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Gluten-Free Meatloaf

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on May 24, 2019

Time

2 hours, plus 15 minutes cooling

Yield

Serves 6

Gluten-Free Meatloaf

Ingredients

½ cup ketchup ¼ cup packed light brown sugar 4 teaspoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 onions, chopped fine4 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried2 large eggs ½ cup milk 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ⅓ cup potato flakes⅓ cup minced fresh parsley 1 pound ground pork 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef

Before You Begin

Make sure to buy potato flakes, not potato granules, which have a slightly metallic taste.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Fold heavy-duty ­aluminum foil to form 9 by 5-inch rectangle. Center foil on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Poke holes in foil with skewer (about 1/2 inch apart). Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
  2. Stir ketchup, sugar, and vinegar together in bowl and set aside. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to large bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Whisk in eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Stir in potato flakes and parsley. Add pork and knead with hands until thoroughly combined. Add beef and continue to knead until uniform.
  4. Transfer meat mixture to foil rectangle and shape into 9 by 5-inch loaf. Brush half of ketchup mixture over meatloaf. Bake meatloaf for 40 minutes.
  5. Brush meatloaf with remaining ketchup mixture and continue to bake until center of loaf registers 160 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes. Let meatloaf cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve.
Gluten-Free Meatloaf
Styling by Marie Piraino.

Gluten-Free Meatloaf

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

2 hours, plus 15 minutes cooling

Yield

Serves 6

Ingredients

½ cup ketchup
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
2 large eggs
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
⅓ cup potato flakes
⅓ cup minced fresh parsley
1 pound ground pork
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef

Ingredients

½ cup ketchup
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
2 large eggs
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
⅓ cup potato flakes
⅓ cup minced fresh parsley
1 pound ground pork
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef

Ingredients

½ cup ketchup
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
2 large eggs
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
⅓ cup potato flakes
⅓ cup minced fresh parsley
1 pound ground pork
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef

Why This Recipe Works

For a tender, moist meatloaf, we’ve learned that the key is adding a panade—a paste of bread and milk—to the meat mixture. We wanted to make an equally tender gluten-free version, but substituting store-bought gluten-free sandwich bread was a no-go. The bread never broke down into a proper paste, and it delivered a tough, chewy meatloaf. From there we tried more adventurous ingredients: ground oats (an addition found in many older recipes), corn tortillas, potato flakes, and gelatin. All produced a loaf that was nicely bound, but the potato flakes were the winner in the end. They had the right neutral flavor and blended seamlessly into the mixture, and their starchy makeup worked just like bread, absorbing liquid and keeping the loaf tender. A combination of beef and pork provided better flavor and texture than traditional store-bought meatloaf mix. Since ground beef will cook up tough if overworked, we mixed all the ingredients with the ground pork first and then worked in the ground beef.

Before You Begin

Make sure to buy potato flakes, not potato granules, which have a slightly metallic taste.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Fold heavy-duty ­aluminum foil to form 9 by 5-inch rectangle. Center foil on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Poke holes in foil with skewer (about 1/2 inch apart). Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
  2. Stir ketchup, sugar, and vinegar together in bowl and set aside. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to large bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Whisk in eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Stir in potato flakes and parsley. Add pork and knead with hands until thoroughly combined. Add beef and continue to knead until uniform.
  4. Transfer meat mixture to foil rectangle and shape into 9 by 5-inch loaf. Brush half of ketchup mixture over meatloaf. Bake meatloaf for 40 minutes.
  5. Brush meatloaf with remaining ketchup mixture and continue to bake until center of loaf registers 160 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes. Let meatloaf cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve.

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