Gluten free slow cooker meatloaf is moist and tender, with a delicious crusty glaze. This is comfort food at its very finest!
What is for dinner? It is a question that I’m always asking myself. And my 3-year-old is asking me too. Normally while pulling on my shirt and whining and asking for chocolate.
Dinnertime is such an important family time, but it is something that I often struggle with. That is one of the reasons that I’m a gluten-free dinner fanatic. I know the importance of eating well as a family, despite how difficult it can sometimes be to pull it off. I am always striving to get better at getting a healthy dinner on the table. Even if it is gluten free macaroni and cheese.
I created this recipe just with that in mind!
I’ve discovered that one of the reasons that dinnertime is so difficult is that the kids are cranky, which makes me cranky. Then it takes about 500% longer than it should to make dinner because of the crying baby and whining 3-year-old pulling on my leg. Most of my time in the kitchen is spent fielding kiddos instead of actually making dinner!
One solution is to prep dinner earlier in the day, so that when cranky-o’clock rolls around you can focus on your little ones.
By cooking your gluten free meatloaf in the slow cooker you can prep it earlier in the day (like maybe during nap time?) when everybody is slightly less cranky.
If you are running late and don’t have time for the slow cooker, that is ok too. Just toss it in the oven.
This gluten free slow cooker meatloaf is really easy to mix together; the hardest thing to do is to dice the onion. I hate those onion tears!
Once you mix all the ingredients together you just divide the mixture in half and pat it into 2 little “loaves” a little bigger than your hand. (Doing 2 slightly smaller loaves helps them to cook faster and more evenly.)
I already told you how easy this meatloaf is to make, but I haven’t mentioned how delicious is it! It is so savory, and just packed with flavor. Salt and pepper make the world go ‘round, people! A little steak sauce brings it to the next level. The flavors in the gluten free slow cooker meatloaf recipe are simple, but they really shine through. You can use homemade gluten free breadcrumbs or store-bought gluten free breadcrumbs. Either work.
This is easily the best meatloaf that I’ve ever made!
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Slow Cooker Meatloaf
Gluten Free Slow Cooker Meatloaf easily made in your crock pot or an Instant Pot on the slow cooker setting
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Ground Beef
- 1 Egg
- ½ cup Gluten Free Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Diced Onion, About ½ a large onion
- 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons Salt
- 2 tablespoons Milk
- 2 tablespoons Ketchup
- 2 tablespoons A1 Steak Sauce, Use any gluten free steak sauce you like
For the Glaze
- 3 tablespoons Ketchup
- 3 tablespoons A1 Steak Sauce
Instructions
- Lightly mix all the bread crumbs, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, ground pepper, salt, milk, 2 tablespoons ketchup and 2 tablespoons steak sauce together in a large mixing bowl.
- Divide the mixture in half, form each half into a loaf, and place onto a sheet of aluminum foil.
- If you are doing the slow cooker method, move the meatloaf on the aluminum foil to your slow cooker and cook on high for approximately 2 hours, or on low for about 4. The times will vary based on your slow cooker.
- If you are baking in the oven, move your meatloaf on the aluminum foil to a baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 50-60 minutes, or until done.
- About 10 minutes before your meatloaf is finished cooking, mix together the remaining ketchup and steak sauce for the glaze and brush over the meatloaf.
- Let cool slightly before cutting to let the juices settle.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 517Total Fat 28gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 166mgSodium 1196mgCarbohydrates 20gFiber 2gSugar 8gProtein 44g
All nutrition info is a guestimate and will vary depending on the ingredients you use.
nubwaxer
gluten free, sugar free, and fat free are misguided fads.
flippindelicious
You are free to have you own opinion, but I think you are the one who is misguided here. I agree that there is aspect to these dietary restrictions, but that is not the case for everyone. For those with celiac disease the only treatment is a gluten-free diet. If someone with celiac disease continues to eat gluten the symptoms vary, but the consequences are serious (including cancer.)
I have a grandpa who died from issues secondary to what was most likely celiac disease. It was long before it was a commonly known disease, but it killed him.
Gluten-free is not just a fad.
Jess c
odd question, could I use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil?
flippindelicious
Absolutely! I often use parchment instead of aluminum foil. The idea is just to make it easier to clean up, and to move the meatloaf out of the slow cooker. I think parchment would work just as well.
Using aluminum foil to line my cookie sheets instead of parchment paper doesn't work the same though. That is a sticky mess!
Adgilroy
Have you tried any milk/dairy alternative? We're trying to avoid milk right now. The meatloaf I just made was not....very...good.
flippindelicious
Hi! We are dairy free now and I've used unsweetened plain almond milk, and I think flax milk in this recipe. What milk did you use? I'd love some more info about how the meatloaf turned out so I can help you figure out why it didn't meet your expectations. Best,-Brianna
Amanda
Hi ! The recipe I used was not this one. It was another "easy" meatloaf recipe that was really basic with bread crumbs, an egg, onion, and milk, then it was topped with a mustard/ketch/brown sugar sauce. I sub'd the bread crumbs for gluten free and the milk for a sweetened almond milk because that's what I had on hand. It just wasn't as good as I hoped it would be so I was looking for another option and yours sounded flippin' delicious (hardy har har). So I was going to give it whirl but was curious if you'd successfully found a milk substitute. Thanks for the info!
flippindelicious
Hi Amanda,
I always use an unsweetened plain non-dairy milk (usually almond or flax). Using a sweetened or vanilla milk will certainly change the flavor. I hope you enjoy my recipe! -Brianna
Dar
For someone who is learning how to cook this recipe does not tell you when to mix in the egg and hamburger
flippindelicious
Hi Dar, I apologize for the omission. I'm working to get it updated. -Brianna