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.
Best meatloaf i’ve ever had or made, will definitely be a staple in our house now! Followed recipe completely, no changes, it’s perfect!
I am going to make this tonight for dinner! It looks delicious! I do not have apricot preserves. Do you know what would be a good substitute? TIA
Any sort of preserves or jam works great, Tia! I’ve had people report back who’ve used all sorts of kinds and all seem to work just great! Enjoy!
Megan
I have this in the oven right now. Almost done! I make my hubbys lunch the night before since we work different shifts. I’m so excited to try this! And the topping is to die for! It’s takin everything I have to not eat it with a spoon! : ) thank you for the recipe!
one of my go to recipes, the husband loves it! thanks for sharing!
Found your recipe after searching on Pinterest. It’s the first time I’ve visited your site. Really excited to see a recipe that doesn’t include mustard. Thanks a bunch for sharing your mom’s recipe!
Hi Dianna! Thanks so much for the comment and I hope you enjoy the meatloaf as much as we do!
Megan
Update…I made your meatloaf on Wednesday night because we wouldn’t have time to cook on Thursday. Was planning to have it for Thursday’s supper. When I got up on Wednesday morning, I found that my hubby had eaten half of it as a midnight snack. HALF!! I ate mine as a sandwich with a slice of cheese on top, and it was delicious, seriously SO GOOD. I can’t wait to make it again!
My husband and son liked this very much ( I am vegetarian). I used almond milk, as my son doesn’t eat lactose, and whole wheat Ritz, because that’s what was in the cupboard, and it was great. It fell apart a bit, but I think that was because I didn’t let it rest enough – because everyone was hungry. Thanks for a great recipe!
I make this recipe weekly for my family! Whenever I ask the kids what they want for dinner, the answer is always "Meatloaf!!" Thank you so much for the delicious recipe!
Ohh, I’m so happy to hear it, Katrina! I always love hearing when kids love it, too. Thanks so much for the comment!
Megan
Made this as I misplaced my favorite meatloaf recipe. I made two of them as I was feeding young people working on my fence, and they very hungry. Everyone loved it!! Virtually no leftovers! We smoked it on the pellet grill on low temp. for the first hour then raised the temp. for another hour to finish it Varied a bit by using saltines and a 4.5 pkg of 80/20 ground beef and pork for the 2 meatloafs. Very tender (one fell apart actually) and tasty! Love the sauce that went on top and for dipping. Will defininetly make again and may use the sauce for another recipe. Thanks for sharing this with us!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lyn!
Megan
This recipe was the first meatloaf I ever made. I was always scared chance wasting that much food. Thank you for making it easier on a single dad. All 4 loved it from 3 yrs to 14 yrs. Again thank you!!!
James, your comment made my day! I’m so glad your family loved the meatloaf. I definitely know how scary it can be making something and risking wasting ingredients. I’m glad you gave it a try! Thanks so much for the comment.
Megan
I love this recipe but found myself low on ketchup, I replaced the ketchup for the meatloaf with Mild Salsa. It was excellent. Love your recipe
This is only the second time Ive made this recipe: back by popular demand! The first time was very good, although after reading some of the other comments about tweaking the recipe, I should have used less milk and I liked the idea of placing two slices of bread on the bottom to help soak up the grease. So this time I used 1/2 cup of milk, and tried the slices of bread and it did make a difference. The second time was a charm! Another tip I will leave you with is when mixing the meatloaf, I wear kitchen gloves, the real thin kind that fit your hands well. After I thoroughly mix the ingredients, I simply just throw them away…..no mess…no fuss….and no meat under my fingernails!!
This is my go to FOREVER! The oldest of my 3 boys ALWAYS has seconds and tonight….THIRDS! As they get older, I’ll have to make 2 so that my hubby and I can partake, lol ! THANK YOU for sharing your Mom’s recipe!
Candy, I am so glad you and your boys love this recipe! Thanks SO MUCH for the comment!
Megan
Love it!!!!
I just made this for dinner today.
This was the best meatloaf I hve ever had!!!
My family loved it
Woohoo, Melinda! So glad you guys loved it!
M
I rarely comment on recipes, but as I sit here stuffed from this meatloaf, I have to tell you this was the absolute best recipe I’ve ever had. My husband who doesn’t typically prefer meatloaf told me 3x tonight how "amazing" it was. Thanks for sharing your recipe, it’s definitely going in our rotation!
Oh, and I added minced jalapeños to half of it for my husband & it was a great addition for those who like a little spice!
Oh my gosh, I LOVE the jalapeno addition! Great idea, Lindsey! I’m so glad you and your husband loved this recipe.
Megan
Can you do this exact recipe in the crockpot, and what’s the time it should cook
Hi Shalonda! I’ve never tried this recipe in the crockpot, but if you try it just keep testing for doneness in the center. Please report back if you give it a try!!
Megan
Can you do this recipe in the crockpot
I’ve made this recipe about 4 or 5 times and my family and friends all loved it! Especially the sauce. The only thing I did change the second time around was that I actually added 15 minutes more to the cooking time due it falling apart as previous people posted and it has come out perfect ever since.
I made this last night after craving meatloaf for 6 months straight (thank you, pregnancy cravings). It did not disappoint!! It was perfect and I can’t wait to have leftovers at lunch. I love how easy it was to make gluten free with gf crackers. I usually spice things up, but I taste tested the sauce and decided not to change a thing- my goodness I could drink it!
After reading comments about it being too moist I added about another half cup of crackers and a tiny bit less milk. I also baked it in a 9×13 pan and drained about half of the grease halfway through before adding the sauce. Mmm perfect!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Cara! I’ll have to try baking it in a 9×13 pan. A few people have shared that they’ve done that. Thanks for the comment!
Megan
I’ve never made meatloaf in my life. I made this tonight, and it turned out awesome. I didn’t have enough Ritz crackers, so I had to use half goldfish crackers :). Didn’t have apricot preserves, used strawberry jam instead…
So glad you enjoyed it, Jesse! It’s always a hit in our house!!
Megan
How it works with strawberry jam? I dont have apricot either. Only available I got are peache and blackberry ? I dont feel it sounds good to go with ketchup and brown sugar. And i dont have rits so I tried italian breadcrumbs. Hope it works.
Hi Mrs Alcorn! Really, any kind of jam will work great with this recipe. If I had to choose from the ones you listed, I’d try peach! I hope it turns out great!!
Megan
I made this meatloaf tonight. I liked it and will more than likely make it again. I used one teaspoon of onion powder for the 1/3 cup of finely diced onion. I will probably use less milk the next time…maybe 2/3’s of a cup…not more than 3/4 of a cup…as it was a little too moist and wanted to fall apart…or I’ll use more Ritz crackers like the whole sleeve of crackers instead of one cup. When I took the meatloaf out half way through, to put the glaze on, I used my baster and got rid of most of the liquid, then put on the glaze and popped it back in the oven. When it was baked, I used the baster again to get rid of more liquid and then let the meatloaf rest. I also substituted Lingonberry Jam from Ikea for the Apricot jam and it was wonderful! Oh, I also baked it in a small rectangular dish that is approximately 7"x11"…not a loaf pan.