The slow cooker meatloaf recipe is easy to follow and totally reliable! This classic comfort meal is moist, juicy, and flavorful in every bite thanks to a sweet, sticky glaze that was brush on during the final 15 minutes of baking. Your family will come to the table for dinner if you prepare it at noon, put it in the slow cooker, and let it cook until dinner.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 5 hrs 15 mins |
| Additional Time: | 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 5 hrs 40 mins |
| Servings: | 6 |
Ingredients
- ¾ cup milk
- ⅔ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- ½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Prepare meatloaf: Whisk together milk, bread crumbs, eggs, minced onion, salt, and sage in a large bowl.
- Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Stir in ground beef and mushrooms until well combined.
- Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Shape mixture into a round loaf. Place loaf into a 5-quart slow cooker.
- Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Cover and cook on Low until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 5 to 6 hours.
- Prepare glaze: Whisk ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.
- Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Open the slow cooker and spoon glaze over the meatloaf. Cover the cooker and continue to cook on Low until sauce is heated through, about 15 minutes.
- Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
- Carefully remove meatloaf with two spatulas to a serving plate. Cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
- DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
- A foil sling can make it easier to remove the meatloaf from the cooker. Lay several long strips of heavy-duty aluminum foil in a criss-cross pattern in the bottom of your slow cooker. The strips should come up to the top of the cooker. Place meatloaf on top. When finished cooking, lift meatloaf carefully using the foil as handles, and transfer to a platter.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 328 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 18 g |
| Cholesterol | 136 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Sodium | 841 mg |
| Sugars | 9 g |
| Fat | 17 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Excellent meatloaf. I use a shortcut with Hunts tomato sace for meatloaf. I’ve also made it with the sauce in the recipe and it does taste better. The Hunts meatloaf sauce is just quicker.
Very delious and I am not a meatloaf fan usually.
This was so good. It was very juice and the glaze was very good. I will make this again.
IT WAS AWFUL!!! FOLLOWED RECIPE TO A “t” AND IT WOUND UP A SOUPY MESS. IF I COULD GET ALL RECIPES TO REFUND THE COST OF THE FOOD, I WOULD!!
It’s so good! I double the glaze and put half of it in the middle of the meatloaf … you’re welcome 🙂 I also put it on a meatloaf pan insert that fits into my crockpot so it’s not sitting in the grease.
Yum
I made it as directed. I found it to be moist and delicious.
I made this with veal, pork, and beef (meatloaf Combo). I added green pepper, very tasty, and put bacon on top to bake. It can be a little dry, so I added some organic, frdh salsa for moisture.
Rodney – my husband LOVED this recipe and while I liked, I LOVED this cooking method! Started just before 8am on low and didn’t make the glaze until I got home at 5pm – all in my 2.5 quart crockpot. Because I made in my smaller crockpot, I lovingly referred to this as my meat cake recipe! Looks like a small cake! Pros; made exactly as written but needed 1/4c panko because i ran out of breadcrumbs. Layered mushrooms on the bottom of the crockpot – which I think helped retain moisture! Cons; for me? And husband disagrees here – the glaze was too sweet for me. Lesson learned; making in a smaller crockpot was a challenge to cut and serve. Cut and has to use a spoon to serve! Husband absolutely wants me to make again! Me, want to find my favorite meatloaf recipes and repeat using Rodney’s method. Either way thankful that you shared and posted!!
There is something about the combo of a good meat loaf, mashed taters and peas! This is a good recipe
This was absolutely wonderful! Very easy to make, very flavorful and the glaze was perfect. Will absolutely make it again!!
It tastes good, and definitely melts in your mouth, but it really falls apart after it’s done no matter how tight you pack it. Not worth the extra time to be honest.
Meatloaf was delicious. I used 2 lbs of ground beef, so I did make minor adjustments to the other ingredients.
Simple, moist, delicious!!! Added 1-to-2 tsp minced garlic (in a jar) and no mushrooms. Next time I might double the topping and add some of it into the meatloaf. I used a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom of the slow-cooker and criss-crossed two pieces of aluminum foil in the bottom to set the meatloaf on, which did make it easy to lift out of slow-cooker and carefully tip it sideways to drain most of the grease. I will use this as a “regular” recipe from now on.
This was the best meatloaf I have ever eaten… didn’t change a thing… so easy!!! Loved the sauce for the top too… This will be my new favorite for meatloaf….
Loved this so much, I added garlic because I love it in everything lol. Doubled the sauce and cooked diced sweet potato chunks around sides the last two hours. Topped whole top with doubled sauce and cooked it on high for one hour. Delish! Will be making this again, just add potatoes to the crock pot, side salad and you have a super easy delish dinner!!
This is a great recipe and the best meatloaf I’ve eaten in a long time. I’ve made this recipe twice already-once using 85% fat free ground chuck and the other time using 90% fat free Angus sirloin. I added a finely chopped onion and 3 garlic cloves like some other reviewers recommended. I also used a sleeve of mashed up regular Ritz crackers and very finely chopped Portobello mushrooms .These additions and the 85% ground chuck yields the most flavorful results for this slow cooking method. I have also baked this meatloaf for 1 1/2 hours at 350 in the oven and it came out great!
I’m about to make it again, will add some cayenne, just a little, as my gang likes a bit of spiciness. It was delicious the first time, but I’m doubling the recipe because there were no leftovers! My all time favorite meatloaf for sure.
I made it as directed but cooked it in the oven at 365 for 60 minutes.
This is the best meatloaf I’ve ever cooked and eaten!! Only thing I dislike mushrooms so I substituted with more onion and bell pepper. Also I doubled on the topping like other ppl advised. Will definitely make again and again!
This is wonderful! Easy prep, great flavor and texture! This is a keeper.