BBQ Meatloaf

The best ever BBQ Meatloaf is here to add variety to your dinner table. Take an easy meatloaf recipe and make it more delicious with the addition of tangy barbecue sauce. This is a family favorite the kids will love!

I love the comforting familiarity of meatloaf. That said, it doesn’t have a reputation for being the most exciting of dinners. This BBQ Meatloaf is anything but boring!

The BBQ flavor in every bite has made this my family’s favorite meatloaf recipe over the past few years. Best of all, it’s incredibly easy to make.

BBQ Meatloaf

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this meatloaf and the result is every bit as delicious as the much more complicated traditional recipes.

That means we can have meatloaf any night of the week, even when the fridge is looking a little sparse. Once you assemble the ingredients, the recipe takes hardly any time to prepare and most of the cooking time is hands off.

Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce

We are big fans of meatloaf here and this barbecue sauce glazed meatloaf is a favorite. To make it, you’ll start with ground beef and combine it with oats, egg and some milk. To season the meatloaf and lock in the moisture, you cover it with your favorite BBQ sauce before baking.

As it bakes, the meatloaf will absorb all the flavors of the sauce. It comes out juicy, flavorful, and irresistibly good! The sauce will caramelize just a bit on the top of the loaf to complement the tender savory meat.

Any leftovers are wonderful served on bread or rolls to make for BBQ meatloaf sandwiches. My kids have even been known to sneak a slice of leftover meatloaf straight out of the fridge. That’s how much we all enjoy this!

Serve slices of BBQ meatloaf with mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable sides, like grilled corn, sauteed Brussels sprouts, or asparagus.

Leftover meatloaf can be wrapped up and kept in the fridge for up to 2 days.

BBQ Meatloaf Recipe

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this meal:

• ground beef
• quick cook oats
• milk
• egg
• kosher salt
• barbecue sauce

Which barbecue sauce is best? That all depends on your preference. Use a homemade barbecue sauce or keep it simple with a bottle of the store-bought stuff. I love that you can mix up the taste profile by using different kinds of BBQ sauce.

We love a sweet and spicy sauce here. The balance of sweetness with a little kick from the spice is divine. A tangy BBQ sauce or a Honey BBQ sauce would be delicious for a sweeter version.

How Long To Cook Meatloaf

I recommend using a thermometer to determine the cooking time the first time you make this recipe. The cooking time for the meatloaf will be determined by the shape and size.

I typically shape meatloaves relatively flat and oblong and they cook in about 65-70 minutes. A more traditional 4x4x8 meatloaf in a loaf pan will require about 90 minutes.

This recipe doubles nicely and I almost always make two meatloaves at a time. (Leftovers make me very happy!) Form two loaves on a large sheet pan or in separate 9×13 pans and bake them side by side.

Easy Dinner Recipes

I’ve been working on a number of super easy dinner recipes to share with you. These are all meals that you can get onto the table with a minimum fuss and time spent in the kitchen.

You can pull together a hearty pot of Taco Soup with not much more than a few cans from the pantry. Mexican Pulled Pork is a great “set it and forget it” slow cooker meal–that tastes restaurant quality.

These Sweet and Sour Asian Meatballs require just six ingredients and my kids go crazy over them. And this Cheesy Sausage Pasta is an irresistible dinner for any cheese or pasta lover.

{originally published 2/22/21 – recipe notes and photos updated 6/13/24}