Black Folks Southern Soul Food Meatloaf Recipe
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This Southern soul food meatloaf recipe (it’s the main course, not a side dish!) is so flavorful that it’ll capture the heart and appetite of everyone in your family – plus everyone else’s!
Despite my love of trying new flavors and ingredients, this Black folks’ Southern meatloaf is an all-time favorite and classic meatloaf recipe. No adjustments to the recipe are needed!
What’s the best meatloaf recipe you’ve ever made?
This Black folks’ soul food Southern-style meatloaf recipe is packed with chopped onions, garlic, and peppers. So you don’t need to add any additional ingredients!
This meatloaf recipe’s moist texture and savory flavor come from lean ground beef and adding veggies (onions and bell peppers). Besides ground beef, you can use ground turkey or ground pork in this recipe.
Does meatloaf have to have a glaze?
Southern-style meatloaf is topped with seasoned ketchup, tomato sauce, or tomato paste for a meatloaf glaze.
How do you make a ketchup glaze?
And this soul food meatloaf recipe includes a brown sugar glaze. It’s made by mixing ketchup and brown sugar. It adds an extra layer of irresistible flavor from the moment you slice into it!
You’ll get the most tender, moist, and best-tasting meatloaf. Bound to please everyone.
When did meatloaf originate?
Did this iconic dish originate in the fifth century?
Contrary. Meatloaf is recorded as originating in the 19th century.
Bonappetit tells us that the first recorded recipe for the modern American meatloaf is from the late 1870s.
It’s said that the cooks chopped and cooked whatever cold meat they had. And they had beef because the original recipe is by New Englanders preserving cow meat for the winter.
Why is meatloaf called comfort food?
A Black folks’ soul food meatloaf recipe would be on the shortlist of official comfort foods of the South. With mashed potatoes, cornbread, green beans, or the darling of the South, collard greens served alongside.
Cracker Barrel meatloaf is tasty like this Southern kitchen recipe. One can never go wrong with homemade meatloaf.
Kitchen equipment for Black folks’ Southern soul food meatloaf recipe
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (optional – or bake the meatloaf in the conventional oven)
- Instant Pot trivet rack (optional – comes with the Instant Pot)
- Loaf pan (or pans) that fits inside the Instant Pot inner pot, or conventional oven loaf pan
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Ingredients for Southern soul food meatloaf
- 2 pounds of ground beef
- 1 tablespoon of all-purpose seasoning salt (for the ground beef)
- 1 cup of water
- ¾ cup of ketchup
- ¼ cup of brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- ½ cup of green or red bell pepper (green pepper preferred)
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup of Panko bread crumbs
- ¾ cup of milk
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon of dried basil
- 1 tablespoon of dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- ¼ teaspoon of pepper
- 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped parsley or fresh sprigs of thyme
How do you cook meatloaf with Worcestershire sauce and ketchup?
Instructions for Black folks’ Southern soul food meatloaf recipe
- Season the ground beef with the all-purpose seasoning salt and set it aside.
- Add the sweet ketchup and brown sugar to a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set the ketchup mixture aside.
- Open the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté setting for 5 minutes.
- Keep the lid off and add the butter, onion, bell peppers, and garlic to the stainless-steel inner pot.
- Sauté the vegetables in the butter for about 2 minutes or until the onions and peppers have softened.
- Turn off the sauté setting and remove from the heat the inner pot with the onion and pepper mixture.
- In a large bowl, mix the bread crumbs and the milk.
- Then mix in the egg, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, thyme, basil, parsley, paprika, pepper, and the sautéed vegetables.
- Gently mix the seasoned ground beef into the other ingredients until all the ingredients are well combined. (You can do the mixing by kneading with your hands, stirring by hand, or with a stand mixer on low.)
- Form a loaf with the ground beef meat mixture and place it in a pre-greased loaf pan that fits inside the Instant Pot inner pot. Or place the meatloaf on a piece of greased aluminum foil that you wrap around it like a boat. The foil should come above the meatloaf on all sides but not cover the top of the loaf. Pro tip: You can make multiple little meatloaves and place them side by side or stacked in the Instant Pot. If you have multiple trivet racks, you can use another one as a shelf to stack!
- Spoon or brush the top of the meatloaf with the set-aside ketchup mixture.
- Pour the water into the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot and add the Instant Pot trivet rack to the pot.
- Place the foil-wrapped meatloaf or meatloaf in a pan on the trivet rack.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 35 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 5 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Use an oven mitt to remove the meatloaf using the trivet rack handles.
- Remove the meatloaf from the foil or pan, being very careful because the drippings will be hot!
- Optionally garnish your meatloaf with fresh chopped parsley or fresh sprigs of thyme.
- Then slice this Black folks’ Southern soul food meatloaf on a platter, serve, and enjoy!
What do you serve with Southern soul food meatloaf?
This Southern-style meatloaf recipe is fantastic! It’s important to mention that you can accompany this dish with various vegetables. Anything with a nice crunch will be significant!
What goes with this Southern meatloaf recipe?
Meatloaf is traditionally served with mashed potatoes. But you can serve it with other starchy sides like Black folks’ baked macaroni and cheese or rice.
It also goes great with fresh green vegetables like steamed Brussel sprouts or spinach, zucchini, and squash. You might also consider corn on the cob or cucumber salad as an alternative to a simple salad.
The best part of meatloaf is if you end up with leftovers for the best meatloaf sandwiches!
What can you add to Southern meatloaf?
This traditional Southern meatloaf recipe has a Black folks’ seasoning and soul food flair.
It has a tantalizing aroma and bursts with flavors already. Hence, there’s not a lot of room for variations or add-ons.
But if you didn’t have ketchup for the brown sugar glaze, BBQ sauce would be an acceptable variation.
- Barbecue sauce – The addition of barbecue sauce makes this meatloaf recipe a finger-licking Southern soul food delight! You can use BBQ sauce to replace ketchup to give your meatloaf a savory touch.
One could also substitute with brown gravy, another Southern recipes favorite.
Black folks’ Southern soul food meatloaf recipe FAQs
How do you store leftover meatloaf?
Storing in the fridge ensures that the meatloaf will last for 3 to 5 days.
If you’re going to save the meatloaf in the freezer, the best way is to separate it into meal-sized portions, wrap it tightly in foil, and freeze it. It will keep the meatloaf fresh and safe for up to 3 months.
Why does your meatloaf fall apart?
The main reason meatloaf falls apart is that you haven’t used enough breadcrumbs or liquid binders. You should add breadcrumbs, milk, and eggs to help keep the loaf from falling apart.
By doing this, you’ll make sure the meatloaf holds together and tastes great.
How do you keep your meatloaf together?
Meatloaf can fall apart in two ways. It will either fall apart when you take it out of the oven or at the dinner table. It can be a real bummer, primarily when serving a dinner party.
So how do you make the meatloaf stick together?
What ingredients keep meatloaf from falling apart?
The best way to keep your meatloaf together is not to forget to add the binding agents during the prep. An egg and breadcrumbs are what you need.
How do you keep the meatloaf moist?
How do you make a meatloaf that’s moist and not dry?
The key to making a moist meatloaf is to add moisture at every step. A generous sprinkling of ketchup or BBQ sauce on top. In addition to liquids added directly to the meat.
The egg, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and watery vegetables like onions and bell peppers will also contribute to not making dry meatloaf.
Why do you add milk to meatloaf?
Milk absorbs the binding breadcrumbs to keep the meatloaf moist.
What can you use instead of bread crumbs?
I’ve seen recipes that call for crushed saltine crackers or Ritz crackers to substitute for breadcrumbs.
Can you use Stove Top?
You could use Stove Top stuffing or cornbread dressing to substitute for breadcrumbs.
Loaf pan or no loaf pan?
You can use a loaf pan for the meatloaf mixture. Or place the meatloaf on a piece of foil that you wrap around it like a boat. The foil should come above the meatloaf on all sides but not cover the top of the loaf.
How can you tell if meatloaf is done?
There are a couple of ways to tell if meatloaf is done. One sure-fire way to know if the meatloaf is cooked is to insert an instant-read thermometer and test the temperature.
When the meatloaf has reached 155 degrees Fahrenheit internally, that means the center is cooked through.
How can you check if the meatloaf is done without a cooking thermometer?
The other way is by looking at the meatloaf texture and slicing an area in the center to see if the meat is brown instead of pink. Again, you won’t need a meat thermometer for this.
Should you cover your meatloaf when baking it?
This is an easy meatloaf recipe, thanks to Instant Pot!
If you’re not using the Instant Pot pressure cooker, covering the meatloaf when baking contributes to a tender and juicy meatloaf (like chicken foil packets).
Covering acts like a tent, trapping in heat and steam, so the meatloaf doesn’t dry out. It also helps prevent splattering and messy clean-ups.
The meatloaf should be covered with aluminum foil or parchment paper while baking.
How long should you let your meatloaf rest after baking?
It is essential to let the meatloaf rest for 10 to 15 minutes before you serve it.
Letting the meatloaf rest will let the juices settle in the meat and moisten it. The meatloaf will also cool a bit, making it easier to slice and serve.
How do you get this Black folks’ Southern soul food meatloaf recipe out of the pan?
Because you’ve pre-greased the foil or loaf pan, simply turn it upside down to remove the meatloaf. Be careful to catch the juices and drippings when you overturn the pan.
What do you think about this recipe?
Did you enjoy this easy ground beef recipe for Black folks’ Southern soul food meatloaf?
Have you had any Southern meatloaf recipes?
Would you make this one?
Comment below and lemme know. Then subscribe HERE for all the soul food!
Equipment
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (optional)
- Instant Pot trivet rack (optional)
- Instant Pot loaf pans or conventional oven loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon seasoning salt your favorite all-purpose seasoning salt
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup bell pepper (green or red) green pepper preferred
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 1 cup bread crumbs Panko bread crumbs
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 1 teaspoon basil dried
- 1 tablespoon parsley dried
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon parsley fresh chopped parsley or fresh sprigs of thyme
Instructions
- Season the ground beef with the all-purpose seasoning salt and set it aside.
- Add the sweet ketchup and brown sugar to a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set the ketchup mixture aside.
- Open the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté setting for 5 minutes.
- Keep the lid off and add the butter, onion, bell peppers, and garlic to the stainless-steel inner pot.
- Sauté the vegetables in the butter for about 2 minutes or until the onions and peppers have softened.
- Turn off the sauté setting and remove from the heat the inner pot with the onion and pepper mixture.
- In a large bowl, mix the bread crumbs and the milk.
- Then mix in the egg, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, thyme, basil, parsley, paprika, pepper, and the sautéed vegetables.
- Gently mix the seasoned ground beef into the other ingredients until all the ingredients are well combined. (You can do the mixing by kneading with your hands, stirring by hand, or with a stand mixer on low.)
- Form a loaf with the ground beef meat mixture and place it in a pre-greased loaf pan that fits inside the Instant Pot inner pot. Or place the meatloaf on a piece of greased aluminum foil that you wrap around it like a boat. The foil should come above the meatloaf on all sides but not cover the top of the loaf. Pro tip: You can make multiple little meatloaves and place them side by side or stacked in the Instant Pot. If you have multiple trivet racks, you can use another one as a shelf to stack!
- Spoon or brush the top of the meatloaf with the set-aside ketchup mixture.
- Pour the water into the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot and add the Instant Pot trivet rack to the pot.
- Place the foil-wrapped meatloaf or meatloaf in a pan on the trivet rack.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 35 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 5 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Use an oven mitt to remove the meatloaf using the trivet rack handles.
- Remove the meatloaf from the foil or pan, being very careful because the drippings will be hot!
- Optionally garnish your meatloaf with fresh chopped parsley or fresh sprigs of thyme.
- Then slice this Black folks’ Southern soul food meatloaf on a platter, serve, and enjoy!
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Nutrition
Wow wow wow very very very Delicious you put God in your cooking❤☝🏼☝👋😀
Can you use tomato sauce instead of ketchup? What about oatmeal instead of bread crumbs? How much of each?
Thanks
Use the same amount as you would ketchup or bread crumbs. The only concern is that depending on the size of your oatmeal flakes if they are large, you may notice their texture in the meatloaf.