BBQ Meatloaf with Bacon

Tired of the same old boring meatloaf recipe? Give BBQ meatloaf with bacon a try! Ground bacon and spices are blended right into ground beef for a flavor that’s unlike any other meatloaf you’ve tasted. Top with your fave barbecue sauce and chopped bacon bits.

This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to learn more about how affiliate links are used on this site.

Meatloaf has gotten a bad rap. I admit, as a kid, I refused to touch the stuff. It always makes the think of Randy Parker, the kid brother from the movie The Christmas Story.

“Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf. I hate meatloaf.”

Now that I am an adult responsible for feeding a grown man and two men-children whose appetites grow more voracious every day, I’ve come around to the idea of meals like meatloaf. This past summer, I tried this recipe for Bacon Bourbon BBQ Chicken Kebabs from Host the Toast. One of the ingredients is homemade bacon paste. Bacon paste, y’all. If that alone doesn’t sell you, you have no soul. I felt it was the perfect way to jazz up a meatloaf recipe and my hunch was spot on. Not only is this recipe full of flavor, but the bacon keeps it moist and juicy.

Get out your grocery list! To make bbq meatloaf with bacon, you’ll need:

• 7 slices raw bacon, divided
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon dry ground mustard
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
• Food processor
• Baking sheet
• Meat thermometer
• Foil, butcher paper or parchment paper

What type of ground beef should I use to make meatloaf?

When you’re out shopping for ground beef, you may notice numbers on the label that read something like 80/20, 73/27, or 90/10. These numbers refer to the lean to fat ratio. The first number identifies what percentage of the package is lean beef. The other identifies how much fat has been added in. 

Though leaner cuts of meat are perceived as healthier, you do need a bit of fat mixed in with your ground beef. The fat prevents the meat from drying out during cooking and helps the meatloaf hold together. I recommend using at least 80/20 or 85/15. A lower fat content will result in a dry meatloaf that falls apart. A higher fat content could result in more grease.

Tips for a juicy meatloaf that doesn’t fall apart

I think one of the reasons meatloaf has such a negative reputation is that it can dry out easily if overcooked. Here are a few tips to seal in moisture and prevent your meatloaf from coming out dry.

1. Use the appropriate type of ground beef. Not trying to sound redundant, but as stated above, you want a little bit of fat mixed in with your ground beef.
2. Add some liquid. Just enough to add moisture, but not so much that it prevents the meatloaf from holding its shape. In this recipe, we’re adding milk and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Use a binder. A binder is an ingredient that helps hold everything together. We’re using three different binders here — an egg, ground up bacon and breadcrumbs. Speaking of breadcrumbs …
4. Use fresh breadcrumbs that haven’t been toasted. I keep two types of breadcrumbs in my freezer – those that have been toasted and are used to provide a crisp coating for the outside fried foods, and those made from bread that hasn’t been toasted. The latter is used as a binder for things such as meatballs and meatloaf. Leaving the bread untoasted allows the bread to retain its moisture and readily absorb any liquid. You can easily make your own breadcrumbs for this recipe by finely chopping three slices of bread with a food processor or a knife.
5. Don’t overmix the ingredients. You may be tempted to mix and mix and mix the ground beef until it forms a nice little patty. However, doing so overworks the proteins and results in a meatloaf that is not only very compact, but dry. Mix just until all the ingredients are evenly combined. I also like to use my hands instead of a spoon. It gives you more control over the mixing.
6. Let the meatloaf rest before cutting into it. During cooking, all the juices bubble up to the surface. If you cut into the meatloaf immediately after removing it from the oven, you’re allowing all that juice to run out. Give the juices time to settle down and reabsorb back into the meatloaf, about 10-15 minutes.
7. Add a glaze. Adding a glaze during the last 15 minutes of cooking seals in all the juices. Most recipes use ketchup. Here we are using barbecue sauce.

Make the bacon paste

One of the reasons why this meatloaf has so much moisture and flavor is the ground up bacon we’re mixing right into the beef. Coarsely chop up five slices of bacon. I like to give everything a good chop first, otherwise the strips can get wrapped around the blade of the food processor. Add the salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and brown sugar. Pulse the ingredients several times until it resembles a paste. Transfer the bacon paste into a large mixing bowl. Cook the remaining two pieces of bacon until crisp.

Mix the ingredients and form the meatloaf

Add the ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, Worcestershire sauce and dry ground mustard to the mixing bowl. Mix everything together, just until the ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then lay down a piece of butcher paper over the foil. You don’t have to do this, but putting a piece of butcher paper under a meatloaf will help absorb the grease. Don’t worry, it won’t catch on fire. Butcher paper is safe to use in the oven for temperatures up to 450 degrees F. If you don’t have butcher paper, you can also use parchment paper. Since parchment is thinner than butcher paper, you might want to use more than one sheet.

Scoop the meatloaf out onto the butcher paper and form it into a log about 12 inches in length and approximately 2 to 2 1/2 inches high. I prefer to cook meatloaf this way instead of in a loaf pan because it provides more even cooking and allows the grease from the ground beef to run off. Do not cover the meatloaf. Covering it will steam the meat and we don’t want that. We want our meatloaf to form a nice crust on the outside.

Bake the meatloaf

Bake the meatloaf for one hour. Remove it from the oven and brush the outside with your favorite barbecue sauce. Return the meatloaf to the oven and cook for an additional 15 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Chop up those two remaining strips of bacon that we cooked earlier. As soon as the meatloaf comes out of the oven for the second time, sprinkle the top with the chopped bacon. Let the meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Tips for making ahead

I LOVE recipes that I can make a head of time. The beef mixture can be assembled up to two days in advance. It needs to be wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator so the beef doesn’t dry out. Before baking, let the beef mixture set out at room temperature for about 30 minutes to take the chill off. Then bake as normal! 

Frequently asked questions

Storage, Freezing and Reheating

Storage. Leftover cooked meatloaf should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator within two hours. Consume within four days.

Freezing. BBQ meatloaf can be frozen either cooked or uncooked. Wrap meatloaf in plastic wrap or transfer to a freezer bag. Remove as much of the air out of the freezer bag as possible and seal. Store in the freezer for up to three months.

Allow uncooked meatloaf to thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Let the beef mixture sit on the counter for 30 minutes to take the chill off, then follow the cooking instructions outlined in the recipe.

Reheating. Allow frozen cooked meatloaf to thaw in the refrigerator for up to eight hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 10-15 minutes until the meatloaf is heated through.

More ground beef recipes

• Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed French Bread
• Mock Turtle Soup
• Smothered Hamburger Steaks In The Oven
• Sloppy Joes From Scratch

More freezer friendly meal ideas:

• Sloppy Joes from Scratch
• Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel
• Hearty Meat Lover’s Lasagna

Serve BBQ Meatloaf with:

• Southern Skillet Fried Corn
• Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole
• Southern Skillet Cornbread
• Creamy Mac and Cheese