The Easy Stovetop Trick For Perfect Meatloaf (No Oven Required)

There is no comfort food quite like meatloaf. This hearty recipe is just what many people crave on a blustery winter day, and it makes for great leftovers (including meatloaf sandwiches). Most classic meatloaf recipes are made in an oven, though this is far from the only way that you can cook it. If you're looking for a slab that's ready in a jiffy, try cooking it on a stovetop instead. 

Like normal meatloaf, you'll want to start by combining all of your ingredients in a bowl. Besides the meat (you can use ground beef, though turkey also makes for a tasty, lean alternative), be sure to add binders like oats, onions, and milk, as this will keep your slabs intact as they cook. You don't want to make your loaves too thick, as they won't be cooking in the pan for that long (compared to an hour in the oven for a classic oven rendition). Once you've shaped the slabs, brown them in an oiled pan on both sides before adding your sauce and letting the meat simmer. You'll know they're ready to pull from the heat when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit for beef, pork, or veal meatloaf, and 165 degrees Fahrenheit for turkey- or chicken-based loaves. 

The stovetop cooking method is really enticing if you prefer a little texture and browning on the outside of your meatloaf. But if you prefer the classic steamed consistency of an oven-baked recipe, you can also try cooking your loaf in an air fryer. The air fryer works similarly to a convection oven — circulating air around your food — and it will preheat much faster, in turn shaving time off your cooking process. 

When adapting this dish to the air fryer, be sure to first consider the pan that you're cooking it in. Air fryers are small and compact, meaning you won't be able to fit a massive tin inside of your appliance. However, you can use standard bakeware in it, as long as it is rated to handle the heat of your air fryer and doesn't block the heating elements or vents. For extra moisture, be sure to add a delectable meatloaf glaze to the top of your loaf, or consider wrapping it in bacon for even more flavor.