14 Ingredients You Should Be Adding To Your Meatloaf

Not everyone is a fan of meatloaf, and we can understand why. Depending on the rendition you've had, it was either too dry, too greasy, bland, or downright disgusting. We get it. But what if we told you there are ways you can ensure yourself a dynamite meatloaf with little to no effort involved? We've partnered up with food bloggers Joanne Gallagher of Inspired Taste and Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies to get you all the details for transforming your meatloaf into a showstopping dish everyone will love.

In this post, we're exploring the ingredients you should be adding to your meatloaf to take it to the next level. And while you don't necessarily need to reinvent the wheel when making your meatloaf come to life, a few tweaks and upgrades will make all the difference in how your final loaf turns out. So, if you're ready, let's slice into the juicy details relating to the 14 ingredients you should be adding to your meatloaf.

Most people use ground beef when making meatloaf, but what you may not know is that the fat percentage of the ground meat you use can make a huge difference in flavor, texture, and the amount of grease dispersed. And since not everyone thinks a meatloaf swimming in a pool of oil is appetizing, it can be beneficial to consider picking ground meat options that are lean — though not too lean — to keep greasy meatloaf problems at bay.

"I use lean beef in my meatloaf because I always have it on hand. [(80% lean) 20% maximum fat content] is perfect because it has enough fat to be moist, but it's not too fatty," explains Holly Nilsson. Joanne Gallagher, on the other hand, has a similar yet slightly different preference: "My go-to choices are ground beef [(85% lean) 15% maximum fat content] for its rich flavor and juiciness and ground turkey with 7% to 10% fat (look for a blend of white and dark meat)." Ultimately, which meat-to-fat ratio you choose will be up to you – some people may like a little extra fat in their meatloaf to offset the amount of starch contained therein, while others, like our experts, may prefer a leaner loaf.

Breadcrumbs are a pretty standard option when it comes to meatloaf, and there's a reason for that. As Holly Nilsson tells us, combining breadcrumbs and milk creates something called a "panade" (also used in meatballs), which helps to keep ground meat, like the aforementioned ground turkey or ground beef, moist. Even so, don't let plain breadcrumbs be your only go-to when adding them to meatloaf — branching out and trying other breadcrumb options like seasoned, Italian herb-style, or panko are also an option.

Don't like breadcrumbs? If you're feeling really adventurous, try tossing crackers into the mix instead. "I find that crushed saltine crackers [...] combined with a splash of milk work wonders for binding meatloaf. The combination also prevents the meatloaf from crumbling," explains Joanne Gallagher. Alternatively, you could use oatmeal as a binder, as seen in this gluten-free meatloaf recipe. Oats provide a wonderful alternative to the typical gluten-containing meatloaf binder ingredients — assuming that your oats are truly gluten-free, that is.

Mushrooms aren't an addition we see added to meatloaf every day. Even so, our expert, Joanne Gallagher, insists it is a rich, umami ingredient worth trying for more reasons than one. "My secret weapon for incredibly juicy and flavorful meatloaf is finely chopped mushrooms," she states. "I sauté them with onions to concentrate their flavor and remove excess moisture, then incorporate them into the meat mixture. If you've been disappointed with meatloaf in the past, try mushrooms. They guarantee delicious and tender meatloaf." As for what type of mushrooms to add, the world is your oyster — you could go with traditional white mushrooms found at your local grocer or spice things up a bit by picking lesser-known but just as flavorful mushrooms at a local Asian grocery store.

If you really want to go all out with the mushrooms, consider trying this vegetarian mushroom meatloaf recipe. It combines the savory goodness of beefy mushrooms with delightful ingredients, minus the meat, to create an unexpected yet unforgettable meatloaf experience.

Onions aren't always a requirement for meatloaf, but they sure add plenty of flavor and moisture to the mix. You can add onions to meatloaf in a variety of ways: simply dice them up and throw them into your meatloaf mixture before baking or precook them ahead of time.

Many meatloaf recipes we've seen recommend you cook your onions beforehand since doing so offers several benefits. As Holly Nilsson explains, "I recommend precooking the onions to soften them and sweeten the flavor a little bit." Even so, we've cooked a meatloaf or two ourselves and can confirm that you can indeed throw onions into a meatloaf without cooking them first, although you'll need to do so with caution. To avoid crunchy undercooked onions in your meatloaf, make sure your onions are very finely diced. This will allow the onions to soften within your meatloaf, saving you the extra step of having to cook them out first.

Worcestershire sauce is a great complement to almost any delicacy involving savory flavor, and meatloaf is no different. Adding Worcestershire sauce to your meatloaf mixture adds an umami kick that's uniquely different and deepens the flavor of your meat. As Joanne Gallagher tells us, you only really need a dash or two of the sauce to make a flavorful statement.

Worcestershire sauce pairs ridiculously well with ketchup in our experience, meaning a squirt or two of it into your meatloaf mixture is a great idea. Add to this the previously recommended onions and mushrooms, and you'll wonder if dry, unflavorful meatloaf was ever a real thing. And if you really love the flavor of Worcestershire sauce, you might consider adding it to your meatloaf glaze as well. There are plenty of unexpected sauces and glazes out there to take your meatloaf to the next level, some of which feature Worcestershire sauce as one of the ingredients.

To take your meatloaf from bland to grand, Joanne Gallagher has another interesting addition for us, though it's one you may or may not have heard of, and that's spicily delicious Pickapeppa sauce. According to Gallagher, a dash of Pickapeppa sauce is a great way to enhance meatloaf, imparting it with tons of satisfying flavor. What is Pickapeppa sauce, you might ask? Pickapeppa is a sweet and tangy Jamaican sauce often used to flavor dishes like stews and gumbo and is sometimes even enjoyed with cream cheese and crackers. It's essenced with the flavors of tomatoes and spices, along with other creative additions like mangoes, raisins, and cider vinegar.

To use Pickapeppa sauce in your meatloaf, add it as a part of your meatloaf ingredients alongside (or as a replacement for) ketchup. You can even add a dash or two to your meatloaf glaze if you're up for it. Also, in case you're wondering, Pickapeppa sauce is mildly spicy, so keep that in mind, especially if you're serving up your Pickapeppa-infused meatloaf dish to little ones.

Though tossing an egg into your meatloaf is pretty commonplace, there are other egg variations you could also consider that could make your meal even better. Consider adding a single egg yolk, rather than a whole egg to your next meatloaf for added benefits. "[An egg yolk] adds richness and moisture and helps to bind the ingredients together without making the meatloaf dense," explains Joanne Gallagher.

Need another idea to make use of an egg? Why not try boiling one and placing it on the inside of your meatloaf before cooking? And before you say adding a boiled egg to meatloaf is crazy, know that this is a fairly common practice in various places around the world. As far as how to go about doing it, first boil your egg (boil your eggs in tea, in water, or whatever suits your fancy). Place half the amount of meatloaf in your baking pan before placing your boiled egg(s) in the middle of it. Structure the other half of your raw meatloaf around the egg and bake until the meatloaf has cooked through.

Herbs in meatloaf aren't unheard of, but they also aren't an ingredient you'll always see gracing meatloaf recipes. Despite this, Italian herbs can make a wonderful addition to meatloaf, giving it a subtle bite and flavor that often melds well with other ingredients, such as onion and garlic.

Holly Nilsson confirms that she often adds Italian seasoning to her meatloaf but reiterates that only a little bit of it will do. She also recommends considering parsley as a part of your meatloaf ingredient lineup. As she puts it, "While many people think parsley doesn't have much flavor, it really adds something nice to meatloaf and meatballs."

So, what kind of herbs belong in a meatloaf? Any that suit your taste buds will do, although a Crock Pot meatloaf recipe makes use of a tablespoon of dried oregano per 1 pound of lean ground beef. Simply throw dried herbs like this straight into the meat mixture before baking. You could also consider adding fresh rosemary and sage to add stealthy flavor to your meatloaf, as demonstrated in this classic meatloaf recipe. But doing so may require a different method — consider sautéing your fresh herbs alongside any onions going into your meatloaf mixture before adding everything in once cooled.

We love a good pure maple syrup as it works beautifully to naturally sweeten anything from plain yogurt to meatloaf sauce. And though ketchup on its own makes a good glaze well enough, it also can get a little boring after a while. Joanne Gallagher explains her love for including maple syrup meatloaf recipes, particularly when it comes to making a nice sticky glaze. She combines the likes of ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce with her maple syrup to produce a dynamite topping dinner guests will go gaga over.

Aside from glaze, you can also feel free to use maple syrup in the actual meatloaf mixture as well, especially if you're accustomed to adding ketchup directly to the meat. Note that if you choose to do this, you may want to forgo the ketchup and replace it with tomato paste instead to prevent it from producing cloyingly sweet meat. Easy does it when adding maple syrup to the meat — you won't need much of it to gently flavor and sweeten your meatloaf.

Holly Nilsson has yet another stellar recommendation for taking your meatloaf to the next level, and that's making your next meatloaf glaze with a secret ingredient: Heinz Chili Sauce. "I absolutely love Heinz Chili Sauce in my meatloaf topping — mix it 50/50 with ketchup," Nilsson recommends. "Chili sauce isn't spicy; it's almost like a zesty ketchup, and it's a game changer."

In addition to gracing your meatloaf topping with chili sauce, we've also seen people pour this directly into their meatloaf mixture, imparting the meatloaf with a subtle yet immensely delicious flavor that's hard to detect. If you want to try adding chili sauce to your meatloaf topping but aren't fond of the high fructose corn syrup found in the original Heinz Chili Sauce, consider using Whole Foods Market 365 Chili Sauce as an alternative; it's still high in sugar but is at least free of high fructose corn syrup, making it a sweet swap for the Heinz variety if you're interested.

Ketchup bottle empty? Why not give BBQ sauce a go? BBQ sauce in meatloaf is one of the easiest ways to switch up traditional meatloaf flavor and convert it to something uniquely scrumptious. We stumbled upon this hack in our own kitchens, and now we're obsessed. To pull it off, simply replace the ketchup you'd use in your meatloaf recipe with your favorite BBQ sauce. It's really that easy. Since both have a sweet and tangy flavor, they can easily be substituted with one another at a 1-to-1 ratio without much consequence. Do keep in mind that some recipes, like this Southern meatloaf, may call for both BBQ sauce and ketchup. You'll also want to note that the flavor of some store-bought BBQ sauces are quite different from others, meaning you'll want keep the characteristics of the sauce (whether it's sweet, spicy, smoky, thin, thick) in mind before slathering your meatloaf in it.

We've had great results from using BBQ sauce along with a bit of smoked paprika, granulated garlic, onion, and Worcestershire sauce for the meatloaf base. We like to put a squirt of the sauce in the meatloaf mixture itself, along with a generous helping of it used as a glaze on top. Serve alongside your favorite picnic side dishes such as potato salad (kicked up ingredients and all), baked beans, or seasoned green beans. Delish!

Adding bell peppers to your meatloaf is yet another way to enhance the flavor and overall texture of your meatloaf. Though like diced onions, you'll either want to gently cook them over your stovetop to soften them or chop them fine enough that they cook within the meatloaf during baking. If you opt to precook them, do so alongside your onion to save time and simplify the process. Simply sauté over medium heat along with a bit of oil, cooking until translucent and fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. If you want to throw your bell peppers straight into the mix, finely dice them and chuck them in. They'll likely still sport a bit more texture this way, but some people like the soft chew these bring to meatloaf.

When it comes to what type of bell peppers to add to your meatloaf, know that green peppers tend to be more potent and bitter, but pair perfectly with onions, especially when used in a BBQ meatloaf recipe like the Southern meatloaf we mentioned earlier. Red bell peppers, though not spicy, pack their own unique flavor and tend to be sweeter than other varieties. As always, feel free to experiment with bell pepper types and colors to see what flavors suit your meatloaf's flavor profile best.

Adding a packet of onion soup mix to your meatloaf is a simple way to season it. In fact, it might be one of the only ingredients you use to flavor your meatloaf. When using a dry onion soup mix packet, you'll want to dump it directly into your meat mixture along with any egg, breadcrumbs, and other binders your meatloaf requires. If you desire to continue flavoring your loaf, you can do so, though you should be careful adding more salt as you may find the packet of soup mix already has enough. Adding other seasoning ingredients like ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, onions, and the like might be better ideas, along with a dash of pepper and added parsley (or bell pepper) for color.

Once your soup mix and other ingredients have been added to your raw meat, feel free to continue with your standard recipe as usual. The result will be deliciously seasoned meatloaf with less effort on your end, which is always a win!

Parmesan cheese (or any cheese for that matter) can find its way into your next meatloaf creation, as doing so imparts flavor and moisture. Utilize Parmesan cheese (or Parmigiano-Reggiano), tossing in about a half cup of it per 1 pound of ground meat.

If you're looking for a gooey cheese pull, opt for mozzarella instead — we found a post on Reddit where a user tried this with amazing results. To pull it off, build your meatloaf in a dish, remove the center of it lengthwise, add blocks of mozzarella cheese, and replace the rest of the raw meat back on top, forming it to make a loaf. Cover with your choice of topping, add more cheese, and bake in the oven uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Other options are to include cheddar, pepper jack, or even ricotta, as seen in this cheesy meatloaf Parmesan recipe.

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