Whole30 Meatloaf

This Whole30 Meatloaf recipe is gluten free, dairy free and SO delicious. Made with ground beef, almond flour and coconut aminos, then topped with a simple ketchup glaze, your family will be asking for more! 

Meatloaf: a classic dish and a staple recipe to have in your recipe rotation. This whole30 version is made with ground beef, but then uses almond flour instead of breadcrumbs and omits any sort of cheese. But, it’s SO flavorful, you won’t even know it’s gluten free and dairy free! 

One thing I love about this is that it uses cooked vegetables (think: carrot, onion, celery, and garlic), which elevate the flavor and ensure that the texture isn't too dry. And of course, be sure to pair it with mashed potatoes (or, mashed sweet potatoes) if you're feeling fancy).

Recipe features

• Made with ground beef, sautéed vegetables, almond flour, tomato paste, and coconut aminos for tons of flavor (no bland meatloaf here!).
• This meatloaf recipe is gluten free, dairy free and sugar free, but your family will never know it! 
• The prep time is about 15 minutes, and after that you just throw it into the oven and it cooks. 

Ingredient notes:

• Veggies - The recipe uses a combination of carrot, onion, celery, and garlic, which not only make the meatloaf more substantial and nutritious, but ensure the meatloaf isn’t dry.

• Coconut aminos - Basically whole30-approved soy sauce that’s made from coconut sap instead of soy. I like using it in all of my paleo/whole30 recipes, like this banh mi bowl and my Asian chicken lettuce wraps.

• Ground beef - I used 93% lean ground beef; you could also use 1.25 lb. ground beef and .75 ground pork if you prefer. 

• Tomato paste - I recommend tomato paste in the actual meatloaf instead of ketchup because it helps to bind the ingredients together a bit better. 

• Eggs - Whisk them ahead of time so they’re easier to incorporate with the other ingredients. This will also prevent you from potentially over-mixing everything, which we don’t want to do.

• Parsley - Preferably fresh for a better flavor. 

• Almond flour - Since this is whole30 meatloaf, you can’t use breadcrumbs. So, almond flour to the rescue! It’s pretty flavorless and helps to hold everything together. 

• Ketchup - Double check the ingredient list and make sure you’re using sugar-free ketchup (Primal Kitchen is my favorite). 

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Sauté the vegetables. Start by sautéing the carrot, which takes the longest to soften. Then, add the onion, celery and garlic to the skillet and cook for about 3-4 minutes before adding in one tablespoon of coconut aminos. Allow the mixture to cool before adding it in with the other ingredients.

Step 2: Mix ingredients together. Next, add the beef, eggs, tomato paste, the rest of the coconut aminos, parsley, and almond flour to a large bowl. Then, add the cooled, cooked vegetables and use a fork or your hands to GENTLY combine everything. Stir until the almond flour is just incorporated.

Step 3: Make the glaze. Whisk the ketchup and coconut aminos together in a small bowl until they're fully incorporated.

Step 4: Bake the meatloaf. Transfer the meatloaf mixture into your greased bread pan. Brush HALF of the glaze overtop, then bake the meatloaf for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°. Leave the meatloaf in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a serving platter and brush the remaining glaze over it. Wait 10 minutes before slicing. 

Expert tips and FAQs

• You can make the meatloaf in a 9x5 or 8x4 loaf pan.
• Always grease your loaf pan beforehand with nonstick spray.
• You’ll know the meatloaf is done once it reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF.
• Since this meatloaf doesn’t contain any breadcrumbs, it’s a little more fragile than other recipes – don’t worry if it falls apart a bit while slicing (it’s still delicious!). 

What sides go with meatloaf?

So many options, but my personal suggestions are these air fryer potato wedges, Instant Pot broccoli, skillet roasted fingerling potatoes, or even these savory mashed sweet potatoes.

Can I use ground turkey instead of beef?

You actually can! You can follow the recipe as-is, but I’d check it with a meat thermometer after 45 minutes because it’ll be done a little more quickly. Just note that every oven is different, so cook times do vary. 

Can this be prepped ahead of time?

Yes, somewhat. If you want to make this recipe even easier, sauté the vegetables a day ahead of time. Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Then, you can mix ALL of the ingredients together in a large bowl at once before transferring to your bread pan. 

Storage

• Refrigerator - Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • To reheat, you can either microwave the slices, or if you haven't sliced it yet, heat your oven to 250°, place the meatloaf in a shallow dish with a little bit of broth and heat until it's warmed through, approximately 25 minutes.
• Freezer - Wrap each piece of meatloaf tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then place it into a freezer-safe plastic bag. For more tips on freezing meatloaf, check out this post from the Spruce Eats on how to best store and freeze meatloaf.

More Whole30 dinner recipes

• Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs 
• Air Fryer Lamb Chops 
• Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops 

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!