This meatloaf recipe with crackers comes from my mom, who was truly the best home cook I’ve ever known. I grew up eating this meatloaf and still make it all the time today because it never fails. It’s moist, juicy, incredibly easy to make and topped with the most delicious sweet and savory sauce. Even people who swear they don’t like meatloaf end up loving this recipe and the secret ingredient, Ritz crackers, is a big reason why.
Why This Recipe Works
I know meatloaf can be a hard sell for some people but trust me on this one. This recipe has converted plenty of meatloaf skeptics into full-blown lovers.
A few years ago, I dug up my mom’s handwritten recipe from childhood and used it as the foundation for this version. Her meatloaf was unforgettable and this recipe honors everything I loved about it growing up, with the addition of an irresistible sweet and savory glaze.
Here is why people love it:
- Moist, juicy and packed with flavor
- Made with simple ingredients and minimal prep
- Ritz crackers create the best texture and flavor
- The glaze takes it completely over the top
- Even meatloaf skeptics end up loving it
Over the years, I’ve received countless messages from readers saying this has become their go-to meatloaf recipe.
Recipe Ingredients for the Best Meatloaf Recipe Ever
Beef – To avoid an extra greasy meatloaf, use a leaner meat like ground turkey or even venison. Beef meatloaf is incredible, but I promise the flavor is still super amazing no matter which type of meat you use in the recipe.
Crackers – Ritz crackers taste so incredible in this recipe, but feel free to replace equal amounts of crushed saltines, if desired.
Onion – Chop the onion very finely to avoid an end product that falls apart easily.
Milk – Any type of milk can be used in this recipe. Almond, skim, 1%, 2% or whole.
Sauce – The apricot preserves in the sauce MAKES this recipe, but if you don’t have it on hand grape or cherry jelly or jam are great replacements.
How To Make This Recipe For Meatloaf Using Ritz Crackers
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 5×9 loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, crushed Ritz crackers, egg, milk, ketchup, finely chopped onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Mix everything together with your hands until it is thoroughly combined.
Step 2
Pour the meat mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet (this is important!) so grease does not spill over the edges and into your oven!
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours (add the sauce at around the 45 minutes mark!).
Step 3
Make the meatloaf sauce: In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, apricot preserves and Worcestershire sauce.
Mix well. Spread half of the mixture evenly over the meatloaf halfway through baking.
Reserve the remainder of the meatloaf topping for dipping/topping. Let the meatloaf sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving or it may fall apart on you.
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What To Serve With This Easy Meatloaf Recipe
Check out this comprehensive list of side dishes that pair perfectly with meatloaf! You will find 44 options to choose from, ranging from a simple hashbrown casserole to a chopped salad to marinated carrots (and so much more!). Easy sweet potato fries or a pile of hot mashed potatoes are perfect options, too.
Other Ways To Prepare This Dish
- Instant Pot Meatloaf is super quick and easy to make and it is SO delicious. It cooks so much more quickly than an oven-baked meatloaf.
- Don’t forget the sauce! This red sauce recipe will transform your next comfort food dinner and quickly turn into a family favorite.
- Check out this yummy roundup filled with delicious ideas for other beef and pork meatloaf recipes to get on the table tonight!
Substitute for Bread Crumbs in Meatloaf
Whether you are looking for a gluten-free replacement or you just don’t have bread crumbs on hand, learn what to substitute for breadcrumbs in this dish!
Substitute for Apricot Preserves
Read on for some great ideas about what to substitute for apricot preserves if you need a replacement for this ingredient.
How Long Does Meatloaf Last In The Fridge
How long does meatloaf last in the fridge? If you have leftovers and you’re not sure whether to throw, refrigerate or freeze, read on!
What To Do With Meatloaf Leftovers
- Make meatloaf tacos.
- Add to a batch of chili, yum!
- Create leftover meatloaf sandwiches, obviously!
- Crumble it up and throw into spaghetti sauce to create leftover meatloaf spaghetti.
- Break into pieces and add it to your next batch of nachos.
- Build a few meatball subs, substituting meatballs for chunks of meatloaf.
Comfort Food Recipes
- Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole boasts flavor and creaminess over a bed of steaming egg noodles. This is a perfect hearty weeknight meal to put on the table.
- Instant Pot White Turkey Chili is packed with turkey meat, white beans and veggies, this comfort food is super flavorful and delicious.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole is a delicious combination of the tastiest flavors you will ever eat in a single bite.
- Best Baked Ziti is packed with flavorful meat sauce and layers of cheesy goodness, you will enjoy each flavorful bite. This delicious dinner feeds a lot of people and is super filling and hearty.
- Best Instant Pot Chili is the absolute perfect comfort food, packed with flavor, texture, color and a tiny bit of spice. Perfect dinner or party food!
Recipe Notes
- Be absolutely sure that you place the pan of meatloaf on a rimmed baking sheet before you put it in the oven. At times this recipe can bubble over and I really don’t want to be the reason your oven caught on fire.
- To save yourself from having to clean an extra dish, place parchment paper on top of the baking sheet.
- Be careful not to over mix! Mix until all ingredients are just combined. Over-mixing can create a different, denser texture.
- To avoid an extra greasy meatloaf, use a leaner meat like ground turkey or even venison! Beef meatloaf is incredible, but I promise the flavor is still super amazing no matter which type of meat you use in the recipe.
- Let the meatloaf rest for AT LEAST 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven. If you slice into it too soon, it will fall apart. Heed this important warning!
- The apricot preserves in the sauce MAKES this recipe, but if you don’t have it on hand grape or cherry jelly or jam are great replacements!
- The most accurate way to determine if any meat is done cooking is by using a Thermapen. (<—-affiliate link) Insert the thermometer into the center of the loaf to get a good reading. For this recipe I recommend achieving a temperature of 160°F.
FAQ About Meatloaf
Letting it sit for at least 15 minutes after pulling it out of the oven is a vital step if you wish to keep your meal intact. The egg and crackers will work their magic and hold the meatloaf together, but it may fall apart if you slice too soon.
If you are wondering about cooking times for cooking meatloaf all the way through, it takes an entire hour and a half. Make sure to place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet before putting it into the oven!
To ensure your meatloaf is fully cooked, stick a meat thermometer into the center. You will want to achieve an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Meatloaf turns out great when any variety of ground meat is used. Keep in mind that the fattier the meat (beef or sausage), the more grease will hang out in the bottom of the pan. Leaner meats such as ground turkey or even venison still produce a delicious end result!
The purpose of adding crackers to meatloaf is to help the mixture stick together (along with eggs!). They also add flavor to the final dish. Just be sure not to add too many cracker crumbs or the opposite problem can happen: your meatloaf may fall apart.
You can use equal parts cracker crumbs to replace breadcrumbs in just about any meatloaf recipe. Be sure the cracker crumbs are finely ground or the meatloaf may have issues with falling apart.
What People Are Saying About This Recipe
“Been using this recipe for years, we love it so much!! my husband was never a huge fan of meatloaf until I tried this recipe, now he asks for it regularly 🙂 thank you for sharing it, makes me feel like a rock star every time! “ ~Felicia
“Our whole family absolutely LOVES this meatloaf. I never cared for meatloaf until this recipe. Turns out great every time!! I make it exactly as directed, it is fabulous. We love the sauce so much that I sometimes make just the sauce and serve it with hamburger steak. ? “ ~Patricia
“This is by far the best meatloaf I’ve ever eaten/made. Everyone that has eaten it has loved it. I once put mine in muffin tins and swirled garlic mashed potatoes on top for a meatloaf cup cake. Soooooo yum!!! “ ~Ashley L.
Meatloaf Recipe With Crackers
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apricot preserves
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 5×9 loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, crackers, egg, milk, 1/2 cup ketchup, onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix together with your hands until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine ¾ cup ketchup, brown sugar, apricot preserves and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Spread half of the mixture evenly over the meatloaf halfway through baking. Reserve the remainder of the sauce for dipping/topping. Let meatloaf sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- Be absolutely sure that you place the pan of meatloaf on a rimmed baking sheet before you put it in the oven. At times this recipe can bubble over and I really don’t want to be the reason your oven caught on fire.
- To save yourself from having to clean an extra dish, place parchment paper on top of the baking sheet.
- Be careful not to over mix! Mix until all ingredients are just combined. Over-mixing can create a different, denser texture.
- To avoid an extra greasy meatloaf, use a leaner meat like ground turkey or even venison! Beef meatloaf is incredible, but I promise the flavor is still super amazing no matter which type of meat you use in the recipe.
- Let the meatloaf rest for AT LEAST 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven. If you slice into it too soon, it will fall apart. Heed this important warning!
- The apricot preserves in the sauce MAKES this recipe, but if you don’t have it on hand grape or cherry jelly or jam are great replacements!
- The most accurate way to determine if the ground beef is done cooking is by using a Thermapen. (<—-affiliate link) Insert the thermometer into the center of the loaf to get a good reading. You will want to reach 160°F.
- You can freeze your loaf. If you are cooking it, allow it to cool completely. Then double pack it in a ziplock or air tight container and it can be enjoyed within 2-3 months.
Made this for my Easter dinner, it was great! I didn't have ritz so i used saltines but it was still delicious. Moist and flavorful. Thank you for the great recipe
I made this for my family last week and they loved it!!! I added cut up red peppers to it. I also made a healthy version from this recipe by subbing turkey, oatmeal, and adding some healthy veggies like spinach. And cutting out the topping! Tasted GREAT BOTH WAYS!
Yummy!!!!!
I making this now. Love the recipe and love the sauce its so good.
this was absolutely delicious!! Wicked awesome! Thank you!
Made this recipe last night.
Really enjoyed it, I added mustard powder to the glaze as well… perfect!
Brook I will be freezing it uncooked to give away next Saturday. I have frozen it cooked and it is great. I will wait to put the sauce on it while it is cooking and not before I freeze it uncooked.
would this be okay to freeze?
Hi Dana! Great question, as I see I excluded it from the instructions in the recipe at the bottom of my post. The garlic powder is added to the meat mixture! So glad you asked…thank you!
Megan
When do you add the garlic powder? To the meatloaf or sauce?
in the oven now looks and smells yummy.
I have always searched for a great meatloaf recipe so I'm hoping this is the one! Quick question- what blend of ground beef did you use? Thanks!
This may be a stupid question, but it says to put the mixture into a preheated oven. However, it does not say what to set the preheat to.
Diane and Mrs D: I am SO GLAD you both enjoyed the recipe so much! Happy to please some bellies. Have a great weekend!
Megan
Growing up I despised meatloaf as it was always mushy or too dry. I went out on a limb and decided to give this a 'go' out of curiosity. All I can say is WOW! My hubby and I devoured every last bite of it for 2 days. Haha! He just texted me from work yesterday and said I will be making this again next week. So a huge thank you to you for posting this mouth-watering recipe. This will be added to our favorite recipes 🙂
I have been making this meatloaf for a year now. I make it every month for our Senior luncheon. I halve the topping so there is just enough for the top. I don't need the extra calories for dipping. The name Best Ever Meatloaf fits it.
omg just tried this reciepe and wow was blow way. I will make my meatloaf like this everyone now. Thanks and try it cause it won't disappoint you!!!!
I didn't have any apricot jelly so I used some green pepper jelly instead and it was amazing. I know that most people would have apricot in the fridge and not pepper jelly but if you have it, try it, it's yummy.
Wow was this very sweet, that sauce was like a candy bar on top of meatloaf, sry was not a fan of the sweetness. Also this fell apart very easily, will put in fridge to firm it up and scrap topping off. Everyone else seems to like it though….
Hi Susan! How about peach jam? Or raspberry jam? I hope that helps.
Megan
I do not have the apricot preserves.. Any ideas for substitutions?