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How to make a Meatloaf in an Air Fryer?

How to make a Meatloaf in an Air Fryer?

Meatloaf is a dish composed of minced meat mixed with various ingredients, then shaped into a loaf and either smoked or oven-baked. To achieve the loaf’s form, it can be manually shaped with a fork on a baking sheet or prepared in a loaf pan designed for this purpose. While beef is the most common base, variations include the use of veal, pork, lamb, poultry, venison, and seafood as main components. The choice of meat often reflects the regional or national preferences where the meatloaf is prepared.

Some exciting things about Meatloaf

Meatloaf of hashed meat was first referenced in a Roman cookery book called Apicius back in the 5th century. This dish is a traditional dish for the Belgian and German, and it’s often referred to as the same as the Dutch meatball.

In America, meatloaf takes its origin from scrapple, and it was said to be made with a mixture of pork and cornmeal served by the Germans in America in the colonial era. However, in the modern world, Americans believe the meatloaf recipe did not appear in a cookbook until the 19th century.

Cooked meatloaf can be made for individuals by slicing the loaf like bread. Meatloaf dries quickly after it’s cooked, so you can keep it moist using varieties of technique, and some include mixing the meatloaf with egg and breadcrumbs, using ingredients — like vegetables, cheeses, and so on — that enhances moisture when combining, or by covering the outside with sauce and wrapping it. These techniques can help you keep your meatloaf moist.

How long to Cook Homemade Meatloaf?

Preparation takes 10 to 12 minutes; this includes the time you take in wrapping, mixing, and others. Cooking time often takes 23 to 25 minutes, and this depends on the size of the meatloaf.

Why do I have to make Meatloaf with an Air Fryer?

When meatloaf is made with an air fryer, the fat is reduced. This will help you keep your weight in check by reducing calorie intake.

When you use an air fryer, dietary acrylamide — a compound often found in food associated with cancer — will be reduced compared to other cooking methods.

You use less oil for cooking when you use an air fryer compared to other methods of cooking. This helps reduce the significant fat content you take.

The air fryer cooks its food with air being circulated the food. This ensures it gives good taste without costing you to worry about health issues.

What ingredients do you need to cook meatloaf?

You will need meat. 1 lb. of lean ground beef will be okay. Pork, veal, and ground turkey can be used in place of meat, and it will still produce a meatloaf.

Veggies you will use are one teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 of small onion that is finely chopped, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Seasonings: 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs, one tablespoon of yellow mustard, one egg that is lightly beaten, Parmesan cheese, one teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and two teaspoons of ketchup.

How to cook Homemade Meatloaf?

  1. You start by putting the onion, beef, breadcrumbs, seasoning, pepper, salt, egg, sauce, one teaspoon of ketchup, and garlic powder into a bowl. Then mix the spices and the meat with your hands. Be careful when mixing, so you do not over mix. It gets tricky when you over mix.
  2. Now, shape the mixture of meat and spices into a loaf that is not too big. You can cook in batches if you have many loaves. After that, on the air fryer and set the temperature to 370°F. Place the loaf/ loaves— depending on the size of your loaf or air fryer— in the air fryer basket, do not let them touch.
  3. Put the basket back into the air fryer and cook it for 15 minutes.
  4. While it is cooking, mix the mustard and one teaspoon of ketchup.
  5. Remove the meatloaf once the cooking time is reached and spread the ketchup mixture on it. Then return the loaf and cook for another 9 to 10 minutes at 375°F.
  6. Once the internal temperature is 160°F, take it out from the air fryer and let it rest on your countertop for 6 minutes.
  7. After that, slice and serve.

How to go about Reheating Frozen or Leftover Meatloaf in an Air Fryer?

Place the slices of your meatloaf into the air fryer basket. The time for reheating loaf at a temperature of 320°F in an air fryer is 8 minutes. After that, turn the loaf and spread tomato ketchup on it, then cook for extra 4 minutes at the same temperature. Don’t attempt cooking at high temperatures; this might make it dry out.

How to store Meatloaf?

  • If you have baked the loaf ahead and want to eat it later, let it cool before wrapping and putting it in a fridge. The meatloaf can last two days from the day it was baked. So anything longer than that, you will have to put it in a freezer.
  • If you want to keep the fresh meatloaf for later, after mixing the ingredients to form a loaf, wrap it with airtight plastic wrap and put it in a freezer bag. They will last for 5 to 6 months in the freezer.
  • If the ground meat you want to use is frozen, you can re-freeze it if you like. But it is advisable to cook and then freeze. Make sure it cools off before storing or sealing. And you can freeze properly by wrapping the loaf in aluminum foil, then put it in an airtight plastic bag and keep it for up to 6 months in the freezer.

Bottom Line

Meatloaf has become a favorite meal for some families around the world. You can freeze and reheat with your air fryer anytime you want to eat. It is a perfect dish, and you might want to cook batches since it’s safe to store. By that, you can save yourself the stress of going through the whole process of cooking it from scratch. And making with an air fryer is an absolute beauty; you get delicious dishes all the time.


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