Nana Ruth's Brown Sugar Meatloaf
The best brown sugar meatloaf recipe — tender, moist, and topped with a sweet-tangy glaze. Uses milk-soaked bread instead of breadcrumbs for incredible tenderness. A heritage family recipe finally written down after seven attempts.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Rest Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the Meatloaf
- 2 pounds ground beef 80/20
- 2 slices white sandwich bread torn
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 cup yellow onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
For the Brown Sugar Glaze
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
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Soak the bread: Place torn bread in a small bowl, pour milk over. Let sit 5 minutes. Mush with a fork into a paste.
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Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
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Combine ground beef, soaked bread, egg, onion, garlic, ketchup, Worcestershire, brown sugar, salt, pepper, thyme, and onion powder. Mix with your hands until just combined.
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Shape into a free-form loaf on the baking sheet, roughly 9x5x3 inches.
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Whisk together glaze ingredients. Spoon two-thirds over the meatloaf.
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Bake 45 minutes. Add remaining glaze, bake 15-20 more minutes until internal temp reaches 160°F.
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Rest 10 minutes. Slice thick and serve with mashed potatoes.
Recipe Notes
Milk-soaked bread is the secret to tender meatloaf. Don't substitute dry breadcrumbs. Brown sugar in the meat AND on top. Free-form on baking sheet, not a loaf pan. Use 80/20 beef.