Shortly after I got my Pit Bos Austin XL, I wanted to smoke a meatloaf on it. Fortunately, making and smoking a meatloaf is pretty easy. And if I’m saying it’s easy, you can believe it because I don’t like making complicated things. Perhaps it’s a sign that I’m getting older. I’m just glad I haven’t started repeating myself yet.
Smoking meatloaf is just like cooking anything in a regular indoor oven. You mix all your ingredients together in a large bowl then put it into a bread pan to mold it. Then put it into your smoker. After smoking, remove it, let it sit for a few minutes, then eat it. Simple. I’ll include a video of my adventures with smoked meatloaf in this post for those of you who’d rather see it that read about it.
Vertical Smoker vs Horizontal Pellet Smoker Grill
My first smoked meatloaf was on my Pit Boss Austin XL. It was amazing! But later I got a Pit Boss Copperhead Vertical Smoker and everything comes out smokier in it. My best guess has to do with its design. The horizontal pellet grill allows for more smoke to bypass the meat and escape out through the smokestack. In the vertical smoker, the meat is more in the way of the smoke before it escapes and therefore gets more direct smoke and smoke flavor. When I want to grill I use the pellet grill. When I want to smoke, I use the pellet smoker.
Meatloaf Recipe For A Pellet Smoker
You don’t need a special recipe or special ingredients for your meatloaf just because you’re smoking it. I’ll link to my current favorite recipe but again, feel free to use your own favorite recipe. It will be terrific in the pellet smoker.
Prepare Meatloaf For Smoking
One thing I like to do is to make the meatloaf a day before smoking and let it set in the fridge. You don’t have to do this, but I think there are a couple of advantages if you do:
- First, it firms up the loaf so it will stay together better while in the smoker. Unlike oven baking, the meatloaf won’t be in a baking tin or bread pan so it may start to fall apart a bit or a lot as it smokes. You want the meat to be as exposed as much as possible to get as much smoke to it but it could fall a part.
- Second, it also allows all the ingredients to mingle and get to know each other overnight.
I don’t recommend putting the meatloaf directly onto the pellet grill grates. Again, the meatloaf will separate a bit during smoking and parts of it could fall through the grate. It may also be harder to pull off the grates when it’s done.
Then there are the meat drippings especially if you’re using 80/20 or more fatty ground beef. Fat equals flavor especially if you’re smoking it! I use a mix of 80/20 and 70/30 ground beef and when you account for onions, peppers, or other goodies with some water content, it could really make a mess in your smoker.
For these reasons, I recommend putting the meatloaf on a small cookie sheet or cheap, disposable aluminum foil container with raised edges. The container will capture all the drippings and give you much needed support when it comes to taking it out of the smoker. You won’t have to clean the smoker, and you can toss the container or use it to store the leftover meatloaf. Easy, right? Did I mention I like things simple and easy?
Smoking Times and Temperatures For Meatloaf
Here’s what I recommend for a 3 lbs meatloaf (2 lbs meat and 1 lb of other things):
- Temperature: 250
- Time: 3 hours
Feel free to check things out with a thermometer to make sure it’s cooked enough for you. I’ve smoked a meatloaf at least a few times and this time-temperature formula has worked out well for me. I’ve been than thrilled with the results!
Meatloaf on a pellet smoker is something you can really experiment with. It’s a forgiving dish. Try smoking it lower and slower for a more smoky flavor. Finish it off on a higher heat for a little char on the outside. Bottom line: Experiment! Have some fun with it.
Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf?
I’ve seen bacon-wrapped meatloaf and I even tried one once. For me, it sounds better in theory than in reality. Slow cooked bacon isn’t my favorite way to have bacon. I prefer bacon fried or baked at high temperatures so it’s hot and crispy. Bacon that’s wrapped around something like meatloaf won’t come out that way.
In my opinion, if you’re going to add bacon to your meatloaf, cook it up to your preferred level of crispiness, then add it to the other ingredients when you mix it together. That will get you the bacon flavor throughout your meatloaf.
Best Pellets For Smoking A Meatloaf
I don’t have a favorite wood pellet flavor. If you do, use it. The only recommendation I have for pellets is to use the kind that delivers good smoke! Forgive me for throwing shade on Traeger, but I’m not impressed with their pellets. They aren’t very smoky. I think they’re pretty good for grilling steaks because they burn hot, but not for smoking. I like CookinPellets and Pit Boss Competition Blend a lot. Check prices and availability on Amazon.com here.
Smoked meatloaf can be a unique and delicious crowd pleaser. Kid friendly too. And there are all kinds of sides that can go with it like potatoes, root vegetables, coleslaw, rice, corn on the cob, and so on. Potato or corn chips work too. Get creative.
Of course, it’s amazing right off the smoker after a few minutes of rest time, but it’s also terrific the next day. Here are some leftover meatloaf ideas:
- Fried Meatloaf: Slice off pieces and fry it up in a skillet. Crisp up the sides for some crunch.
- Meatloaf Sandwiches: Fry it up like burger patties and make meatloaf sandwiches.
- Meatloaf Stirfry: Fry it up in a skillet and add rice, pasta, or potatoes and veggies. Think “Hamburger Helper” that’s already got great seasoning.
- Shepherd’s Pie: Add the meatloaf to make a shepherd’s pie.
- Smoked Meatloaf Tacos!
I hope you’ll come back and tell us about your smoked meatloaf experience in the comments below, or on the YouTube video comments. Feel free to share what worked best for you, what didn’t work so well, and how we can improve ourselves.
More Interesting Articles:
- Best Pellet Smoker For Grilling Steaks
- Learn Smoking and Grilling – Learn How To BBQ Right
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