This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Hot pepper jelly gives this easy meatloaf a delicious punch of flavor. Try our Pepper Jelly Meatloaf tonight!
As you might be able to tell from the name of this recipe, we transformed a basic meatloaf into something delicious and memorable – all thanks to a jar of hot pepper jelly we found way in the back of our kitchen cupboard.
Every few months or so, Jack and I will go through our kitchen and pantry shelves, as well as our freezer, so we can ‘rediscover’ and use up ingredients that we have on hand.
In addition to finding some ground beef and ground pork in the freezer, we also found a jar of hot pepper jelly in the cabinet – and that was all the inspiration we needed to come up with this fantastic Pepper Jelly Meatloaf.
How do you make Pepper Jelly Meatloaf?
Our meatloaf recipe is pretty straight forward – ground meat (we used beef and pork) is combined with milk-softened bread crumbs, eggs, as well as minced onions and garlic. The meatloaf is also flavored with a mix of both ketchup and pepper jelly.
The Pepper Jelly Meatloaf is baked in a loaf pan – but just for half the baking time, and long enough to give this easy meatloaf its shape.
At that halfway mark, carefully invert the meatloaf onto a foil lined baking sheet – then slather on a glaze made with more ketchup and pepper jelly.
Bake until your Pepper Jelly Meatloaf is cooked through – insert a probe thermometer in the end of the loaf and when it registers 160 degrees F, it’s done.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. During that resting time, the meatloaf will continue to cook and reach the safe and fully-cooked internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Then, slice and serve.
Your Pepper Jelly Meatloaf will have a glistening, sweet and spicy glaze on top, and tons of flavor in every bite – thanks to that pepper jelly!
Can I use sweet pepper jelly instead?
Absolutely! We’ve made this pepper jelly meatloaf with both sweet and hot pepper jelly – and either way, it’s delicious!
You may enjoy these other meatloaf recipes:
- Jack’s Meatloaf With Gravy
- Turkey Stuffing Meatloaf
- Meatloaf Starter
- Touchdown Mini Meatloaf
- Ranch Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Pepper Jelly Meatloaf
Ingredients
2 cups seasoned panko bread crumbs, *see Notes below
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs beaten
1 cup minced onion
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 cup Stonewall Kitchen Hot Pepper Jelly, divided
3/4 cup ketchup, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef (We used 90/10 but 80/20 is fine. The fat gets poured off)
1/2 pound ground pork (not sausage meat)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven.
Spray a 9 ½ x 4 x 4 loaf pan with kitchen pan spray. A 9 x 4 x 3 will work fine as well.
Line a small sheet tray with foil and spray the foil with kitchen pan spray.
In a large mixing bowl combine panko, milk and beaten eggs and let sit while you chop the onions and garlic.
Use a wooden spoon and stir in the onions and garlic.
Stir in ½ cup of the pepper jelly and ¼ cup of the ketchup along with the salt and pepper. Thoroughly mix this to incorporate all of the ingredients.
Add the ground beef and ground pork and stir with a wooden spoon just long enough to combine but don’t over mix.
Scrape this mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and pour off any fat from the pan then gently invert the half-cooked meatloaf onto the foil lined and sprayed pan. This step is to get the loaf started in the loaf pan shape but not let it cook drowning in fat.
Mix the remaining half cup of jelly and half cup of ketchup in a small bowl then brush all over the meatloaf with most going over the top.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for another 60-70 minutes or until a probe thermometer inserted into the end towards the center registers 160 degrees F. Let the meat loaf sit for ten minutes and during that time, the carry over heat will bring it above the safe temperature of 165 degrees F.
After ten minutes carve into eight or more slices.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Notes
*If you can’t find seasoned Panko bread crumbs, use plain Panko and add 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning.
Fell apart! No good
Sorry you were disappointed Patty – did you use panko breadcrumbs and not the more finely ground bread crumbs?
We love pepper jelly so this meatloaf was the best ;thank you
You’re welcome Rob – so glad you enjoyed the meatloaf!
This is the most amazing meatloaf my husband and I have ever had. It is a staple in our home
Thank you so much Whitney! So glad the meatloaf is a hit!
Very very soggy for me. I know that was to much onion and milk and panko for me. I like my meat loaf more meaty.
Sorry you were disappointed. Soggy doesn’t sound quite right…
This recipe looks delicious, but where do I find the pepper jelly? I love pepper jelly, but can usually only find it around Christmas.?
Hi Carol – Amazon carries a variety of brands (we used Stonewall Kitchen red pepper jelly) and you can browse them here: https://amzn.to/3LSjtO6 – one of our local supermarkets sells it too. It’s usually up on the very top shelf, near the other jams and jellies. While we used red pepper jelly, a spicier jalapeno jelly could also work. We have a homemade recipe here: https://www.afamilyfeast.com/jalapeno-jelly/ – hope that helps!
Thank you so much Martha for such a quick and helpful reply! Could you tell me store name? I already ordered some Stonehill, but am curious 🤗.
Hi Carol – I believe it was our local Stop & Shop – but not 100% sure!
Sounds like it might be quite a drive from California 🤗 but thank you!
I made this recipe and the flavor was amazing! The only thing is I felt like there were too many bread crumbs. Did I do something wrong with the bread crumbs? I normally only use 3/4 a cup but this recipe called for 2 cups.
Hi Whitney – The recipe called for panko breadcrumbs which are lighter and crispier than typical bread crumbs. Did you happen to use regular instead of the panko?