Instant Pot Sweet & Spicy Garlic Herb Meatloaf

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Before I started eating paleo, I never ate meatloaf. It wasn’t something my mom ever made. And I sure wasn’t going to make a loaf of meat myself when I was in college. If I made toad in a hole for every single meal, I was doing pretty good. But meatloaf? Gross.

But nowadays, I’ve come to love meatloaf. And it’s come to love me. I have all sorts of meatloaf recipes now like my Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf or my Bacon Chorizo Chipotle Smothered Meatloaf and my Mexican Meatloaf, and all are incredibly satisfying and filling in the best sort of way. It’s like getting a full meal in one slice. But the thing that sucks about meatloaf is it takes forever to bake. And you usually want a side dish with it which takes even more time to cook up. BUT NOT ANYMORE. This meal is made completely in the instant pot and it couldn’t be easier.

PaleOMG Instant Pot Sweet & Spicy Garlic Herb Meatloaf

Along with the invention of The Bachelor and podcasts about true crime, the instant pot is one of the best inventions of our generation. It’s so damn easy and versatile and it tastes so much damn better than a slow cooker! And don’t get me wrong, I still love my slow cooker, but sometimes it cooks like an old man, instead of a millennial. Whatever the hell that means. I’m sorry to all the old men I just offended. All 2 that read this. Hi Dad! I just didn’t sleep last night from a wicked bad stomach ache so I’ve been up since 1am. You can’t trust any restaurants nowadays!

PaleOMG Instant Pot Sweet & Spicy Garlic Herb Meatloaf

Speaking of old men, my husband has officially taken up the old man sport – Golf. He’s a golfer. He played 36 rounds over the weekend then we went to a driving range for a quick date night on Sunday. I missed so many balls in a row that I was beginning to get a cramp in my back and a blister, so I threw the towel in early. Crushed it. And now he’s planning a trip to Arizona in the winter with DA BOYZ. He’s so into it. Which is completely cool with me because he stopped caring about football. I haven’t seen football on in so long, other than quickly checking the score. He doesn’t care. It’s so awesome. And surprisingly, I would much rather have golf on than football. Which makes no sense. Golf is so incredibly boring. BUT there are a handful of guys who know how to lift and dress themselves so they aren’t too bad on the eyes. Football covers everything up with pads, but golf’s stupid polos show if someone takes care of themselves. So I’m pro golf. Less football = a happier wife. Happy wife, happy life.

I sound like such a b*tch today. Sorry again. It’s the 4 inches of snow in Colorado and the stomach ache that continues to linger. Check back in tomorrow and I should be less b*tchy. Probably not, but maybe!

PaleOMG Instant Pot Sweet & Spicy Garlic Herb Meatloaf

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Instant Pot Sweet & Spicy Garlic Herb Meatloaf

 

  • Author: juli
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 small sweet onion, minced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, minced
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pound fingerling potatoes
  • 1 cup bone broth

For the sweet & spicy sauce:

  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoons coconut aminos
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the broiler:

  • 2 tablespoons melted ghee
  • pinch of sea salt

For the garnish:

  • sliced green onions

Instructions

  1.  In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together beef, pork, garlic, onion, pepper, herbs, almond flour, ketchup, mustard, egg, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper until completely combined. 
  2. Use a sharp knife to poke a hole in every fingerling potato. Place the basin inside the instant pot then add the fingerling potatoes in the bottom. Pour 1 cup of bone broth on top of the potatoes along with a pinch of salt then place the instant pot rack on top of potatoes (the rack that comes with the instant pot). 
  3. Place two long pieces of foil on top of each other (like a plus sign) then place the meatloaf mixture in the middle and shape into a loaf that will fit inside the instant pot. Roll up the sides of the foil to create a basket shape holder around the meatloaf then place in the instant pot on top of the rack. 
  4. Secure the lid, close off the pressure valve, turn on and press manual to high pressure and press the up button until the time hits 30 minutes. The instant pot will have to come to pressure then the time will begin.
  5. While meatloaf cooks, turn on the broiler. Then, place all ingredients for the sweet & spicy sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat and let reduce for 10-15 minutes, until thick and darker in color.
  6. Once the time is up, quick release by turning the valve slowly to vent for a few seconds before opening up the vent completely. Once it is done venting, the float valve will drop.
  7. Remove meatloaf and place on a baking sheet. Then strain the potatoes from the liquid and place on the baking sheet with meatloaf. Brush melted ghee on top of the potatoes and sprinkle with salt. Then brush on 1/2 the sweet & spicy sauce on top of the meatloaf. Place meatloaf and potatoes under the broiler for 5 minutes. 
  8. Top meatloaf with green onions, slice and serve alongside the crispy fingerling potatoes and the extra sauce on the side.

Notes

 

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PaleOMG Instant Pot Sweet & Spicy Garlic Herb Meatloaf


PaleOMG Instant Pot Sweet & Spicy Garlic Herb Meatloaf

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More Instant Pot Favorites:

PaleOMG Instant Pot Carnitas

Instant Pot Carnitas

PaleOMG Instant Pot Taco Stuffed Potatoes

Instant Pot Taco Stuffed Potatoes

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Oh, Hi! I’m Juli.

I’m a food hoarder. And a really bad dancer. If you don’t know me well, you will probably not understand my humor. Therefore, I apologize ahead of time. Thanks for listening to my ramblings of my ever-changing life and trusting my kitchen mishaps. Your trust in me is appreciated.

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87 thoughts on “Instant Pot Sweet & Spicy Garlic Herb Meatloaf”

  1. this looks phenom – i too did not have meatloaf until I was on my own and was like “oh my god where has this medium rare hamburger creation been my whole life”
    PS thank you for introducing me to Wine & Crime, I am now addicted!!

  2. This looks so good! Love the idea of cooking the main and sides all at once and this sauce looks delish.

    Just a heads up – it looks like none of the links work…? They all lead to blank pages.

    1. that’s very strange, i can’t seem to replicate that same issue anywhere. all the links are working for me and opening the correct pages…

  3. Several things. First, congrats on getting your hubby back! I’m with you that golf is boring…I tease my hubby that it’s not a real sport when your gut is hanging over your shorts (who cares that’s a mind sport) 😛
    Second, I’m sorry for your tummy issues! I have no idea what your dealing with but what first came to mind is GlutenEase (I keep a bottle in my purse and it has saved me many times)! It’s my go-to when I accidently eat something wrong &/or I use as a preventative when I go out to eat (I have celiac so it’s not a free pass for me).

    https://www.amazon.com/Enzymedica-GlutenEase-Strength-Complete-Digestive/dp/B00HLXPTSW/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1507646296&sr=8-4&keywords=glutenease+extra+strength

    I hope you feel better!! Can’t wait to make this–it looks & sounds amazing!

  4. So you brush 1/2 of the sauce on the meatloaf before putting it under the broiler. Do you serve the remaining sauce along side? It doesn’t say but I am assuming so or over the potatoes when they’re finished.

    1. it’s an egg cooked inside a piece of bread (you make a hole in the center of the bread and put the egg in there and then flip it – for me, who would eat eggs and toast all damn day, delicious!)

      1. We called it “egg in a frame” or “egg in a basket” and I would make French toast out of the bread hole that I cut out 🙂

  5. Great recipe! I did it in the oven at your recommended 1.25hr and broiled it for another 10min or so. Added habanero’s to the loaf and a smoky habanero sauce to the sweet/spicy sauce on top. MMMM!

  6. Hi Juli! Love all your recipes. I am doing a whole 30 right now and wondering if you think I could sub a few dates for the molasses? Thank you!

  7. What can I substitute for almond flour? Cassava? I have allergies to almonds (and most everything else ugh!). Thanks for your recipes!

  8. Juli!!!! You killed it with this recipe. My kids fought over the last piece. Instead of foil, I put the meatloaf mixture in a 6-cup shuffle dish (’cause I have one and I’m cheap and like to conserve foil) and subbed 1 Tbsp flax meal + 3 Tbsp water for the egg (’cause egg allergy) and it was crazy delicious and super easy. Though I did have an extra dish to wash in my effort to miserly conserve foil, it wasn’t a deal breaker since the kids had to wash the dishes.

    So good – making it again next week and prepping everything ahead of time so I just have to add it to the Instant Pot and let ‘er rip.

  9. Our beautiful recipe, very well explained and I believe it is not difficult to do, I will take the risk in the kitchen now, thanks for sharing!

  10. Ok, I’m new to your page and I have a question. I didn’t think potatoes were allowed on paleo, they are a starch. Can you explain please?

  11. Hello Juli,

    Thank you for this yummy recipe. Will you be sending over your recent recipes to Real Plans soon??
    Thank you.

    1. they are working hard right now to get my newest recipes uploaded in their system! i didn’t know they were so behind so they are going to work hard the next month to get those updated ASAP!! i’m sorry for the delay!

  12. Made this bad boy last night….SO tasty! Love the spicy kick it has! Although I somehow seemed to screw the easiest recipe ever up — when the 30 mins was up in the instant pot, mine wasnt cooked all the way through. Not sure if my loaf was too fat/thick or what? I ended up baking on 350 for about 30 more minutes until it was done.

    1. Mine also wasnt cooked through. I even only used 1.5 pounds of ground meat. Its currently in the oven but the potatoes? OMG So Good! I’ll definately make it again but use only 1lb of meat.

  13. If using the oven method for cooking, what would you suggest for cooking the potato’s? Also, I have to share my husband is “not into paleo at all” but loves anything I make from your recipes! It’s like sneaking veggies into a kids meal!!! A win win for us!!! Keep up the work!!!

  14. This was absolutely fabulous!! I am not full on Paleo, so I used dried bread crumbs in place of almond flour as it’s what I had on hand. But it was really tasty!! The sauce is incredible!! Can’t wait to make it again with the almond flour!

  15. I’ve never been a big fan of meatloaf but this was amazing! I think my loaf was too big or too wet because it didn’t hold its shape very well, but who cares, it’s just a little crumbly. Happy to finally be putting my IP to use!

  16. This turned out super great, such a good idea to broil everything after it gets out of the instant pot so things aren’t just Mush. In case anyone else has the same #pantryproblems … I didn’t have molasses so I used brown sugar for the glaze, and it turned out fine.

  17. I didn’t think I liked meatloaf but this recipe changed my mind. So good! Also I’m obsess with Wine and Crime. Thanks for the recommendation!

  18. This dish was soooo good! I haven’t made a recipe yet from your blog that wasn’t delicious so it’s really not a surprise. The ease of it will have me making it repeatedly.

  19. Just finished dinner—another win!! I do not have an instant pot and I was a little short on time so I made it into meatballs to shorten the cooking time. Delish!
    Thank you!

  20. I can’t wait to try this! However, I don’t understand, “Roll up the sides of the foil to create a basket shape holder around the meatloaf”. Does that mean wrap the loaf inside tin foil? I don’t understand the basket shape. Thanks in advance!

    1. so imagine almost an easter basket. then what it would look like if you put your meatloaf in it lol. i roll up the sides of the foil to create a basket to hold the meatloaf and to help keep it’s shape. i hope that makes sense.

      1. Ooooh, now I get it! I didn’t have any issues with it not keeping its shape or falling apart. I ended up wrapping the thing like a football and it was EPIC! I have been sending your link to everyone I love because this was too sexy not to share! Thanks so much for all your hard work.

  21. I’ve made this creation three times now and I fall in love even more each time! The flavor is amazing and it is so easy. Please post more instapot recipes.. They’re so fun to cook!

  22. I’ve made this twice and it is SO damn good. I did have to cook it a little longer though to make sure it gets cooked through all the way to the center. I just peeked at it and put it back in the pressure cooker for another 10-15 minutes or so.

  23. Would you use chicken broth or beef broth in place of bone broth? Also would using all ground beef instead of 1/2 pork would it change the flavor significantly?

  24. I decided to make this in the oven since I had the time, and it came out excellent! Took about 60 min at 350 degrees then I finished in the broiler per the instructions. The sauce on top is phenomenal.

  25. I’m late to the party on this one but better late than never. Made it last night using loose mild Italian sausage in place of the ground pork because I had it on hand and it was amazing. I probably should have formed my loaf a bit tighter before putting in the instant pot because it had broken open in a few places but this recipe definitely makes it to the ‘make again’ list.

  26. Tried this for my first recipe with my instant pot and I think I have some learning to do. The meat didn’t cook all the way through. I wrapped the meat loaf completely….the potatoes cooked perfectly but my meatloaf had to finish in the oven.

    Any advise for the instant pot virgin!!!

    1. if it didn’t cook all the way through, it just needs to cook longer. i haven’t heard of anyone running into that issue though, so i’m not totally sure what went wrong.

  27. HOLY meatloaf. This was amazing. Love what you’re throwing down – thanks for making meal prep a whole lot easier and more delicious this week!

  28. Thank you for sharing. I was glad to find this after I decided to make a meatloaf. It came out delicious. I appreciated the addition of the sauce but it didn’t need much. It’s very flavorful on it’s own. As a side note, mine was cooked through as the recipe says to make it. I am looking forward to having leftovers in the form of a sandwich using my favorite paleo bread.

  29. Awesome recipe! My husband is super picky about me trying new recipes and he’s was going back for 3rds and eating leftovers off the baking sheet. He even requested I make the sauce for more things other than this. The whole thing was very flavorful with a perfect amount of heat! My husband is really sensitive to garlic, so I only out one clove in. I also added about a 1/4 lb of minced mushrooms). Will be putting this recipe in regular rotation!

  30. I splurged and got the ground beef and pork from a butcher – and this meatloaf was fantastic. Spicy, sweet, garlicky, and easy. The potatoes were good but not outstanding, but nice to have them done with the meat all in the instant pot. Definitely one of the best meatloaves I’ve ever had, though.

  31. The meatloaf is legit, the BOMB.COM! It has been a house favorite since PaleOMG published this recipe way back in 2017. We come back to it again and again and again because we like it that much. Also, not to overshadow the meatloaf but the fingerling potatoes….are life changing! They stay crispy on the outside but soft and full of delicious goodness on the inside. Highly recommend everyone ditch their old meatloaf recipes and just use this one.

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