Bourbon Glazed Meatloaf is a tender meatloaf drenched in a sweet ‘n spicy bourbon whisky glaze ~ and definitely not your mother’s meatloaf!
bourbon glazed meatloaf is a twist on a family favorite
I’ve been a meatloaf lover all my life, for me it’s the ultimate comforting dinner, but I think it does suffer from PR issues…a few targeted tweaks and a warm bourbon glaze is just what it needs to re-brand itself with a little bad boy edge.
This meatloaf itself is a moist blend of beef and pork, lightened up with fresh breadcrumbs, egg, and onion. So far pretty standard, but don’t be fooled. The glaze is an intense concoction of sweet and sour, with a hit of heat and anchored by lots of smooth Bourbon. I brush on one coat as the meat goes into the oven, then baste it with another layer during cooking, and give it a final slathering just before serving. Yum.
other unique meatloaf recipes
what you’ll need for the meatloaf:
- ground beef and ground pork
- the combination of beef and pork makes the meatloaf extra tender and flavorful.
- egg
- onion
- breadcrumbs
- use fresh or dried. You can easily make your own breadcrumbs, too!
what you’ll need for the irresistible glaze:
- bourbon
- I love Maker’s Mark.
- jam
- any flavor you like, from marmalade to blackberry!
- dark brown sugar
- the molasses in brown sugar gives wonderful depth to this sauce.
- barbecue sauce
- whatever you’ve got in the fridge.
- chili sauce
- hot sauce
The thick bourbon glaze looks like a lot in the photos, but once you slice the meat you’ll find that it isn’t at all overpowering, and in fact I think your friends and family will appreciate a small bowl of extra glaze on the dinner table. Once you’ve tasted the sweet spicy sauce you won’t want to take a bite without it.
tips for making bourbon glazed meatloaf:
- When you mix the meatloaf you don’t want to handle the meat too much. I like to break it up before adding it to the bowl, and sprinkle all the rest of the ingredients evenly over the top of the meat. This gives a little head start to getting everything well mixed. My favorite way to mix meatloaf is in my stand mixer with the paddle attachment ~ try it!
- Dried breadcrumbs are fine, but to make your own fresh breadcrumbs just tear up a slice or two of bread and whiz in a food processor. For more details I have a post on how to make fresh breadcrumbs.
- Try to form your meatloaf into an even shape so it will cook evenly. I aim for an oval shape, not too tall.
- Check for doneness with an instant read thermometer inserted near the center, it should read 160F.
make this meatloaf ahead
Wrap it well and refrigerate for up to a day. Leave it out on the counter for an hour before baking to allow it to come up to temperature.
The glaze can be make up to 3 days in advance.
what to serve with bourbon glazed meatloaf
- Favorite Green Bean Casserole from scratch!
- Cauliflower Gratin
- Buttered Rutabagas
- Creamed Brussels Sprouts
- Green Bean Casserole
- Whipped Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Corn Spoonbread Casserole
- Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
Bourbon Glazed Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs, you can also use dried
- 1/2 yellow onion, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp salt
- lots of fresh cracked pepper
Bourbon glaze
- 1 cup fruit jam or preserves, I like to use apricot or cherry
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, use regular brown sugar if you don’t have dark
- 1 Tbsp hot chili sauce or Sriracha, use more if you like things hotter
- 1/2 cup bourbon, or any kind of whiskey or cognac
- 1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- To make the sauce, put all the ingredients in a sauce pan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil lower the heat and simmer/boil gently, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until thickened. If you used a chunky jam you may want to use an immersion blender to puree the glaze.
- Put the meats in a large mixing bowl, breaking them apart into small pieces as you add them.
- Add the egg, breadcrumbs, onion and salt and pepper to the bowl. Mix everything well with your fingertips. You want to thoroughly incorporate all the elements without over-doing it.
- Form the meat into a loaf, not too tall and not too wide. You want it to cook evenly, so try to get it even from end to end.
- You can set it directly in a pan or on a baking sheet, or set it on a rack if you have one. Whatever you do, be sure to line the pan with foil since the glaze will drip and make a mess.
- Spread a layer of glaze all over the meatloaf and bake it for about 60 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center reads 155F. (It will continue to cook as it rests.) Note: I baste another layer of sauce on the meat halfway through the cooking.
- Remove the meat and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing. Slather on a final coat of glaze just before serving, (heat it up on the stove so it is hot) and serve extra sauce on the side.
I made a mistake. The reason the glaze was killer is because i added Srircha instead of Chipotle. I added 2 tablespoons of Srircha. Dont add to much or the Srircha will overpower the brown sugar. I found out the Chipotle doesnt give it that boost. The glaze is still the same, but add Srircha instead of Chipotle. Makes a Big difference
I normally don’t post comments, but that was by far the best meat loaf ever, so I had to write something. I’ve made a few too many tomato sauce based meat loaves, so I was looking for something more bourbon & brown sugar based, and this hit the spot! Thanks so much!
That was the best Meatloaf I have ever made. I LOVE that sauce. I thought it was a little to much sauce, but I added more half way thru and the little I had left i added when it was thru. The meatloaf wasnt bad, but the sauce was killer.
Thanks David, glad you loved it. You’ll have to try my bourbon meatballs next 🙂
My wife and I make this fairly often, just wanted to ensure that I gave it the score it deserves. We find ourselves always going with the Bonne Maman Apricot Preserve for the glaze!
Those apricot preserves are amazing! Thanks for the star rating 🙂
Great recipe. I added some spices to the meat and put a few holes in the loaf with a skewer to get some of the glaz flavour into the meat as well That was easy to do, since I also put it all in a loaf tin. But this is definitely my new favourite meatloaf recipe.
That looks like it makes a lot of glaze but is a great idea!
You can never have too much bourbon glaze 😉
This is hands down the best meatloaf recipe there is! I’ll never use another now. To those that are reading; You have to make sure to use a good top quality whiskey. I use apricot preserves and Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet ‘n Spicy Barbecue Sauce and it turns out perfect and delicious everytime! Thank you for this recipe!
Yummy! I improvised a bit because I didn’t have apricot or tart cherry jam. Instead, I used a rhubarb jam and combined with a sour cherry spread (dalmatia), 1/2 of the sirracha called for, Montreal Steak seasoning and sprinkled on Maldon sea salt flakes on top (to taste). Really, really good!
Mmmmmm, that does sound good!
Sue,
I made this tonight. I did not have pork so used 2 lbs of ground beef. I was a little hesitant at first since there are not all the typical ingredients I use in meatloaf BUT wow wow wow. This was amazing! My boys LOVED it and said it was the best meatloaf I have ever made. We happen to have some really good bourbon and it made the glaze so delicious. Next time I will try it with the ground pork/ground beef combo. Thanks for sharing! P.S. We are pretty fussy eaters. My boys are spoiled coming from Italian family lots of delicious food and we were impressed with your recipe.
🙂 So happy to hear this.
Dear Sue,
I LOVE to cook and I cannot believe that I haven’t come across you until today. But I am going to try this recipe tomorrow. And I already know that it will be a regular for me. I will let you know how it turns out. I am going to be checking out your website for more little gems.
Welcome in Nanette, I’m so glad to have you here, let me know if you have any questions 🙂
This was truly AMAZING! Huge hit with my Boyfriend, who is a Southern Man that is very picky about his food. I searched for “Southern Food” “Soul Food” on Pinterest, and your recipe came up. He said it was the “best meatloaf he ever had in his LIFE”!! Thank you for sharing! ??
I’m so happy to hear this Leah, thanks for coming back to let me know ~ and I’m honored that a true Southerner approves!
Has anyone tried this with ground turkey or chicken? I don’t care for ground beef
If you try it I’d love to know how it turns out, April. I don’t see why you couldn’t use turkey or chicken, as long as it wasn’t too lean.
Thanks!