This Whole30 and Paleo meatloaf is packed with classic flavors and topped with Whole30 ketchup sweetened with dates! It’s the ultimate cozy comfort food that everyone will love. Gluten free grain free, dairy free, no added sugar.
I’ve been holding onto this recipe entirely too long! I was waiting for the stars to align, and then force me to make dinner at 9am, you know, to take the pictures for the recipe. There is just something about making a meatloaf at 9am that, most days, just doesn’t seem as appealing as making cookies, muffins, or lemon curd tartlets.
Anyway, along came a day when I found my motivation (AKA had zero time to make dinner in the evening), and so, here we are, talking Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf! I hope you’re excited, because despite my procrastination, this is a DANG good recipe. Not that I’m partial, it just happens to be a fact.
I discovered my own version of Whole30 friendly ketchup during the January Whole30 that Adam and i completed. He actually isn’t much of a ketchup fan, but, I have to admit, I like to dip almost anything in it. Not ashamed at all, it’s delicious!
Way way back, I made a low FODMAP chipotle ketchup with maple syrup, and, to not make myself think TOO hard, I simply tweaked that recipe to include dates as the sweetener instead of maple, added a bit of onion and garlic powder and omitted the chipotle pepper to get an authentic tasting ketchup that you wouldn’t guess contains no added sugar! By the way, if you like spice in your life, by all means add that chipotle – I’ve done it, it’s good. Just not so kid friendly 🙂
The meatloaf itself is very straightforward, and, what I would consider to be a “classic” style meatloaf. I know from reading the internet that there are about 10,000 versions of “classic” anything, so all I can say is this is my personal classic.
The recipe is in our weekly rotation (okay fine, bi-weekly, only because it takes an hour to bake!) and my kids somehow, by some miracle of meal creation, do not complain about the onions or garlic “pieces.” All I can make of it is that the meatloaf is good enough for them to overlook the serious matter of the invasion of chopped onions. How many recipes can we really say that for, mommas?!
Don’t worry though, I picked the parsley off before serving it to them, heaven forbid we have onions plus green leaves hanging around for no good reason…
One more highly desirable quality of this paleo meatloaf? It’s perfect for leftovers! Heck, you can even make & bake the entire thing the day before (or at 9am if you’re like me) and it reheats just fine. No dryness, possibly thanks to those yummy onions and garlic which you’ll sauté in ghee to get them extra flavorful. The 85% lean ground beef definitely doesn’t hurt either! I get mine from U.S. Wellness Meats, but you can typically find 80-85% lean grass fed ground beef now at most grocery stores.
It’s time to make this meatloaf – are you with me? I hope you and your family love this one as much as we do! Let’s cook!
Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf {With Whole30 Ketchup!}
Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf {with Whole30 Ketchup!}
Ingredients
For the Ketchup:
- 1/3 cup medjool dates pitted, soaked in hot water to soften, and drained (use 1/4 cup if you want it less sweet)
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 3 tbsp water in addition to soaking the dates
- 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Optional 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper for spice
For the Meatloaf:
- 2 lbs 85% lean grass fed ground beef
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 3 Tbsp Whole30 ketchup see recipe above
- 1 small onion or half medium one minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbsp ghee for cooking onion and garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp mustard check label for Whole30 compliance
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/4-1/3 cups Whole30 ketchup for top of the loaf
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
Prepare the Ketchup First {this can be done ahead of time}
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In a food processor or high speed blender, process/blend all ingredients on high speed until pureed, scraping the sides to incorporate all ingredients evenly. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator until ready to use, leftovers can be refrigerated for 1-2 weeks.
Prepare the Meatloaf:
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
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In a medium skillet, sauté the onions in the 2 Tbsp ghee (or other cooking fat) until soft, add the garlic, sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt and continue to cook, stirring, for about one minute, then remove from heat.
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In a large bowl, combine the beef, eggs, almond flour, 3 Tbsp ketchup, cooked onion and garlic with ghee, salt, mustard, Italian seasoning and black pepper. Mix with your hands until well incorporated but try not to over-mix, since this will toughen the meat.
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Transfer the meat mixture to a 9 x 5 loaf pan (or 8.5 x 4.5) and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove and spread 1/4-1/3 cup of the ketchup over the top of the loaf, return to oven and continue to bake for 40-45 more minutes until center is cooked (an internal temp of 160 degrees F)
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Allow the loaf to rest for 10 minutes or so, then slice and serve, garnished with chopped parsley if desired. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
Products I Recommend to Make My Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf (and ketchup!)
Want more Whole30 & Paleo dinner ideas? Try one of these!
Slow Cooker Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Ranch Chicken Meatloaf
Tell Me!
What’s your favorite Paleo friendly comfort food/meal?
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So good! Used date syrup – 1T instead of the dates for the ketchup. It’s 100% dates and much easier. Didn’t add in the water either. The meatloaf is delicious following the recipe. Served with roasted new potatoes, English peas, and unsweetened Plain apple sauce.
DELISH meatloaf….was skeptical about the ketchup but that too was awesome. Both my children even loved it and finished their whole dinner. My son has texture issues and is not at all adventurous so that speaks VOLUMES! Definite keeper recipe!
I really like your recipes, so when I wanted to make meatloaf I knew I could trust your recipe to be good. I made it with grass fed beef and all the correct ingredients. It tastes so savory and flavorful. I am sensitive to tomatoes so I drizzled ‘whole sister’s dump ranch’ on top instead of adding extra ketchup to my plate. It was yummy. I would only use less oil next time as the loaf was swimming in oil and broth after cooking. Thanks for the tasty recipes. I’ll make this one again.
This is so good. My father-in-law said it’s one of the best he’s ever had.
i accidentally placed the almond flour in the ketchup recipe also. So now I’m not sure if it’s how it’s supposed to taste 😀 Otherwise, it is in the oven as I type 😀
Hi, I absolutely love this recipe and make it for my lunches during the week. I am, however trying to locate the nutritional information and am unable to. Can you provide any help with this? Thanks!
I love this recipe so dang much!!! This has become one of the most coveted recipes in my rotation whether doing a whole30 or not. (Although I do have to admit I take the lazy way out and use bottled sugar free primal kitchen ketchup). I’ve tried other paleo meatloaf recipes and this one is by far the favorite of both me and the hubby. Easy and delicious. Thank you, Michele!
Would the leftovers freeze well?
Amazing, amazing, amazing! My whole family (including my anti-Paleo/Whole30 hubby) loved this meatloaf! If you don’t have almond flour, I used 2 Tbsp. coconut flour and 4 Tbsp. ground flaxseed and it worked great! Definitely a keeper!
This was absolutely delicious! It will now be a staple meal in our home!