Brown Gravy Meatloaf Recipe

This Brown Gravy Meatloaf is the best meatloaf recipe ever! Every time we make this meatloaf, it comes out perfect – and we make it a lot!

I know you’re going to love this meatloaf recipe! All you need is our simple Brown Gravy Recipe, a side of super crispy Shoestring French Fries or our favorite Mushroom Rice and dinner is served!

Brown Gravy Meatloaf is a meatloaf recipe with a simple brown gravy

Why Meatloaf With Brown Gravy Is One of Our Favorite Recipes

Meatloaf night is big at our house – we are a meatloaf loving family. This Brown Gravy Meatloaf recipe is one we make very often, too.

It’s a perfectly seasoned meatloaf covered with a homemade brown gravy that only takes minutes to make! it seems like you’re either a meatloaf with brown gravy person or a classic meatloaf with tomato glaze person.

We’re both.

Tips For Making The Best Meatloaf With Brown Gravy

Onions. Onions people. Onions are what makes this meatloaf recipe taste as good as it does.

Not undercooked crunchy onions, but tender, super sweet onions that practically melt into the meatloaf. SO make sure in the first part of this recipe you take the time to really cook the onions down.

Super sweet onions are really a big part of why this meatloaf recipe is the best.

Brown Gravy Meatloaf is a meatloaf recipe for an easy dinner idea

The other trick to giving this meatloaf the best flavor and texture is not over mixing the meat. Just mix the meat well enough to get all your ingredients combined and walk away.

It’s all going in the same spot anyway.

Lastly, you have to make sure that you season your meatloaf properly before you go through all the trouble of shaping it into that loaf and cooking it. Take a small ball of the meat after you’ve mixed it and fry it up really quick in a pan.

Taste it to make sure it’s seasoned to your liking then move on to your loaf shaping.

Can You Make This Meatloaf Recipe Ahead Of Time?

You definitely can, and you’ve got a couple of options here.

You can make the meatloaf mixture and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake, or you can make the meatloaf all the way through, let it cool and reheat later.

Brown Gravy Meatloaf is a meatloaf recipe that can be made ahead of time

Either way works totally fine so pick your method.

This Brown Gravy Meatloaf Recipe is our adaptation of an old meatloaf recipe we used to make all the time from Ina Garten. It’s a classic meatloaf recipe, kicked up with fresh thyme and lots of onions.

And let’s be honest, Ina knows how to make everything perfect so you know it’s going to be good.

How Can You Tell When Meatloaf Is Done?

Brown Gravy Meatloaf is an easy meatloaf recipe served with brown gravy

Your meatloaf should register at 160 degrees using a meat thermometer when you take it out oft he oven. Or you can cut into the middle of the meatloaf to see if the pink is gone, then you know it’s cooked all the way through.

When this meatloaf comes out of the oven, you can pour the brown gravy all over the top and serve with extra gravy on the side.

All that delicious brown gravy is screaming for a pile of mashed potatoes or crispy french fries to soak it up, so don’t forget to get those going while this meatloaf is cooking in the oven!

Looking For More Meatloaf Recipes?

Brown Gravy Meatloaf is a beef meatloaf recipe covered with a homemade brown gravy

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Brown Gravy Meatloaf is a meatloaf recipe with a simple brown gravy

Brown Gravy Meatloaf Recipe

  • Author: Dan
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x

This Brown Gravy Meatloaf Recipe is so easy and delicious, you’ll be making it all the time! Serve this beef meatloaf with our simple brown gravy recipe that can be made in just 5 minutes!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2  pounds meatloaf mix
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced onions
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • Brown Gravy Recipe (for serving)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Add the oil to a skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add the onions, salt and pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes until slightly caramelized and softened.
  4. Add the garlic, stir and cook for a minute longer, then add the thyme, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.
  5. Work the tomato paste into the onions and garlic, then pour in the chicken broth and stir. Let the chicken broth reduce for 1 minute and then turn the heat off and remove the skillet from the burner to cool.
  6. To a large bowl, add the meatloaf mix along with the eggs and breadcrumbs. Once the onion mixture has cooled, add it to the bowl with the meat and mix to combine. (Clean hands work the best!)
  7. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. (You can also use a piece of parchment paper) Form the meat into a loaf shape and place in the oven.
  8. Cook the meatloaf for 50-55 minutes. Check the meatloaf after 50 minutes to see if it’s cooked through, this will depend on the size and shape you made your meatloaf.
  9. While the meatloaf is in the oven you can make the brown gravy by following the recipe link. When the meatloaf comes out of the oven, pour the gravy over the top of the meatloaf or slice the meatloaf and serve the gravy on the side.

Recipe Notes

Meatloaf mix is a ground meat combination of beef, pork and veal which is sold in most grocery stores.

  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

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96 Responses
  1. Margaret

    I’ve made this for my husband and daughter twice and now it’s bumped the old favorite out of first place. The brown gravy that goes with it is an absolute necessity, served on top of some mashed potatoes with a side of something green. Great website you have here – thanks!






      1. Kathleen

        I really like this. I used half meatloaf mix and half 90% beef. I added 1 tsp Italian seasoning to my meat and I added celery & carrots to my sauteed veggies.

        I love Better Than Bouillon. I used hald beef flavor and half roasted garlic. So I didn’t bother with garlic powder and skipped Worcestershire in gravy. I was afraid of the sodium level. It was great. The meatloaf was tender and gravy easy and tasty






        1. Dan

          If you haven’t put the meatloaf in the oven yet, I would suggest making 2 regular sized meatloafs and cooking according to the recipe card.

        1. Kaz

          I followed this recipe exactly except I used cornflake crumbs. My husband kept saying how good supper was. The thyme does make it take very good. I didn’t have an issue with anything. Thank you






  2. Jennifer

    New favorite meatloaf recipe! I followed the recipe exactly and really loved the thyme. The only thing I would change would be to season the mixture with a little more salt and pepper but that is it. Thanks for the great recipe!






    1. Dan

      We tend to go a little lighter on the salt and pepper in our recipes because for years we received comments that some of our recipes were too salty! So yes, totally agree with more salt and pepper – so glad you liked it though!

  3. Denise

    Everyone loved it! I have made more “basic” recipes for years, and was looking for something a little more flavorful (without using ketchup, which I hate.) This fit the bill, there were no leftovers. Thank you! The brown gravy recipe also was a big hit, plenty of flavor. So many beef gravy recipes are boring taste just like thickened beef stock.






    1. Dan

      Thanks so much Denise – we love this meatloaf too! And I totally agree, I’ve had tried some of those boring gravy recipes too;)

          1. Rhonda Young

            Meatloaf is my favorite dish and everybody makes it different so I wanted to find a recipe that I would love and stick to everytime I make meatloaf. I didn’t really have a good recipe to begin with anyway and that didn’t involve ketchup. I happened up on this recipe by Googling BEST MEATLOAF RECPIE. As soon as I saw Brown Gravy Meatloaf, I knew I had to try it. And I’m so glad I did. It really is the best Meatloaf ever. Thank you for the recipe. I’ll be making this for years to come. I absolutely love it






  4. Carolyn H

    My boys requested meatloaf with brown gravy. I made your recipe. Hands down the best meatloaf I have ever made…they said it rivals any restaurant meatloaf. High praise from college boys. I used oatmeal (slightly broken down in blender) because I didnt have bread crumbs and it was still delicious!






  5. Kristine S

    I really liked it. It would have been over the top if my roommate hadn’t purchased this cheap ground beef. It was chewy! I’m doing the shopping from now on!
    Also, I used a thermometer to check it at 45 min. According to that it wasn’t done yet. But I will take it out at 45 minutes next time. The flavor was excellent and I can’t wait to try it with real meet next time. Will use the combination of meats as well.
    Thank you!






  6. Carol

    I have never left a comment on any food website until today but I HAD to let you know this is the most amazing meatloaf EVER! I’ve had a pretty good one that I’ve used for many years, but I’m throwing away that recipe. My husband is asking me when we can make yours again and that’s never happened either. Also, brown gravy is THE BOMB!! Truly delicious! I also used it on your Tater Tot Ground Beef recipe. Thank you for all these great suggestions. Next I’m trying the chicken marinade. Since going out to a restaurant to eat is not happening in this time of COVID-19, your recipes are a blessing!! Thank you for sharing your expertise!






    1. Dan

      Thanks so much Carol! It makes us so happy to heat that we can make this unpleasant time a little more pleasant;) We really appreciate you taking the time to leave us a comment, it means a lot!

  7. Yasky

    Looking for a meatloaf recipe without ketchup topping, this sound great. Quick question, what do you use/recommend for breadcrumbs.

      1. Kelly

        I have made this meatloaf many times and it is always a big hit! I’d like to know if I could use the meat mixture for burgers?Has anyone done that?






  8. Celeste Meehan

    I made this for the first time, for my daughter who is away at school. My husband helped me wrap them up, and he tried a little piece that remained in the pan (I used a rack). He wanted to keep it, or at least some of it, instead of bringing it to her, lol. Of course I had to make it for him the next day. We’ve decided it’s the best meatloaf we’ve ever had. I didn’t have tomato paste in the house, so used ketchup instead. I used both panko and regular breadcrumbs, both of which were seasoned. Also used one package of chopped beef, veal, and pork, and one package of all beef, which came to about 3 lbs. Adjusted other ingredients accordingly, and it made eight small loaves. Fabulous, and didn’t even have it with gravy.






    1. Dan

      Thanks so much for the comment, Celeste! It must be so hard right now having a daughter away at school, I’m sure she appreciated the home cooked meal!

  9. Russ

    This is a very good meatloaf, and the gravy is good too. I much prefer this to the super sweet sticky tomato glazed topping called for in many other recipes. Can’t get much better than this with some mashed potatoes and steamed and buttered green beans. Thanks for the excellent recipe.






  10. Muffy

    One of the best recipes I’ve ever tried. My husband said “ I don’t want any other meat loaf recipe. You found the best ever”. Thanks it was delicious!






  11. Kelly Hernandez

    Do yourself a favor and go easy on the thyme. It turned out really good except that awful overpowering spice. They all said it was good except for that spice, it ruined it.






    1. Dan

      Kelly, did you use fresh thyme or dried? There is a big difference, as this recipe calls for fresh thyme which is a lot milder.

      1. Kathy Miller

        I was wondering the same thing about the thyme. I tried a meatloaf with dried thyme once, and it was way too overpowering and I’ve been scared to try fresh thyme for fear of the same issue. I will try it though, I always try a recipe as written the first time. Thanks so much for your helpful hint regarding the fresh thyme, I am going to try this tonight and will come back to let you know how it turned out.

        1. Dan

          You’re welcome! If using dried herbs usually use about 1/3 of the amount. So for this meatloaf it would be 1 teaspoon of dried thyme or 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme.

  12. Kathy

    Okay, so I’m a little late, but I decided to save this for a Sunday meal. Made it last night, and I must say you knocked this out of the park!! First off, I have to say that brown gravy meatloaf goes against all that I know and believe about meatloaf lol, but this was a request from my husband so I had to oblige. However, the meatloaf recipe itself could be used with brown gravy or a red sauce, which is great! The fresh thyme was amazing, it’s a completely different different flavor from dried thyme. I would recommend that if you don’t have fresh, just leave it out because dried would ruin it, I feel. The brown gravy was perfect as well!! Hubby likes it a little thicker, so I added a little more cornstarch, but other than that no changes made. I just wanted to say thank you, this will be my go-to recipe from now on!! :)






    1. Tori

      I made this tonight. I only had dried thyme. I used less than the recipe called for because dried herbs are stronger. I’ve learned that from watching food network. It was still very delicious. I don’t think that it would have been the same without adding the thyme.






  13. Tori

    I made this tonight and my family loved it. It’s a keeper.
    I usually make ketchup meatloaf but decided to try this one. I used dried thyme (a little less than the recipe) and crushed corn flakes because I was out of bread crumbs.






  14. Dahlia

    Very interested in this recipe, though I am confused. You’ve mentioned that its based on a Ina Garten recipe but with the addition of thyme and “lots” of onions. Though I noticed that Ina’s recipe calls for 3 cups of diced onions when yours only calls for 1 cup. And both recipes have the same amount of thyme. I just want to be clear about this as its so hard to find a gravy style sweet meatloaf recipe that’s actually sweet.






    1. Dan

      Based on means that we have made her recipe for a long time and this is our version of it, it’s not the same recipe. I’m not sure what you mean by a “sweet meatloaf” but I’m pretty sure you’ll like this one!

  15. Carol

    Never left a review for any recipe EVER, but this is just an incredible meatloaf and I had to comment. I was given a recipe for meatloaf at a wedding shower more than 50 years ago. I used it occasionally but was never that happy with it. Meatloaf just wasn’t at the top of my “favorites” list. But then I came across this one and I admit, the pictures drew me in. WOW! WOW again! The flavor is mouthwatering!! I’ve had to increase the amount of meat, and then adjust the rest of the ingredients so I can share it with some elderly neighbors! I have never even entertained the thought of making meatloaf when we have company for dinner, but as soon as some of my close friends have had the Covid vaccine, this will be the first thing I make! Thank you for sharing this! And OH that gravy!!! Not to be missed!! Wish I could give this more than 5 stars!






    1. Dan

      Wow, thanks so much Carol! What a nice review, we really do appreciate it. I hope you are able to get together with your friends soon and make them meatloaf!

  16. B2

    So once I find a recipe I like, I generally stick to it. My usual meatloaf recipe is actually ground turkey plus shredded veggies. But since I was cooking for a holiday, I decided to mix it up with a more traditional meatloaf. I used half ground pork half ground beef and I minced the onions very finely since my family doesn’t like bigger onion pieces. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious!! Especially the gravy. I don’t like those little packets of gravy mix due to ingredients and the jarred stuff just isn’t good. But this was good and I had all the ingredients. Will definitely make this again!!






    1. Dan

      It’s a combination of beef, pork and veal. Most butcher departments at the grocery store will have it. If not, just use equal parts of all three.

  17. Sherrie

    I made this with a mix of grass-fed beef and Jimmy Dean sausage. I used fresh parsley instead of Thyme (it was what I had on hand). I also made the homemade brown gravy and it was a hit at my house with my teenage daughter and elderly parents. I didn’t add any salt and it was perfect. I forgot the heavy cream but the gravy was soooo good even without it. I made roasted garlic parmesan potatoes. to go with it. A perfect weekend comfort food!






  18. Matthew Matthewsen

    Let’s say I make the gravy first and then I prepare the meatloaf. How would you feel about browning the meatloaf and then letting it simmer in the gravy until it reaches temperature? Just curious. Either way ingredients and ratios sound perfect and I’m so glad your meatloaf doesn’t include ketchup anywhere.

    1. Dan

      I’ve never made it that way so I’m really not sure how to help you. I can tell you if you follow our recipe it will come out perfect!

  19. Stephanie

    This was the best most flavorful meatloaf I have ever had! I dislike meatloaf, especially meatloaf with ketchup or tomatoe sauce on it but THIS meatloaf was absolutely perfect. The brown gravy was amazing as well!! This will be my go to recipe, my family loved it!!






  20. Roselyn Hiett

    I’m going to do whatever it takes to serve a tasty turkey for Thanksgiving this year. The last few years have been a real disappointment. For some reason I just can’t get the bird to turn out moist and soft. This year is gonna be the one!

  21. Sharon

    Hello dear, I don’t eat beef nor pork for health reasons so I had no choice but to use ground turkey and it was delicious 😋!






  22. Kimberly

    I can not wait to try this recipe. It looks delicious. I don’t understand why you use chicken broth in this beef dish. Is there a particular reason? I generally have both on hand and have used chicken broth in a pinch when making a beef dish. I am confused as to why a beef dish would call for chicken broth. But, I am still looking forward to making this dish!

  23. Elly

    By far the best tasting meatloaf I’ve ever had. I do however make 1 1/2 of the seasoning mix instead . Thats the only change. My kids request this every other weekend .
    Merci from Mtl.






  24. Marita Tedder

    Loved it! This will be my new go-to meatloaf recipe. Hubs ate it all!

    I did use the chicken broth, as listed, but then the beef broth for the brown gravy. Next time I will use beef broth for both so I don’t have to buy, and have leftovers, of both. Additionally, I couldn’t find meatloaf mixture at my store–nor, in this crazy supply chain issue world, did they have ground pork. I used 1.5ish lb of ground chuck and 1 lb of regular pork sausage. It was great! I have a photo I’d share if there was a way to do so.






  25. Hal

    Since there are only 2 of us I am planning to bake half and freeze half to cook later. Any suggestions on how long to cook?

    1. Dan

      I would cook the whole meatloaf according to the recipe card. Then you can let the leftovers cool, slice and freeze for another dinner!

  26. Estelle H-R

    Thank you so much!

    This is the ONLY meatloaf recipe I have ever made and will ever make! All the ingredients are “spot on” making this meatloaf absolutely delish!

    I am a widow and since my hubby passed, I cook for one… and freeze the remainder in single serving sizes – with gravy – and defrost and heat up when I wish.






  27. Michelle L Fuentes

    I have made many different kinds of meatloaf and this is by far the best one I have ever made. I love the brown gravy that goes with it.






  28. micheal

    Seriously a solid recipe…. Solid because it stood up to my having to alter it for a vegan. More importantly it was seriously awesome and on top… made me look good! Kudos my man!

    I used 1 package of impossible burger and one thawed package of Garden Be’f crumbles. I used vegan worcestershire. For the chicken stock I used one “not chicken” bullion in a cup of water and used 1/4 cup of it. For the eggs I substituted flax meal and water.

    I did make gravy, but being short on time, I used 1 “not chicken” bullion and one “not beef” bullion, 2.25 cups water, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp black powder. Put that in a roux of 4 Tbsp Good Earth sticks, 4 Tbsp flour.

    Everyone loved it! Thanks.






    1. Dan

      Holy moly, now there’s some recipe adaptation! I love the fact that you even looked at a meat based recipe to convert it! So glad it turned out good!

  29. Linda

    I’ve had my go-to meatloaf recipe for many, many years until now. This meatloaf along with the gravy recipe is the new go-to recipe! Absolutely delicious 😋






  30. Julia

    This was so, so delicious! Definitley making again. Any tips for getting it to cut easier after cooking? Crumbled and fell apart a bit, thanks!






    1. Dan

      Definitely let the meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes, covered with foil after cooking. We slice our meatloaf pretty thick instead of thinner pieces as well. Hopefully that helps!

  31. Mary

    I love to cook… but I could never find that *perfect* meatloaf recipe. Until now. This recipe is sooooo good! I even cut all the ingredients in half for a smaller loaf. Oh, and I did use dried thyme since I had it on hand. Excellent and will make it again and again!






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