Smoked Meatloaf Recipe – With Ground Beef and Pork Sausage

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Do you remember it? The comfort you felt on nights when your mom was making her homemade meatloaf? Well, I’ve taken meatloaf to a dad-level of love and created a smoked meatloaf recipe that once your family tries, they won’t stop raving about. 

Grab your gloves, be ready to get just a little messy, and let’s take this classic recipe and add a special twist.

Can You Smoke Meatloaf?

Absolutely. If you’ve been following my smoking journey, you’ve seen that I believe you can smoke just about anything — meatloaf is no exception.

The key to this smoked meatloaf is using a pan that will allow the smoke to penetrate every side of the meatloaf while keeping its shape. I recommend shaping your meatloaf and placing it on a baker’s rack.

I recommend using cherry or applewood chips for smoking meatloaf to give it the best flavor.

What Is the Best Kind of Meat to Use for Smoked Meatloaf?

For this meatloaf recipe, I use both ground beef and ground pork sausage. I’ve eaten many meatloaves in the past, and I’ve learned that the ground sausage amps up the flavor and adds some extra moisture.

How Do You Make Smoked Meatloaf?

Preheat your smoker to 225°F.

Next, mix the ground beef, pork sausage, onion, bell pepper, garlic, seasoned salt, ground pepper, chili powder eggs, sour cream, and crushed saltine crackers in a large bowl.

Shape the mixture into a loaf and place it on your baker’s rack. Place the baker’s rack on the smoker for one hour.

While you wait, combine the ketchup, brown sugar (this can be light brown sugar or dark brown, whichever you prefer or have on hand), and the horseradish in a small saucepan on medium-low heat to make the glaze.

To ensure that the brown sugar dissolves and doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pan, you’ll want to stir the glaze frequently. Once all of the brown sugar has dissolved, your glaze is ready.

It’s sweet and subtle with a bit of a kick from the horseradish — believe me, it’s the perfect blend for the smokey flavors of this meatloaf. 

Brush the glaze on your meatloaf and increase the smoker’s temperature to 375°F. Continue to smoke the meatloaf until it reaches an internal temperature of 155°F.

Remove the meat from the smoker and wrap the top in foil. Your meatloaf’s temperature will continue to increase during the 15 minutes of rest time.

Be sure to let this smoked meatloaf rest; it’s going to soak up all of the juices to maintain its moisture — which is what you want in a perfect smoked meatloaf.

Your smoked meatloaf is ready to enjoy. Slice it up and serve it with some of your favorite sides.

What are the Best Sides to Serve With Smoked Meatloaf?

My family loves enjoying smoked meatloaf with this smoked mac and cheese. Its creamy, savory taste is the perfect side to the sweet and smokey meatloaf.

Looking for a side that you can quickly throw together? Try this homemade coleslaw recipe, a favorite of all of our family picnics.

Or, if you are looking for the traditional homemade mashed potatoes to serve with your meatloaf, then you may like this recipe from the Cozy Cook.