Smoked Meatloaf on My Pellet Grill (6 Easy Steps)

This smoked meatloaf recipe is a classic!

We love it at our house!

That juicy middle and delicious BBQ sauce glaze, how could it get better?

Follow my simple steps for a declious smoked meatloaf below.

The smoke flavor infuses into the glaze as well the meat.

Making this a popular dish at all our cookouts!

Some people do overcook their meatloaf.

So follow my simple steps below and you’ll master meatloaf in no time!

Is It Simple to Smoke a Meatloaf?

Smoking meatloaf is as easy as mixing all the ingredients, placing it in a pan, then putting it all in the smoker.

Leave it to smoke, let it rest then enjoy!

The easiest thing?

We use a pellet grill.

You don’t have to monitor the temperature or worry about when to add any more wood or charcoal to the fire!

What You Need for Smoked Meatloaf

The key elements of a good meatloaf are the meat, a binder, the seasonings, and a sauce mixture.

The Meat:

2lb ground beef or venison 

2lb ground pork

8 oz bacon cubed and the cooked

The Binder:

4 eggs whisked

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

½ cup milk 

The Seasonings:

2tsp lawrys season salt

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp black pepper ground

1 large yellow onion chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional) 

The Sauce:

Cup Barbecue sauce or ketchup

Mustard

Should You Prepare Meatloaf the Night Before?

For best results, prepare the mixture and shape the day before smoking and leave it in the fridge overnight. 

This will help the meatloaf mixture bind together and hold while smoking, with the added advantage of infusing all the flavors together. 

Combining Your Ingredients for Meatloaf

Combine the ground beef and pork in with the breadcrumbs and beaten eggs and seasonings in a mixing bowl.

If it’s still looking a little dry, add a squirt of barbecue sauce to help hold it all together.

Mix to blend all the ingredients evenly, but don’t over-mix or it will become tough.

How to Shape Meatloaf

Once the meat mixture is combined, turn it out onto a piece of greaseproof paper on a wire rack.

Then gently shape it into two loaf shapes.

Once it’s shaped you can coat it in a barbecue rub or seasoning mix of choice, for some extra smoky flavor.

Can You Smoke Meatloaf In A Pan?

You sure can smoke your meatloaf in a pan. This can help give you a more uniform shape. However, you don’t get the same smoky flavor you would if you didn’t use a pan.

What Temperature to Smoke Meatloaf At?

To smoke meatloaf you want to keep the temperature between 250°F – 300°F.

Keep the lid closed for even heat distribution.

Should You Use a Loaf Pan for Smoked Meatloaf?

Ideally, the meatloaf mixture should hold its shape so it doesn’t crumble on the grill. 

Placing it in a loaf pan will defeat the purpose of smoking as the smoke won’t be able to circulate and permeate the meat. 

It’s natural for the meat load to crumble a bit during smoking, so place it on a cookie tray or disposable aluminum foil loaf with short sides.

The last thing you want to do is have a big clean-up job on your grill.

Just make sure the smoke can reach as much of the meatloaf as possible.  

How Long Should You Cook Smoked Meatloaf?

The cooking time for meatloaf is 2 hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.

You should always monitor with a meat temperature probe, rather than an exact time frame. 

After an hour, start monitoring to be on the safe side.

Applying the Glaze to the Meatloaf

 In a smaller bowl, mix together the sauce and the mustard to form the glaze.

After an hour of smoking, or when the internal temperature hits 100F, coat the glaze mix over the entire loaf and increase the heat of the grill to 350F.

Coat as many times as needed to the level of flavor desired.

What Temperature Is Smoked Meatloaf Done?

Smoked meatloaf is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.

You should monitor this with a temperature probe.

Once removed from the grill, let the meatloaf rest for a few moments then slice and enjoy!

How Long Does It Take to Smoke a Meatloaf on A Pellet Grill

It takes around 2 hours to smoke a meatloaf. You want to get an internal temperature of 160°F.

Wood Pellet Flavors for Meatloaf?

Meatloaf pairs well with stronger flavors of oak, hardwood, or mesquite.

Equally as good with subtle flavors of the fruit and nut timbers such as apple, maple, or cherry.

As with any meat dish, the flavor of wood chips is really a very personal preference.

Go wild and experiment until you find your favorite.

The most important objective is to select a good smoking timber, for maximum smoky flavor infusion.

Why Smoke Your Meatloaf?

Smoked meatloaf on the pit boss pellet grill is easy to put together, cooks quickly, and tastes amazing with the added element of smoky flavor.

The following is designed to help take you through the process, but feel free to adapt to your family’s favorite traditional meatloaf recipe.

What to Serve With Smoked Meatloaf?

Serve with sides of mashed potato and hot vegetables. or equally as delicious with coleslaw and a simple salad. 

Here are some ideas of what to serve with smoked meatloaf.

Dress it up or down, and enjoy it straight off the grill or as delicious leftovers the next day.

What to Do With Leftover Meatloaf?

The best thing to do with leftover meatloaf is meatloaf sandwiches!

It’s a tradition at our house to make meatloaf on the weekend.

Then have meatloaf sauces all week long!

The traditional meatloaf done in the smoker grill takes a family favorite to an amazing dish full of smoky goodness.

You’ll want to enjoy time and time again!

Smoke On!

Charlie

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