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. There is a secret ingredient hiding inside and the sauce that gets smothered over the top? OUT OF THIS WORLD DELICIOUS.
Ok, it might be a little bit strange how excited I get about this Instant Pot Meatloaf. I’ve swooned over my mom’s famous meatloaf recipe many times (because it is so so yummy) and now I have another to swoon over.
The only downfall to my mom’s version is that it takes so long to bake. On busy nights, quick is sometimes so helpful.
I used all of the same ingredients from the original and adapted it to fit inside my trusty little Instant Pot. It is impossible to describe how delicious this recipe is. I thought I would never ever swoon over another loaf of meat again, but here I am. SWOONING.
If you have a pressure cooker and love making easy dinner recipes for your family, you have to give this one a try! No oven or loaf pan needed!
How To Make Instant Pot Meatloaf
Step 1
Coat a large piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine 2 pounds ground meat, Ritz crackers (<– SECRET INGREDIENT), egg, milk, 1/2 cup ketchup, onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix together with your hands until combined.
Step 2
Place the meat mixture into the center of the prepared foil and form into a circle that is approximately 6 inches in diameter. Wrap the foil up and around the edges so no juices can escape.
Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into Instant Pot. Place the foil-wrapped meatloaf on trivet and lower into the pot.
Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 25 minutes on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It will take the IP around 11 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
Step 3
Approximately 15 minutes before the meatloaf is done cooking, make the sauce. In a small bowl, mix 3/4 cup ketchup, brown sugar, apricot preserves and Worcestershire sauce.
Add mixture to a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until meatloaf is done cooking.
Step 4
When the meatloaf is done, let the pressure release naturally on the pot for 5 minutes then do a quick release and allow the float valve to drop.
Carefully remove the meatloaf from the pot by pulling up the trivet. Pour sauce over the top and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Recipe Notes
- 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 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven. If you slice into it too soon, it may fall apart.
- The apricot preserves in the sauce MAKES the sauce, but if you don’t have it on hand grape or cherry jelly or jam are great replacements!
- And speaking of sauce, DON’T SKIP IT. It’s that amazing.
- It pains me to say this because the Ritz crackers are the secret ingredient in this recipe, but if you want a gluten free recipe replace the crackers with very finely chopped cauliflower. Still delish!
Other Ways To Prepare Meatloaf
- Go with this classic meatloaf recipe made with Ritz crackers (a secret ingredient!) if you have the time.
- Don’t miss this roundup filled with delicious options for beef and pork meatloaf recipes to get on the table for dinner!
- Don’t forget the sauce! This red sauce recipe will transform your next comfort food dinner and quickly turn into a family favorite.
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 meat loaf!
What To Do With Leftovers
- Make meatloaf tacos.
- Add to a batch of chili, yum!
- Create a leftover meatloaf sandwich, 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.
FAQ About Meatloaf
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.
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.
Letting it sit for at least 15 minutes after pulling it out of the oven (or pressure cooker) 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.
What To Serve With Meatloaf
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!).
- Delicious, buttery red potatoes made in an Instant Pot are covered in a garlic lemon sauce. They cook quickly in your pressure cooker, freeing up space on your stove top.
- This Instant Pot Dirty Rice from Corrie Cooks is a perfect side for this meal.
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes are an easy and delicious side for any meal! They taste better than regular French fries and are a great healthy lunch, snack or side dish. Whole30 compliant, too.
- Enjoy asparagus when it is baked in the oven for a few minutes and topped with a delicious, savory balsamic butter sauce. It cooks to perfection every time and makes the perfect side dish for any meal.
- Comforting and gooey, smooth and creamy, this baked mac and cheese recipe cooks perfectly every time. Great as a holiday side or weekday main dish. Kids and adults alike with devour this creamy meal
- Veggie stromboli will make guests rave when served as a main or side dish. Tuck your favorite pizza ingredients into yummy pizza dough.
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Instant Pot Meatloaf Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
MEATLOAF
- 2 lbs lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 cup Ritz crackers crushed
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
SAUCE
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apricot preserves
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Coat a large piece of aluminum foil 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 combined.
- Place the mixture into the center of the prepared foil and form into a circle that is approximately 6 inches in diameter. Wrap the foil up and around the edges so no juices can escape.
- Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into Instant Pot. Place the foil-wrapped meatloaf on trivet and lower into the pot.
- Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 25 minutes on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It will take the IP around 11 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
- Approximately 15 minutes before the meatloaf is done cooking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup ketchup, brown sugar, apricot preserves and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until meatloaf is done cooking.
- When the meatloaf is done, let the pressure release naturally on the pot for 5 minutes then do a quick release and allow the float valve to drop.
- Carefully remove the meatloaf from the pot by pulling up the trivet. Pour sauce over the top and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- 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 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven. If you slice into it too soon, it may fall apart.
- The apricot preserves in the sauce MAKES the sauce, but if you don’t have it on hand grape or cherry jelly or jam are great replacements!
- And speaking of sauce, DON’T SKIP IT. It’s that amazing.
- It pains me to say this because the Ritz crackers are the secret ingredient in this recipe, but if you want a gluten free recipe replace the crackers with very finely chopped cauliflower. Still delish!
I got so lucky! Found this looking for a quick basic recipe for 2lbs of ground beef.
I am twice as lazy however so I added chunks of potatoes to bottom of instapot then mashed them up to serve with the meatloaf.
Because my pot is the larger size and the added potatoes I needed to add 10 minutes.
Low mess one pot meals are my favorite kind.
I used a cereal bowl and flipped it over as a mold to make a meatloaf boat with the tinfoil.
My meat was not as lean as I felt it should be so I used a whole sleeve of ritz crackers, perfect amount.
I only had blueberry preserves and thought I’d skip the sauce, so glad I tried it anyway as my pickiest eater ate meatloaf for the first time in his life (30yrs)!
Thank you so much for this great recipe.
Linda, thank you so much for sharing all that! I’m glad you found Pip and Ebby in this little corner of the world. We’re glad to have you here! I appreciate the tips on what you did for your family – others will be inspired.