Meatloaf is good in general, cooked in the oven but imagine how perfect this can get when smoked. We love a good old meatloaf and I do love adding little extras to it -you do know me by now and how I like a little twist or two. This time for this meatloaf recipe, I added the smoking and some boiled quail eggs, that's all. Mmmm!
Well, my mum makes drob (haggis) she makes at easter and she adds boiled eggs inside. It is not only prettier but delicious and extra nutritious too. I will publish that recipe super soon.
I was inspired to smoke this meatloaf by my smoked pork joint recipe and the homemade sausages - we kinda like smoked stuff haha.
It doesn't have to be a special occasion to make this meatloaf, but it is great for parties, and it makes a great source of protein. ultimately, it is a very healthy meatloaf recipe since there are no nasty ingredients added to it.
It is all about wholesomeness and homemade food and this is how I think it should be.
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🥘 Ingredients
This smoked meatloaf recipe only requires a few ingredients, here they are:
- mince or ground beef - I use a 5% fat beef
- Quail eggs - these need to be boiled for this recipe
- garlic - fresh garlic will taste the best, but garlic powder will do as well
- salt - I used kosher salt but Himalayan pink salt is as good
- pepper- I used long pepper and it tastes really good
- dried herbs - add your favorite. I have added thyme, rosemary, and oregano
- eggs - helps bind the meatloaf together with the breadcrumbs
- homemade ketchup - I use a homemade one to keep this recipe a made-from-scratch one - it is important to me but use store bought one if you wish
- panko breadcrumbs
- mushrooms - these prevent the meatloaf from drying and make it tasty and keep it juicy - just as we want it
- leeks - add extra flavor - soo good!
- onion - even if you do not like onions add those - just grate them instead of chopping so these will blend in and just add to the flavor and the moisture
- spring onion/scallions - these are to mix and cook together with the leeks and the mushrooms
See the recipe card for the exact quantities and substitutions section below for some more tips and ideas.
🔪 How to make smoked meatloaf
This smoked meatloaf recipe is a delicious spin on the classic meatloaf since it is smoked and hence delivers a wonderfully smoky flavor.
- Gather all the listed ingredients
- Boil the quail eggs
- Cook the mushrooms, onion, and leek mix
- Mix all the ingredients
- Put the mixture into the cooking dish
- Add the quail eggs halfway
- Add the remaining meatloaf mixture
- Cook as desired (see cooking options below).
Hint: You do not have a grill? See the FAQs section below for more tips on achieving the smokey flavor. We are using this BBQ to cook and smoke this meatloaf.
💞 Substitutions
- Gluten-free - instead of panko breadcrumbs, you can use any gluten-free breadcrumbs
- Mushrooms - if you do not like or cannot eat mushrooms, leave those out and choose slightly fattier meat (20% fat instead of 5%)
- Quail eggs - use regular eggs if you do not have quail eggs on hand
- Vegetarian - you can make this vegetarian by adding more breadcrumbs and increasing the mushroom amount and the fresh eggs - see this lentil loaf as an alternative, also a high protein loaf option, totally meat-free.
- Vegan - mushrooms, tofu, chia seeds, vegan bacon
🤹♂️ Variations
- Make it spicy - add chili flakes or banana peppers to the mixture;
- Deluxe - add nuts (peanuts or cashew nuts) to make it super fancy;
- Extra flavor - add Worchester sauce, allspice, or nutmeg for extra flavor.
📦 Storage
Once cool, store in an airtight
🤩 Cooking options
- BBQ
This is my go-to method since I have this cool BBQ that does smoking as well. I simply cook it in a heat-resistant (metallic) tin so the meatloaf will have a nice shape too but it could be placed on a cast iron plate too.
- Smoker
Place the pan in the smoker and smoke for 2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 72°C or 160°F.
- Oven
Place in the tin and cook in a preheayed oven for 40-45 min at 180°C or 360°F.
📍Top tip
Don't overcook the meatloaf for the best results so it will remain nice and juicy! Do not worry if you do not have a BBQ, smoker, or pellet grill. You can make this in the oven too. See how, below.
💭 What is the best wood to smoke a meatloaf?
Oak, pear, apple, hickory, or mesquite wood are the best options to get a great smoke flavor for this meatloaf.
❓FAQs
Yes, you can add chopped smoked bacon into the mixture and then wrap the meatloaf in smoked bacon rashers and bake in the oven.
Alternatively, place this meatloaf (make it round) place it into a dutch oven, add a smoking chip of wood inside, cover, and cook in the oven as usual. You will have to allow it to cook uncovered for at least 20 minutes so you will get that nice look.
Also, there is a smoke flavor that you can purchase and add to it but I am the least fan of this method.
There are a few ways to smoke this meatloaf but here is how to do it in a smoker
Yes, absolutely! Here's how.
The meatloaf needs to be completely cool.
Slice it, wrap it in cling film and either wrap it in aluminum foil after or simply place the slices in an air-tight container and freeze for a max of 3 months.
Reheating the frozen meatloaf will have to be done carefully. The slice or slices will need to be thawed in the fridge overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.
Reheat in a pan after removing the wrapping for a couple of minutes on each side or you could reheat in the microwave for 45 seconds to 2 minutes depending on how thick the slice is.
👪 Serving suggestions
This meatloaf pairs well with this delicious haricot beans and tomato salad or this Crusty Baked (Potato) Spuds.
Other meat recipes you may like
- Easy BBQ Chicken Kebabs45 Minutes
- Easiest Chicken Thighs Recipe With Broccoli Salad30 Minutes
- Easy Baked Chicken Parmesan40 Minutes
- Teriyaki Chicken Egg Fried Rice With Vegetables45 Minutes
Smoked Meatloaf With Quail Eggs
Equipment
- metalic tin or two smaller ones
- spatula
- chopping board
- knife
- pan
- smaller pot
- bbq
Ingredients
- 800g ground beef 5% fat
- 8 quail eggs
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs use gluten-free if needed
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon dried herbs
- 250 g mushrooms cremini /chestnut for extra flavor
- ½ medium leek use the green part
- 4 small scallions spring onion
- ½ cup ketchup I used homemade ketchup
- 1 tsp thyme fresh or dried
- 8 thin rahers bacon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Prepare your BBQ as you would normally do for a regular BBQ.
- Boil the quail eggs. These only take a minute or two do boil. When finished, peel them and set aside.You can have these boiled in advance.
- Sautee the finely chopped mushrooms together with the finely chopped leek and spring onions/scallions. Add some salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed mushroom mix too.
- Place half of the mixture in a loaf pan, add the boiled quail eggs and place the other half over. Smooth out the top.
- Add the bacon rashers over the loaf and brush a coat or two of ketchup.
- Place in the BBQ and cook for a good 30- 40 minutes depending on the heat.
- When ready, allow it to rest for at least 10-15 minutes, take out of the tin, slice and serve.
Amy Liu Dong says
I love how you made this recipe easy for us to understand and follow.
I made it and it was really delicious!
Enri Lemoine says
Great recipe, Ramona. I don't have a smoker, and I didn't have quail eggs, but I made my meatloaf with regular eggs in the oven. Total success! Thanks for the inspiration!
Claire says
My partner loves meatloaf so I'll definitely be saving this recipe for later. Can't wait to give it a try!
Mindy says
Fantastic meatloaf recipe! I typically don't care for meatloaf but this was delicious. Thank you so much!
Veronika says
I never thought to make a smoked meatloaf, this is such a great idea! I can't wait to give it a try once we take our smoker out when it gets warmer.
Cathleen says
I LOVE meatloaf, and this variation is perfect! Thank you so much for the recipe, I am obsessed with this! 🙂
Pam says
Best meatloaf I have ever had! We usually skip the quail eggs because we have trouble finding them, but it is still so amazingly good without them!
Megs says
So good! I loved the addition of quail eggs. Tasty, simple and easy to make. My favourite kind of recipe.
Kristina says
I've been seeing recipes similar to this meatloaf and am glad I finally tried it. The flavor was great and the eggs made it different than other meatloaves I've had. This one is a keeper!
Bernice says
My kids really liked this 'buried treasure' twist on meatloaf. It disappeared quickly and I was really glad I made two because meatloaf sandwiches are always amazing.
Ramona says
Hehe, thank you so much dear Bernice!
Sharon says
This smoked meatloaf has all the things I love about meatloaf and takes them up a notch! The egg in the center is a genius addition.
Ramona says
Thanks so much, dear Sharon!