Keto Meatloaf:
The low carb version of your favorite comfort food. Keto Meatloaf is packed with flavor, but not pesky carbs.
With its amazing flavors, juicy tender texture, and being such a versatile dish, Keto meatloaf is the perfect meal. Not only will it cure any meatloaf craving you’re having, it will also cut out added calories and carbs. Whether you are eating low carb or not, the flavors are there, and this is one meatloaf you want to make.
My husband always tells our kids the story when his dad was in charge of dinner he would make meatloaf because it’s a dish you can’t mess up.
His dad would throw in different ingredients every time, and no matter what he threw in, it always tasted the same. Once night after my husband had shared this story he decided for dinner he was going to show us how easy meatloaf was to make, and how fail proof it was. He googled a recipe and added his own “twist”, and soon realized you can mess up meatloaf! He put too many dry ingredients, and not enough wet ingredients. It made for a very dry, dense meatloaf, without a lot of flavor.
Not only did we not like the flavor, we realize it was not a healthy option for our family. Since the first meatloaf was a failed attempt, I wanted a “redo” that was sure to be a success the second time around. First I wanted to do a little recon and figure out how to make a meatloaf that was not only juicy, and tender, but also bursting with flavor as well as a healthier option for my family.
After doing some recon and adding my own ingredients I was came up with My Keto Meatloaf Recipe. Not only is it a healthier option, but has all the flavor you want in a meatloaf.
What is the best meatloaf recipe?
For me the best meatloaf recipe is one that has an explosion of flavor, an amazing consistency, and is something my family will eat.
I have found that some meatloaf recipes I have tried taste amazing, but have so many calories and carbs. I have a hard time wanting to feed my family a meal that I know I can make healthier without losing and of its flavor. I have found a great way to achieve this is making my meat loaf Keto Friendly. It is a great alternative to traditional meatloaf without having to sacrifice the taste.
Other Great Low carb/ Keto Recipes
- Low Carb Beef Stroganoff
- Sheet Pan Dinner: Shrimp & Asparagus
- Keto White Chicken Chili
- Salmon Avocado Salad & Low Carb (Keto)
What to put in meatloaf?
Depending on what you and your family tastes are, will depend on what you will want to put in your meatloaf. The great thing is it has a basic base, and then you can substitute out ingredients as well as put additional spices and seasonings to help accomplish the flavor you striving for.
For example to make a low carb meatloaf which is Keto diet Friendly I like to use pork panko instead of bread crumbs. Pork panko is a Keto friendly panko made with pork rinds, or fried pork crackling.
To cut down on carbs I use sugar free ketchup instead of regular ketchup which has a lot of sugar in it.
On the keto diet the goal is to have healthy fats, but let’s say you want low carb, and don’t want the added fat, you can make a leaner meatloaf by substituting ground beef with ground turkey and create a turkey meatloaf. The options are endless without sacrificing your taste.
How do you make meatloaf in the oven?
I have found the perfect temperature to cook meatloaf in the over is at 350 degrees.
To make meatloaf in the oven, first mix all your ingredients in a bowl except the ketchup, put in a loaf pan, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl mix all of your toppings and put on top, then put the meatloaf back in the oven to bake for 25-45 more minutes.
This helps give your meatloaf a nice even bake and helps all the seasoning time to soak in making giving your meatloaf flavorful and juicy.
What are the basic ingredients for meatloaf?
The main foundation of meatloaf consist of:
- Ground Beef
- Bread Crumbs or in Keto Meatloaf Pork Panko
- Eggs
- Ketchup
- Salt
From here you can add or substitute ingredients depending on dietary needs and add spice to make your meatloaf recipe best for you and your family. I love adding plenty of seasonings and even a little tomato paste to the meatloaf so I can get a really flavorful bite, even if the sauce is not on every bite. I will also add veggies, like shredded zucchini to help increase the veggie intake of my kids.
Do you cover meatloaf when cooking?
There is a lot of debate when it comes to covering meatloaf when cooking. Some say they cover their meatloaf to keep it from drying out while cooking, while others say that it doesn’t make a difference. I like to cover mine. I think it helps to keep it moist, and helps make the meatloaf cook more evenly.
But for this recipe, I tested it both ways. I found it wasn’t too dry without the foil, but it was harder to slice. So while it did not taste dry, it didn’t hold the shape as well. Of course there could have been other factors that came into play here, but overall I think taking the time to cover the meatloaf is worth while.
What can you substitute for bread crumbs in meatloaf?
Bread crumbs are used in meatloaf as a filler to make your meatloaf go further without affecting the taste much. So essentially, you could leave them out entirely.
Bread crumbs can be substituted with crackers, oats, or when looking for a low carb meatloaf, pork panko.
Anything that adds more heartiness to the meatloaf can be substituted for bread crumbs, or you can leave them out altogether.
Can you have Ketchup on keto?
Traditional ketchup is full of sugar and carbs so you will definitely want to stay away from it if you are doing the keto diet. Instead substitute it with a low carb sugar-free ketchup which you can have when on keto. There are great sugar-free ketchups you can find in your local stores, or make your own home made sugar-free ketchup. Either option you will be able to enjoy ketchup and not derail your keto diet.
Another option is a paleo ketchup, there are several brands that make them.
The most important thing to remember when making a meatloaf is to add the basic ingredients or your substitutions and then build on from there. Don’t find out the hard way that there is too much of a good thing when it comes to meatloaf. You want to make sure that your filler ingredients match up with your binding ingredients (eggs). Meatloaf is an easy dish that is hard to mess up, but can be done if you don’t pay attention to the filler and binding ingredients. Making this Keto Meatloaf is a sure way to keep you on the right track to healthiness without having to create the wheel when it comes to making a great tasting meal for you and your family.
If you are interested in using the Pork Panko I use in my recipe here is the link where you can find them: https://amzn.to/2LldH9W
More Delicious Recipes
Keto Low Carb Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground beef
- 1 pound Ground Pork
- 1/2 cup Pork Panko
- 1/2 cup Yellow Onion diced, small
- 2 Tablespoons Garlic minced
- 3 ounce Tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
Topping
- 1/3 cup Sugar-free ketchup
- 1 teaspoon creamy horseradish
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- ⅓ cup stevia or low-carb sweetener of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- Grease a 9x5 in (23x13 cm) loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine all meatloaf ingredients. Mix together until well incorporated, but don't over mix.
- Transfer the mixture into the loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Mix topping ingredients together in a small bowl, and spread over the top of the meatloaf.
- Return to the oven and bake for 25-45 more minutes, until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).
- Rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Cut carefully using a serrated bread knife. Serve with cauliflower mashed “potatoes”
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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Andie Thueson says
I have never heard of pork panko – I’ll need to check it out. Another tasty dish!
Sommer says
So glad I tried this recipe! Turned out perfect!
michele says
The pork Panko is a brilliant idea! I bet that adds so much flavor too! Heading over to amaZon to get some of that so I can make this for our Keto January!
Erin says
Meatloaf has always been a favorite, love that I can still have it when doing keto!
Courtney says
Yum! I was Keto last year but still trying to eat “mostly keto” so I’m in LOVE with this recipe idea!
June says
I don’t eat pork, but I could use oats, minimally.
The meatloaf I make just has onion and green pepper
I like to use diced or stewed tomatoes, reduce it down on the stovetop to give a rich thick flavor.
then add Italian spices.
I like your recipe and will incorporate some ideas, thanks!
Shayne says
I just made this and it was ridiculously good! The meat really does explode with flavor in every bite! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
April says
Always looking for a great meatloaf recipe! This one looks awesome!
Audrey Kuppenbender says
The BEST Keto meatloaf ever! This tastes so awesome. It is light not heavy like so many I’ve tried. The flavor is spot on. The only change I made was I grated the onion instead of dicing. I did top it with my Keto BBQ sauce, used my large meatball scoop (4oz)about and made individual meatloafs. Baked at the same temperature for 40 minutes.