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
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeThis 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
Made it several times and it is a hit!
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 😋!
This was delicious. I made with a potato and leek gratin a definite hit.
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!
Good luck! Just remember to use a thermometer and watch the temperature and account for resting time!
Made this meatloaf for dinner tonight let’s just say this is my new meatloaf recipe!
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!!
This makes us so happy! Enjoy!
Incredible flavor! This will be my go to. Thanks for sharing!
Can I wrap this in bacon?
I don’t have instructions for you on how to do that but go ahead and give it a try!
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.
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!
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!
Sounds delicious! Glad you all liked it!
I’d like to make this tonight but I am not clear what the Meatloaf mix is can you please advise?
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.
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!!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!! :)
Thanks so much Kathy! We really appreciate the feedback!
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.
Love this recipe and the gravy too. Thanks for sharing, it’s definitely a keeper 😀
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.
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.
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.
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.