Are you wondering, “how long does it take to cook a 1lb meatloaf?” Given it’s a traditional food, cooking it shouldn’t be rocket science. But when you want to cook a small 1lb meatloaf, it can be a little tricky.
However, it can take about 20-25 minutes to bake and cook under the usual baking temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
We know you’re pressed for excellent results, the very reason you have come here, on this webpage. So, we’ll teach you how to bake it at 375 degrees so that you can prepare this tasty food in hasty situations and come out victorious!
How Long to Cook 1lb Meatloaf at 375 Degrees – Perfect Recipe
Most meatloaf recipes are made from mixed meat, veggies, seasonings, and breadcrumbs held together with a binder. Usually, eggs are used for binding purposes. You’ll find out how to make the best meatloaf with the simplest ingredients and techniques below!
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Resting time: 10 mins
Total time: 1 hr 10 mins
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. Beef mince or any ground meat you like. Must be 85%-95% lean, preferably chuck or brisket. Using more lean meat will prevent a flood of fats in the baking pan when the loaf is cooked.
- 1 tsp. Butter
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs. You can also use white bread crumbs or ritz crackers in the same quantity.
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 1/2 Medium Sized Onion Minced or finely chopped
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tbsp. Ketchup
- 1/2 tsp. Salt Based on your taste
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning Optional
- 1 tsp. Black pepper Ground
- 1/2 tsp. Mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp. Paprika
Ingredients for Glaze Sauce
- 4 tbsp. Ketchup
- 1 tbsp. Brown sugar or honey
- 1/2 tsp. Onion powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp. Vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. Mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. Ground black pepper
Equipment
- 1 Loaf pan
- 1 Baking tray lined with aluminum foil
Instructions
- Before you start baking the meatloaf, remember to preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. You can set it to preheat while you prepare everything else.
- At 375 degrees, the temperature will allow the meatloaf to be done a lot faster, but it might even get burnt or dry if you’re not careful. If you have a chunky meatloaf, you will want to cover it with aluminum foil for the cooking process.
- You can take it off in the last 15 minutes. Also, remember to grease the baking tray beforehand to prevent the meatloaf from sticking to it.
- Take a skillet and let the butter melt on it under medium heat. Throw in the onions and garlic until the onion turns translucent, which will take about 5 minutes. After that, turn off the heat and season it with salt and pepper.
- Next up, combine crumbs and milk in a large bowl, mix them, and then add eggs and mix again.
- Add onion, garlic, and all other seasonings into this mixture. Finally, add beef, Worcestershire Sauce, and ketchup to this bowl. Mix everything up well until combined.
- Lastly, transfer the meatloaf mix to a small loaf pan.
- Mix the brown sugar into the ketchup until you get a smooth mixture. Add the remaining ingredients, the vinegar, garlic powder, and onion powder, and mix it up nicely so the mixture is smooth again. In the end, add the salt and pepper for the seasoning (mix that up too).
- We’re working with a 1lb meatloaf, so we’ll leave it uncovered for the baking process.
- Take the meatloaf pan and put the greased butter paper into it. Put half of the meatloaf mixture into it and press it, then put the rest of the mixture and press it. Adding the mix in two batches will help you avoid any air gaps under the meat.
- Take a baking tray, line it with aluminum foil, grease it heavily, and flip (invert) the loaf pan over this baking sheet to shift the meatloaf into it.
- Cook the meatloaf in the oven for about 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove it from the oven and brush half of the glaze sauce on it.
- Cook it for another 10 minutes, get it out, again brush the meatloaf with leftover glaze sauce, and put it in the oven for baking for another 5 minutes.
- Finally, the 30-minute baking time is over. Now check the meatloaf’s internal temperature by inserting an instant-read probe thermometer right in the middle of the meatloaf. If it’s at 160-165 degrees, your meatloaf is ready. IF NOT, cook it for five more minutes and keep checking the temperature.
Notes
You need to combine the elements until they come together, don’t overmix, as that’ll break down the muscle fibers, leaving you with a dense and complex meatloaf.
If you want to add vegetables besides onion, make sure that the size of the solid veggies you cut should be small. Crackers and crumbs should also be fine, as they’ll help the meatloaf be uniform.
Always let the meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes so that it reabsorbs the juice before you slice and serve!
Greasy, Watery Meatloaf is hell to imagine but common to have! You can avoid it by ditching too many veggies and using meat with more fat and the LOAF PAN. If your meatloaf releases some fats or water, the pan will hold it, but a baking tray will let them evaporate speedily.
Resting the meatloaf before removing it from the baking tray and cutting it is a “must-do.” The reason is that when oven-hot, it releases the moisture it could hold when slightly cold. So, when you cut a meatloaf after resting it, it keeps its shape and lets you cut it smoothly without falling apart.
No matter how often you use your oven, whenever you try some “special” recipe, check your oven’s temperature using an accurate infrared thermometer for ovens. This practice will save you from drastic, unseen results!
FAQs
How can I make next-level meatloaf?
The right meat is the key. The best advice is to choose 85-95 lean meats, and the BEST OF THE BEST advice is to make it lean yourself. Get meat and remove all fats and connective tissues. It’ll be the secret that you won’t tell anyone when they’ll be admiring your dexterity.
Why do we add milk to meatloaf?
Milk (or any other dairy-free substitute) is necessary as it gives moisture to your breadcrumbs. Otherwise, you’ll have a dry and crumbly meatloaf.
What’s the best filler for meatloaf?
Breadcrumbs are the best meatloaf filling; don’t forget the milk!
How long should you bake different sizes of meatloaf at 375?
- 1 lb meatloaf requires 30-35 minutes.
- 1.5 lb meatloaf at 375 degrees requires 35-40 minutes.
- A 2 lb meatloaf at 375 degrees requires 45-50 minutes. However, you should check the meat loaf’s internal temperature to ensure the required doneness.
- A 3 lb meatloaf at 375 degrees requires an hour at least.
- A 4 lb meatloaf at 375 degrees requires about 1 hour and 15 minutes; after this period, check the temperature.
How long does it take to cook a 1lb meatloaf at 400?
At 400 degrees, a 1lb meatloaf takes about 40 minutes to get ready; you should start checking the temperature after 35 minutes.
What is the ideal temperature to bake a 1lb meatloaf?
At 400 degrees, a 1lb meatloaf takes about 40 minutes to get ready; you should start checking the temperature after 35 minutes.
ENJOY YOUR SMALL MEATLOAF!!!
