Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf
Overlapping strips of bacon cover this whole, oval beef meatloaf, browning around the top and sides while the loaf bakes uncovered. A thin ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard glaze adds shine near the end without hiding the bacon.
Baking the loaf on a rack keeps it above the drippings and gives the bacon more exposure to oven heat. Loaf dimensions and bacon coverage can change the baking time, so check the center with a thermometer rather than relying on the clock alone.
Prep: 20 minutes; Cook: 60–75 minutes; Total: 1 hour 30 minutes–1 hour 45 minutes, including resting; Serves: 6–8.
Ingredients for Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf
- 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs (80g)
- 1/3 cup milk (80g)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup finely minced yellow onion (80g)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup ketchup, divided (120g)
- 2 pounds ground beef, preferably 85% lean (900g)
- 10–12 slices regular-cut bacon, or enough to cover the loaf (about 300g)
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar (15g)
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Optional garnish: A few fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs.
How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf
- Prepare the oven and pan: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Set an oven-safe wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan large enough to catch the drippings. Line the pan beneath the rack with foil or parchment if desired.
- Make the meat mixture: Stir the breadcrumbs and milk together in a large bowl and let them soften briefly. Mix in the egg, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons of the ketchup. Add the beef and mix gently just until combined; overworking it can make the loaf dense.
- Shape and wrap: Shape the mixture into one elongated oval of even thickness on the rack. Lay the bacon crosswise over the top and down the sides, overlapping the strips slightly so no broad patches of meat are exposed. Tuck the ends just under the lower edge, leaving most of the underside uncovered.
- Bake uncovered: Bake for about 60–75 minutes in total. Begin checking the center with an instant-read thermometer at about 55 minutes. Rotate the pan once if the bacon browns unevenly, and make sure the pan is containing the drippings.
- Glaze near the end: Stir the remaining ketchup with the brown sugar and mustard. During the final 15–20 minutes of baking, brush a thin coat over the bacon. Keep the bacon visible and watch for glaze that darkens too quickly.
- Check and rest: Continue baking until the center reaches 160°F (70°C), inserting the thermometer into the meat rather than a bacon strip. The bacon should be rendered and well browned, and the loaf should hold its shape. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve: Carefully transfer the whole loaf to a platter. Arrange parsley alongside it, if using, then slice at the table or just before serving.
Why Use a Rack and Regular-Cut Bacon?
The rack lifts the freeform loaf out of its drippings, while the rimmed pan catches rendered fat. A loaf pan would leave less of the bacon exposed to heat. Regular-cut strips are better suited to rendering during this bake than thick-cut bacon; strips tucked fully beneath the meat may stay soft.
How to Check Doneness
The 60–75-minute range is an estimate: a thicker loaf or different bacon coverage can change when the center finishes cooking. Use 160°F as the target for this all-ground-beef loaf. Some meatloaf instructions use 165°F (75°C) instead, so the temperatures are not interchangeable claims of consensus. Letting the finished loaf rest for 10 minutes also helps it hold together when sliced.
Serving, Make-Ahead, and Leftovers
Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans or another green vegetable. Offer extra sauce at the table rather than covering the browned bacon. Leftover slices work well in sandwiches.
The assembled uncooked loaf can be covered and refrigerated for up to one day before baking. Cover cooked leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days; reheat until hot throughout. Cooked meatloaf can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving, based on 1/8 of the loaf: 525 calories, 38g protein, 34g fat, and 15g carbohydrates. Approximate nutrition per 100g: 260 calories, 19g protein, 17g fat, and 7g carbohydrates. Values vary with the beef and bacon used and the amount of fat rendered during baking.
Equipment
- Oven-safe wire rack
- Rimmed sheet pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
For the Meatloaf
- 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs (80 g)
- 1/3 cup milk (80 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup finely minced yellow onion (80 g)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons ketchup, from the 1/2 cup total
- 2 pounds ground beef, preferably 85% lean (900 g)
- 10–12 slices regular-cut bacon, or enough to cover the loaf (about 300 g)
For the Glaze
- Remaining ketchup, from 1/2 cup total (120 g)
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar (15 g)
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Optional Garnish
- A few fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Set an oven-safe wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan; line the pan with foil or parchment if desired.
- Stir the breadcrumbs and milk together in a large bowl and let them soften briefly.
- Mix in the egg, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons of ketchup. Add the beef and mix gently just until combined.
- Shape the mixture into an elongated oval of even thickness on the rack. Lay bacon crosswise over the top and down the sides, overlapping the strips; tuck the ends under the lower edge and leave most of the underside uncovered.
- Bake uncovered for about 60–75 minutes total. Begin checking the center with an instant-read thermometer at about 55 minutes, and rotate the pan if the bacon browns unevenly.
- Stir the remaining ketchup with the brown sugar and mustard. During the final 15–20 minutes of baking, brush a thin coat over the bacon, keeping the bacon visible.
- Continue baking until the center reaches 160°F (70°C), inserting the thermometer into the meat rather than a bacon strip. Rest for 10 minutes, then transfer to a platter and serve with parsley if desired.
Tips
- Bake the loaf on a rack so it sits above the drippings and the bacon gets more exposure to oven heat.
- Use regular-cut rather than thick-cut bacon so it has time to render during baking.
- Overlap the bacon strips to cover broad patches of exposed meat, but leave most of the underside uncovered.
- Check the center temperature rather than relying only on the cooking time, since loaf thickness and bacon coverage can affect how quickly it cooks.
- Watch the glaze near the end of baking so it does not darken too quickly.