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Home » Recipes by Course » Main Dishes

Published: Jul 15, 2021 by Cathy · This post may contain affiliate links

Home » Recipes by Course » Main Dishes

Gluten Free Meatloaf without Breadcrumbs

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Gluten free meatloaf is moist, tender, and delicious! This recipe is also dairy free and takes only a few minutes of hands-on preparation time. I've topped mine with my Simple BBQ Sauce, but you can use any barbecue sauce you like.

a slice of meatloaf lies on a plate by the remaining loaf, showing the inside
Jump to:
  • Ingredients for Gluten Free Meatloaf
  • Instructions
  • Recipe Tips and FAQ's
  • What to Serve with Meatloaf
  • Recipe

Meatloaf is a classic, homestyle dish that's great comfort food for a weeknight dinner. It gives you a lower cost protein, as ground beef is usually less expensive than other cuts. I like that this gluten free version uses oatmeal rather than breadcrumbs.

Ingredients for Gluten Free Meatloaf

individual ingredients for meatloaf in individual containers with labels
  • Seasoning Mix - I use my Gluten Free Spice Mix in meatloaf. It's a tasty blend of a number of herbs and spices. Mix it up once and use it with eggs, beef, and in all sorts of different dishes! If you're in a hurry and don't have any mixed up, you might try some Montreal steak spice as a substitute.
  • Oats - If you, or someone you're feeding, needs to eat gluten free, use only certified gluten free oats. Others are usually cross-contaminated by wheat from the fields and processing plants. If you don't happen to have quick oats on hand, regular GF oats will also work well.
  • Dairy Free Milk - Use almond milk, cashew milk, or your dairy free milk of choice.
  • Barbecue Sauce - I like this Simple BBQ Sauce, which isn't loaded with sugar.

Instructions

Add oats to milk in a large mixing bowl to soak while you turn on the oven and assemble the other ingredients.

oats in milk in bottom of stainless steel mixing bowl with wood spatula

Add eggs, ground beef, and spice mix to the oat-milk mixture. Combine it all together.

ground beef mixture in stainless steel mixing bowl with red napkin to the side

Press the mixture into a standard loaf pan, and bake it for 45 minutes.

raw ground beef mixture pressed into a metal loaf pan

Pull the meatloaf from the oven, drain off excess fat, and slather on the barbecue sauce.

red barbecue sauce slathered generously over meal in loaf pan

Return it to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until it tests done in the centre with a quick-read digital thermometer.

baked meat loaf in loaf pan

Recipe Tips and FAQ's

What is a gluten free substitute for bread crumbs?

Gluten free oats make an excellent substitute for bread crumbs in meatloaf. In fact I prefer to use them, because I don't generally keep bread crumbs on hand. Either regular or quick oats will work in this recipe.

What can I use as a binder in meatloaf?

Oats, or in some cases bread crumbs, and eggs act as binders to hold meatloaf together. If you let it sit for 10 minutes after you remove it from the oven, the loaf will hold together and slice better, too.

What can I substitute for milk when making meatloaf?

I tested this recipe with almond milk and cashew milk, but most dairy free milk beverages should work fine.

gluten free meatloaf with barbecue sauce on top and one end sliced off, surrounded by greens

What to Serve with Meatloaf

  • Sautéed Green Beans with Almonds
  • Personalized Garden Salad with Simple Herb Vinaigrette
  • Vegan Mashed Potatoes with Olive Oil and Roasted Garlic
  • Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Pie
  • Vegan Mashed Potatoes
  • Roasted Asparagus
  • Fresh Garden Salad
  • Lemon Meringue Pie

If you have any questions or comments about the recipe, please do drop them into the comment section below. 🙂

Recipe

meatloaf topped with barbecue sauce, and one sliced lying down, resting in bed of kale
Print Pin Recipe

Gluten Free Meatloaf

This classic meatloaf is made gluten free with GF oats. It's quick and easy to put together without the usual breadcrumbs. Slather the loaf with your barbecue sauce of choice, and you have a delicious family dinner!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8 slices
Calories 216kcal
Author Cathy

Equipment

  • loaf pan
  • Instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

  • ½ cup quick oats gluten free, if necessary
  • ½ cup dairy free milk
  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons Cathy's Gluten Free Spice Mix
  • ½ cup Simple BBQ Sauce
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Soak oats in milk in the bottom of a large mixing bowl
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Oil a standard loaf pan.
  • Add other ingredients except for barbecue sauce to the oat-milk mixture in the large bowl. Mix everything together well. Press the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
  • Drain off any excess fat. Spread the barbecue sauce over the top of the loaf. Return the loaf to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until it registers an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
  • Let the loaf sit for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, slice, and serve warm.

Notes

  • Soaking the oats in milk helps to soften them as you assemble the other ingredients. They don't really need much time. 
  • Check the centre of your loaf with a thermometer, and remove it from the oven when it's done but not overdone. Meatloaf that cooks too long dries out.
  • Your meatloaf should be ready to serve in about an hour, but the extra 10 minutes of resting time helps it to slice better.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 570mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 4mg
Pin Recipe
Follow me for more great recipes.@CathysGlutenFree
top down view of loaf of meatloaf slathered in barbecue sauce and sitting in a bed of greens, with title text

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