Meatloaf Burgers
If regular hamburgers and traditional meatloaf had a baby, this would be it. Meatloaf Burgers are my favorite thing to make when I’m craving that classic comfort food flavor but don’t have the patience for an hour-long bake in a loaf pan. You still get all the delicious results of a hearty meat mixture but it’s shaped into burger patties and cooked in a skillet in just a couple of minutes per side.
Try these burger recipes next: Hamburger Steaks Recipe, Christy’s Smoked Burgers, and Juicy Burgers (with a surprise ingredient!)!
These burgers are just as versatile as a whole loaf of classic meatloaf. You can serve them on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings, turn them into meatloaf sandwiches the next day, or brush them with a little BBQ sauce for a bbq meatloaf burger that’ll give smash burgers a run for their money.
Before You Get Started
- Choose your buns wisely: Any sturdy sandwich bun works, but I love a soft hamburger bun that soaks up a little of that tomato flavor.
- Keep the patties moist: The tomato sauce and eggs help keep them juicy. Lean meat works, but don’t go too lean. 80/20 ground beef gives the best balance of flavor and tenderness.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground beef (lean meat or ground chuck)
- Tomato sauce (or ketchup)
- Quick oats (or bread crumbs)
- Eggs
- Chopped onion
- Chopped bell pepper
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
How to Make Meatloaf Burgers
1. Mix It Up
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, tomato sauce, bread crumbs (or oats), eggs, onion, bell pepper, and seasonings. Use your hands for the best mix.
2. Shape the Patties
Form into 4 meatloaf patties, each shaped like a doughnut with a hole in the middle for even cooking.
3. Cook
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a little oil. Cook burger patties for about 5–7 minutes per side, until browned. Add 1 cup of water, cover, and reduce to medium heat. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 160°F.
4. Serve
Place patties on buns with ketchup, slaw, or your favorite toppings.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave, air fryer, or skillet.
- You can also freeze uncooked or cooked patties for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking as instructed or reheat as mentioned above.
Recipe Notes
- Swap the oats. Substitute the oats for bread crumbs or Saltine cracker crumbs if you like.
- Want to add more seasoning? Opt for 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, or a dash of cayenne pepper for heat.
- Swap the meat. You can totally substitute the ground beef for ground turkey if you prefer. If you want to add more meat, add 2/3 cup of chopped cooked bacon.
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with a meatloaf burger?
You can make a meatloaf sandwich with coleslaw or your favorite burger toppings, like pickles, fresh tomato slices, and lettuce. Alternatively, serve your meatloaf patties as a main dish with mashed potatoes or parmesan oven fries and fresh green beans.
What toppings go best with meatloaf burgers?
Ketchup is the classic choice, but BBQ sauce, sautéed onions, or even green beans on the side make it a full delicious dinner.
Can I bake these instead of pan-frying?
Sure thing. Place patties on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes, or until cooked through.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef can use lean or ground chuck
- 1 can tomato sauce 8 ounces, can substitute 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup quick oats or cracker crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/3 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium heat while you prepare the meatloaf burgers.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with hands until well mixed. Form into 4 doughnut-shaped patties.1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 1 can tomato sauce, 1/2 cup quick oats or cracker crumbs, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/3 cup chopped bell pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Place them in the heated skillet and brown on both sides (about 5-7 minutes per side). Add 1 cup of water to the skillet and continue cooking until juices run clear (about 5 minutes or so).
- Serve on your favorite buns, preferably topped with ketchup and slaw. Enjoy!
Could these burgers be grilled on the BBQ instead of pan fried?
Yes, I have done both and both are equally delicious.
I have never liked oat meal in ground beef anything. I use rice Krispy cereal or ground up crackers, coursely done in the food processor. They have a lighter taste and absorb the excess liquid or fat or whatever the oatmeal is supposed to do.
I made this recipe using my crackers and it was really good. Will add into my box of favorites. I think I will also try it for my filling for stuffed red sweet bell peppers…the green ones are too bitter so I use the colored, ripe ones.
Great recipe. I have been using a copycat Cracker Barrel recipe for meatloaf for a few years and this will replace it. Only change I will use next time is to use no salt (personal taste and blood pressure). Thanks so much for sharing this. God Bless you and yours.
Hope you love it!
I made these exactly as written last night for the first time. Very disappointing and bland. My husband, inlaws and I all thought they were missing something. I wish I had made my regular meatloaf recipe, and just served that on a bun.
Hello, good recipe. The only thing I did differently was to spread the vegetables out on a cookie sheet and put them under the broiler for 2 minutes to soften them up a bit. Thanks for your time.
I am so glad you liked them Rob!! I hope you find some other favorites!!
Christy, I finally tried these burgers for dinner tonight and they were terrific! I followed the recipe exactly, except for the fact that I forgot to shape them into donut shaped burgers. They still came out very moist anyway.
By the way, I used one and a half pounds of meat with all the ingredients you have listed, but it was way too much for four burgers. The other ingredients stretched it so much that I was able to make SEVEN burgers (6 ounces each). Like I said, I followed your recipe exactly but that’s how it came out. No complaints at all, I just wanted to let you and others know that. Next time I figure I’ll use just a pound of meat and probably get four or five large burgers.
I made these along with your Parmesan Oven Fries and it was a great dinner. Thanks again! 🙂
I am so glad you got the chance to try them!!! So glad you liked them and had a great dinner!!
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