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Craving classic meatloaf without the leftovers? This single serving slow cooker meatloaf recipe is your solution! It transforms simple ingredients into a delicious, mini meatloaf perfect for those cooking for one. Created for your small slow cooker, it boasts a tender, juicy texture and a blend of rich, savory spices. This hassle-free meal satisfies your cravings in just the right portion, making it ideal for a personal treat or small households.
Looking for more single serving mini slow cooker recipes? Try our Ribs, Pot Roast, Italian Wedding Soup, and Chicken Piccata.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Mini Meatloaf Recipe
- Slow Cooker Meatloaf For One: Comfort Food Made Easy
- Ingredients
- How To Make Meatloaf In A Crockpot Or Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Single Serving Slow Cooker Recipes
- Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
- Slow Cooker Meatloaf For One Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Mini Meatloaf Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This small meatloaf recipe uses everyday ingredients that are easy to find.
- No-Fuss Preparation: Minimal prep time makes this recipe perfect for busy individuals.
- Customizable: You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your dietary preferences.
- Perfect Portion: Cooking a single serving ensures no leftovers or waste.
Slow Cooker Meatloaf For One: Comfort Food Made Easy
This recipe ditches the leftovers and brings you the classic comfort of meatloaf in a single serving slow cooker version. We take ground meat (usually beef) and combine it with simple ingredients like breadcrumbs, an egg, and seasonings to create a delicious mini loaf. The beauty of the slow cooker is that it allows the flavors to meld perfectly while keeping the meat incredibly moist and tender.
Meatloaf has a long history, dating back to humble origins where people stretched their meat supplies by mixing it with fillers. It gained huge popularity in the US during the Great Depression, and since then, it’s become a beloved comfort food.
Interested in other single serving meatloaf recipes? Try our Oven Baked Meatloaf, Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf, and Turkey Meatloaf.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this Crockpot meatloaf recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Butter: You’ll need one tablespoon of butter to cook the onions and garlic. This step is essential for a moist and flavorful meatloaf.
- Vegetables: Don’t skip the chopped onions and garlic! They’re crucial for adding depth to the meatloaf’s flavor.
- Seasonings: Season with dried thyme, salt, and black pepper.
- Ground Beef: Use half a pound of ground beef. Feel free to substitute with ground turkey, chicken, or a plant-based meat alternative. If you have extra ground beef, try using it in other dishes like Beef Tacos or Lasagna Soup.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This adds a fantastic burst of flavor.
- Egg: One large egg is needed to help flavor and hold the meatloaf together.
- Breadcrumbs: You can use either store-bought or homemade breadcrumbs. Alternatively, 3 tablespoons of oat flour or almond flour, or 4 tablespoons of old-fashioned rolled oats can be used.
- Ketchup and Molasses: Mix these together for a delicious topping. BBQ sauce is a great substitute if preferred.
How To Make Meatloaf In A Crockpot Or Slow Cooker
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Prepare the Slow Cooker: Cut a foot-long piece of foil in half lengthwise and then fold each piece in half again to make two long, narrow strips. Lay these strips in a cross shape at the bottom of your slow cooker. Adjust the strips so they don’t extend beyond the rim, ensuring they won’t interfere with the lid’s closure. Then, spray both the foil and the inside of the slow cooker with nonstick spray.
- Cook the Aromatics: In a small skillet, cook the chopped onions and a clove of garlic with a bit of butter until the onions are soft. Season them with dried thyme, salt, and black pepper.
- Prepare the Meatloaf Mixture: Transfer the cooked onions and garlic to a large bowl. Add ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, an egg, and your choice of bread crumbs, almond flour, or oat flour. Mix everything together, then shape the mixture into a round or oval loaf. Place the meatloaf on top of the foil strips in the slow cooker.
- Cook the Meatloaf: Set the slow cooker to low and cook the meatloaf for 6 hours.
- Add the Glaze: About 30 minutes before the cooking time ends, mix 1/4 cup of ketchup with 1 tablespoon of molasses. Spoon this mixture over the top of the meatloaf, then cover and cook for the remaining 30 minutes.
Slow Cooker Tips
- Foil Lining: To easily remove your meatloaf from the slow cooker, line the base with foil strips. This technique not only helps lift the meatloaf smoothly but also separates it from any excess oil.
- Pre-Cooked Onions and Garlic: For a moist and flavorful meatloaf, sauté onions and garlic in butter before mixing them with the ground beef. This step enhances the taste and texture of your meatloaf.
- Oven Alternative: Don’t have a slow cooker? No problem! You can bake this meatloaf in a conventional oven. Set it to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and cook for 50 minutes to achieve the same delicious result.
- Resting Time: After cooking, let your meatloaf rest, covered, for five minutes before slicing. This pause allows the juices to settle, ensuring a moist and tender meatloaf. Cutting it too soon can release these juices and result in a drier meatloaf.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your mini meatloaf with a side of mashed potatoes, pasta, or vegetables for a complete meal. Top it with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for added flavor and garnish.
RELATED – 40 Easy Recipes For Busy College Students
Frequently Asked Questions
The best size slow cooker to use to make this meatloaf recipe is a small, 1.5 to 3-quart slow cooker.
If you only have a large slow cooker, that’s fine too.
You can easily transform your large slow cooker into a small one by placing an oven-safe bowl inside of the bowl of your slow cooker.
More Single Serving Slow Cooker Recipes
If you like this slow cooker meatloaf recipe, you might also like to try these slow cooker recipes:
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this slow cooker meatloaf or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Slow Cooker Meatloaf For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 ounces chopped onions (about ¼ of a large onion)
- 1 clove garlic -chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon molasses
Instructions
- Cooking the Aromatics: Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes. Then, add the chopped garlic, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes while stirring occasionally. Remove the skillet from heat and set it aside.
- Preparing the Meatloaf Mix: Place the ground beef in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the onion, garlic, and butter mixture over it. Add Worcestershire sauce, an egg, and breadcrumbs. Mix everything together well with a spoon or your hands until it's fully combined. Shape the mixture into an oval.
- Setting up the Slow Cooker: Cut a 1-foot length of foil in half lengthwise. Fold each half lengthwise again to create two long strips. Lay these strips in a cross shape at the bottom of your slow cooker. Make sure the ends of the foil strips are trimmed to be level with or below the rim of the cooker so they don't interfere with the lid. Spray both the foil and the interior of the slow cooker with nonstick spray.
- Cooking the Meatloaf: Place the shaped meatloaf on the foil in the slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 5 and a half hours.
- Adding the Glaze: Mix ketchup and molasses in a small bowl. After 5 and a half hours, remove the slow cooker lid and spoon this mixture over the meatloaf. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Resting and Serving: Use the foil strips to lift the meatloaf out of the slow cooker carefully. Transfer it to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Well done. Concise and complete. Using the slow cooker is perfect for a two-person household with one eating something else. Less fuss, less muss.
quick question is it possible to bake a potato with the meat loaf. my mom always made baked potatoes with meat loaf I was thinking of using my larger slow cooker
I haven’t tried baking a potato with the meatloaf, but using a larger slow cooker sounds like a good idea. If you decide to give it a go, I’d love to hear how it works out!
Hi, could I use parchment paper instead of foil?
Yes, parchment paper is a good substitute.
Hi Joanie, Just wanted to thank you for your delicious recipes. Today, I made your slow cooker meatloaf. The meatloaf was amazing. It was very moist and delicious. In the past I have made your chicken cordon bleu, chicken/dumplings, and meat sauce (I’m Italian and the meat sauce recipe is excellent). All the recipes are five stars 🌟 Thank you again for taking the time to develop such wonderful recipes,
Thank you so much, Nancy. I’m so happy you are enjoying our recipes.
Made this last night for my husband and me…He is a big meatloaf lover. It was delicious and best of all no leftovers!
I forgot to sauté the onions first….but it still came out DELICIOUS 😋. I will make it this way often in my small crock pot. Next I will remember to sauté the onions 🤣. Thank You!
I made this recipe tonight and thought it was really good. I did make one change thou. Instead of the ketchup and molasses, I replaced them with store bought chili sauce. This gave it a little kick I thought it needed.