Mini Meatloaf Bites (Print Version)

Savory miniature meatloaves with a sweet tangy glaze, baked in muffin tins for easy serving.

# Components:

→ Meat Mixture

01 - 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
02 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
03 - 1/4 cup milk
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1/3 cup finely diced onion
06 - 1/4 cup finely diced celery
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
09 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
10 - 1 tsp salt
11 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme

→ Maple-Mustard Glaze

13 - 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
14 - 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
15 - 1 tbsp ketchup

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
02 - In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs and milk; let sit for 3 minutes to soften.
03 - Add ground beef, egg, onion, celery, garlic, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme to the breadcrumb mixture. Mix gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
04 - Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups, pressing lightly to fill each cup.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and ketchup to create the glaze.
06 - Spoon or brush half of the glaze over the tops of the meatloaf bites.
07 - Bake for 20 minutes.
08 - Remove from oven and brush the remaining glaze over the meatloaf bites.
09 - Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes until cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 160°F.
10 - Let rest for 5 minutes. Run a knife around each meatloaf to loosen and lift from the tin before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They cook in 25 minutes flat, which means you can go from raw to plated faster than takeout arrives.
  • The muffin tin trick means no messy unmolding—just run a knife and pop them out, perfectly portioned.
  • That maple-mustard glaze tastes like it took hours to develop, but it's genuinely just three ingredients whisked together.
  • Leftovers freeze beautifully, turning a quick weeknight dinner into future-you's best friend.
02 -
  • Do not overmix the meat mixture—I learned this by making dense, compacted bites that felt more like hockey pucks than food, and it changed everything once I stopped.
  • The two-stage glazing approach is what makes these taste restaurant-quality; skipping the second glaze will give you a flat, one-dimensional result.
  • Running that knife around each meatloaf before lifting prevents them from tearing and keeps your muffin tin from getting scratched.
  • Cold leftovers are genuinely as good as warm ones, which is not true for most meatloaf applications.
03 -
  • Dice your onion and celery almost to the point of paste if you have people who are texture-sensitive—they'll still add flavor but disappear completely into the bite.
  • If your oven runs hot, start checking at 22 minutes rather than waiting the full 25, because the difference between perfect and slightly overcooked is narrow in these small portions.
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