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This paleo meatloaf is a yummy high protein meat loaf recipe topped in a savory homemade meatloaf sauce. Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
I just love this paleo recipe for meatloaf. It is packed with flavor, is moist and delicious, and pairs well with so many different sides like this cauliflower and potato mash or these greek yogurt mashed potatoes. Plus the meatloaf sauce that is on top is just so good!
Meatloaf makes great leftovers, which makes meal prep, weekday lunches or dinners a bit easier. You can double this recipe to make two, that way you have can have dinner lots of leftovers.
Table of Contents
What makes this recipe great
- This meatloaf is made with simple wholesome ingredients.
- It is high protein! One serving has 37 grams of protein.
- It is great for those following a Paleo, dairy-free, gluten-free or grain-free diet.
- It is delicious! You will definitely be going back for more.
Recipe ingredients
- Ground beef- I like to use 90% lean ground beef in this recipe, but regular ground beef would work as well.
- Strained tomatoes– this is used to make the meatloaf sauce that goes both inside and outside the meat loaf.
- Blackstrap molasses-to get more info on blackstrap molasses, and how it can fit into a Paleo lifestyle, check out this article from The Paleo Mom.
- Onion powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, garlic powder, chili powder– these spices season the meatloaf sauce and give the meatloaf a nice flavor.
- Maple syrup and mustard– these add a sweet and spicy kick to the sauce.
- Almond milk– this is used to add a bit of moisture to the meatloaf.
- Almond flour– this is used to replace bread crumbs in the meatloaf.
- Onion, red pepper, carrots– these get sautéed and added to the meatloaf for flavor.
- Eggs– these bind the meatloaf batter together.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Make the meatloaf sauce.
Step 2: Mince the carrots, onion, garlic, and red pepper in a food processor.
Step 3: Sautée the minced carrots, onion, garlic, and red pepper until fragrant.
Step 4: Mix the beef, sauteed veggies, eggs, almond flour, almond milk, and some of the meatloaf sauce together.
Step 5: Put the meatloaf mixture into a loaf tin and cook for 20 minutes, then add the rest of the meatloaf sauce on top of the meatloaf.
Step 6: Cook for another 40 minutes, remove from the oven, then let rest for 10 minutes.
Expert tips
- Let the meatloaf rest after cooking. One key to this recipe is to let the meatloaf stand for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven so that the fat from the meat gets reabsorbed into the meatloaf. This makes for a better meatloaf texture.
- How to serve: With a side of roasted veggies and potatoes in any form. I like cottage cheese mashed potatoes and turmeric carrots with it.
- How to store: Cover and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- Try this other paleo meatloaf by Ditch the Wheat. It has mushrooms and other yummy things in it.
Other healthy meatloaf recipes you’ll love:
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
Paleo Meatloaf (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Meatloaf Sauce Ingredients:
- ½ cup strained tomatoes, (canned or cardboard container- Pomi is favorite)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon spicy mustard
Meatloaf Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons almond milk
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, minced
- 1 large carrot, minced
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and line a 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Put the oven rack into the top 1/3 of the oven.
- Make the homemade meatloaf sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients into a small bowl, and mix. Set aside.
- Put the garlic, carrots, onion, and red pepper in a food processor and mince. Put into a frying pan and cook over medium heat, until soft, and the liquid in the pan has evaporated. About 4-5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add the ground beef, salt, pepper, eggs, 3 Tablespoons of the homemade meatloaf sauce, the sautéed veggies, almond flour and almond milk. Mix with a fork or your hands.
- Put the meatloaf mixture into the greased loaf pan. Pat it down so that it is evenly distributed. Cook for 20 mins. Then, take the meatloaf out of the oven and add the remaining meatloaf sauce on top. Smooth the sauce out on top of the meatloaf with a spatula. Put the meatloaf back in the oven and cook for another 40 minutes, until the center is cooked. The meatloaf should have an internal temp of 160 degrees F.
- Let the meatloaf sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Let the meatloaf rest after cooking. One key to this recipe is to let the meatloaf stand for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven so that the fat from the meat gets reabsorbed into the meatloaf. This makes for a better meatloaf texture.
- How to serve: With a side of roasted veggies and potatoes in any form. I like cottage cheese mashed potatoes and turmeric carrots with it.
- How to store: Cover and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love the idea of almond flour so that you don’t have to use breadcrumbs in the meatloaf mix. Since this is paleo, I can finally eat meatloaf again – yay!