I'm a meat girl and always have been. But even so, meatloaf can be a little hard to get excited about. Although meatloaf is a fantastic easy and quick weeknight dinner, it's often taken for granted. I think meatloaf is akin to Bran muffins in the sense that a good one is hard to find. But when you do find the one, it can be life-altering (well, as far as dinner goes, anyway). And trust me, this Old-fashioned Dairy AND gluten-free meatloaf (no egg or milk) is definitely the one! It's a healthy beef meatloaf that's also Weight Watchers friendly. This recipe is 7 WW points.
Meatloaf is popular during the winter because it's pure comfort food, but it's a great meal all year 'round! This meatloaf pairs well with my Chipotle Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Carrots.
🍒Reader Review
"I've been searching for a gluten-free meatloaf for my daughter. This is just delicious. The chili sauce adds a great flavor to the meat. A winner!"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As I said, although this no egg meatloaf is a great make-ahead freezer weeknight dinner, it is easy to take for granted. However, I stopped taking this recipe for granted when I tried some other, not-so-good meatloaves.
Like bad bran muffins, there are a lot of bad meatloaves out there. But this delicious meatloaf is moist and flavorful with just the right balance of tomato. This traditional meatloaf is also the one I grew up on, yet it's still one of my favorite comfort foods.
And for those with food allergies or aversions (such as an egg allergy), it's gluten-free and dairy-free, as it contains no milk or bread. You can throw it together in 10 minutes and either freeze it to cook at a later date (right in the loaf pan) or cook ahead and then freeze it.
🥘Ingredient Notes
Yes! You can make meatloaf without egg or milk because the oats, along with the condiments, serve as the binding agent. The eggs aren't necessary so you don't have to worry about an egg replacement. For this recipe, you will need the following simple ingredients:
- Extra-lean Ground Beef. It's important to use extra lean ground beef. If you don't, the meat will have too much grease, separate, and fall apart (and it will taste greasy - yuck!)
- Quick oats. Quick oats are smaller than old fashioned and create a softer texture. Rolled oats and quick oats are the same thing. *Do not use instant oats - they will turn to mush.
- Dry Mustard. Dry mustard is also called Ground mustard or Mustard powder.
- Chili sauce. I use Heinz Chili Sauce.
- Mushrooms. I use canned mushrooms because they are convenient and economical.
*See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖 Variations
- Chili Sauce: You can make your own chili sauce if you don't have any store-bought.
- Onions: If you don't feel like chopping onion, you can substitute 1 tablespoon dried/dehydrated onion
- Oats: If you only have old-fashioned oats (which are larger flakes), you can process them and use them (see faq's at bottom of post).
- Mushrooms - you can use canned or fresh mushrooms for this recipe
- Dry mustard - if you don't have dry mustard, you could substitute 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Mini Meatloaves: (photo below) You could make this meatloaf into little meatloaf muffins. Simply pack the meatloaf tightly into muffin tins prepared with a generous amount of non-stick cooking spray, then cook for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before loosing with a butter knife and gently removing
- Parsley - you could substitute Italian seasoning
🔪How to Make Gluten-free Meatloaf (no egg)
Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F M(176 degrees C) and spray a 9X5X3 loaf pan with non-stick spray.
Add ground beef, ketchup, chili sauce, relish, dry mustard, oatmeal, onion, and mushrooms together in a large bowl.
TIP: you can pre-cook the onion in the microwave for 2-3 minutes with a teaspoon of water to ensure it's cooked through. Be sure to drain it through a fine sieve before adding it to the mixture.
Mix well.
Press the meatloaf mixture into a loaf pan with a spatula.
HINT: * You'll need to pack it down so the meatloaf will stick together!
Cooking Time: Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F/ 176 degrees C (uncovered).*There is NO need to cover it with aluminum foil
Garnish cooked meatloaf with additional ketchup and sprinkle on parsley.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Use a meat thermometer. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). This avoids overcooking and ensures juicy meatloaf every time.
- Pack the Meatloaf Tightly. To prevent the meatloaf from crumbling, firmly pack the mixture into the loaf pan. This ensures it holds its shape during baking and slicing.
- Pre-Cook Onions for Better Flavor. If using fresh onions, microwave them with a teaspoon of water for 2-3 minutes and drain well. This softens them and prevents crunchy bits in the finished meatloaf.
- Cool Before Slicing. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes after baking. This helps it firm up and makes it easier to slice without falling apart.
👪 Servings
This meatloaf without eggs recipe makes 8 servings. You can double or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. I usually make 2 and freeze 1 for a busy weeknight!
🔢WW Points
This flavorful meatloaf without milk is 2 WW points.
🌡️Storage
You can store leftover meatloaf without egg and milk in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you are just storing it overnight, you can simply cover it with plastic wrap.
It can also be frozen in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
🥗 What to serve with Meatloaf without eggs and milk
If you're not sure what to serve with this easy eggless meatloaf, mashed potatoes are always a great choice! Try my Chipotle Mashed Potatoes for a unique take on plain mashed potatoes!
These Scalloped Potatoes (without cheese) are also a great gluten-free choice, as are Air Fryer Carrot Fries.
Looking for a lower-calorie green dish to go with this Gluten-free Meatloaf? Try my Green Bean and Mushroom recipe or Strawberry Spinach Salad with Pecans! (shown).
❔Recipe FAQ's
Yes! You can prepare the meatloaf mixture, press it into a loaf pan, and freeze it unbaked. When ready to cook, thaw it in the fridge overnight and bake as directed.
Definitely! You can bake the meatloaf ahead, cool it completely, and store it in the fridge or freezer. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
Packing the mixture tightly into the loaf pan and letting it cool slightly before slicing will help it hold together.
Not to worry! If you only have old-fashioned oats you can add a cup to the food processor and pulse them a couple of times to break them down, creating 'quick oats". There will still be some larger pieces, but they should not be a fine powder. Then measure them for the recipe.
So, if you're looking for a really great gluten-free meatloaf that's also dairy-free and has no eggs, then give this one a try. It's a recipe the whole family will love and you won't be disappointed!
🍲More gluten-free and egg-free weeknight dinners!
Comments & Reviews
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📋 Old Fashioned Dairy free and Gluten-free Meatloaf Recipe (no egg and milk)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs extra lean ground beef
- ½ cup gluten-free ketchup
- ¼ cup gluten-free chili sauce *I use Heinz
- 2 tablespoon gluten-free relish
- ½ tablespoon dry ground mustard
- ¾ cup gluten free quick oats
- 10 ounce can of mushrooms drained
- 1 small onion finely chopped
Garnish:
- sprinkle dried parsley
- additional ketchup (about 3 tbsps )
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F M(176 degrees C) and spray a 9X5X3 loaf pan with non-stick spray.
- Add ground beef, ketchup, chilli sauce, relish, dry mustard, oatmeal, onion and mushrooms together in a large mxing bowl.TIP: you can pre-cook the onion in the microwave for 2-3 minutes with a teaspoon of water to ensure it's cooked through. Be sure to drain it through a fine sieve before adding it to the mixture.2 lbs extra lean ground beef, ½ cup gluten-free ketchup, ¼ cup gluten-free chili sauce, 2 tablespoon gluten-free relish, ½ tablespoon dry ground mustard, ¾ cup gluten free quick oats, 10 ounce can of mushrooms, 1 small onion, sprinkle dried parsley, additional ketchup
- MIx well.
- Press meat mixture into a loaf pan with a spatula. * You'll need to pack it down so the meatloaf will stick together!
- Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F/ 176 degrees C (uncovered).*There is NO need to cover it with aluminum foil
- Garnish cooked meatloaf with additional ketchup and sprinkle on parsley. Wait until its cooled about 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
-
- Use a meat thermometer. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). This avoids overcooking and ensures juicy meatloaf every time.
-
- Pack the Meatloaf Tightly. To prevent the meatloaf from crumbling, firmly pack the mixture into the loaf pan. This ensures it holds its shape during baking and slicing.
-
- Pre-Cook Onions for Better Flavor. If using fresh onions, microwave them with a teaspoon of water for 2-3 minutes and drain well. This softens them and prevents crunchy bits in the finished meatloaf.
-
- Cool Before Slicing. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes after baking. This helps it firm up and makes it easier to slice without falling apart.
Sue Ringsdorf
I'm going to pass this recipe along to my sister, who is gluten-free! Looks like a perfect recipe to make ahead of time and freeze too. Thanks for this recipe, Terri!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Sue! We love this recipe - have been eating it for years!
Santini
This looks so tasty! I can't wait to try this out! I'm sure my family's going to love this! I'm going to make it spicy though because we love spicy. Thank you so much for sharing!
Terri Gilson
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Colleen
I’d love to try this but confused about the little potatoes in the middle of the meatloaf? A previous comment you replied to said it was from a different recipe but it still shows up so not sure what the correct recipe is. Could you please fix this or email me the correct recipe? Thanks!
Terri Gilson
Hi Colleen,
Thanks for drawing my attention to this! I don't know why this keeps happening! And this time it's a different recipe. There was some kind of glitch on the website and 2 recipes (one that was a draft) were melded together). It's now fixed! I sent you an email.
Terri
Chris
Is it ¾ cup cooked oats or raw oats? Will steel cut oats work? Thank you!
Terri Gilson
Hi Chris- the oats are raw, not cooked. Steel cut take much longer to cook and have a different texture so they don’t necessarily sub well for each other. Although some meatloaf recipes call for them I never use them for meatloaf. But if you do end up trying I’d love to hear how it worked. This is a long cook time meatloaf so it may turn out ok. Enjoy!https://amp.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-steel-cut-rolled-and-instant-oats-138355
Chris
Wow, thanks for such a quick and helpful response! I appreciate it 🙂
Terri Gilson
No problem!
Tanya
Hi, maybe this is a weird question, but what exactly is chilli sauce lol and what brand do you buy?
Being from Vancouver The only chilli sauce I can think of is spicy Thai chilli sauce or other Asian style chilli sauces for some reason lol and I’m not sure that is what you intended.
Thanks!
Terri Gilson
Hi Tanya- not weird at all! It's a bit confusing because you're right- so many things are called chilli sauce. But the one I'm referring to is a Heinz product - like a ketchup but a little spicier! Here's the link to it! https://www.google.com/search?q=heinz%20chili%20sauce%20gluten%20free
You can buy it at most grocery stores. Enjoy!
Sarah
I’m excited to try this but am confused about the potato part in the instructions. ???
Terri Gilson
Hi Sarah: Thanks so much for pointing that out! About a month ago, my recipes were migrated to the new version of my recipe plug-in and nothing was supposed to change, but I've found a few odd glitches. This being one of them! That instruction is from a completely different recipe (caesar twice baked potatoes)! So odd that is ended up there and no wonder it confused you! I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. I hope the recipe makes sense now and that you enjoy it!
Justine | JustineCelina.com
This sounds like my kind of meatloaf! I've never been a huge meat eater (or a meat loaf fan!) but I can definitely get excited about this version. Sounds delish!
Terri Gilson
Thanks Justine!
Albert Bevia
It has been too long since I have had meatloaf, this post has inspired me to make it, and your version looks and sounds so good! Will be giving it a go!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Albert! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Natalie Browne
Meatloaf is a classic. I don’t make it as often as my mom did, but I can also never make it quite as good as she did either. It’s one of those recipes that always brings up warm feelings of family though. I like that yiu made a dairy free version for a different twist in a classic. It looks delicious!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Natalie! Yes, Moms always make the best meatloaf! 🙂
Lillian Tse
I haven't made meatloaf in forever! I like how this one gives a dairy free and a gluten free option since I do have a few friends that can't have dairy or gluten!
Def a dish I could make ahead of time for a potluck !
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Lillian - yes, it always helps to have allergy-friendly recipes in our back pocket. I hope you and your friends like it!
Sue Giaquinto
I've made this recipe and it was great. I thought I made it in my instant pot. Is there a conversion?
Terri Gilson
Hi Sue- I’m not sure as I don’t even own an instant pot?
Veronica
12/16/21 Your receipt was great,thank you! Only change I didn't add mushrooms. My grand daughter is on gluten free diet and was so happy she could eat meatloaf, her favorite dish which she usually avoided.😍
Terri Gilson
So glad to hear she enjoyed it!!
Edith
Love this meatloaf although I don't use canned mushrooms anymore, prefer fresh onest. Love Mom.
Terri Gilson
I agree- fresh are best, Mom!Thanks for the recipe! ❤️