Today, I’m giving the traditional meatloaf recipe a twist by turning it into mini meatloaf muffins making it great for meal prep and a fun idea for the kids. But, this isn’t your traditional meatloaf muffins recipe. This recipe is healthy, gluten free, grain free, and paleo friendly. So, you can feel good about serving it to your family and even work it into your healthy meal prep routine.
Serve it with a side of homemade mashed potatoes (or cauliflower mash for a low carb option) and steamed vegetables for an easy, healthy dinner idea throughout the week. And, you can even batch prep and freeze these meatloaf muffins for up to 3 months!
Why You’ll Love These Mini Meatloaf Muffins
- They’re Healthy. Because this recipe is gluten free, grain free, and paleo friendly, it’s a lot healthier than your traditional meatloaf recipe.
- Meal Prep Friendly: Unlike traditional meatloaf, turning it into muffins allows you to pre-portion out individual serving sizes for an easy grab-and-go lunch or dinner idea.
- They’re Versatile. If you’re trying to hit your protein goals, try swapping out the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken to pack in even more protein.
- Freezer Friendly. These meatloaf muffins will last in the freezer for up to 3 months making them perfect for batch prepping.
- Kid Friendly. The kids will love these! Plus, they’re easy to pack into their lunch box for a healthy meal on-the-go.
Meatloaf Muffins Ingredients
This recipe is made with healthy, whole food ingredients that are easily accessible for most people making it a great weeknight dinner. Here’s what you’ll need
- Ground Beef. To keep these muffins in line with traditional meatloaf, we’re using ground beef. However, you can also use ground turkey or chicken to bump up the protein content even more.
- Vegetables. The sauteed onion and bell pepper not only sneak in extra veggies, but also give added texture and flavor.
- Egg. The egg helps hold everything together.
- Ground Flaxseeds. To keep this recipe gluten free and grain free, instead of using bread crumbs, we’re using ground flaxseeds, which provides extra nutrition and fiber.
- Seasonings. A blend of Italian seasonings elevate the flavor of these gluten free meatloaf muffins.
- Sauce. To make a simple paleo friendly sauce, we combine raw honey, tomato paste, and sea salt.
How To Make These Gluten Free Meatloaf Muffins
If you’re looking for a healthy dinner recipe that’s very easy to whip up and that the whole family will love, this is the one!
- Make the sauce. Add all sauce ingredients into a saucepan to heat and combine.
- Make the meatloaf mixture. Add all meatloaf ingredients to a mixing bowl and combine.
- Add to muffin pan. Add the meatloaf mixture to a regular size muffin pan (yields 12 muffins). Spread the sauce over top and bake until done.
Storage and Meal Prep Tips
If you’re meal prepping these meatloaf muffins, here are a few tips for you.
- Refrigerator: These will last in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezer: After cooking and cooling these muffins, you can transfer to an airtight, freezer friendly container (or bag) and freeze for up to 3 months. Let defrost in the fridge overnight before re-heating and serving.
Ways to Serve
These muffins can be serve the same way you’d serve traditional meatloaf. I like to pair meatloaf with a side of vegetables and a starchy carb.
- Mashed Potatoes (or cauliflower mash for a low carb option)
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Steamed Green Beans
- Steamed Broccoli
- Steamed Asparagus
More Healthy Dinner Ideas
If you’re on the search for more healthy dinner ideas, here’s a few of my favorites.
Meatloaf Muffins Recipe (gluten free)
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Meatloaf:
- 1 tsp Avocado Oil
- 1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1.5 lbs Ground Beef (or ground turkey or chicken)
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 C. + 2 Tbsp of Ground Flaxseeds
- 1 tsp Garlic, minced
- 1.5 Tbsp Italian Seasoning (salt free)
- 1.5 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Each of Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a regular size muffin pan (with 12 slots) and set aside.
- Add all sauce ingredients to a saucepan over low-medium heat and whisk to combine. Let heat through for 2-3 minutes. Remove from stovetop to cool.
- Add all meatloaf ingredients to a mixing bowl.
- Mix with hands until everything is fully combined.
- Divide the meatloaf mixture into roughly 12 equal parts. Roll them into a ball and add to muffin slots flattening them a bit on top to look like muffins.
- Spread the sauce mixture on top of each muffin.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 160 F. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
First, I have to say—I’ve never been a fan of meatloaf. But for some reason, I decided to give this recipe a try since every other recipe I’ve made from your collection has been fabulous. And once again, you did not disappoint, my friend!
I did make a couple of tweaks—added fresh basil and used a mix of ground chicken and beef—and the result was absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to enjoy my lunches this week.
Thank you again, and please never stop doing what you’re doing!
yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed it. Those tweaks sound delish, btw!
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
I love it!
yay!
Made these tonight and they are SO GOOD. I used 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground chicken. Will be adding these to the rotation for sure.