Air Fryer Meatloaf

Meatloaf is total comfort food, whether it’s these personal-sized Italian Meatloaf Muffins that my family adores, or classic oven-baked Meatloaf. But when you don’t want to turn on your oven and you want your meatloaf in a hurry, the air fryer is the answer — Hello, Air Fryer Meatloaf! No need to compromise on flavor or texture or anything else you love about traditional meatloaf – this recipe’s a winner!

What You’ll Need

This recipe has your basic meatloaf ingredients, plus some additions to make it awesomely tasty. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

For the Meatloaf:

• Meat – I love the combination of beef and pork in this meatloaf – beef has a rich, really meaty flavor while pork adds its own delicious flavor and ups the fat content…which keeps the meatloaf moist.
• Bread – Simply tear up some soft bread, nice and small, then combine it with milk. This acts as a sponge-like binder, holding the meatloaf together. Plus it lightens up the overall texture. Meatloaf is meant to be more tender, not solid meat like a hamburger.
• Milk – I use whole milk to soften the bread. It adds a bit of richness.
• Eggs – The eggs add rich flavor and moisture, and help bind the meatloaf ingredients together. No dry and crumbly meatloaf here!
• Chili sauce – Prepared chili sauce adds a slighty spicy/slightly sweet flavor.
• Onion & garlic – These fresh ingredients add pungent, earthy savoriness. I like to shred the onion because I really, really dislike biting into raw onion in meatloaf! Shredding the onion ensures that the pieces are very small and thin, and that it doesn’t need to be softened in a skillet first.
• Parsley & thyme – I love to use fresh herbs in my cooking. They add gorgeous flavor to the meatloaf. 
• Salt & pepper – Super simple seasonings help perk up all the other flavors. 
• Worcestershire sauce – This popular condiment adds a very distinct umami flavor to the meatloaf.

For the Glaze:

• Chili sauce & ketchup – Just mix these two condiments together to create the base for the glaze. The ketchup adds the classic tomato flavor to the sauce, while the chili sauce brings a spicy-sweet kick. 
• Brown sugar – This helps to balance some of the spice of the chili sauce and helps the glaze caramelize. 
• Red pepper flakes – Crushed red pepper flakes add a bit of spice. Feel free to add as much or as little as you like. 

How to Make Air Fryer Meatloaf

You’ll find the complete instructions for cooking meatloaf in the air fryer in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview.

• Make the glaze. Stir together all the ingredients in a small bowl.
• Soften the bread. Tear the bread into small pieces and add it to another small bowl, then stir in the milk. Let sit for 5 minutes.

• Make the meatloaf mixture. Add the remaining meatloaf ingredients to a large bowl and then add the soaked bread. Work the mixture together, gently mixing to combine — ideally with your hands, which I’ve found do the best job.
• Shape the meatloaf. Pat the ground beef mixture into your desired shape, making it about 2 inches tall all the way across. Set the loaf in the middle of the fryer basket – line the basket with a piece of parchment paper first, if you like.

• Glaze once. Spread half the glaze over the top of the meatloaf.
• Air fry, partially. Cook the meatloaf for 15 minutes at 350ºF.
• Glaze twice. Then add the rest of the glaze, to build up the flavor in the glaze.
• Air fry, to finish. Cook for 10 minutes more, or until the loaf reaches 165ºF on an instant read thermometer.

• Serve. Remove the meatloaf from the air fryer, let rest 5 minutes to set, then cut into slices to serve.

Tips & Variations

Now that you’ve mastered the basics of air fryer meatloaf, here are some additional pointers and variations to try.

• Don’t make the meatloaf too tall. Two inches max! If you’re used to making meatloaf in the oven, you might be tempted to make it three or four inches tall, but that’s too thick for the air fryer to cook efficiently. Try to make the loaf shape as even as possible from end to end, all the same height.
• Line the air fryer basket, or spray. If you don’t want to use a parchment paper or foil liner in your air fryer basket, be sure to spray the basket interior with a little oil to help it not stick as much.
• Use your go-to glaze. Whether it’s barbecue sauce, marinara, ketchup, or your grandma’s secret recipe, feel free to use your favorite glaze for this air fryer meatloaf instead of mine.
• Add some heat. I already include a little bit of dried red pepper flakes in the glaze, for the smallest spicy kick. But if you’d like more of that, you could also add red pepper flakes to the meat mixture, or stir in some diced fresh jalapeno.
• Use dried herbs. If you’d rather go to the spice drawer for the parsley and thyme, go right ahead – just use half the amount as fresh.
• Make mini meatloaves. Instead of one large loaf, divide the meat mixture into smaller portions and shape them into individual loaves. Smaller loaves will cook even faster and they’re great for meal prep. (Kids love them too!)

Serving Suggestions

I firmly believe that every meatloaf deserves a side of mashed potatoes. Yes, firmly! Take your pick: Easy, Creamy Mashed Potatoes or Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes. Parsnip Puree would also be really good. My family also requests Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole and Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes every chance they get!

For something lighter and fresh, try this Thomas Keller Zucchini. And I’d never turn away some Roasted Asparagus or Grilled Asparagus.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerator: Store any leftover air fryer meatloaf in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. (I love leftovers in a meatloaf sandwich!)
• Freezer: You can also freeze any extra meatloaf in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
• To reheat: Warm up the meatloaf in the air fryer at 350ºF until heated through. You can also just use the microwave, heating it gently in 20-second increments.