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    Home » Kitchen Laughter Recipes Blog » Beef

    Smoky Grilled Meatloaf

    Published: Feb 18, 2021 · Modified: Feb 2, 2023 by Ginny C · This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    One of my favorite meals to grill is Smoky Grilled Meatloaf. The whole family loves it and it is extremely easy to throw on the grill for an outstanding dinner in under an hour.

    Smoky meatloaf of the grill being brushed with a tangy BBQ sauce
    Brushing the Grilled Smoky Meatloaf
    Contents hide
    1 🍽️ Why This Works
    2 🥘 Ingredients
    3 🔥 Grilling Instructions
    4 💡 Recipe Tips
    5 🧑‍🍳 Equipment
    6 Easy Grilled Smoky Meatloaf

    Meatloaf is a huge part of family’s meal rotation! There is just something that is so warm and comforting about eating meatloaf, especially throughout the fall and winter. I bet most of us have memories of our moms and grandmothers working in the kitchen to prepare it for the family dinner.

    We turned the traditional oven-baked version into a fun, and delicious dish with a tangy, sweet kicker.  Of course, we had to cook it on the Big Green Egg. Seriously, does everything just taste better when it is grilled? 

    🍽️ Why This Works

    Meatloaf = comfort.

    Simple | If you can make this in the oven, you can make it on the grill. Best of all, the flavors from the grill add a wonderful smoky flavor.

    Meal Prep | I already spent the time to get the grill up to temperature, so it is worth it to double the recipe and grill up some extras for lunches throughout the week.

    🥘 Ingredients

    The full list of ingredients are in the recipe card below. Here are a few of the major ones:

    Ground Beef: I used a ground beef or ground chuck, but consider substituting for a leaner bison or even ground chicken or turkey.

    BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite variety. This recipe is very forgiving! I used a honey BBQ sauce from Stonewall Kitchen.

    🔥 Grilling Instructions

    Step One: Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Reserve half of the BBQ sauce for later use. Use your hands to mix.

    Step Two: Form the meatloaf into a bread pan. I placed it in a stone loaf pan and some disposable aluminum pans and both worked well. The cleanup of the disposable pan was much easier, though.

    Step Three: Brush the remaining BBQ sauce on top.

    Step Four: Set the grill to 350 degrees on indirect heat. For gas grills, turn off the center burners. For Kamado grills, add the plate setter.

    Step Five: Grill for 45 – 60 minutes.

    Note: Smaller containers will grill faster, so keep an eye on them.

    💡 Recipe Tips

    This recipe adds some sweetness from the BBQ sauce mixed in with the meat. The chopped red pepper also has a surprise hidden sweetness to balance off the little bit of onion. We have tried it with green peppers before, but I think the sweet red ones have a much better flavor for this dish.

    Honey Barbecue Sauce from Stonewall pouring on top of the meatloaf on the grill.
    Honey Barbecue Sauce from Stonewall on the Grilled Meatloaf

    I have tried this recipe with many different kinds of BBQ sauces and they all work. Add a spicy flavor if you are looking for a little extra kick.  We used this Fun Honey Barbecue Sauce from Stonewall for a sweet treat!

    One other thing to note with this recipe is that the meat comes out incredibly tender.  We have not been very successful at using this for meatloaf sandwiches. The loaf just falls apart in a delicious, tender mess!  

    🧑‍🍳 Equipment

    Stoneware: If you have never used a stone loaf pan, it can be life changing as it helps your food retain moisture. The stone in the picture represents years and years of use. They say it is seasoned once it looks like that. My stoneware is ugly, so let’s just call it seasoned.

    One word of warning, though. Don’t use the stone over direct heat. I always use it on indirect heat, so the grill acts more like the oven

    Smoky Meatloaf in Small Foil Containers.
    Use Individual Sized Foil Containers for Make-Ahead Meals

    Aluminum Pan: As seen in photos, we have made this in mini loaf pans like you would use for little banana breads during the holidays and it worked out great. It will decrease your cooking time, so monitor them closely.

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    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

    Brushing the BBQ Sauce on the Meatloaf on the Grill

    Easy Grilled Smoky Meatloaf

    This is a super easy recipe that is a fun twist on a family classic. It works extremely well in stone loaf pans or disposable aluminum pans and is prepared in just a few minutes.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 409kcal
    Author: Jason

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb Ground Beef
    • ⅓ cup BBQ Sauce your choice
    • ½ cup Bread Crumbs
    • ½ cup Onion chopped
    • ¼ cup Red Pepper chopped
    • 1 Egg beaten
    • ½ tsp Basil Leaves dried
    • Salt and Pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, leaving out 1/2 of the BBQ sauce to put on top. Don't overmix the meatloaf.
    • Shape meatloaf and place in a bread pan baking dish. Spread the top with the remaining BBQ sauce. Use either a disposable pan or a stoneware loaf pan
    • Place on indirect heat on the grill and cook at 350 for 45-60 minutes. Smaller containers will require less time.

    Notes

    Pan Choice: Use the small loaf pans and make individual sized meatloafs for freezing for the week.  It is great to come home from a busy day at work and not have to worry about spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Alternatively, use stoneware on the grill for even cooking that retains heat at the same time. 
    Freezer Friendly: This recipe is great to make up into meal prep lunches and freeze with the sides already put into one dish. My husband is able to grab one and take to work to cut back on eating out. 
    BBQ Sauce Choice: Use any BBQ sauce you like. They all work. 
    Heating up Grill: Always take the time to heat up the grill which depending on how you have yours set up could take 15-30 minutes. 
    Cook Temperature: Look for an internal temperature of 160 degrees. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4oz | Calories: 409kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 436mg | Potassium: 451mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 13.4mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 3.3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @kitchenlaughter or tag #kitchenlaughter!
    Smoky Grilled Meatloaf
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    Comments

    1. Jason C says

      October 07, 2018 at 4:49 pm

      Updated with new pictures!

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