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With just 5 carbs per serving, my Keto Meatloaf recipe is a dream come true! It's packed with flavor, cheesy, and easy to make. Complete with a homemade meatloaf glaze and seasoning blend, it's even gluten-free!
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Low Carb Meatloaf
It's hard to resist a good meatloaf; when you find the perfect one, it's deliciously crisp on the outside, and moist inside, with plenty of flavor. My Keto Meatloaf will be that for you!
I have made plenty of meatloaf recipes and even a guide to meatloaf temperature, but out of all of my experimenting with different flavors and glazes, this one is my favorite! It's cheesy and hearty, but cuts down on the carbs by using sugar-free ketchup, leaner ground beef, and no bread crumbs.
Here's what will make this your new favorite easy meatloaf recipe:
- It uses simple ingredients: The meatloaf, seasoning, and glaze all use only simple, common ingredients you would use in everyday meals. You most likely have plenty of these ingredients on hand already!
- It's moist: You won't have to worry about this meatloaf drying out. Following my simple steps, it turns out deliciously juicy and moist every time!
- It's so cheesy: Combining both Parmesan and cheddar cheese, this meatloaf has a yummy cheesy crust my family finds irresistible - and I bet yours will, too!
I tried it and it came out great. My husband loved it and felt it was perfectly seasoned and much better than the packets.
Joyce on Pinterest
Ingredients for Low Carb Meatloaf
- Meatloaf seasoning: Use my homemade meatloaf seasoning recipe (link), not a packet.
- Olive oil
- Ground beef: Use a lean ground beef blend, like 85/15. Don't worry, it won't dry out. You can use 80/20 or 90/10 if it's what you have, but the texture may change slightly.
- Parmesan cheese: I prefer freshly grated Parmesan cheese for this. I don't recommend using the finely grated Parmesan in a bottle, but it will do in a pinch.
- Milk: I use whole milk here, but you can use any milk you'd like.
- Sugar-free ketchup: It's important to use sugar-free ketchup in this recipe, or the nutritional values will change.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Eggs: Bring the eggs out to sit for a few minutes before cooking to bring them to room temperature.
- Salt
- Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Meatloaf Glaze Ingredients
- Tomato paste
- White vinegar
- Additional meatloaf seasoning
For full glaze instructions, tips, and more, see my Meatloaf Glaze Recipe.
How to Make Meatloaf in the Oven
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Mix dried mustard, paprika, salt, basil, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a small bowl to form your meatloaf seasoning.
- Place ground meat in a large bowl. Add meatloaf seasoning, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, milk, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and cheddar cheese.
- Combine the beef with the other ingredients using your hands, until everything is just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Transfer the ground meat mixture into greased loaf pan, pressing the meat down to form into a loaf shape.
- Combine tomato paste, white vinegar, and meatloaf seasoning together in a bowl to form your meatloaf glaze.
- Add half of the meatloaf glaze over the top of the meatloaf mixture.
- Bake for 45 minutes, then remove from oven and spread the remaining meatloaf glaze over top. Top with the additional cheddar cheese.
- Bake for an additional 12 minutes or until the internal temperature for the meatloaf reaches 155°F (use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature).
- Remove from oven and let stand for at least 15 minutes. This is very important, as you want to keep the meatloaf nice and moist.
- Finally, slice the meatloaf and serve!
Air Fryer Instructions
You can also make this meatloaf in the air fryer. Follow my Air Fryer Meatloaf instructions using this recipe.
Slow Cooker Instructions
Try making this easy meatloaf recipe in the slow cooker by following my Crockpot Meatloaf instructions.
Tips for Keto Meatloaf Recipes
- If you're trying to keep it low carb, make sure to be careful if you use any substitutions for the ingredients.
- If you like bacon, you could add a little crumbled bacon to the topping. Just take note of how it will alter the nutritional values.
- Let your meatloaf rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing so it will hold better while you cut. Use a sharp knife.
- Follow my Meatloaf Temps guide to get that perfectly cooked meatloaf every time.
- Be careful not to over-mix the meat when you're combining it with your other ingredients. Over-mixing will completely change the texture of your meatloaf, so you want to be certain you mix it just enough to combine everything.
The Secret to the Perfect Meatloaf
- The #1 secret to making an amazing meatloaf is using the right blend of spices. The combination of dried mustard, paprika, basil, pepper, garlic and onion powder in my homemade meatloaf seasoning is just what you need!
- The #2 secret to the best meatloaf recipe is all in the meatloaf glaze. Using tomato paste, vinegar (for a bit of tanginess), and more of my meatloaf seasoning creates the perfect combination of flavors to complement the beef. The glaze also helps keep the meatloaf nice and moist!
The combination of these two components will take your meatloaf from boring to over-the-top delicious comfort food!
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can easily make this easy meatloaf recipe ahead of time by storing it either in the refrigerator or the freezer before baking.
Wrap the loaf pan tightly in plastic wrap if stored in the refrigerator, and store for up to 2 days before baking. If you want to freeze it to last even longer, see below for freezing instructions.
How to Freeze Meatloaf
Freezing Uncooked Meatloaf
- Line the loaf pan with plastic wrap so the wrap hangs slightly over the edges of the loaf pan before shaping your meatloaf. This makes it easier to remove from the pan and wrap in plastic after partially freezing.
- Add the loaf pan to the freezer for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Once partially frozen, take the meatloaf out of the loaf pan and fully wrap it in the plastic wrap. Double up by wrapping it in foil. Label with the freezing date and store for up to 3 months.
Freezing Cooked Meatloaf
- Allow your meatloaf to cool completely.
- Store wrapped in plastic wrap and foil labeled with the date for up to 3 months. I recommend wrapping individual slices so you can take what you want out of the freezer without needing to heat the entire meatloaf.
Meatloaf Temperature
Allow your meatloaf to reach 155°F, then turn off the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. This will raise the temperature somewhat to the ideal temperature of 160°F, while keeping the meat nice and moist. Always use a meat thermometer to check the proper temperature.
FAQ
Along with a few other ingredients to help bind it, a mix of almond flour and parmesan cheese for binding meatloaf holds it together well without using breadcrumbs. You can also use Parmesan cheese just by itself - it's a fantastic binder for meatloaf! Or, use another lower carb flour alternative, like golden flaxseed meal, sunflower seed flour, coconut flour, unflavored ground pork rinds, or walnut flour.
For this low-carb meatloaf recipe, I use a homemade meatloaf glaze that is out-of-this-world delicious. It's a combination of tomato paste, white vinegar, and my meatloaf seasoning. This gives the meatloaf the most incredible flavor and texture.
You can use another binding agent instead to add moisture to your meatloaf instead of eggs. Try using a mixture of flaxseed and water: about 2 Tablespoons flaxseed meal to 5 Tablespoons water. This will be enough to compensate for two eggs. You can leave the eggs out entirely, but the texture of the meatloaf will be different.
Meatloaf Recipes
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Keto Meatloaf
Equipment
- 9 x 5-inch loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Bowl for mixing
Ingredients
Ingredients for Meatloaf
- 4 Tablespoons meatloaf seasoning see below for seasoning mix
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 pounds 85/15 ground beef
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese or ½ cup parmesan cheese and ½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup sugar-free ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded, plus ¼ cup additional cheese for topping
Meatloaf Glaze
- 4 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons meatloaf seasoning
Meatloaf Seasoning
- 3 teaspoons dried mustard
- 3 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2½ teaspoons basil
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Add all meatloaf seasoning ingredients to a small bowl and mix together until combined. This should give you roughly 6 Tablespoons - use 4 Tablespoons for the meatloaf, and approximately 2 Tablespoons for the glaze.3 teaspoons paprika, 2 teaspoon salt, 2½ teaspoons basil, 2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoon onion powder, 3 teaspoons dried mustard
- Place ground beef in a large bowl. Add meatloaf seasoning, olive oil, parmesan cheese, milk, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, eggs, and cheddar cheese.4 Tablespoons meatloaf seasoning, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 pounds 85/15 ground beef, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup sugar-free ketchup, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 eggs, salt and pepper, ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
- Mix the meatloaf with your hands until just combined (do not over-mix). Transfer the ground meat mixture into the greased loaf pan, pressing the meat down to form into a loaf shape.
- Add all meatloaf glaze ingredients to a bowl, and mix until combined.4 Tablespoons tomato paste, 2 Tablespoons white vinegar, 2 Tablespoons meatloaf seasoning
- Add half of the meatloaf glaze over the top of the meatloaf mixture. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove from oven and spread the remaining meatloaf glaze over top. Top with additional cheddar cheese.
- Bake for another 12 minutes or until the internal temperature for the meatloaf reaches 155°F.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for at least 15 minutes. This is very important, as you want to keep the meatloaf nice and moist.
- Finally, slice the meatloaf and serve!
Notes
- Let your meatloaf rest at least 10 minutes before slicing so it will hold better while you cut. Use a sharp knife.
- Be careful not to overmix the meat when you're combining it with your other ingredients. Overmixing will completely change the texture of your meatloaf, so you want to be certain you mix it just enough to combine everything.
Nutrition
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Jessie says
Make sure not to forget the eggs when mixing all ingredients together in your bowl!
Making this tonight, can’t wait to try it! My first keto meatloaf! 😊
Em Beitel says
That's awesome, Jessie! We would love to know what you think!
Laurie Henn says
This was absolutely delicious!!! Thank you so much!!
Em Beitel says
Hi Laurie! Thank you so much - we're so glad you enjoyed it!
Marisa S says
So I made you're Keto meatloaf tonight & it was very tasty! I modified it a bit by adding diced red bell pepper, fresh Thyme, & Gruyere and Asiago cheese 🧀 (in lieu of Cheddar. In a "throw in what you got" kind of spirit!😋). I also used the Parmsan cheese/Almond flour option, & 90% lean grass-fed ground beef.
So I noticed my meatloaf "shrunk" away from the sides, & in height as well! No less delicious, but is this typical? I've only made meatloaf 1 other time! (I should also mention that I baked it in a dark metal "meatloaf" pan. The ones with the removable tray w/holes.) Thanks!😊👍
Em Beitel says
Hi Marisa! That sounds incredible - especially with the cheeses you chose! Yes, the shrinking is normal - meatloaf will usually shrink during the cooking process!
Nicole says
I love this meatloaf!! It is the best meatloaf ever, keto or not. SO GOOD!
Isabel Laessig says
Nicole, this made my day! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed it so much! I love this meatloaf too. Thank you!
Mimi says
This has become our go-to family recipe! It's delicious, and guests have asked me for the recipe. My arthritis can't handle too much tomato, so I leave the sauce glaze topping off, and it's still delicious. Thanks so much!
Isabel Laessig says
This is wonderful to hear, Mimi. I'm so glad you liked it - thank you!