Sandra Paula Deen’s BBQ meatloaf uses two cans of tomato sauce. Half a cup goes into the ground beef mixture as a binder, and the rest becomes the BBQ sauce poured over the top before baking. The recipe serves 6 and bakes for 1 hour at 350°F.
Paula Deen published this on her site with 43 reviews. Vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire build the BBQ sauce that separates this from her basic meatloaf recipe. That mixture covers the full surface of the loaf from the first minute in the oven.
Basting every 15 minutes builds the crust: three passes coat the surface as the sauce thickens and reduces. Skipping that step leaves the glaze liquid and flat. The properly basted loaf has a darker, denser exterior than the poured sauce alone would produce.
Paula Deen BBQ Meatloaf Recipe
Description
Fresh breadcrumbs bind the beef in place of dry, keeping the loaf moist through three rounds of basting. Forty-three reviews on pauladeen.com this is Paula Deen’s tangier, BBQ-sauced take on the Southern classic.
Ingredients
Meatloaf
BBQ Sauce (divided — ½ cup goes into the loaf)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, fresh breadcrumbs, diced onion, egg, salt, pepper, and ½ cup of the tomato sauce. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Shape the mixture into a loaf and place in a shallow baking pan.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the remaining tomato sauce (about 1½ cups), vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Add water if the sauce is too thick to pour.
- Pour the BBQ sauce over the loaf.
- Bake for 1 hour, basting with the pan juices every 15 minutes.
FAQs
What does the Worcestershire sauce add to the BBQ glaze?
Worcestershire contributes a deep, savory note that keeps the tomato sauce from tasting flat against the sweetness of the brown sugar. Two tablespoons shifts the sauce toward something that reads as proper BBQ rather than sweetened ketchup. It also deepens the color of the glaze as the loaf bakes, adding to the caramelized finish.
Can I make this meatloaf ahead and refrigerate it overnight?
Assembling the loaf the night before and covering it in the pan overnight is a practical shortcut for weeknight cooking. The flavors develop slightly with the rest, and cold meat holds its shape better for the transfer to the oven. Make the BBQ sauce fresh the next day so the vinegar stays bright rather than mellowing overnight in the fridge.
Do I have to baste it, or can I skip the basting?
Skipping the basting leaves the sauce thin rather than reduced into a proper glaze. Each 15-minute pass concentrates the coating layer by layer, which is what creates the sticky, darkened crust on the finished loaf. Paula Deen calls it out specifically in the directions, and it makes a clear difference in the exterior.
What side dishes go well with BBQ meatloaf?
Mashed potatoes are the pairing pauladeen.com recommends directly on the recipe page. Roasted green beans work alongside because their bitterness cuts through the sweet glaze. To season both the Southern way, Paula Deen’s house seasoning blend at sandrakitchen.com is a three-ingredient mix of salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
What dessert works well after BBQ meatloaf?
A fruit-based dessert cuts through the rich, sweet glaze better than something equally heavy. Peach cobbler or banana pudding are the classic Southern follow-ups to a BBQ dinner because they contrast the savory depth without overpowering it. Paula Deen’s homemade ice cream at sandrakitchen.com pairs naturally with either warm dessert.
