Muffin Tin Meatloaf

Muffin tin meatloaf recipe that is fun and kids love! Make plain or like a bite size handheld meatballs sub surrounded by refrigerated biscuits inside the cup. Perfect meatloaf muffin tin recipe dinner to try. Seriously, this is probably our favorite muffin tin recipes yet!!

Muffin Tin Meatloaf

When my girls were younger they were all about fun food. If I could make “regular” food smaller so they could pick it up they would eat it, no matter what. That is why I started using this pan for all the things. One of the favorite things I created back in the day were meatloaf muffins.

We combined our favorite Ninja Foodi meatloaf recipe, made them into meatballs instead, and packed all the flavors of a meatball sub inside a muffin cup…delicious. You can wrap them in a biscuit or leave plain and pipe mashed potatoes on top instead. Both mini meatloaf muffin ways are so fun.

Meatloaf in Muffin Tin

I have a recipe below you can use to make homemade meatballs without breadcrumbs but you can certainly use your own combination if you have a secret family recipe for those as well.

Love how your Onion Lipton Soup Meatloaf Recipe comes out? Use that and just divide the hunk of meat into smaller pieces to fit inside each hole in your tin. I mean it tastes the same, yes, but it cuts down the cooking time and the edges will get crispy delicious too!

Want to use ground turkey or chicken? NO problem, like I said the mixture is your own or you could use our suggestions in the printable recipe card below but with your choice of protein. As long as it is ground it will work. I’ve used half a roll of spicy sausage + ground beef and that lends itself to a bunch of flavor and spice too.

Meatloaf Muffins

You don’t have to include the refrigerated biscuits we wrapped them in. If you wanted a low carb version, just put about 1/2 cup of mixture into each hole. It depends on what I have on hand as to which way I make it. Yes I do make loaves the “usual way” too but I love that these bake in a fraction of the time.

If you have your own favorite meatloaf recipe you can by all means use your own. These are the ingredients I typically combine;

• Ground beef
• 1 pkg French onion soup mix, the dry stuff
• Some Worcestershire sauce
• A room temp. egg
• Some bread crumbs, I like Italian seasoning
  • or use oats like our meatloaf without breadcrumbs
• 2 packages or rolls of refrigerated large biscuits
• I like to put some grated parmesan cheese in between the biscuit and the meat
• 1 tbsp spaghetti sauce per serving

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

We have made turkey meatloaf in Instant Pot before and it’s pretty darn killer. My kids don’t even notice that it is “different” than any other. If you add all the same things into your meat mixture that you normally would like Worcestershire sauce, egg, binder, etc… A pinch of brown sugar adds sweetness.

You use the oven twice to make these because you want to precook the meatballs before putting them into your muffin. I cook them 75% of the way because they will continue to cook once they are in your biscuit as well. Here is the recipe.

How Long to Cook Meatloaf in Muffin Tins

I know it is easier to understand how to make something if you see it with your own eyes so here is a quick rundown of how you make this easy meatloaf muffin recipe.

• First in a bowl you’re going to combine your egg, bread crumbs, seasonings and sauces, meat and soup mix for meat mixture.
  • Add bread crumbs if meat is still too wet. 
  • Could add finely diced green peppers or bell peppers too.
• Make into mini meatloaves. You should get about 8 per 1 lb. of meat.
  • Preheat oven and bake on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or so or until about 75% cooked.
    • or follow air fryer meatballs instructions.
  • Flatten refrigerated biscuits one at a time and push into muffin tin holes (spray pan before starting). 
• Add 1 tbsp. spaghetti sauce or bbq sauce to bottom of biscuit + parmesan cheese.
  • Put meatball into hole and bake at 350 for about 5 minutes or until biscuit is fully cooked. 
• Add mozzarella cheese to tops about 2 min. before they are done. Top with dash of oregano if desired

Serve it with a side salad and you’re good to go, or serve them as an appetizer at a party or potluck…they’re a hit at those! If you love this muffin tin dinner idea, you should give our chicken pot pie muffins a whirl too!

This is meat loaf muffin tin recipe is super quick and easy to bake in about 15 minutes. Kids love this recipe because they can pick up their dinner and that just makes things “fun”. Once you cook all things mini they will ask for more like the savory pies above.

Meatloaf muffin recipe

If you do have some left you can use them in other recipes. Use our leftover meatloaf recipes to find one you want to try with it. You will need to remove the breading and just save the protein inside for these but it works great for casseroles, adding into rice and more.