Apple Meatloaf Recipe
This Apple Meatloaf Recipe starts with an ordinary pound and a half of ground beef, then adds an apple and an onion cooked down in butter, buttery Ritz cracker crumbs and a spoonful of Dijon. It does not taste like dessert. The apple keeps the loaf juicy and adds a mild sweetness that plays well with the mustard and black pepper.
It is also a smart way to use up the last apple in the fruit bowl. If you have a whole bag to get through, my easy recipes with apples cover plenty of other sweet and savory ideas.
Below you will find why the apple works, which apples to buy, how to tell when the meatloaf is done and how to freeze it. The full printable recipe card is at the bottom of the post.
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Why Add Apple to Meatloaf?
Meatloaf turns dry when the meat squeezes out its juices and nothing in the mix holds onto them. An apple is mostly water. Once it is cooked with the onion and blended into the cracker crumbs, it gives that moisture back slowly while the loaf bakes, so you get tender slices without adding milk or extra fat.
The sweetness is subtle. Cooking the apple in butter first mellows it, so it tastes closer to caramelized onion than fruit. It is the same reason apples show up next to pork chops and sausage so often.
Ingredients for Apple Meatloaf
Exact amounts are in the recipe card. Here is what each ingredient does and what you can swap.
- Ground beef: 80/20 or 85/15 makes the juiciest loaf. Very lean beef (93/7) works, but it dries out faster, so this is where the apple earns its spot. Half beef and half ground pork is good here too.
- Apple: One medium apple. Honeycrisp, Gala and Fuji are sweet and stay firm when cooked. Granny Smith gives a tarter, less sweet loaf. Skip mealy apples like Red Delicious, which turn to mush and taste flat.
- Onion and garlic: Cooked with the apple so there are no crunchy raw bits in the slices. The garlic is optional.
- Ritz crackers: The binder. They add a buttery, slightly salty flavor plain breadcrumbs do not. If you are out, use about the same amount of plain breadcrumbs, panko or quick oats.
- Egg: Holds everything together so the slices do not crumble.
- Dijon mustard: Optional, but it adds a tangy edge that keeps the apple from reading as sweet. Yellow mustard works in a pinch.
- Salt and pepper: Ritz crackers are already salted, so go a little lighter on the salt than you would with breadcrumbs.
How to Make Apple Meatloaf
The only extra step compared to a plain meatloaf is cooking the apple and onion first. Here is the short version; the recipe card has the details.
- Cook the chopped apple, onion and garlic in butter until the onion is soft, then let it cool.
- Pulse the Ritz crackers into crumbs in a food processor, then pulse in the cooled apple mixture.
- Mix it into the ground beef with the egg, Dijon, salt and pepper, just until combined.
- Press into a lined loaf pan and bake at 350°F until the center reads 160°F.
- Let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Tips for the Best Apple Meatloaf
- Cool the apple mixture first. Hot onion and apple start cooking the egg and melting the fat in the beef before the loaf ever hits the oven, and you end up with a greasy, crumbly loaf.
- Mix with your hands and stop early. Once the crumbs and egg disappear into the meat, you are done. Overworked meatloaf bakes up dense and bouncy.
- No food processor? Grate the apple on the large holes of a box grater and crush the crackers in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin. Grated apple melts into the meat the same way.
- Grated or diced? Grating or processing hides the apple completely. A small dice leaves little pockets of apple you can see and taste. Pick based on who is at the table.
- Trust a thermometer, not the clock. A stoneware loaf pan bakes differently than a thin metal one. Ground beef is done at 160°F in the thickest part, per the safe minimum temperature chart.
- Line the pan with a parchment sling. Leave the ends hanging over the sides so you can lift the loaf out of the rendered fat instead of letting it sit in grease.
- Top not browning? Run it under the broiler for the last 2 minutes and watch it closely.
- Rest it 10 minutes. Slice it straight out of the oven and the juices run onto the cutting board and the slices fall apart.
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Apple Meatloaf Variations
- Add a glaze: Stir together 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Spread it over the top for the last 15 minutes of baking.
- Change the meat: Ground pork or a pork and beef mix both work at the same 160°F. Ground turkey or chicken needs to reach 165°F and runs drier, so do not skip the apple or the egg.
- Lean into fall flavors: Add 1 teaspoon dried sage or thyme to the meat mixture. Sage, apple and pork are a classic combination.
- Sneak in more vegetables: Add a shredded carrot with the apple and onion and cook them together.
- Add cheese: Fold 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar into the mix. Cheddar and apple already go together.
- Make mini meatloaves: Press the mixture into a greased muffin tin and start checking at 20 minutes. They are done at the same 160°F.
What to Serve with Apple Meatloaf
Meatloaf wants something soft to soak up the juices and something green on the side. Loaded mashed potatoes are the obvious pick, and roasted asparagus can share the oven for the last stretch of baking. Green beans, a crisp salad or sliced apples with a handful of pecans also work.
Storage, Freezing and Reheating
- Fridge: Cool leftovers, then keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze it cooked: Slice the cooled meatloaf, wrap the slices individually and store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Freeze it unbaked: Shape the loaf in a foil-lined pan, freeze until firm, then lift it out and wrap it well. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
- Reheat: Warm slices in a covered dish at 325°F with a splash of water or broth, or in the microwave under a damp paper towel, until they reach 165°F.
- Leftovers: Cold apple meatloaf makes a good sandwich on toasted bread with a little mustard.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Putting fruit in a meatloaf raises a few fair questions. Here are the ones that come up most about this apple version.
More Meatloaf and Apple Recipes
- 12 Scrumptious Meatloaf Recipes
- Easy Air Fryer Meatloaf Recipe
- Savory Apple Recipes
- Easy Ground Beef Recipes
Apple Meatloaf
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons Set
- Instant-Read Meat Thermometer
Ingredients
- 12-20 Ritz Crackers about 1/2 cup crumbs
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 apple chopped medium; Honeycrisp, Gala or Fuji
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced or chopped optional
- 1 ½ Pound(s) ground beef 80/20 or 85/15
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment, leaving the ends hanging over the sides so you can lift the meatloaf out later.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped apple, onion and garlic and cook, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes.
- Pulse the Ritz crackers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Add the cooled apple mixture and pulse a few times, just until it is chopped fine and mixed into the crumbs.
- Scrape the apple and cracker mixture into a large bowl. Add the ground beef, egg, Dijon mustard if using, and salt and pepper. Mix with your hands just until everything is combined. Do not overmix.
- Press the mixture into the lined loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer in the center of the loaf reads 160°F.
- Let the meatloaf rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out and slice.
Notes
Nutrition
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