Keto Mini Meatloaf Recipe
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This keto mini meatloaf recipe is just as good as my southern meatloaf recipe made with oats. In this recipe I had to skip the oats to keep this keto friendly. As I love meatloaf so much, I had to figure out a way to make my favorite comfort food that takes me back to Retro Rose (my mom) and yet eliminate the grains.
If you’ve been here for any length of time, you know Spinach Tiger loves ground meat. I think ground meat has the lowest fail rate in a recipe and adapts to so many different flavors. Meatloaf is no exception.
Meatloaf is supposed to be tender and well “loafy.” It usually has a good amount of grains like bread, or in my Southern Meatloaf Recipe, oats. I have a friend that makes a delicious meatloaf with Ritz crackers. My dilemma was to come up with a meatloaf that had the same qualities, flavor and texture and the meatloaf of our dreams.
Three Ways to Make Moist Mini Keto Meatloaf
I don’t want to confuse you, but I’m going to give you options for making the best keto meatloaf. If you don’t add something to your meatloaf in place of breadcrumbs, you could end up with a tough loaf.
- Add Cheddar Cheese
- Add Grain Free Almond Flour Biscuits like these grain free pumpkin biscuits or these.
- Add Pumpkin Puree in place of Biscuits or with Biscuit
- If you don’t want to make biscuits, just add in some almond flour or leave out altogether.
Actually you can do all three for a trifecta meatloaf.
Initially I balked at adding cheddar cheese to my meatloaf, until I tried it. It not only adds a little more fat, more moisture, it adds flavors.
A combination of a grain free biscuit and shredded cheddar cheese makes a fantastic keto friendly meatloaf, getting closer to that old school Cracker/Cheddar recipe.
Grain Free Biscuits: I have several recipes for grain free biscuits made a mix of almond flour and coconut flour. I always have some of these in the freezer. I crumble one or two into my meatloaf and it works well. You can keep this as an option. Skip it if you don’t have time to make the biscuits. Add pumpkin puree if you have it. It really does the trick.
Pumpkin Puree: Sounds odd right? Pumpkin is a vegetable and helps to moisten meat and keeps the meatloaf keto friendly. If you don’t have time to make the biscuits, consider adding 1/2 cup pumpkin puree to your meat mixture. You won’t taste pumpkin or see it, once the meatloaf is baked, but it does add moisture to the meatloaf.
TASTE TEST
When you use good ground meat and use the basic ingredients, and don’t over-bake, it will taste good. However, the meatloaf that won the taste test had all three ingredients. It seems the pumpkin puree does add a very nice moisture to the meat. My tip here is to freeze small batches of pumpkin puree for delicious meatloaf all year.
What kind of Ground Meat Makes the Best Keto Meatloaf?
Since we are not making a vegetable/bread packed meatloaf to keep the carbs low, you will want a ground meat that will be stay moist and tender.
You need meat that has enough fat in it like ground chuck, ground wagyu beef that is very tender. A combination of ground beef and ground veal is also a good choice for a tender meatloaf. I also like a 50/50 ground beef/ground lamb. If you are sticking with traditional ground beef, use an 80/20 beef/fat ratio. Costco now sell ground wagyu at a reasonable price (around $5.99 a pound) if you want to try that. Wagyu is the most tender of the ground meats.
Ingredients for Keto Meatloaf
- Ground Beef
- Sautèed chopped onion
- Garlic Salt
- Sugar Free Ketchup
- Yellow Mustard
- Worcestershire
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Pumpkin Puree (option)
- Grain Free Biscuits (option)
- Topping: Sugar Free Ketchup or Tomato Sauce
Tips for this Meatloaf Recipe
- Handle the meat gently. Don’t pack tight, or you get a tough loaf.
- Don’t use a loaf pan. Go free form to avoid tough loaf
- Take a tablespoon of meat and fry quickly for a taste test.
- Bake no higher than 375 F. to 140 degrees F. Don’t over-bake.
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Serve these Keto Sides with Meatloaf
Keto Mini Meatloaf
Ingredients
Basic Recipe
- 2 pounds ground beef see notes
- 2 tablespoons sugar free ketchup
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons worcerstershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 1 medium onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Optional Adds for Optimal Moisture
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree optional
- 1 grain free biscuit recipe here (optional)
Meatloaf Topping
- 1 small can tomato sauce or sugar free ketchup
- 1 tablespoon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Keep the ground meat loose. Compacting will make the meatloaf tough.
- Dice onion to a fine dice.
- Heat oil in pan. Sautè onion on low for about ten to twenty minutes until very softened.
- Once onion is softened, cool before adding to meat,
- Add ketchup, mustard, parsley, shredded cheese, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper.
- Add grain free biscuit and or pumpkin puree for extra moisture.
- Break up the grain free biscuits and mix into the meat. Make sure you don't compact the meat. Treat it gently to avoid making meat tough.
- Form into 10 individual loaves. Top with tomato sauce (or ketchup mixture).
- Bake at 375 degrees F. about 20 minutes.
- Meatloaf is extra good, refrigerated and reheated. This is a perfect do ahead meal. You can also freeze.
Notes
Nutrition
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If you love this recipe, please give it five stars. It means a lot. xoxo
From one meatloaf lover to another- I thank you for sharing this recipe and your hints and tips. Isn’t always so much fun to add hidden veggies in our meatloaves! I saw your photos and my mouth was drooling. I’ve made many meatloaves in my day, yet I still learned a few things from you, and so I send my thanks, gratitude, and appreciation for taking time to share your expertise. Now, the biscuits… I have never made them with almond and coconut flour. I’m very excited. Thanks
Boo-tiful you!!! It’s meatloaf for dinner tonight!