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This post is sponsored by Typhur. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
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As the holidays approach, the desire to enjoy a warm and hearty dish really kicks in! What comes to mind with some classics for the holiday season are a Coq au Vinor a scrumptious No-Fail Roast Chicken.
I’ve actually only made a meatloaf once before, and it was definitely many moons ago! It was always on my bucket list to revisit a good old-fashioned meatloaf, and a friend of mine brought meatloaves to the front of my mind recently. With the holidays approaching, I thought it would be an excellent idea to prepare some special meatloaves as I have in this recipe! These meatloaves are no ordinary meatloaves, however. We’re really going to take it up a notch by adding a Mexican flair to our little meatloaves with smokiness in the meatloaves themselves and for the glaze on top! Also, you can’t go wrong with some crispy bacon to complete this awesome dinner!
If you’ve had it on your bucket list to make the juiciest and most tender and flavorful meatloaf ever with the added bonus that these are individual meatloaves, then you must try out this Chipotle Mini Meatloaf recipe as part of my Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get started on your cooking journey this holiday season for free by signing up to my email newsletter, plus you’ll get all of my holiday delights this year sent straight to your inbox!
For a step by step walkthrough of how we get these scrumptious chipotle mini meatloaves together, be sure to watch the video! If you’re not already, please do me a favor by please subscribing to my YouTube channel, and don’t forget to press the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get cooking!
Why You’ll Love These Mini Meatloaves!
- Easy to prepare: This was actually only my second time making a meatloaf of any kind and I was pleasantly surprised with how straightforward the preparation process is! Just cook up your bacon, sauté onions, make the meat mixture, and bake!
- Perfect portions: I like how these meatloaves are perfect for one! That way, you can make a single meatloaf per person, and it feels satisfying having a hearty meatloaf all to yourself!
- Amazing for kids: While there are lots of flavors going on here, children won’t really “see” the onions or the chipotle peppers. Don’t be afraid of the chipotle peppers! While there is smokiness in these meatloaves, by no means are they spicy. A little bit of heat in the meatloaves mixture will nicely complement the sweet glaze on top.
- Budget-friendly: Meatloaves are known for being a budget-friendly staple. Lean ground beef is the most expensive item you’ll get here, but buying meat in bulk really stretches out your dollars!
- Meal prep option: While I don’t think you should keep cooked meatloaf in the fridge for too long, what you can do is prepare the meatloaf mixture the night before and then bake it when you’re ready to enjoy! The raw meat mixture will stay good in the fridge for a couple of days, so all you need to do is bake the individual meatloaves you want when you’re ready to eat.
- Super flavorful: The meatloaf itself and the sauce are jam-packed with unbelievable flavor! We’ve got Mexican-inspired spices in our meatloaf, and the chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce really transform the meatloaf to give a wonderful smokiness. The glaze is sweet and delicious with only 3 ingredients!
Questions You May Have!
What Kind of Meat Do I Use for Chipotle Mini Meatloaves?▼
I’m using lean ground beef. I recommend you go for lean or medium ground beef so that you have a juicy meatloaf. Extra lean ground beef doesn’t have enough fat content, so it may result in a dry meatloaf.
If you want to switch things up, you can also make a meatloaf with ground pork, or perhaps a mix of ground beef and pork. If you don’t eat beef or pork, you can make a meatloaf with poultry, such as ground chicken or ground turkey. However, I’ve not tried this, and poultry tends to be dryer than red meat, so be mindful of different cooking times and texture in the final product.
What Temperature Do I set the Oven for To Bake The Mini Meatloaves?▼
Set your oven to preheat at 400 F.
What If I Don’t Have Panko Breadcrumbs?▼
That is no problem at all! Panko breadcrumbs are simply used to help hold our meatloaf mixture together. You can use regular Italian breadcrumbs, but I find that Panko breadcrumbs absorb milk better. Some people use oatmeal, corn starch or even cracker crumbs.
How Can I Make These Meatloaves Even Smaller?▼
For bite-sized mini meatloaves that would be an excellent holiday appetizer, you could place your filling in a muffin tray!
Can I Add Vegetables to the Chipotle Mini Meatloaves?▼
Definitely! Some vegetables that will fit well with the Mexican theme include an assortment of green, red, and yellow peppers, jalapeño peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, or even some cooked spinach.
How Can I Make these Mini meatloaves gluten-free?▼
Simply choose gluten-free breadcrumbs or gluten-free oatmeal if you’re using oatmeal. Corn starch will also be a gluten-free option. Be sure to double check that all the other required ingredients are gluten-free.
How Long Do the Chipotle Mini meatloaves bake For?▼
I baked the meatloaves for 40 to 45 minutes. Because these chipotle meatloaves are smaller than traditional meatloaves, which essentially use the amount of meat we’re using in four meatloaves for one, they did not require as long of a cooking time compared to one giant meatloaf.
As you can see in the video tutorial, you want to cook your meatloaves until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
Equipment Needed to Make This Chipotle Meatloaf Recipe
- Garlic press
- Cutting board
- Kitchen scale
- Sharp chef’s knife
- Ramekins
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Baking sheet
- Basting brush
- Meat thermometer: Thank you to Typhur for sending me this smart wireless meat thermometer! You’ve got two probes for you to check the internal temperature of the beef so that you know that the meatloaves have finished cooking. You want the center of your meatloaves to be at 160°F (71°C). This meat thermometer has an app so that you can monitor the temperature right from your smartphone or the handheld device provided with the probes!
Ingredients for Chipotle Mini Meatloaves
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card where you can save the recipe for later and see all ingredients and their quantities. You can also scale the recipe based on how many meatloaves you want to make. By default, two pounds of ground beef will give you four chipotle meatloaves.
For the Meatloaf
- Beef: Lean ground beef here. Ensure it’s as fresh as possible and get it freshly ground at the butcher if possible.
- Panko breadcrumbs: You could use Italian breadcrumbs if that’s what you have.
- Milk: Any kind of milk will work here. For reference, I used 2% cow’s milk. The milk works with the breadcrumbs as the filler.
- Egg: One large egg that is whisked well. This is our main binding agent for everything in the meatloaf to hold together.
- Dijon mustard: A touch goes a long way to add some depth to the meatloaf.
- Spices: Dried thyme, chili powder, paprika, ground cumin, and of course salt and pepper.
- Bacon: You can use any kind of bacon you want, but my all-time favourite kind of bacon is maple flavoured bacon. I’ll be baking the bacon in the oven as the meatloaf cooks. We’ll be adding bacon bits for the final topping over the glaze.
- Spanish onions: You could also use white onion or yellow onion. Finely dice the onion.
- Garlic cloves: Freshly minced garlic cloves for some extra aromatics.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: Our main flavour profile here. Separate the peppers from the sauce. We’ll use the sauce to make the chipotle glaze for topping.
- Olive oil: A little bit to sauté the onions.
- Worcestershire sauce: A go-to ingredient of mine to add a bit of umami flavour overall to the meatloaf mixture.
For the Chipotle Glaze
- Ketchup: You can use reduced sugar ketchup if you’re worried about the sugar content.
- Adobo sauce: The reserved sauce from the can of your chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
- Brown sugar: Some deep and warm sweetness to complement the smokiness of the adobo sauce.
How to Make Chipotle Meatloaves
Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat a pan on medium heat and add olive oil. Sauté onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes and then set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Panko breadcrumbs, milk, Dijon mustard, thyme, onion-garlic mixture, whisked egg, chopped chipotle peppers, chili powder, paprika, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
Mix until just combined (avoid over-mixing).
Divide the mixture into 4-6 equal portions. Shape each portion into a mini loaf and place on the prepared sheet pan.
Prepare the glaze by mixing together ketchup, adobo sauce, and brown sugar.
Add half of the glaze on top of the meatloaves.
Place the sheet pan in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Brush the remaining glaze over the loaves about 15 minutes before the entire cooking time. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C).
While the meatloaves are baking, cook the bacon to you desired doneness.
Let the meatloaves rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Top with bacon bits and enjoy!
Tips for Ultra Tender Chipotle Meatloaves
- Ensure the ingredients are at room temperature: This helps ensure even cooking and prevents the oven temperature from dipping below the expected level. Adding a large number of ice cold ingredients to a preheated oven will cause the temperature to dip, causing inconsistencies in the expected cook time for the meatloaves, and slow down the rate at which the outside of the meatloaves cook vs. the colder centre of them.
- Wear gloves: Gloves have been a game changer for me! Knowing your hands won’t get dirty from this process can allow you to really put in the effort into mixing the ingredients well and forming the perfect meatloaves.
- Don’t over-mix: The more that you play and manipulate with the meat, the more that you affect the texture. You will affect the density if you over-work the meat, so ensure you mix just until the ingredients are well combined.
- Salt as necessary: Cook a small piece of the mixture on a pan in case you are unsure of the amount seasoning amount. Cook, taste, adjust and repeat as required.
- Bacon fun: Instead of adding crispy bacon once the meatloaves are done baking, you can either add the raw, diced bacon in the meatloaf mixture to bake in the oven, or wrap the meatloaves with bacon strips.
- Forming the meat: While forming the meatloaves, take special care to not pack the meat too tightly and over-working the portions to ensure the final meatloaves are light and airy.
- Allow the meatloaf to rest: Once the meatloaves are done baking, allow 10-15 minutes to rest to allow the juices to settled back in the meatloaf. If you slice it fresh, most of the flavour will leak out on the cutting board.
Serving Suggestions for Hearty Chipotle Meatloaves
- Bread: Soft and Fluffy Homemade Dinner Rolls, Pita Bread, or even Flaky Chinese Scallion Pancakes will pair well!
- Potatoes: Mashed potato varieties such as the Ultimate Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Buttery Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or even Savoury Sweet Potato Mash will all be so good! You can also serve with Lemon Greek Potatoes, Butter & Garlic-Herb Sautéed Baby Potatoes, Crispy Patatas Bravas, or perhaps some simple Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes. You could even serve with fries, such as Garlic Parmesan Fries, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, or Curly Fries!
- Vegetables: As you can see in the photos, I served my small meatloaves with some simple green beans sautéed in butter. You could also serve with Sautéed Broccoli or Garlic Creamed Spinach.
- Salads: Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese or Gurkensalat, a German cucumber salad.
- Coleslaw: Coleslaw is a nice cool contrast to the smokiness of the little meatloaves! For a lighter coleslaw, check out my easy No-Mayo Coleslaw recipe!
- Mac and cheese: A side of some cheesy baked mac and cheese can’t hurt and makes this meatloaf truly a kid-friendly meal!
- Soup: To really warm up, try out my Simple Roasted Tomato Soup, Vegan Minestrone Soup, or my One-Pot Cream of Asparagus Soup.
Can I Make these Little Chipotle Meatloaves in Advance?▼
Yes you can! While the meatloaves will of course be their most delicious when they are fresh out of the oven, you can certainly enjoy them reheated and they will still be juicy and tender inside in addition to being nice and warm!
How to Store leftover Chipotle meatloaves▼
Allow the meatloaves to completely cool down. Then, transfer the meatloaves into an airtight container. The meatloaves will be their freshest and juiciest if eaten within 3 to 4 days, depending on how fresh your meat was at the time of cooking.
Can You Freeze These Easy Chipotle Little Meatloaves?▼
I do not recommend you do that. By the time you defrost the meatloaves and you reheat them, sadly most of the juices and moisture would have leaked and evaporated out, leaving behind a dry chunk of meat that will not be very pleasant! Meatloaves are most certainly enjoyed fresh or at least a day or two after making, so I recommend only storing your meatloaves in the fridge.
However, you could freeze the prepared meatloaf mixture for about 3 months, and defrost it the night before you’re ready to assemble and bake the meatloaf.
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