Smoker Recipes: Meat Loaf

Last week I brought you a smoker banana bread recipe. This week we have smoker meatloaf. It takes meatloaf to a whole new dimension. When I mentioned smoking a meatloaf to a few folks who like to use their smoker they had a somewhat quizzical look on their face. Most said, “Hmm, I would have never thought about trying that.”

What’s a meatloaf gotta due to get some attention? Well, you look up Malcom Reed, Pit Master of the Killer Hogs BBQ team. Malcom has a great website How To BBQ Right, a Youtube channel, an HowToBBQRight app, and of course his own line of BBQ rubs. Phew!

It takes a gentle hand

Image by bingngu93 from Pixabay

I like Malcom. He is no-nonsense and gets right to the point. His Youtube video presentation on making smoker meatloaf was enjoyable. I didn’t follow his recipe to a “t”, I just listened and adapted a few new items to my recipe along with tips for smoking the meatloaf. Here is my recipe. Enjoy!

Smoker Meatloaf

This will make you two loaves. It does freeze well, so don’t be afraid to smoke both meatloaves and then freeze one for later.

You will need:

  • one cookie sheet
  • aluminum foil
  • mixing bowl
  • plastic wrap
  • bread tins
  • meat thermometer

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs hamburger, thawed. DO NOT USE LEAN hamburger( you want the fat) thawed.
  • 1 lb ground pork, thawed * This was Malcolm’s part of the recipe
  • 1/2 c. minced red onion
  • 1 cup chopped sweet red pepper * This was Malcolm’s part of the recipe
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp pepper
  • 2 eggs slightly beaten
  • 1 cup of bread crumbs
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • A sprinkling of Meat Church Holy Gospel BBQ Rub
Photo by Michele Bruxvoort

Directions:

Take both the hamburger and the ground pork and place it in a large mixing bowl. DO NOT MIX YET! You don’t want to overwork the meat and make it tough. Add to the meats: onion, sweet red pepper, salt, pepper. NOW you can GENTLY fold everything together with your hands. TIP: I keep a set of Playtex gloves for mixing meatloaf and shredding hot chicken or turkey. They work like a dream.

Take a cup of bread crumbs and add that to the meat mixture, followed by the 2 eggs slightly beaten and once again GENTLY mix that in with your hands. The egg and bread crumbs act as a binder.

Lastly, add a generous sprinkling of Meat Church Holy Gospel BBQ Rub. This is a delicious rub so you can be generous! Mixing the rub into the meat GENTLY one more time. Now you are ready to make them into loaves. At this point, I start my smoker (as it takes 15 minutes to get going) and set it for 250, smoking the loaves for two hours or an internal temperature of 160 degrees- whichever comes first.

Still more directions…

Grab your two bread tins and line them with plastic wrap, make sure it extends over the sides and ends. The tins act as meatloaf molds. Next, divide the meatloaf mixture evenly and pack into the plastic wrap lined bread tins. You can choose to finish covering the meatloaf with wrap and chill for an hour, or you can get them ready to be smoked. If you’re ready to smoke them, take each loaf pan and flip it over onto the aluminum wrap lined cookie sheet. The loaves should drop out nicely. Remove the plastic wrap and discard.

Taking the aluminum lined cookie sheet with the two meatloaves and slide the foil carefully off into the grill, making sure they are centered. Come back after an hour and check the internal temperature with your meat thermometer. After that point, I usually check back every 15 minutes as I don’t want them overdone. You’re looking for an internal temp of 160 degrees.

Patience pays off

Once you meatloaf has reached the internal temperpature of 160 degrees it is ready to be removed from the smoker. IF YOU LIKE A GLAZE I would suggest you apply the glaze 15 minutes before your meatloaf is ready to be removed.

Now you are ready to slice and enjoy all that smokey meatloaf goodness. Hopefully you’ve made some wonderful mash potatoes, or cheesey potatoes along with green beans… oh goodness… enjoy!

About Michele Bruxvoort

Michele Bruxvoort is sure to draw you in with her delightful sense of humor and love for living life.   She enjoys reading, repurposing,  as well as remodeling the family home with her husband. Drawing from her life experience as wife, mom, and follower of Jesus, Michele brings you a very honest and real perspective on life.  When you don't find her writing, you can find her mowing lawns, stocking shelves, taking care of her grandbaby and tackling her latest life adventure. Wisconsin native and empty-nester, she now makes her home with her husband of 27 years in the South West Prairie plains of Minnesota.

View all posts by Michele Bruxvoort

2 Comments on “Smoker Recipes: Meat Loaf”

  1. Sounds yummy! I will have to suggest this to my daughter, as she & her husband recently got a smoker also. They are having fun smoking all of the fresh fish that he catches.

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