Meatloaf made easy in the Ninja Foodi Grill
When it comes to comfort food, meatloaf has a special place in so many people's hearts.
I really like that you can actually prep this meatloaf recipe ahead of time and allow the meat to rest in the refrigerator for at least a day until you're ready to cook it in the Ninja Foodi Grill.
What is the secret to moist meatloaf?
The secret to moist meatloaf is a combination of ingredients and monitoring the temperature of the food while cooking.
Choosing a ground beef with an 80/20 meat to fat ratio will work wonders with keeping the meatloaf moist. That extra amount of fat will render making the dish delicious while still keep the meat juicy.
Fortifying the meatloaf mix with eggs, Worcestershire sauce, and other wet ingredients will keep the meat moist while cooking.
Using a loaf pan will help the meatloaf retain its shape when cooking and keep the moisture from leaching out or evaporating during cooking.
Although some people prefer pressure cooking a meatloaf, the Ninja Foodi Grill is our preferred device for this dish. If you do use a pressure cooker to make meatloaf, consider allowing the pressure to naturally release for optimal moisture. Some people will even sprinkle brown sugar on the meatloaf and finish with a crisp lid to assist with browning.
If you end up having any leftovers, this recipe is especially delicious the next day served as a sandwich. Leftover meatloaf sandwiches are what inspired my Everything But The Bagel Burger recipe cooked on a Traeger Grill.
If you're looking for other inspiring recipes for the Ninja Foodi Grill some of our favorites are listed in this post with plenty of ideas about what you should be cooking next. I especially like making this Moscow Mule brined pork chop in the Foodi grill and am sure you will too!
I also have a roundup of the Best Ninja Foodi Grill accessories for both cooking and cleanup you can find here.
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef 80/20
- 2 Eggs
- ¾ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 3 tablespoon Ketchup
- 3 tablespoon BBQ Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Steak Seasoning
Instructions
- Lightly beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl
- Mix in the bbq, and Worcestershire sauce into the egg mixture
- Add the seasoning and mix well
- Crumble the uncooked ground beef into the egg mixture and kneed thoroughly with clean hands
- Add half the bread crumbs and continue to mix well before adding the second half of the bread crumbs and continue to kneed until all bread crumbs are well mixed in
- Shape the Meatloaf mixture into a loaf shape
- Sprinkle a little more seasoning on the top
- Preheat the Ninja Foodi Grill to 350° on the bake setting
- Carefully place the meatloaf in the air crisp basket and add to the grill after the preheating is completed
- Bake at 350° for 15 minutes
- Carefully turn over the meatloaf
- Check the meat's internal temperature. It will likely be around 100° or a bit more than about halfway cooked.
- Return to Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, checking the temperature after 5 minutes.
- Top with extra ketchup if desired.
- Air crisp at 375° for 2 to 4 minutes, checking often if a crispy crust is desired.
- Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This is another amazing dish that CJ of CJ's Tasty Things cooked in the Ninja Foodi Grill.
Recently CJ made a delicious turkey breast in the Ninja Foodi Grill, and it's worth taking a look at.
Like this meatloaf recipe, it's fun to learn her method of cooking in the Ninja Foodi Grill, and she's been generous enough to share it with us here.
If you want to see what else CJ has cooking, she also has a Facebook page to go with her Instagram and she frequently shares recipes and helps others in the Ninja Foodi Grill ❤️ Lovers Group.
You nailed it! Meatloaf is a favorite. Sounds like a perfect After the Holidays dinner. And, I just bought my husband a new bottle of Col Pabst Worcestershire sauce!
Instead of using ketchup as a glaze, use more Bbq sauce!
Delish! Thanks for the recipe!
Good call Amy! Yum-
This turned out terrible for me. It was beautiful on the outside but a pile of mush on the inside. I’m not sure what happened it was horrible!
What internal temperature did you cook it to?
It was up to 165 when I checked it
Ok, so this turned out REALLY salty for me. I used Montreal steak seasoning… probably could use a single tbsp and be more than enough. What kind of steak seasoning was used in the original recipe?
It was one without salt- that may have been the issue.
I spiced it up with some Jollof rice seasoning 3 TB. Spoons. Added red and yellow bell peppers and onions and some pepper jack cheese. Also covering with Pepper Jack. Came out awesome. Cooked perfect with your guidelines. Ole!
Brilliant! That sounds delicious-
In your description starting out it mentioned using a loaf pan but later it's showing the meatloaf cooked in the air fryer basket. Still later you recommended air crisping 2-4 minutes so I was assuming it would need it. Not so in my case. At the 15 minute check, the meatloaf was very brown on the outside. I removed the loaf then wrapped it in foil to keep it from being cremated. I also turned the temperature down 25°. (When I read the listed ingredients I thought that would be way too much salt for a pound of meat so I reduced the steak seasoning by half. Very glad I mad this decision.) Added half an onion, finely chopped & maybe an eighth of a red bell pepper also finely chopped. Next time I will cook the first 15 minutes in a covered loaf pan then remove, place in the air fryer basket to finish cooking.
Solid feedback Margo- thanks!
Do you add the ketchup to the egg with the BBQ and Worcestershire or is it only used to glaze the meatloaf?
The ketchup is for glaze only - save the egg for the meat as it helps it hold together.