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!

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.

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.

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?

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?
- Tasty AF Turkey Meatloaf with Bacon
- Turkey Taco Meatloaf
- Chicken Cordon Blue Meatloaf
- Swedish Meatloaf Recipe

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Brown Gravy Meatloaf Recipe
- 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!
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
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the oil to a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onions, salt and pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes until slightly caramelized and softened.
- Add the garlic, stir and cook for a minute longer, then add the thyme, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.
- 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.
- 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!)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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







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!
Wow, thanks so much Muffy!
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.
And thank you for your nice comment Russ! We’re so glad you liked it!
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.
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!
Looking for a meatloaf recipe without ketchup topping, this sound great. Quick question, what do you use/recommend for breadcrumbs.
Thanks Yasky – We use regular or Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.
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?
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!
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!
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!
Is the loaf baked uncovered for 45 mins?
Yes, uncovered.
Made for the first time. Would make it again without the thyme
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!
Well those are some high praises for sure! Oatmeal is a great swap out, good thinking!
Crockpot times?? Will it be good in a crockpot?
This isn’t a crock pot recipe!
This was an amazing recipe! Thank you for sharing it, I made it for dinner and very one loved it :)
This meatloaf is excellent! My girls loved it too! Cooking the onions really does make a big difference….
Thanks Tricia! I’m so glad they liked it!
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.
Thanks so much Denise – we love this meatloaf too! And I totally agree, I’ve had tried some of those boring gravy recipes too;)
Can you make this recipe with lean ground beef and ground Turkey? I’m really anxious to try this!
I would stick to just the lean ground beef, but you can certainly try it!
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
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!
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!
So delicious! Mad this for Sunday dinner and we all loved it. THANK YOU so much for sharing this recipe!
And we’re making it again tonight! So happy you like it Maria, thanks for letting us know!
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!
Thank you so much Margaret! It really means so much to us to hear that!
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
I doubled the recipe so what would you suggest is cooking time four and a half pounds
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.
I need a meatloaf recipe for 2 people n maybe leftovers.
You can enjoy half of the meatloaf and freeze the other half for later!
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