Smoked meatloaf turns out best when you start with enough fat, shape a sturdy loaf, and cook it over steady indirect heat, meaning the fire sits off to one side rather than under the loaf. Run the smoker at 250°F and brush the glaze on in the last half hour. Pull the loaf when the center reaches 160°F. You get plenty of smoke flavor and the slices stay tender.
What this article covers
- Choose a Meat Blend With Enough Fat
- Season the Mixture From the Inside
- Shape a Loaf That Stays Above the Grate
- Smoke at 250°F Over Indirect Heat
- Glaze During the Final Stretch
- Remove the Meatloaf at 160°F
- Why Smoked Meatloaf Can Dry Out
Choose a Meat Blend With Enough Fat
For a two-pound loaf, we like 1½ pounds of 80/20 ground beef (80% lean meat and 20% fat) mixed with ½ pound of ground pork. The beef gives you the meatloaf flavor people expect, and the pork adds the fat that keeps it moist. An all-beef loaf also works, but we'd stay with 80/20 beef instead of choosing a lean grind.
Fat matters more in the smoker because the loaf sits uncovered in moving hot air. Start with lean meat and there is very little fat to render out. The loaf goes from just done to dry in the last few degrees before 160°F. Thaw the meat all the way through before it goes in the smoker. Partly frozen meat spends too long between 40°F and 140°F at low smoker temperatures, and that is the range where bacteria multiply fastest. USDA gives the same guidance.
With the blend sorted, the next decision is seasoning, and where you put it is actually the secret here, rather than which one you pick.
Season the Mixture From the Inside
Seasoning only the outside gives you a flavorful edge and a plain center. Mix the seasoning all the way through so every slice is seasoned right through to the middle. For two pounds of meat, add one beaten egg and about one cup of breadcrumbs along with whatever rub you're using. The egg and crumbs bind the loaf together. Stop mixing as soon as everything looks even. Keep going past that point and you pack the meat tight, which gives you a dense, rubbery slice.
Any of our beef rubs works here. Check the salt level first, because Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, cheese and any other additions already contribute plenty of seasoning and all of them contain their own salt. Pick one combination and stay with it. Add three or four different rubs and the flavors cancel each other out.
Our partner Pawpa Flavor makes its own blends in California, and founder Alan Pember built the line around short, readable ingredient labels. If you're watching salt, his All Flavor range has no added salt or sugar at all, so season the mix with All Flavor Mama Mia and All Flavor OMGarlic together. The Mama Mia brings the herb side and the OMGarlic brings the garlic and onion underneath it, which is the pairing we'd reach for on a meatloaf. If salt isn't a concern, the Bearly Legal blends are the bolder end of his range, and Pawpa Flavor's Original BBQ Sauce works for the glaze.
Once the seasoning is mixed through, handle the meat carefully. That is what keeps the loaf together on the smoker.
Shape a Loaf That Stays Above the Grate
Mix and shape it gently. Work the ingredients together with your hands until they're combined, then form a loaf about three inches thick with smooth sides and a fairly flat top. A tall, rounded loaf takes longer to cook through. A very thin one has more surface exposed to the air, so it dries out faster.
Don't place a soft loaf directly across wide smoker grates. Set it on a small wire cooling rack, perforated grill pan, or mesh smoking mat so the bottom stays supported. You can shape it in a loaf pan first, chill it until firm, and turn it out onto the rack before smoking. Leave the pan behind if you want smoke and airflow around more of the meatloaf.
Smoke at 250°F Over Indirect Heat
Preheat the smoker to 250°F and place the supported loaf over indirect heat. That setting works on a pellet grill, charcoal smoker, or another cooker that can hold steady heat. Keep the smoker between 225°F and 300°F, which is the range USDA gives. Run two thermometers, one in the chamber and one in the meat.
A two-pound loaf will often need roughly two to three hours, but the clock is only a planning tool. Shape, outdoor conditions, smoker temperature, and the loaf's distance from the heat all affect cooking time. Push the probe in from the side so the tip sits in the middle of the thickest part.
On a pellet grill, run hickory pellets if you want a heavier smoke flavor. Our hickory smoked BBQ collection has what you need. If your smoker takes chips instead, browse our BBQ wood chips for one that suits your cooker. With that said, you should never put loose chips in a pellet hopper.
With the smoke sorted, the glaze is the last decision, and the timing on it matters more than the sauce.
Glaze During the Final Stretch
Wait until the meatloaf is close to done before brushing on the glaze. Glaze too early and the sugar in it sits over heat for the whole cook, so it scorches before the meatloaf is done. Brush on a thin, even coat during the final 15 to 30 minutes, then close the lid and let it set.
One coat is usually enough. If you want a heavier topping, apply two thin layers several minutes apart instead of one thick pour. Thin layers warm and set more evenly, and they're less likely to slide down the sides before serving.
Remove the Meatloaf at 160°F
Pull the loaf when the center reaches 160°F. That is the USDA minimum for meatloaf made with ground beef, pork, lamb or veal. Check it with a food thermometer. Let it rest about 10 minutes before you move or slice it. Straight off the smoker the loaf is soft enough to break apart under a knife.
Do not use the color of the center as your doneness test. Smoked ground meat can stay pink even after it has reached a safe temperature. Check the middle with a thermometer. USDA covers this on its page about the color of cooked ground beef.
Why Smoked Meatloaf Can Dry Out
Smoked meatloaf dries out more easily than baked meatloaf, and the reason is the way it sits in the cooker. You usually bake meatloaf in a pan, where the sides and bottom have less exposure to circulating air. On a smoker, you cook it freestanding to expose more of the surface to smoke. A lean loaf loses moisture faster in that moving hot air.
Dry meatloaf usually comes from four things you control:
- Using lean meat, which leaves too little fat in the loaf
- Overworking the mix, which packs it tight
- Cooking it unsupported, so it spreads thin
- Cooking by the clock, which makes it easy to run past 160°F
Frequently asked questions
Can I Make Smoked Meatloaf With All Ground Beef?
Yes. Use ground beef with enough fat, such as an 80/20 blend, and avoid compacting it while mixing and shaping.
Does Smoked Meatloaf Need to Be Flipped?
No. Cook it over indirect heat on a rack, perforated pan, or mesh mat that supports the entire bottom.
Can I Smoke Meatloaf in a Loaf Pan?
Yes, but the pan covers the sides and bottom, which limits their exposure to smoke. Shaping it in the pan and turning it onto a supported rack gives you more exposed surface.
Can I Use a Pellet Grill for Smoked Meatloaf?
Yes. Preheat it to 250°F, put the meatloaf over indirect heat, and use the internal temperature rather than a fixed cooking time to judge doneness.