaf shape. Line the basket of your air fryer with a piece of parchment paper and place the loaf on top.
Step Three: Air Fry the Meatloaf
Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees. When the it's heated up, place the basket in the air fryer and cook the meatloaf for 15 minutes.
Step Four: Prepare the Glaze
While the meatloaf is cooking in the air fryer, take a few minutes to prepare the glaze for the top of the loaf. Pour the apple cider vinegar, ketchup, and brown sugar into a small bowl. Whisk until all three ingredients are smooth and well combined.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Step Five: Baste the Meatloaf
When the timer goes off on the air fryer, use a brush to baste the meatloaf with the sauce mixture. Continue coating the top of the meatloaf with the sauce until all the sauce mixture has been used.
Step Six: Continue Cooking the Meatloaf
After basting the meatloaf with the sauce, return the basket to the air fryer and set it to cook for an additional 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Your meatloaf is finished cooking when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. After removing the meat from the air fryer, allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
Air Fryer Meatloaf Tips & Tricks
Using your air fryer to prepare your meatloaf is a quick and easy way to whip up a classic comfort food recipe for your family in a fraction of the time it would take to cook it in the oven. And with these simple cooking tips, you'll be able to prepare this amazing recipe with no trouble at all.
- Don't forget the liner. Keeping your meatloaf juicy and moist while it cooks in your air fryer is easy if you use a liner. A piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil are both great options for lining your air fryer basket. Before you place the meatloaf in the basket, place the liner along the bottom of the basket. The liner will help catch the fat and juices while the meatloaf cooks. On top of helping keep the air fryer basket clean, the liner will also allow your meatloaf to cook in the juices, adding even more flavor to the final dish.
- Always check the internal temperature. While I was able to cook my meatloaf at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, air fryer cook times can vary. That's why it's essential that you check the internal temperature of your meatloaf before serving it. When the thermometer reads 165 degrees when placed in the center of the meatloaf, your dinner is ready to eat.
Air Fryer Meatloaf Temperature and Time
Cooking meatloaf in the air fryer is so simple because it cooks so much faster than in the oven! To prepare your meatloaf in the air fryer, start by preheating the air fryer to 350 degrees. When the air fryer is hot, cook the meatloaf for 25 minutes. After 15 minutes of cooking, remove the basket from the air fryer and add the sauce, then return the basket and continue cooking until the center of the meatloaf is cooked through.
Is it Safe to Cook Ground Beef in an Air Fryer?
If you've only used your air fryer for cooking frozen foods, you might be wondering whether it's a good idea to cook raw meat in the air fryer basket. But since the air fryer cooks using a heating element and fan, it's perfectly safe to cook a variety of foods in this handy appliance - including ground beef!
While you may not be able to make crumbled ground beef in your air fryer, you can use the appliance to cook other ground beef recipes, like meatloaf or hamburgers. When cooking meat with a higher fat content, it's a good idea to add a liner, like parchment paper or aluminum foil, to the air fryer basket to catch the fat and juices. This will make clean-up easier and keep your meat juicy as it cooks.
Air Fryer Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
For Meatloaf:
- 2 lbs Ground Beef
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Minced Onion
- 1 tablespoon Dried Green Onion
- 1 Cup Breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon Horseradish “Fresh Prepared”
- 1 Egg
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
For Glaze:
- ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ Cup Ketchup
- ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar
Instructions
Step One: Prepare the Meatloaf
- Combine the ground beef with the seasonings, including the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, minced onion, and dried green onion. After that, add the breadcrumbs, horseradish, egg, and Worcestershire sauce. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together, making sure the beef is thoroughly mixed with the rest of the meatloaf ingredients without overmixing.
Step Two: Form a Loaf
- Once you have the meatloaf ingredients well combined, remove the mixture from the bowl and form it into a loaf shape. Line the basket of your air fryer with a piece of parchment paper and place the loaf on top.
Step Three: Air Fry the Meatloaf
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees. When the it’s heated up, place the basket in the air fryer and cook the meatloaf for 15 minutes.
Step Four: Prepare the Glaze
- While the meatloaf is cooking in the air fryer, take a few minutes to prepare the glaze for the top of the loaf. Pour the apple cider vinegar, ketchup, and brown sugar into a small bowl. Whisk until all three ingredients are smooth and well combined.
Step Five: Baste the Meatloaf
- When the timer goes off on the air fryer, use a brush to baste the meatloaf with the sauce mixture. Continue coating the top of the meatloaf with the sauce until all the sauce mixture has been used.
Step Six: Continue Cooking the Meatloaf
- After basting the meatloaf with the sauce, return the basket to the air fryer and set it to cook for an additional 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Your meatloaf is finished cooking when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. After removing the meat from the air fryer, allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
