Air Fryer Meatloaf
Temperature
350°F
175°C
Time
25 min
1 loaf (450g / 1 lb)
Safe internal
160°F
71°C · piping hot
Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Meatloaf is the one thing an air fryer improves on rather than merely copies. In an oven it sits in a loaf pan and stews in its own rendered fat for an hour; in the perforated basket that fat drips straight through, so the crust browns all over instead of only on top, and it comes out in half the time. The trade is that it can dry out, which is what the milk-soaked breadcrumbs are for - and why you shape it low and wide rather than tall.
Ingredients
Quantities for 1 loaf (450g / 1 lb) - the times on this page assume that much in the basket.
- 450g (1 lb) ground beef, 80/20
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 small onion, grated
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and black pepper
- 3 tbsp ketchup, for the glaze
- 1 tsp brown sugar, mixed into the ketchup
How to air fry meatloaf
- Stir the milk into the breadcrumbs and leave them a couple of minutes to turn to paste - this is a panade, and it is the thing holding water in the meat once the fat has drained away. Grate the onion rather than chopping it, so it melts in and does not stay crunchy. Add the beef, egg, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and mix with your fingertips only until it just comes together - work it hard and the protein tightens and the loaf goes springy and dense. Shape it into a low, wide loaf about 5 x 3 inches and no taller than 2 inches, so the middle cooks before the top overbrowns. Stir the brown sugar into the ketchup and set the glaze aside.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- Add the fresh meatloaf to the basket. One loaf at a time, with a clear gap all the way round it - and keep it low, so the top sits well below the element.
- Cook for about 25 minutes, brushing the glaze over the top for the last 5 minutes.
- Check it has reached a safe internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) before serving.
Pro tip
Do not glaze at the start. Ketchup and brown sugar burn long before the middle is cooked - put the glaze on for the final 5 minutes only.
How to tell when it's done
Ground beef is not a steak. Grinding takes whatever was on the surface and spreads it right through the loaf, so the middle genuinely has to reach 160°F (71°C) - you cannot serve this pink the way you can a joint of roast beef. Check the centre, not the end. The top should be deep brown and the glaze sticky and set rather than runny. Rest it for 5 minutes before you cut it, or it will crumble instead of slicing.
Safe internal temperature
Cook to 160°F (71°C) at the thickest point. An instant-read thermometer is the only reliable way to confirm it.
Converting from an oven recipe
If your recipe is written for a conventional oven, lower the temperature by about 25°F (15°C) and reduce the time by roughly 20% to land near 350°F for 25 minutes. Need a different starting point? Use the conversion calculator.
Air fryer meatloaf: FAQ
How long does it take to air fry meatloaf?
Air fry meatloaf at 350°F (175°C) for about 25 minutes, brushing the glaze over the top for the last 5 minutes. That's for 1 loaf (450g / 1 lb) in a single layer; adjust slightly for a fuller basket or a different model.
What temperature do you air fry meatloaf at?
Set the air fryer to 350°F (175°C). If you're converting an oven recipe, that's roughly 25°F (15°C) below the oven temperature, with the time cut by about 20%.
Do I need to preheat the air fryer for meatloaf?
A 2-3 minute preheat gives the most accurate timing and the best browning, but it isn't essential - if you skip it, add a minute or two to the cook time.
What's the safe internal temperature for meatloaf?
Cook meatloaf to a safe internal temperature of 160°F (71°C), measured at the thickest point with an instant-read thermometer. Cooking time is a guide; internal temperature is what confirms it's safely done.