Easy Mini Meatloaf Muffins without Breadcrumbs

Jump to Recipe

Mini Meatloaf Muffins have 5 simple ingredients, including flavorful Parmesan! They cook in 30 minutes and are great for freezing! Perfect fast weeknight dinner!

Mini Meatloaf Muffins are small bites with BIG flavor!  There are only 5 simple ingredients, but each serves a special purpose for texture and flavor.  Onions give moisture, flavor, and a little crunch.  Parmesan gives big salty and nutty flavor.  Ketchup brings a richness and slight sweetness.  And egg binds it all together to create a beautifully set little muffin.  Finally, ketchup on top cooks down into a thick, rich, tangy, salty, and sweet glaze on top of each muffin.  They are perfect for making ahead and eating throughout the week…dinner for the kids, packing in lunches, or snack.  They’re also great to make for a weekend party appetizer too!

BTW, put practically anything in a mini muffin tin and my little one will eat it up!   

Meatloaf Muffins: Small Variation with BIG Benefits

These little meaty bites of love are an adaptation of one of my most popular recipes on the Talking Meals Blog, 5-Ingredient Easy Meatloaf.  It really surprised me actually.  Of all of the interesting, exotic, international cuisine options available, at the end of the day, people love comforting familiar foods.  And Meatloaf is definitely that, a comforting and familiar food.  Mini Meatloaf Muffins are even BETTER in a lot of ways!

Less Cooking Time.  The biggest difference is the cooking time.  The original recipe takes 60 minutes to cook, because it’s all in one loaf.  These little Mini Meatloaf Muffins only take 30 Minutes! 

Goodness in Every Bite.  The mini muffins are about 1-2 bites each.  That means you get the crunchy meatloaf outside with a bit of the delicious ketchup glaze in every bite!  No more fighting for the ends of the meatloaf.  

Kids LOVE these!   The fun mini muffin size and the delicious ketchup in each bite make these irresistible for kids.   

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Aside from a large mixing bowl, mini muffin tins are the only special cooking equipment you need for this one!

PREP-AHEAD FOR YOUR MINI MEATLOAF MUFFINS

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you prepare in the day(s) in advance and store in the fridge as your meal Kit… (See the recipe below for more details)

This recipe is so easy that there’s not much to prep ahead.  In fact, you can make these entirely ahead and reheat them later.  Therefore, I highly recommend you spend a few extra minutes on the weekend to make your own ketchup!  My super easy recipe uses honey and it’s delicious!  Check it how here homemade ketchup recipe, but feel free to use the store bought stuff!

Aside from making ketchup, it’s really just finely dicing the Onion.

HACK: Worried about crunchy onions in your meatloaf muffins?  Or, don’t have a fresh onion on hand?  Dice several onions in advance and freeze them in in a storage bag!  The onions will already be soft from being frozen and they cook beautifully.  You also always have freshly frozen onion on hand!  For more Freezer Hacks to make meal prep easier, download this FREE FREEZER HACK SHEET!

Mix all ingredients (except the ⅓ cup Ketchup reserved for the tops) together in a large bowl with a fork or with hands: beef, parmesan cheese, onion, egg, ketchup, salt, pepper.

At this point, you can store the mixture in the fridge or continue on to cook.

COOK YOUR MEATLOAF MUFFINS 

Tear a small piece of bread off the size of the muffin tin bottoms and place it at the bottom. This will help to soak up the fat from the meat.  Using a small ice cream scoop, a tablespoon measuring spoon or just a spoon, add about 2 tablespoons of the meatloaf mixture to each mini muffin slot.

Spread the remaining Ketchup over the top of each of the meatloaf muffins.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.  Admittedly, coming right out of the oven, these are not the prettiest foods ever.  The juices and fat from the meat will start to cook out and over the top of the muffin.  But, they sure taste darn good! 

Pop each meatloaf muffin out using a fork.  Then pull off the bread from the bottom of each muffin.  You actually, don’t need to pull off the bread, but it’ll be soaked with meat fat and bit soggy.  

Serve and Enjoy!

😍 Carrie

RECIPE FAQS

Can I use breadcrumbs instead of parmesan cheese?

Yes, the parmesan adds flavor and a bit of saltiness, so you may want to add ½ teaspoon more salt to the recipe, but you can fry up a teaspoon of the meat mixture to taste test it first.

Can I make these ahead and freeze them?

Yes, these can be made ahead and frozen raw.  Wait to put the ketchup on top of the meatloaf muffins until you go to cook them; however.  To freeze them, make the muffins and then freeze them in the pan.  Then pop them out of the pan and put into a freezer bag or freezer container.  They can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.  To cook them, you can place the frozen meatloaf muffins back in the muffin pan, top with ketchup and bake.  You may need to add 5 minutes to the cooking time.

What should I serve with this Meatloaf?

I love to serve something healthy, but flavorful with this Meatloaf.  My favorite side for this is my Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash!  My next favorite side is my Cheesy Cauliflower Rice!  Of course, you can also go with more traditional mashed potatoes.  And if you want really decadent, try this Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole!