The Best Brown Sugar Glazed Meatloaf Recipe
Brown Sugar Glazed Meatloaf is comfort food done right – tender, juicy ground beef topped with a sweet-and-savory glaze that caramelizes as it bakes. If you grew up eating meatloaf but want one that’s anything but dry or boring, this is the recipe to try.
If you grew up in the United States, chances are great that you have had meatloaf. At least once. For many of us, it is quintessential American comfort food, ranking high alongside Buttermilk Biscuits and Apple Pie.
Made with simple pantry staples and finished with a classic brown sugar and ketchup glaze, this easy meatloaf is the kind of dinner that brings everyone back to the table—and usually back for seconds.
Why This Brown Sugar Glazed Meatloaf Works
- Simple ingredients, reliable results: no fancy add-ins—just classic comfort food that works every time.
- The glaze does double duty: a thin layer on the bottom keeps the meatloaf moist, while the top caramelizes into a sticky, flavorful crust.
- Balanced sweetness: brown sugar adds richness without overpowering the savory beef.
Ingredients
This meatloaf features a rich brown sugar glaze layered on both the bottom and the top, keeping the meat tender while creating a caramelized, slightly sticky finish.
Glaze Ingredients
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
Meatloaf Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅓ pounds ground beef (grass-fed is best)
- 1 ⅓ cups bread crumbs
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
How To Make Brown Sugar Glazed Meatloaf
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Before making the meatloaf, prepare the glaze by combining ketchup, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Let it sit for a moment so that the sugar can dissolve a bit in the ketchup.
- Next, spoon about a small layer of glaze (about ⅓ cup of the ketchup mixture) on the bottom of your loaf pan. (I use a 9×5-inch loaf pan.) Set the rest of the glaze aside and begin making the loaf.
- Place the onion and bell pepper in a food processor and pulse until finely diced. Add the ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, milk, and ⅓ cup of the glaze. Pulse just until combined.
No food processor? No problem—finely chop the vegetables and mix everything together by hand in a large bowl until just combined.
- Next, place the ground beef mixture into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Spoon the remaining brown sugar glaze on top.
- Bake the meatloaf in the middle of the oven rack for an hour in the preheated oven.
It’s important to cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. If the meatloaf is below 160 degrees, continue baking it until it reaches that temperature to be safe.
I suggest that if it has been baking for an hour and still has not reached 160 degrees, check every 10-15 minutes. (If you still cannot seem to get the minimum safe temperature, you might want to invest in an oven thermometer.)
Love meatloaf in all its forms? Try Home-Style Meatloaf in the Instant Pot for classic comfort food made easy, savor Boarding House Meatloaf inspired by the legendary boarding house in Lynchburg, Tennessee, or go bite-size with Mini Meatloaf Muffins for quick dinners and freezer-friendly portions.
Brown Sugar Glazed Meatloaf
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine ketchup, brown sugar, and salt in a small mixing bowl and allow to sit for a couple of minutes to allow sugar to dissolve.
- Spoon one-third cup of sauce into bottom of a loaf pan. Set aside.
- Place ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, bell pepper, eggs, milk, and one-third cup of glaze into food processor and process until mixture is thoroughly blended.
- Place meat mixture into loaf pan and smooth down the top. Spread remaining glaze on top of loaf.
- Bake for 1 hour or until internal temperature is 155 to 160 degrees.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Video
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Meatloaf FAQs
Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. For long-term storage, wrap the meatloaf in plastic wrap, place it in a zip-top freezer bag, and remove all excess air. Store in the freezer for up to six months.
To thaw, remove the meatloaf from the freezer and refrigerate it overnight. To reheat, remove the meatloaf from the plastic bag, wrap it, and place it in a microwave-safe container. Cover and cook on HIGH in 2-minute increments until warm.
Serve with some mashed potatoes and a green veggie and dinner is done! Alternatively, you can cut it into slices and make meatloaf sandwiches. Yum!
Meatloaf Facts & Trivia
- Meatloaf has European origins. It was mentioned in the Roman cookery collection Apicus as early as the 5th century.
- Europeans and Americans are not the only ones who enjoy meatloaf. Other countries, ranging from Chile to Vietnam, have their own versions of the meaty dish.
- America’s version of meatloaf originates from scrapple, a Pennsylvania Dutch dish made from pork scraps.
- Meatloaf gained much appreciation during the Great Depression, thanks to its adaptability. People were able to make use of less expensive fillers to stretch ground beef and create a satisfying dish.
Last Bite
Did the brown sugar glaze win you over? Leave a comment below and let me know if this meatloaf earned a spot in your regular dinner rotation.
Best meatloaf I’ve ever made/eaten.
Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Thanks, Jessie, for coming back and posting your message. It makes my heart happy that you like it!
Can you use stove top stuffing Instead of bread crumbs?
I haven’t tried it. I imagine that if you crush the stuffing, it would work in the same manner.
On the ingredients list it asks for 1 1/3 cups of ground beef… is that a typo? Should it be 1 1/3 lbs rather?
Thank you,
Logan
It was a typo – thanks for catching that. I have corrected the recipe to reflect 1 1/3 pounds of ground beef.
Thank you for the meatloaf recipe, which sounds like my mother’s. We always loved to sit down to her meatloaf, which she served simply with greenbeans and with cornbread baked in her large, deep skillet, which I now have.
When we vacationed in the Smokies, she always took us into the old mill in the Gatlinburg area and bought their freshly ground corn meal, which she took home and treated like gold, since it had to last ’til the next trip.
She always added a touch of sugar to her cornbread, which was heresy with my former North Carolina in-laws. I didn’t argue, just never ate their bland cornbread. We also used a little butter and fresh local honey on ours. Yummy.
My daughter always loved Mom’s green beans, which were just the canned French-cut beans. She heated them on the stove with a little garlic salt, and my daughter raved about them.
I loved my former mil’s homegrown greenbeans, with bacon and a little bacon fat, seasoned just right, the way Southern country cooks do it. 🙂
Have been wanting to make a good meatloaf like my mom’s so I appreciate yours.
Would appreciate knowing which major hotel chain your first commentor worked for. Sometimes, they will publish a few of their recipes, and it may be possible to locate her fondly-remembered meatloaf online. I did enjoy her reminiscence and will be sure to treat my littles to her surprise inside.
Thanks again
P.S. I’m thinking that a nice small salad and some of my mom’s yeast rolls would be delicious with your meatloaf. She also made wonderful potatoes au gratin and scalloped potatoes, either of which would be delish here.
I love your comment.
I think a good batch of cornbread needs some sugar in it. I am definitely of the sweet camp and not the bland.
I hope that you enjoy this recipe. Pairing it with homemade rolls, green beans, and potatoes (au gratin or scalloped) sounds like a winner. The only thing I need to know now is what you’re serving dinner. 😉
How long do you think this glaze shelf life would be ?
Absolutely no clue. Sorry.
This looks like a wonderful recipe. I am definitely going to try this. I make my meatloaf with a little surprise inside. In the late 1960’s I was an Executive Assistant for a major hotel chain. I worked for one of their hotels on Ft Lauderdale Beach. Many times I had to work late. We would eat dinner in one of their award winning restaurants. Their meatloaf was to die for. The chef gave me the recipe which I have since lost but remember the wonderful presentation of that meatloaf. They would put in the middle of the meatloaf two hard boiled eggs. You put half of the meat in the loaf pan, place two hard boiled eggs inside about 1/2” apart, put the rest of the meat on top, seal the sides nice and tight all the way around so it is one solid meatloaf. The first cut or two (depending on how big your slices are) from the end you might not get a slice of the egg. However, after that you get a beautiful slice of hard boiled egg right in the middle of your slice of meatloaf. It is not only great looking but delicious. He also told me to make and warm up, stirring constantly, extra sauce for your meatloaf to be able to ladle extra sauce over your meatloaf slice. No matter what kind of sauce you use. Just make sure you cook it a bit first. Not being a big fan of ketchup, tomatoey covered meatloaf. I always made mushroom sauce covered meatloaf. However, your recipe with brown sugar mixed with ketchup (I would use dark brown sugar as it is more flavorful – I never use light brown sugar at all, even if the recipe calls for light) sounds amazing. And I would put extra on the stove and cook it a bit and stir it to dessolve the sugar for the extra sauce for ladling extra over served slices of meatloaf and maybe some mashed potatoes. Of course depending on how sweet it is to taste, I could make some adjustments if needed. But I hope not this recipe sounds wonderful!!!
Thank you for sharing. The egg in the middle sounds really interesting and I like your tip for cooking additional sauce.
I knew this was a great meatloaf by reading the ingredients. And because it is almost exactly like mine. The only difference being two tsps. or so of Worcestershire sauce and about a fourth of a cup more of less…of medium salsa. Otherwise we are twinsees! LOL
You are an excellent cook! I can tell! Much love to you!?
Back at you, Barbara! <3
Fixed this tonight but used pound of ground beef. I didn’t think 1 1/3 cup was enough? Don’t have food processor so mixed by hand. Will let you know how it turned out. Looks delicious!!
I am looking forward to finding out how you liked it. 🙂
This looks so good…..Thanks for the meatloaf trivia, too!
This is the best meatloaf recipe I’ve ever made! I do, however, add half a pack of meatloaf seasoning and it gives me the perfect blend of sweet and savory. Keep the great recipes coming!?
Thank you for stopping by and letting me know your tip and how you liked it. It makes my heart happy.
Wishing you the best –
Lynda
I will be making this tonight for the fam?? thanks
Great! Let me know how they like it.
This Was Delicious! Thank you For Sharing!
You’re welcome! I am so glad you liked it. 🙂
I just made this last night for dinner, and it was a major hit in my house!
I am glad you enjoyed it!
I made this tonight, delish. Along with putting sauce on bottom and top, I used the handle of a wooden spoon and poked holes in the meatloaf so the sauce would soak into the meatloaf.
Thank you. Thanks for your tip, too. 🙂
What blade do you use to process the meat and other ingredients together? I just got my first food processor and it is the super powerful Breville one and I am a little scared to try this as my first recipe.
I made a meatloaf once that had the sauce on the bottom and it was the best ever. I lost the recipe though and I think your recipe will be just as delicious!! Will let you know how it turns out- Making it tonight with a mixture of turkey, pork and ground beef.
I just use the basic blade in my food processor. (Sorry that I cannot be more specific.) I hope you enjoy it!
Making this tonight for dinner.
I would love to hear how it turns out. 🙂
My husband is not a fan of meatloaf, but this looks like one he would like!
Oooh! I love the idea of putting some of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. I never do that.