For me, a classic meatloaf recipe was a staple food growing up. It was something my mom could quickly throw together to feed some young, starving boys. Now, I cannot with a good conscience say that this version is better than “mom’s old fashioned meatloaf”…so I’ll just say that this smoked stuffed meatloaf recipe has been adapted from hers and I have perfected it over the years into this equally delicious masterpiece! This is the best meatloaf ever!
🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need
I like to use a blend of ground meat for this recipe It’s best to either do a 50/50 or 75/25 mixture of ground beef to ground pork. I like the extra flavor and fat content from the ground pork. Speaking of fat content, look for 20% lean (80/20) ground beef. The extra fat in the beef and pork will help to maintain a moist and tender loaf. I love spicy food, so I added 4 jalapeños. Feel free to adjust the recipe if you want to tone down the heat a bit. To make this even hotter, leave the seeds in. The barbecue seasoning also brings a ton of delicious flavor and a bit of sweetness. This cheesy meatloaf features both cheddar and mozzarella cheese. There’s nothing better than a cheese stuffed meatloaf mixed with sauteed garlic, onions, and my BBQ spice mixture. While any type of bread will work for the breadcrumbs, I recommend using Italian-style bread or sourdough bread. It really helps bind and hold the ingredients together. Everything’s better with bacon, so I wrapped this homemade meatloaf in 10 strips of delicious bacon, which rendered into a wonderful crust on the outside of the meatloaf. It was finished with a brush of Kansas City-style BBQ sauce, which caramelized and makes an amazing glazed meatloaf during the final minutes on the smoker.
📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
Cooking meatloaf has never been so easy. Begin by adding oil to a sauté pan and sweating the diced onions. Then add the chopped jalapeños and minced garlic and allow the flavors to come together until they are aromatic. Expert Tip: Sautéing the veggies first makes all the difference in flavor! In a large bowl, pour the milk over the breadcrumbs. I made my breadcrumbs from a loaf of sourdough bread, using a food processor. They will become soggy from soaking in the milk, but this helps add moisture. Mix in the beaten eggs, Kansas City-style BBQ sauce, barbecue seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce and combine. Now, mix in the ground pork and ground beef. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty! Be sure not to overmix too much as this will cause your meatloaf to lose its texture. Mix just enough to have a uniform combination. Then, dump out the meatloaf sauce mixture onto some parchment or butcher paper and form a rectangle about ¼" thick. Sprinkle the cheese mixture onto the meatloaf. Carefully roll the loaf into a log while peeling back the parchment paper. Transfer the meatloaf to a grill pan or a wire rack. Expert Tip: It is preferable to have a pan with holes or perforations which allow for smoke to penetrate the meat on all sides. Now, shape your meat roll into a loaf! Wrap it in the strips of bacon and smoke on your grill at 225°F. The meatloaf cook time should take about for 3-4 hours to fully smoke. Brush on the Kansas City-style BBQ sauce and continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes until the BBQ sauce has caramelized and soaked into the meatloaf.
🌡️ Done Temperature For Meatloaf
This bacon wrapped meatloaf is done when it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F. When done, remove it from the smoker. Allow it to rest for a 3-5 minutes before slicing. You are about to taste the best meatloaf you’ve ever had! Enjoy with your favorite sides, such as this Smoked Macaroni and Cheese or these mashed potatoes!
Be sure not to overmix the ingredients. If you do, it will leave you with a tough, dry texture.Always pick out a coarse grind when selecting your ground meat. This will give the meatloaf more texture and prevent it from becoming mushy.Smoke at 225°F using your favorite wood. I use competition blend pellets by Pit Boss.For a quicker cook time, you can increase the temperature to 275°F or 300°F, but you will get a more intense smoke flavor at lower temperatures.Leftover meatloaf makes for a great sandwich the next day!
📖 What Am I Cooking Up Next?
I absolutely need chicken wings in my life. They might be my favorite finger food to bring to a party. These air fryer buffalo chicken wings - from frozen are incredibly easy. You don’t even need to worry about thawing the chicken first. The air fryer does an incredible job of making these super crispy, just like you would expect from your favorite bar! You gotta have dessert right?! Try out these air fryer chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. I always have some of this cookie dough in my freezer so that I can quickly bake some cookies in the air fryer whenever I have that sweet tooth. Actually, I am eating one right now as I….type…this! If you loved this recipe give it a star review! Also, snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #alicensetogrill. You can follow A License To Grill on these social media accounts: Facebook * Instagram * Pinterest * YouTube * Twitter
