Everyone loves Meatloaf. While a Classic Meatloaf recipe can be easy to find, they can all be very different. Every family has their own version of this tasty comfort dish, and this Instant Pot Meatloaf is no different.
Making your favorite meatloaf recipe in the Instant Pot not only saves you time, but also saves you work. You can enjoy a great meal in less time and still get your favorite flavors and textures!
This Instant Pot meatloaf uses Ritz crackers and a few other ingredients, making it great.
But, if I have to be honest, the sauce is where it’s at. The delicious combination of BBQ sauce, mustard and ketchup make a sweet, savory, and tangy flavor that tastes incredible.
This classic meatloaf recipe tastes as great fresh and hot as it does the next day in a meatloaf sandwich.
Tell me I’m not the only one that loves leftover meatloaf sandwiches? They’re so good, if you haven’t tried it, I recommend it!
What’s In Instant Pot Meatloaf?
- 2 lbs Ground Beef 90/10 lean
- 1 Tube Ritz Crackers Crushed
- ⅓ Cup Milk
- ½ Cup Ketchup
- 2 Eggs
- ½ Cup Onion
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasonings
For the sauce you will need:
- ½ Cup Ketchup
- ½ Cup Honey BBQ Sauce
- 1 Tbs Dijon Mustard
How to make Instant Pot meatloaf
- In a mixing bowl or in the bowl of a Stand Mixer, combine the ground beef, crushed Ritz Crackers, milk, ketchup, eggs, finely diced onions, salt, pepper, and Italian Seasonings.
- Use a hand mixer or the Stand Mixer to mix ingredients together.
- Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot / Electric Pressure Cooker.
- Place the mixture on a piece of heavy duty foil. With your hands shape the mixture into a loaf.
- Place it on a trivet.
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual / Pressure Cook High for 30 minutes and allow for a 15 minute Natural Pressure Release.
- While the Meatloaf is cooking combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Stirring to combine.
- Remove the Meatloaf from the Instant Pot and then place it on a cookie sheet. Drain off any excess fat.
- Baste the Meatloaf with the sauce and then place it in the oven under the broiler until the sauce has caramelized.
- Serve Hot.
What to Serve Instant Pot Meatloaf with?
There are so many incredible tasting side dishes to choose from!
Everything from scalloped potatoes to macaroni and cheese, baked potatoes, or steamed veggies are great! Create a comfort meal that centers around your favorite dishes.
How to reheat Instant Pot meatloaf?
You can reheat your meatloaf by placing it in an oven safe baking dish. Cook it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes until it’s heated through.
If you cut the meatloaf into slices it might dry out, requiring more sauce, but it would also cook faster than leaving it as a loaf.
How to Store Instant Pot Meatloaf?
After your meatloaf has completely cooled, place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also place the meatloaf in the freezer for up to a few months.
Can I meal prep Instant Pot Meatloaf and Freeze?
Absolutely! Prepare your meatloaf and place it in a freezer friendly baking dish or airtight container. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before baking as directed.
How long is Instant Pot Meatloaf Good for?
Meal prepped raw meatloaf can last in the fridge 2-3 days if left well covered. Once baked, you can get it to last up to 5 days.
If you choose to freeze it, raw or cooked, it will last 3-6 months depending on how well you have it wrapped and covered.
Meatloaf Fun Facts
- Meat Loaf Has a long and ancient history
- Meatloaf of minced meat was mentioned in the Roman cookery collection Apicius as early as the 5th century.
- Meatloaf was popular during World War II
Pot in Pot cooking
In some recipes you will hear or see what is called Pot in Pot cooking. What that means is that you are cooking your ingredients in a separate pot that lifted up by a trivet
This is commonly used for recipes like Instant Pot French Toast or Quiche recipes but is also great for making other recipes like Chicken Divan too.
In making Instant Pot Meatloaf you also want to lift the meatloaf up on a trivet for cooking. You can cook this in a separate pot OR make your own by using heavy foil.
For meatloaf I prefer to use heavy foil and create a pot of sorts and place on a trivet in my Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
The magic comes at the end when I open the lid. There is naturally some fat from the meatloaf that has separated. I can easily poke a hole in the foil with a toothpick that will drain the fat right out the bottom.
There is no worry of spilling oil when I try to transfer the meatloaf.
Glaze
Meatloaf just isn't meatloaf without a delicious glaze. And, we secretly double the sauce because we love to dip eat and every bit into its sweet goodness.
The sauce recipe below is the perfect amount to glaze your classic meatloaf with a little extra to serve. It never hurts to make a bit extra. It won't dissapoint
You may have your own favorite sauce and that's fine too. But this simple 3 ingredient sauce recipe is a great balance of flavors and believe it or not, the mustard makes all the difference.
What's for Dinner?
We've got you covered here are our favorites (this month)
- Instant Pot Swiss Steak
- Fiesta Chicken Casserole
- Instant Pot Hamburger
- Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf
- Japanese Rice Bowl
- Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
- Chicken Divan
Instant Pot Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Ground Beef 90/10 lean
- 1 tube Ritz Crackers - Crushed
- ⅓ cup Milk
- ½ cup Ketchup
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Onion
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasonings
Sauce
- ½ cup Ketchup
- ½ cup Honey BBQ Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or use a Stand Mixer, combine ground beef, crushed Ritz Crackers, milk, ketchup, eggs, finely diced onions, salt, pepper, and Italian Seasonings.
- Use hand mixer or Stand Mixer to mix ingredients.
- Add 1 cup of water to bottom on Instant Pot / Electric Pressure Cooker.
- Place mixture on a piece of heavy duty foil. With your hands shape the mixture into a loaf.
- Place on trivet.
- Set Instant Pot to Manual / Pressure Cook High for 30 minutes and allow for a 15 minute Natural Pressure Release.
- While Meatloaf is cooking combine ingredients for sauce in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Remove Meatloaf from Instant Pot and place on a cookie sheet. Drain off any excess fat.
- Baste Meatloaf with sauce and place in oven under broiler until caramelized.
- Serve Hot.
Notes
- Garden Veggie Ritz Crackers for Plain Ritz Crackers
- Bread Crumbs for Plain Ritz Crackers
- Beef or Chicken Broth for Milk
- Salsa for Milk
- ½ Cup Bacon Crumbles
- ½ Cup Diced Celery
- ½ Cup Diced Bell Pepper
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
Katie Koopman
For starters I am not a meat loaf fan! It is very hard for me to find one that I like. Sometimes they are too soft or too hard but this was spot on and really had great mixture of flavors. It was so delicious. Would definitely recommend!
Devour Dinner
Hi Katie, So glad you loved this recipe. I love meatloaf too and we make this recipe often.