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.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time32 minutesmins
Total Time37 minutesmins
Course: Air Fryer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 369kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
Meatloaf
1 ½poundsground turkeyor ground chicken, ground pork, ground beef, or a combo
¼cupbaby portobello or white button mushroomsdiced small
2 to 3clovesgarlicfinely chopped
3tablespoonsDijon mustard
1tablespoonWorcestershire sauce
1teaspoonsaltor to taste
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperor to taste
Glaze
½cupketchup
2tablespoonslight brown sugarpacked
1teaspoonwhite vinegar
1teaspoongarlic powder
Liquid smokeoptional 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
*If you don’t have an air fryer, or simply just want to make meatloaf the old fashioned way by baking it in the oven, you can do so by following these easy steps:Step 1: Mix together all the ingredients.Step 2: Press the meatloaf mixture between into a 8×4-inch loaf pan that’s lined with parchment paper or nonstick foil and spray with cooking spray.Step 3: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350F. (Note - Oven-baking is 350F whereas air frying is 400F.)Step 4: Mix together the glaze ingredients while the meatloaf is baking.Tip: You don’t have to simmer the glaze first on the stovetop like you do in the air fryer version. It has 30 minutes or so to thicken up as the meatloaf bakes whereas in the air fryer it’s only two minutes from spreading the glaze to pulling the loaves out.Step 5: Peel back the foil, spread the glaze over the top, and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until a a digital thermometer reads 160F. Step 6: Rest for 15 minutes before serving noting the internal temp will rise to 165F before serving.