Classic Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf is a real crowd pleaser and super easy to make! Tender, juicy homemade meatloaf with a tangy, sweet glaze and wrapped in crispy bacon is the family dinner you’ll want to make every week.

Bacon wrapped meatloaf in a green and white baking dish.


Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

There are some recipes that you save for special occasions even though they seem humble…..generic….boring even. Like a simple roast chicken….or mom’s meatloaf. But even the most basic of recipes can be made even more flashy with a blanket of bacon. Like this Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf recipe my mother in law used to make.

She made this recipe a few times when she came to visit us from Hilton Head….it was her specialty really and I had never had a Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf. Like ever. It sounded like a bit too much….a little over the top for me but when served up a slice of the juicy slab of heaven, I realized I was sorely mistaken. 

What genius to wrap a meatloaf in bacon!?!? Seriously, the only other time I had this was from a mail order catalog where it was a mini meatloaf with a slab of bacon on top. Not quite wrapped but still so amazing! That’s when my obsession with Bacon Meatloaf began….and it’s not ending any time soon.

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf is such a great dinner option for feeding a crowd or a Sunday family dinner. You can totally assemble the meatloaf in advance and bake it right before serving. It’s fantastic with a heaping side of mashed potatoes, too.

Slice of bacon wrapped meatloaf on a white plate with peas.

How To Make Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

To start your meatloaf recipe, simply mix all the meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl and then form into a loaf in a shallow baking dish. You don’t want to put your meatloaf in a deep roasting pan because the bacon will not get a chance to brown on the sides. 

Make your meatloaf glaze by whisking together the ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar. Brush the glaze over the meatloaf and then arrange the bacon over the meatloaf by laying each strip over the meatloaf and tucking the ends under the meatloaf.

Bake the meatloaf at 350 degrees for 1.5 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer. The cook time may vary depending on how thick you formed your meatloaf so I like to check around the 1 hour mark and then go from there.

Ingredients for bacon wrapped meatloaf in a glass bowl.
Ingredients for bacon wrapped meatloaf in a glass bowl being mixed.
MEatloaf in a baking dish with glaze on it before baking.
Meatloaf in a baking dish with bacon.

Ingredients You Will Need

This meatloaf recipe is very similar to my Slow Cooker Meatloaf but I didn’t use the sausage this time. I wanted to keep the fat in check since we’re adding bacon this time.

Here’s what you will need:

  • Ground Beef
  • Ground Pork
  • Two Eggs
  • Panko Bread Crumbs
  • Tomato Paste
  • Diced Onion
  • Garlic
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Mustard (I like a Creole Mustard for a little kick)
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Bacon
  • Ketchup
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Brown Sugar

If you want to make things even easier, just add this Meatloaf Seasoning to the mix along with the bread crumbs, tomato paste, onion, garlic and Worcestershire sauce. It amps up the flavor of your meatloaf without overpowering it or making it taste overly seasoned.

A small spoon is placed in a glass jar filled with seasoning mix.

How to Make Meatloaf Gluten Free

If you want to make your Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf gluten free you can totally swap out the bread crumbs for a gluten free bread crumb of your choice. The measurements will remain the same. 

For the meatloaf glaze, my husband is not a fan of this glaze but not because of the flavor….he can’t stand the smell of vinegar cooking so he whines whenever I make it (until he starts eating, of course). If you have a sensitive sniffer and don’t really want to make this glaze you can use any of your favorite barbecue sauce recipes or even a bottled barbecue sauce works well, too.

When baking your meatloaf you will leave it uncovered for the duration of the cooking time. Covering your meatloaf during baking will cause it to steam and not get that awesome crusty exterior that you want to face plant into.

Can I add vegetables to meatloaf?

You can totally add any additional vegetables to your Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf recipe. I add a ton of vegetables to this Turkey Meatloaf to keep it from drying out and the kids don’t even know they’re in there so load up with mushrooms, carrots or get creative. 

Just be sure not to go overboard because more vegetables will create more moisture and can make your meatloaf fall apart. Also, be sure to saute those vegetables with your onions to help remove some of the moisture and get the cooking process started. 

Bacon wrapped meatloaf in a white baking dish.

Types of Ground Meat To use for Meatloaf

Any type of ground meat will work in your meatloaf recipe. You can buy a meatloaf mix at most grocery stores but I was married to someone that worked at a grocery store once and they told me NEVER to buy the meatloaf mix because it’s basically whatever they have leftover in the meat department. So, I don’t know if that’s true but I steer clear.

So, I like to create my own meatloaf mix. For this meatloaf recipe I used ground beef and ground pork. You can choose to add ground turkey or even ground chicken to the mix if you want to lighten things up a bit. 

Since turkey and chicken are much leaner, this is where those sauteed mushrooms would add much needed moisture to the mix. 

How To Freeze Meatloaf

You can FREEZE this meatloaf with excellent results. It’s a great way to make your weeknight dinners even easier.

Here’s how to FREEZE meatloaf before cooking:

  1. Follow directions for assembling your bacon wrapped meatloaf and place in a freezer safe container.
  2. Wrap the meatloaf tightly with plastic wrap and place the lid on the container. Alternatively, you can skip the container and wrap your plastic wrapped meatloaf in foil.
  3. Freeze your meatloaf for up to 3 months.
  4. Thaw completely before cooking according to the recipe instructions.

To FREEZE meatloaf after cooking:

  1. Cool your meatloaf completely and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
  2. Store in a freezer safe container OR wrap tightly in foil.
  3. Freeze your meatloaf for up to 3 months.
  4. To bake your meatloaf, unwrap and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until cooked through.
BAcon wrapped meatloaf in a baking dish sliced with a plate of potatoes.

What To Serve With Meatloaf

Aside from the aforementioned mashed potatoes, we love these easy sides:

Twice Baked Potatoes with Cheddar and Chives on a white marble board.

Want even more easy family friendly recipes? Follow us over on Instagram!

Bacon wrapped meatloaf in a green and white baking dish.

Get the Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Recipe

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
The BEST meatloaf recipe because BACON! Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf is so easy and juicy and FABULOUS!
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Ingredients

Meatloaf Glaze

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

For the Meatloaf

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 1 tbsp mustard
  • 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp tomato paste
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 lb bacon

Equipment

  • 1 baking dish

Instructions 

For the Meatloaf Glaze

  • Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

For the Meatloaf

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until softened, approximately 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, mustard, worcestershire sauce and tomato paste to combine.
  • Add the meat, bread crumbs and onions to the egg mixture and combine using a fork or clean hands. Blend the mixture together lightly being careful not to overwork the meat. (It will become tough if you work the mixture too much.)
  • Turn the meat mixture out onto a baking sheet or shallow baking disk coated with cooking spray and form into a loaf approximately 9 inches by 5 inches.
  • Brush the entire surface of the meatloaf with the glaze to coat.
  • Arrange the bacon slices, crosswise, over the meatloaf overlapping slightly and tucking under the meatloaf to prevent curling and shrinking.
  • Bake the meatloaf at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees.
  • Cool for 15-20 minutes. Slice and serve.

Notes

If you would like to bake your meatloaf on a rack, coat the rack with cooking spray before placing the meatloaf on it. Glaze and cover with bacon, then bake. This will help keep your meatloaf out of the drippings…..I skip this step.
Calories: 642kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 154mg, Sodium: 1131mg, Potassium: 681mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 256IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 3mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American