This Mini Slow Cooker Meatloaf is tender and juicy and so easy to make! Made with onions, garlic, spices and topped with a sweet and tangy sauce. This simple recipe makes the perfect amount to serve one or two people. Included in the recipe are instructions for converting a Crockpot or Crockpot-style slow cooker into a single serving slow cooker.
I love a good meatloaf recipe - I consider it to be the ultimate comfort food. When meatloaf is simple, full of flavor, and perfectly tender and juicy, it's a winner.
We've got a wonderful Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf For One recipe here at One Dish Kitchen and trust me, it's fabulous. This particular meatloaf is cheesy, filled with bacon and reminds me of a bacon cheeseburger without the bun.
But if you're looking for a meatloaf recipe that's a little more traditional and not at all cheesy, then this Crockpot Meatloaf recipe is one you'll love.
Why I Love This Recipe
You might wonder why someone would cook a meatloaf in a Crockpot or slow cooker when it could easily be cooked in the oven. Well, cooking a meatloaf in an oven is of course, a great idea. But what if you're busy all day and would love to come home to a home cooked meal already prepared and waiting for you?
That's where a slow cooker meatloaf is the perfect meal.
You'll find with this meatloaf recipe that the meat is tender and juicy. My method for tender, flavorful meatloaf involves a quick and easy extra step and is so worth it.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: One tablespoon of butter is used to cook the chopped onions and garlic in. Cooking the vegetables in butter before adding them to the beef is key to a making moist and juicy meatloaf.
- Vegetables: Chopped onions and garlic add quite a lot of flavor to this meatloaf, definitely don't leave them out.
- Seasonings: Use dried thyme, salt, and black pepper.
- Ground beef Use ½ pound ground beef. See below for ways to use up any leftover ingredients.
- Worcestershire sauce: For great flavor.
- Egg: One large egg helps to add flavor and bind the meat together.
- Breadcrumbs: Use store-bought or homemade breadcrumbs. Instead of breadcrumbs, you can substitute 3 tablespoons of oat flour or almond flour or use 4 tablespoons of old-fashioned rolled oats.
- Ketchup and molasses: These two ingredients stirred together make a terrific sauce!
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Cut a 1-foot length of foil in half lengthwise. Fold each strip in half lengthwise to form two long strips. Place the foil strips in the bottom of the Crockpot or slow cooker in a cross pattern. Trim them so that they are even with the rim or below the rim so that they don't get in the way of the Crockpot lid. Spray the foil and slow cooker with nonstick spray.
Step 2: Cook chopped onions and a clove of garlic in a little butter in a small skillet. When the onions begin to soften, add in dried thyme, salt and black pepper.
Step 3: Pour the cooked onions and garlic into a large bowl and add in the ground beef. To the beef, add Worcestershire sauce, an egg and either bread crumbs, almond flour or oat flour to help hold it all together. Mix the ingredients together, form the meat into a round or oval shape and place the meatloaf in the slow cooker.
Step 4: Cook the meatloaf on a low setting for 6 hours.
Step 5: When you have about 30 minutes left of cooking time, mix together ¼ cup of ketchup combined with 1 tablespoon of molasses and spoon the mixture over the top of the meatloaf. Put the lid back on the slow cooker and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Expert Tips
- I highly recommend using strips of foil to line the base of the slow cooker. This is so that the meatloaf can easily be lifted from the bowl, leaving the oil behind.
- Make sure you cook the onions and garlic in butter before adding them to them to the ground beef. This is the secret to a moist meatloaf.
- Instead of using a Crockpot or a slow cooker, this recipe can also be made in an 350 degree F (177 degree C) oven and cooked for 50 minutes.
- After the meatloaf has cooked, cover it and allow it to rest for five minutes before cutting into it. This will give the juices time to settle. If you cut into the meatloaf too soon, the juices release and will make the meatloaf dry.
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.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients left over from this meatloaf recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Ground beef: Goulash, Taco Salad, Salisbury Steak, Giant Italian Meatball
- Worcestershire sauce: Irish Stew, Minestrone Soup, Crawfish Etouffee, Beef Stroganoff
- Breadcrumbs: Meatballs, Chicken Tenders, Eggplant Parmesan
- Ketchup: Sesame Chicken, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Baked Beans
- Molasses: Ginger Cookies, Granola, Sloppy Joe, Gingerbread
Serving Suggestions
You might like to consider serving any of these single serving side dish recipes with your meatloaf:
Other Single Serving Slow Cooker Recipes
If you like this slow cooker meatloaf recipe, you might also like to try these slow cooker recipes:
- Sesame Chicken
- Red Beans and Rice
- Chicken Piccata
- Italian Chicken
- Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Orange Chicken
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!
Recipe
Slow Cooker Meatloaf For One
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 ounces chopped onions (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 egg
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs (instead of breadcrumbs, you can substitute 3 tablespoons of oat flour or almond flour or use 4 tablespoons of old-fashioned rolled oats)
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon molasses
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the chopped garlic, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for an additional 2 minutes. Remove skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Place the ground beef in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the onion/garlic/butter mixture over the meat. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, the egg and the breadcrumbs. Using a large spoon or your hands, mix the meat and all of the ingredients together until fully combined. Shape into an oval.
- Cut a 1-foot length of foil in half lengthwise. Fold each strip in half lengthwise to form two long strips. Place the foil strips in the bottom of the slow cooker in a cross pattern. Trim them so that they are even with the rim or below the rim so that they don't get in the way of the slow cooker lid.
- Spray the foil and slow cooker with nonstick spray.
- Place the meatloaf on top of the foil lining the slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 5 ½ hours.
- Stir together the ketchup and molasses in a small bowl. Remove the lid from the slow cooker and spoon the sauce over the meatloaf. Cover the slow cooker again and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Carefully grasp the ends of the foil strips to lift out the meatloaf. Transfer to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let the meatloaf rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- I highly recommend using strips of foil to line the base of the slow cooker. This is so that the meatloaf can easily be lifted from the boil, leaving the oil behind.
- Make sure you cook the onions and garlic in butter before adding them to them to the ground beef. This is the secret to a moist meatloaf.
- Instead of using a Crockpot or a slow cooker, this recipe can also be made in an 350 degree F (177 degree C) oven and cooked for 50 minutes.
- After the meatloaf has cooked, cover it and allow it to rest for five minutes before cutting into it. This will give the juices time to settle. If you cut into the meatloaf too soon, the juices release and will make the meatloaf dry.
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.
Ray W. says
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.