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Faster and just as delicous, this air fryer meatloaf recipe cooks in fraction of the time and clean up is a breeze.
Why Make Meatloaf in the Air Fryer
A classic meatloaf is a favorite meal, and we love this air fryer version for a quick weeknight dinner.
- This can be baked in about half the time compared to an oven recipe.
- The fat drips away into the pan, so the meat doesn’t cook in the fat.
- This makes two smaller meatloaves so they’re easier to handle.
- Cleanup is a breeze (I have the Cosori 5.8QT XL, and a quick rinse and it goes into the dishwasher)
Ingredient Tips
- Meat: I use lean ground beef (80/20), which has just enough fat to keep it moist. You can use a combination of ground beef mixed with ground turkey or ground pork.
- Veggies: Finely diced bell pepper, onions, parsley, and garlic add flavor.
- Binder: Breadcrumbs are mixed with milk and egg yolk help keep this recipe moist and hold together.
- Seasonings: I add Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning—add your favorite herbs and spices.
Topping Tip
The topping in this recipe contains chili sauce (which is not spicy) and ketchup. If you’ve never had chili sauce, it is like a very zesty tangy ketchup with tons of flavor. It’s amazing combined with BBQ sauce and put on burgers and ribs.
How to Make Air Fryer Meatloaf
- Mix all of the ingredients, and shape them into two loaves.
- Place meatloaves in the air fryer basket & air fry.
- Add topping and cook meatloaf again (full recipe below).
Holly’s Pro Tips
- Don’t overmix the meat—overmixing can cause a dense loaf.
- Preheat the air fryer before adding the meatloaf.
- Air Fryers can vary, so check the temperature using instant-read thermometer.
- Check the meatloaf early to ensure it doesn’t overcook. Add more time as needed.
- Rest the meatloaf for a few minutes before slicing so it doesn’t fall apart.
- Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
More Favorite Air Fryer Recipes
Ground beef cooks beautifully in the air fryer with a crisp crust and tender meat.
Did enjoy this Air Fryer Meatloaf? Leave a rating and a comment below.
Air Fryer Meatloaf
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ green bell pepper finely diced
- ⅓ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- ¼ cup finely diced onion see note
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Topping
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
- ¼ cup chili sauce
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F.
- Mix meat, green bell pepper, seasoned bread crumbs, diced onions, milk, shredded parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, garlic, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large bowl just until combined.
- Divide the mixture into 2 and shape into small meatloaves, about 5" long by 2" wide.
- Cook in the air fryer for 20 minutes.
- Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl. Add topping and cook an additional 5-7 minutes or until meatloaf reaches 165°F.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Perfect meat loaf!! Thank you!
try using ground up Captain Crunch Serial. You can also use ground up Captain Crutch Serial as your breading for chicken strips, fried chicken etc. This was the breading for Planet Hollywood
Thanks for the suggestion, Fred!
Made this with lean ground pork. Subbed shallot for the onion, a small can of drained chopped mild peppers for the bell, and Mexican oregano for the Italian seasoning. Skipped the sauce on top. Turned out great!
I’ve made this twice and my husband and I really enjoy it! I didn’t have tomato sauce, but used ketchup instead. The cooking time was perfect! It makes 2 meals for the us. Tastes good re-heated also. Definitely a keeper!
I have used this recipe a few times and it always works!! Used a couple of different seasonings and my own topping but this is a great recipe!!
So I made this tonight – came out wonderful! I changed the topping to something a bit sweeter. Loved it!!
I made one loaf – pressed it down into my small air fryer. Kept checking the temp. Great recipe!
Absolutely delicious! And so quick and easy to make.
Just got an air fryer as a gift. I must admit I was skeptical but this came out perfect. Obviously one could play around with the spices to your liking, but I pretty much exactly followed the recipe.
Anxious to try your recipes.
Husband is diabetic and looking for low carb, easy
and I love the air fryer recipes you have
thank you, Donna from NC
I hope you love this recipe, Donna!
I have grass fed beef (hamburger) in the freezer that I’m planning to use. I’m a bit afraid it will fall apart. What should I do to make sure it has enough “fat” in it to stick together?
I would rate this an almost 5, just needed something else inside the meatloaf. Just not sure what. Very tasty would give this a 4 3/4 star. Emmie Peterson
I love some meatloaf now, but don’t have a bell pepper, and have never used chili for sauce, but I’m Southern and always mix brown sugar and a little syrup into my ketchup for sauce, and I add canned mushrooms into about anything I cook. I’m awful with not following recipe to a t. I usually always add something and also (sorry) add a can of cream of mushroom soup and pack of Lipton onion soup mix and a dash of Dale’s seasoning. This will be my first time cooking a meatloaf in my Air Fryer, so please wish me luck. Thanks so very much for recipe!
Good luck Becky! You’ve got this. :)
Actually, and this is gonna sound weird, but I’m from SC and have never used bread crumbs. I either take a glass and use the bottom of it to crush up either Ritz crackers or Club crackers (whichever I have here)! It definitely works good though for a poor gal…lol
Thanks for sharing, Becky! That would work great in a pinch.
Can I freeze one and just cook one?
That should work great Mindy!
Have loved every recipe I have tried from your website! Thank you for keeping it really simple for those of us who don´t love to cook but love our air fryers! :-) You always use ingredients that most of us usually have on hand and seems like there are never more that 5-7 ingredients. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you so much for the kind words Barbara, this made my day! I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes.
I haven’t tried any of these but the meatloaf is happening tonight! I love trying new ideas and recipes, so this website will definitely be my Go-To!!!
Welcome Cheri, I’m so happy you are here. I can’t wait for you to try this recipe!
Do you have to use milk?
The milk and the egg together act as a binder and the milk helps keep it moist. I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out if you left it out. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
I make it without everytime (I just use my classic meatloaf recipe that I’ve always done and is slightly varied from this one, but use this cooking method) and it turns out amazing! I use an egg yolk and panko bread crumbs to bind and it works great.
This was perfect to say the least. Just bit more prep time than I expected, but that could have just been me – anyway, well worth it. Came out just right so thanks for the great ingredients, air fryer temp & timing, etc. I thought I’d make the whole recipe for 4 just for us 2 so we could have meatloaf sandwiches tomorrow, BUT, my husband ate most of the 2nd meatloaf …. sigh! Will definitely make again.
love meatloaf just delicious
Best meatloaf I have made ever. Thank you
Holly, in my third paragraph. that should read “Next time, I will likely add more garlic, a little more salt” … not “sauce”. Sorry!
Another big thumbs up for the mini meatloaf recipe!
This is an easy-to-follow, very basic recipe that is spot on. I “almost” always follow recipes to the letter the first time I make them so that I will know where to start making adjustments to better suit my palette. I like a little more spice than this recipe provides … but now I have a good solid starting point for my air fryer meatloaf and it is very much like the meatloaf my Mum used to make!
Next time, I will likely add more garlic, a little more sauce, some Montreal Steak spice, maybe some paprika, and perhaps a dash or two of Worchestershire Sauce.
I have a Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer. I found the cooking times to be close, but somewhat long for the 2″ x 5″ loaves. I would shorten the initial cook time to 17 or 18 minutes and the second cook to 4 or 5 minutes. The point, as Holly suggests, is to be sure to have your instant-read meat thermometer handy and check the temperature at the 15 or 16-minute mark … assuming you make the loaves 2″ x 5″ as recommended.
And for Canadians, you may want to try Dianna’s Original BBQ sauce instead of the chili sauce/ketchup combo as the topping! It was the one change I made to this recipe … simply because I had no chili sauce on hand … and it was wonderful!
Another triumph for Holly!
Thank you for sharing your tips and experience, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Liane!