Air Fryer Meatloaf — 😋🎉 Learn how to make AMAZING meatloaf in your air fryer! It cooks in half the time that it does in the oven, has perfectly crisped edges, and the interior stays juicy and moist! I use ground turkey or ground chicken to keep it HEALTHIER but ground pork, ground sausage, or ground beef can be used! Oven baking instructions also provided.
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Easy Air Fryer Meatloaf Recipe
This meatloaf made in an air fryer is a breeze and tastes every bit as amazing as traditional meatloaf!
And I love that meatloaf in an air fryer cooks in about half the time that it takes in an oven, going from about 60 to 30 minutes, which makes this a great recipe for busy weeknights.
Since an air fryer is really just a mini convection oven, it circulates the air in such a way that allows for food to get a bit crispy on the outside without drying out on the inside.
And this air fried meatloaf is anything but dry! And guess what – I even make it with ground turkey, and it’s still moist, tender, and juicy!
I designed the recipe to work perfectly with ground turkey which are ultra lean and yet there’s no sacrifice made in terms of flavor and texture.
I love a nice thick glaze on top of meatloaf and this easy meatloaf recipe is topped with a delectable meatloaf glaze that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
Ingredients in Air Fryer Meatloaf
For this easy and healthier meatloaf recipe that’s made in an air fryer, you’ll need to have on hand the following easy-to-find and very common fridge and pantry ingredients including the following:
For the meatloaf:
- Ground turkey – or ground chicken, ground pork, ground beef, or a combo (see FAQs)
- Egg
- Onion – white or yellow
- Panko breadcrumbs – do NOT substitute with traditional breadcrumbs
- Mushrooms – I recommend either using baby Portobello mushrooms or white button mushrooms
- Garlic
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
For the glaze:
- Ketchup
- Light brown sugar
- White vinegar
- Garlic powder
- Liquid smoke – optional
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Meatloaf in an Air Fryer
To make meatloaf recipe in your air fryer, follow these straightforward steps:
- Mix together all the ingredients.
- Divide the meatloaf mixture between two mini loaf pans that are lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray.
- Cover the pans with foil and air fry for 30 minutes at 400F or until a digital thermometer reads 160F.
- Mix together the glaze ingredients while the meatloaf is air frying and simmer it in a small saucepan for 2 minutes over medium-high heat.
- Peel back the foil, spread some of the glaze over the top of each loaf, and air fry uncovered for 2 minutes. Rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Air Frying FAQs
I have the older generation of the air fryer you see in the photos which is now this Cosori XL 7-Quart Combo Air Fryer. All air fryers vary and therefore so will the exact cooking times needed to properly air fry meatloaf. Give or take, about 30 to 35 minutes if you’re using about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ground protein is a good rule of thumb.
Yes, you can simply places the two small meatloaves directly into the air fryer. Make sure to spray the tops of the meatloaf lightly with cooking spray. And then spray the grates of your air fryer basket very well if you try this easy meatloaf recipe without a pan. Any grease from the meat will drip down as the meat cooks so this method will provide an even leaner final slice of meatloaf.
Yes! Simply follow the baking instructions in my copycat Cracker Barrel meatloaf recipe. (You’ll be pressing the mixture into an 8×4-inch loaf pan and baking at 350F for 1 hour.)
Yes, you can use different ground meats to make meatloaf in an air fryer.
Ground chicken – Can be used instead of ground turkey without issue.
Ground pork – Since pork is fattier, your meatloaf will have a bit more moisture and perhaps flavor. If you want the meatloaf to still be quite lean, using mostly ground turkey or ground chicken, with a bit of ground pork, is a great way to go.
Ground sausage – If you’re trying to add more flavor pizazz and not have your meatloaf be as flavor-natural as it would be with ground chicken or ground turkey, ground Italian sausage (no casings) is great. Try hot Italian sausage for a spicier kick.
Ground beef – You can use a leaner cut of ground beef such as 90% lean, and/or add ground turkey or ground chicken to still keep the overall profile of the meatloaf lighter.
Yes! Cover with foil for the first 30 minutes of air frying. The foil is removed once the glaze is added.
Whether it’s an air fryer or the oven, take care not to overcook your meatloaf or it will be dry. And this is one recipe that no one likes on the dry side!
The best, easiest, and most accurate way of knowing if your meatloaf is done or not, is by using a meat thermometer such as a digital read thermometer. Pull the meatloaf out when the internal temperature is 160F and during the 15 minute resting period the temp will continue to rise to 165F, which is the safe temperature at which to enjoy ground turkey, chicken, pork, sausage, or beef.
Set the air fryer to 350F, line the basket with baking paper, and reheat individual slices for 4 to 5 minutes.
What to Serve with Air Fried Turkey Meatloaf
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Air Fryer Meatloaf
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 ½ pounds ground turkey, or ground chicken, ground pork, ground beef, or a combo
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ½ cup white or yellow onion, diced small
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs, do not use regular bread crumbs
- ¼ cup baby portobello or white button mushrooms, diced small
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Glaze
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Liquid smoke, optional and to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400F.* (See Notes below for Oven Baking Instructions)
- Air Fryer Meatloaf – While the air fryer is preheating, add all the meatloaf ingredients to a large bowl, and gently use a large wooden spoon or clean hands to mix them all together. Tips – I cannot stress the importance of not over-mixing or over-working the mixture so easy does it, and so mix lightly, until just combined. Secondly, of you like more of a "well done" flavor with the onions, mushrooms, and garlic, feel free to saute them in a bit of olive oil in a medium skillet on your stove over medium-high heat before adding them to the meatloaf mixture.
- Line two ceramic mini loaf pans that are 5x3x2-inches with foil (or parchment) and spray well with cooking spray. You can also use metal pans, noting that the meatloaf will cook a bit faster in a metal pan compared to a ceramic pan. Note – If you want to cook the meatloaf without loaf pans and directly on the basket of the air fryer, that's fine. Spray the basket well with cooking spray before you place them on the basket. Any fat in the meat will drip down as the meatloaves air fry. It'll be tricky to cover the tops with foil without a loaf pan so you can omit it. Therefore, you may want to air fry at 350F to 375F range rather than 400F so the tops/outsides don't get too dark.
- Evenly divide the meatloaf mixture between the two pans. Press it in, but don't hard pack it. Tip – For crispier edges, leave a bit of air space around the perimeter of the pans where the meatloaf mixture doesn't touch. Allowing some space for air to circulate will lead to crispier edges of the meatloaf.
- Cover the pans with foil and air fry for 30 minutes, or until a digital thermometer reads 160F.
- Glaze – While the meatloaf is air frying, add all the glaze ingredients into a small saucepan, and simmer for 2 minutes on the stove over medium heat; whisk nearly constantly. Set aside briefly.
- After 30 minutes (or the temp is 160F), peel back the foil on both loaves, and carefully spread or brush glaze over the top of each loaf. Tip – You may not use all the glaze and that's fine. Save the rest for serving with the meatloaf.
- Allow the glazed loaves to air fry uncovered for about 2 minutes, or until glaze sets and thickens a bit.
- Remove the meatloaves from the air fryer, and allow them to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving (with any extra reserved glaze if desired). Tips – It's important to let the meatloaves rest so they don't fall apart upon slicing and so the final internal temperature has a chance to rise to 165F which is the safe temperature to consume poultry so do not skip the resting! All air fryers, ingredients, and climate vary so you may need to experiment with the exact amount of air frying time necessary to properly cook your meatloaf.
- Leftover meatloaf will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in your microwave as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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