Tender Mini Meatloaf Bites (Printable)

Savory mini meatloaf bites with a sweet maple-mustard glaze, perfect for gatherings or easy meals.

# Components:

→ Meat Mixture

01 - 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
02 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
03 - 1/4 cup milk
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1/3 cup finely diced onion
06 - 1/4 cup finely diced celery
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
09 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
10 - 1 tsp salt
11 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme

→ Maple-Mustard Glaze

13 - 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
14 - 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
15 - 1 tbsp ketchup

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
02 - Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl; let stand for 3 minutes to soften.
03 - Add ground beef, egg, onion, celery, garlic, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme to the breadcrumb mixture. Mix gently until just combined without overmixing.
04 - Divide mixture evenly into prepared muffin cups, pressing gently to fill each cup.
05 - Whisk together maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and ketchup in a small bowl.
06 - Brush or spoon half of the glaze over the tops of the meatloaf bites.
07 - Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven.
08 - Remove from oven and brush the remaining glaze onto the bites.
09 - Return to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
10 - Let rest for 5 minutes. Run a knife around edges and lift each mini meatloaf from the tin.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're small enough to pop in your mouth but substantial enough to actually satisfy, which makes them dangerous at parties because you keep reaching for just one more.
  • The maple-mustard glaze feels fancy but comes together in about thirty seconds, and somehow makes even weeknight dinners feel intentional.
  • Leftovers are your secret meal-prep weapon—they reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Do not overmix the meat mixture—I learned this the hard way when I treated it like I was making bread dough, and the results were tough and unpleasant.
  • The muffin tin makes all the difference because it creates a shape that's easy to eat with your hands, and the sides brown beautifully while the inside stays tender.
  • That glaze sits on top while they bake, and in those final five minutes, it goes from sticky to caramelized in a way that feels like magic but is actually just the sugar doing what it's supposed to do.
03 -
  • Let the breadcrumb-milk mixture sit before adding the beef—this step prevents dense, tough meatloaves by creating a proper binder instead of just tossing dry breadcrumbs with wet meat.
  • The double-glaze technique is the difference between good and memorable, so don't skip the second coat even though your oven is hot and you're impatient.
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