You’ve made a delicious meatloaf recipe, now dress it up with a yummy sauce! This meatloaf red sauce recipe will transform your next dinner and quickly turn into a family favorite.
Why This Recipe Works
My mom’s amazing homemade meatloaf recipe is a top recipe on this blog. It is a top-notch easy dinner recipe that many people swoon over. When I first made this dish for the blog I knew that Mom’s loaf of meat, as delicious as it was, needed a sauce to go along with it.
That was when this oh-so-delicious meatloaf red sauce recipe was born. This sweet and tangy glaze is so good you will want to slather it all over everything in your entire fridge. I’m not kidding.
Four simple ingredients and you’ll be ready to drizzle and dunk away! When paired with your favorite meatloaf, this combo creates one of the best comfort food recipes of all time.
Best Sauce Recipes
This meatloaf red sauce recipe isn’t the only one I’m in love with! Check out this comprehensive roundup of my favorite sauces on the planet.
Recipe Ingredients
Ketchup – Really, this ingredient is the star of the show, so it’s a must to include it. In a pinch, combine tomato paste or savory tomato sauce with honey and apple cider vinegar to create a quick homemade version of ketchup.
Brown sugar – Brown sugar can be replaced with granulated sugar if needed. Light and dark brown sugars can be used interchangeably.
Apricot preserves – The apricot flavor adds such a unique flavor to this sauce, but grape jelly or cherry berry jam taste great, too.
Worcestershire sauce – If there is any ingredient in the mix that you can cut out, it’s this one. If you have it on hand, definitely splash it in!
Check Out This Web Story!
Red sauce for meatloaf is a simple glaze that takes meatloaf next level in flavor!
How To Make Meatloaf Sauce
Step 1
In a small bowl, combine:
- Ketchup
- Brown sugar
- Apricot preserves
- Worcestershire sauce.
Mix well.
Step 2
Spread half of the mixture evenly over your meatloaf halfway through baking. Reserve the remainder of the sauce for dipping/topping.
Best Meatloaf Recipe
Every meatloaf glaze needs a good meat loaf recipe. Consider making this classic meatloaf recipe—the best your lips will ever taste (huge claim, but totally accurate)—or this Instant Pot meatloaf. Both of these produce a super juicy meatloaf that everyone will love.
While we’re on the subject, I’ll tell you a few of my meatloaf-related secrets:
- Always replace bread crumbs and/or oatmeal with Ritz crackers.
- Use a food processor to grind the crackers down and avoid a crumbly final product.
- Lean ground beef or turkey work best. Beef with higher fat content create a much greasier meal than those made with a lean meat. Replace a portion of the meat mixture with ground pork for an even more well-rounded flavor.
- When you combine ground beef with remaining ingredients, be careful not to over-mix. Doing so will result in a runny consistency that doesn’t cook as well.
- Delicious additions to consider: finely chopped green bell peppers, Parmesan cheese, dry mustard powder, onion powder, fresh parsley or Italian seasoning.
- Always bake this dish by setting the loaf pan on a rimmed baking sheet to avoid grease spills inside the oven.
- To save yourself from having to clean an extra dish, place parchment paper on top of the baking sheet.
- Let meatloaf rest for a minimum of 15 minutes before serving in order to keep it intact.
- And if you find yourself with leftovers? Make meatloaf sandwiches and slather the sauce onto each slice of bread.
Recipe Notes
- Think beyond the loaf! Use this savory sauce as a sandwich spread or burger topping.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days OR slather over top of the loaf and secure with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
- Make this sauce while your meatloaf cooks to be most efficient in the kitchen. I recommend adding it to the top of the loaf halfway through cooking AND using it as a dip while eating.
Beef and Pork Meatloaf Recipes – 9 Delicious Ideas!
Click over to this roundup filled with delicious beef and pork meatloaf recipes to get on the table tonight!
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 green beans to mashed cauliflower (and so much more!).
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 bread crumbs in this dish!
FAQ About Red Sauce
Red sauce refers to any sauce that is tomato-based and red in color, such as ketchup, marinara, red curry, spaghetti sauce, taco sauce or enchilada sauce.
Thicken red sauce by done one or more of the following: Allow it to simmer for an extended period of time (up to 2 hours, stirring often), pour tomato sauce into the mixture until thick or stir in a cornstarch slurry.
To remove red sauce from clothing, wipe off excess sauce and run stained portion under cold water both from the front and back of the clothing. Apply dish soap to the stained area and gently massage with your fingers. Rinse and repeat until the stain disappears. Run it through the washing machine as usual!
Homemade Sauces
If you love this sauce, we’ve got more! Check out these scrumptious homemade sauce options:
Related Recipes
- Leftover Meatloaf Sandwich
- Meatloaf Recipe With Crackers
- Best Instant Pot Meatloaf
- Easy Meatloaf Story
- 30+ Savory Ground Beef Recipes – Delicious Dinners!
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Meatloaf Red Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apricot preserves
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, apricot preserves and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
- Spread half of the mixture evenly over your meatloaf halfway through baking. Reserve the remainder of the sauce for dipping/topping.
Notes
- Think beyond the meatloaf! Use this savory sauce as a sandwich spread or burger topping.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days OR slather over top of the loaf and secure with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
- Make this sauce while your meatloaf cooks to be most efficient in the kitchen. I recommend adding it to the top of the loaf halfway through cooking AND using it as a dip while eating.
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