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Every mom needs a good meatloaf recipe up her sleeve because who doesn’t like meatloaf? So here’s mine — a Whole30-approved Classic Meatloaf!
My kids absolutely love it when I make this Whole30 Classic Meatloaf and serve it with my Whole30 Mashed Potatoes. Everyone leaves the table full and happy, and nobody would ever know that it’s Whole30 compliant! WIN!
If you like this Whole30 Classic Meatloaf, try my Mini BBQ Meatloaves for a simple, easy dinner!
Whole30 Classic Meatloaf
A delicious, gluten-free Meat Loaf recipe that the whole family will enjoy!
Ingredients
For the Meatloaf:
- 2 cups finely diced yellow onion (from about 1 large onion)
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon. coconut aminos
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup almond flour
For the Sauce:
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and thyme and saute until tender, about 7 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the tomato paste and coconut aminos. Set aside to let cool.
- When cool, place ground beef, almond flour, 2 beaten eggs, and plenty of salt and pepper (to taste) in a bowl. Pour the onion mixture on top and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meatloaf will be dense.
- Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients until well combined.
- Spread the sauce over the top of the meatloaf.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf reads 155°F. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Make thick slices to serve.
Notes
Freezer Tips:
- To freeze the meatloaf, allow it to cool completely, then slice it or leave it whole depending on your preference. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil and additionally store it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Label and date the containers before placing in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To thaw, place the meatloaf in the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. Remove the plastic wrap and foil then reheay in a preheated oven at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until heated through, or microwave individual slices until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 540kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 175mg, Sodium: 790mg, Potassium: 630mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 256IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Eat Love Eats.
Anyone tried adding sautéed mushrooms along with the onions? I have a bunch I want to use up and seems like would be a happy pairing…
Love how simple, easy, yet incredibly flavorful this recipe turns out. We’ve made it multiple times with great success. We’ve even divided the recipe into patties and will grill them like hamburgers. My family loves meatloaf burgers!
Can I prep this the day before and just throw in the fridge until I’m ready to make it the following day?
definitely!
What is the best Ghee substitute? (If i am ok with it not being entirely whole 30 compliant)? Thank you!
You can use 2 TBSP of butter! Salted or unsalted, but just make sure to note the amount of salt you add if using salted.
We eat this recipe often and I have shared it many times with my friends!
I have made this recipe in the past and me and my husband loved it! I recently found out I’m allergic to almonds, though, and I would love to make this again. Is there a good sub you would use for almond flour? Maybe arrowroot or cassava?
I’d go for cassava in this one!
Also avoiding almonds… could I do a 1-for-1 sub almond flour for breadcrumbs? Obviously it wouldn’t be W30 anymore, but working with what I got 🙂
yes for sure!
Can you bake in a bread/loaf dish?
You can, but I find the fat collects in the bottom of the pan and makes the bottom a bit soggy.
I can’t get it to print.
This has been a go to recipe for a long time in my house and I’ve always used tiger nut flour. I just make sure to break up the clumps before mixing it in.
How do you get the meat to not leak juice all over the pan while cooking? Or is that normal?
it’s normal, unfortunately!
I think I just deleted my reply to you so if it dups ~ ignore. Lol
All meatloaf does it. It’s just the fat from the burger. About halfway through cooking time (once meat starts to get firm) pull out of oven and tilt pan at corner and drain some off into coffee cup. Meatloaf will still produce more juice during final cooking time and still be juicy.
Had anyone made this with ground turkey?
Great recipe! The rest of my family isn’t doing Whole30 like I am, but they’re eating the dinners I cook, so I try to find compliant versions of recipes we typically enjoy and this one was a winner. Everyone loved it!
Favorite meatloaf recipe. So tasty. Although, the more recent time I cooked it, the bottom of my meatloaf seemed to cook way faster than the top. Meet thermometer said near the bottom was about 190 while lightly inserted to top/middle was about 135 degrees. I let it rest, etc. but when I sliced it the top was pink and the bottom seemed a little over cooked. Do you have any advice to avoid this, or reason this happened? Thanks.
This will be a repeat meatloaf recipe for our family. I do W30 and my family eats most things I make. This had great flavor and I loved the sauce on top! It’s a hit in this house.
This is my new favorite W30/paleo meatloaf! Easy and outstanding flavor!!!