This smoked meatloaf recipe is a barbecue-flavored twist on a comfort food classic. It's loaded with smokey flavor from the low and slow cook in your smoker and it's balanced out with a sweet barbecue sauce glaze. You'll definitely want seconds of this one!
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Why this Recipe Works
Traditional oven-baked meatloaf is great when you're craving comfort food, but smoking meatloaf takes the flavor up a notch! It's also super easy to make. Just combine simple pantry ingredients with your ground beef, then shape the meat, and the smoker does the rest, adding those delicious smokey flavors.
I've also included several variations towards the bottom of this post to add even more flavor to this dish to take it to the next level!
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef - I recommend using 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef. Leaner ground beef will not have enough fat to stay moist during the long slow smoke.
- Breadcrumbs - I use plain breadcrumbs in this dish, but you can also use panko crumbs or make your own breadcrumbs if you prefer.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 250°F.
- Add olive oil to a skillet set over medium-low heat. Sauté onion and garlic for around 8 minutes until caramelized. Then set aside to cool.
- While the onions cook, combine the breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Let sit for around 5 minutes to hydrate the breadcrumbs.
- After the onion and garlic have cooled, add to the breadcrumb mixture and the ground beef. Wet your hands and mix thoroughly, but avoid overworking the meat.
- Form the mixture into a rough ball, then turn it out onto a grill basket or disposable grill topper. Pat down the ball to a rectangular shape around 2 ½ to 3 inches thick.
- Add the meatloaf to your smoker with a drip pan set underneath if possible. Then add wood chunks to the smoker. Cook for 2 hours.
- While the meat cooks, combine the ketchup and barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Open your smoker and, using paper towels, blot any fat that has pooled on the top of the meatloaf. Brush the sauce mixture on the top and sides of the meatloaf and cook for another 30 minutes to an hour, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F in the center of the meatloaf.
- Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips
- Grill Basket - Place the meatloaf on a grill basket or, for less cleanup, a disposable grill topper to ensure the meatloaf doesn't fall through the grates. It will still allow the smoke to permeate the meat from all sides which you won't get setting it in a disposable pan.
- Drip Pan - A good bit of fat will render from the beef when smoking a meatloaf so I highly recommend setting a drip tray underneath the meat to catch the drippings and avoid a mess in your smoker.
What to Serve with Meatloaf
This hearty smoked meatloaf is classic comfort food and is perfect with mashed potatoes and other comfort food side dishes. A few of my favorites are:
You can also go with traditional barbecue sides with this meatloaf since it had those smokey, sweet flavors of many of your favorite barbecue dishes. A few of my favorites are my Instant Pot Baked Beans and Hawaiian Mac Salad.
Recipe Variations
This meatloaf is loaded with flavor as it is but you can take it to the next level with one of these variations.
- Bacon Wrapped - to take your meatloaf to the next level try wrapping it in bacon! Check out my bacon wrapped smoked pork tenderloin post for details on how to make a bacon weave to wrap the meatloaf.
- Cheese Stuffed - Another way to add something special to your meatloaf is to stuff it with cheese. To make stuffed meatloaf divide the meat mixture in half. Shape half of the meatloaf, then place chunks of cheddar or your favorite cheese down the middle. Top with the remaining meat and shape. then cook as directed on the smoker.
- Spicy - For a spicy kick add a diced jalapeño and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the meat mixture and use a spicy barbecue sauce in your topping. You can also use pepper jack cheese for a spicy cheese stuffed meatloaf.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the cooked meatloaf for up to 3 months.
To reheat leftovers, place slices of the meatloaf in a shallow baking dish and cover with foil. Place in a 275°F oven for around 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
More Recipes for the Smoker
- Smoked Whole Chicken
- Smoked Chuck Roast
- Smoked Turkey Legs
- Smoked Turkey Breast
- Smoked Leg of Lamb
- Smoked Pulled Pork Barbecue
📖 Recipe
Smoked Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup plain bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds ground beef
Meatloaf Sauce
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 250°F.
- Add olive oil to a skillet set over medium-low heat. Sauté onion and garlic for around 8 minutes until caramelized. Then set aside to cool.
- While the onions cook, combine the breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Let sit for around 5 minutes to hydrate the breadcrumbs.
- After the onion and garlic have cooled, add to the breadcrumb mixture and the ground beef. Wet your hands and mix thoroughly, but avoid overworking the meat.
- Form the mixture into a rough ball, then turn it out onto a grill basket or disposable grill topper. Pat down the ball to a rectangular shape around 2 ½ to 3 inches thick.
- Add the meatloaf to your smoker with a drip pan set underneath if possible. Then add wood chunks to the smoker and cook for 2 hours.
- While the meat cooks, combine the ketchup and barbecue sauce in a small bowl. Open your smoker and, using paper towels, blot any fat that has collected on the top of the meatloaf. Brush the sauce mixture on the top and sides of the meatloaf and cook for another 30 minutes to an hour, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F in the center of the meatloaf.
- Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition Facts
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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