Ninja Foodi meatloaf is the bomb! Juicy in the center with a crispy barbecue sauce on the outside. All cooked in this pressure cooker and air fryer machine. Just one of our favorite one pot dinner Ninja Foodi recipes.
Did you just get this nifty device and looking for more easy ground beef recipes in Ninja Foodi? Well, we have a Ninja Foodi meatloaf recipe for you that is amazing! It may become your go to from this day forward. (affiliate links present)
How to Make Ninja Foodi Meatloaf
If you have only used your oven to make this Old Fashioned meal you are in for a real treat. You can now pressure cook it to tender and then air crisp the top with barbecue sauce so it caramelizes and bakes right on to the top. Beyond delicious is how I would explain this meal if you ask me.
This is one of the first meals we made in our machine when we first got it. I guess I grew up on this pan of hamburger comfort food so it was on my mind to see if I could make it even better than cooked in the oven and it was!! Nice thing is the texture is better and cook time for how long to cook meatloaf is less too.
Ingredients
- Ground beef or you could use half ground sausage and half ground beef or turkey, your choice
- Air fryer basket (use the one included) or use this air fryer grill pan
- Bread crumbs will bind it all together, we used Italian style
- French onion soup mix is an easy way to add flavor
- A bit of Ranch dressing mix is something I like to add but optional
- Dehydrated onions
- I prefer these because regular onions will add moisture
- Garlic powder or other seasonings you love should be added
- Egg will bind all the ingredients together
- Barbecue sauce we like on the top, or ketchup to add flavor
Ninja Foodi Meatloaf and Potatoes Recipe
You can actually make an entire meal in this too with cubed taters on the bottom!! You follow the same directions except chop 2 peeled large russet potatoes into 1-2″ pieces and put into the bottom with the water. They will steam to very tender so you can make Ninja Foodi mashed potatoes with them when done!
- First you pressure cook your meatloaf so the meat gets done
- Keep in mind the timing below cooks the meat so there is no pink left. If you like yours less done adjust timing accordingly.
- Then you’ll drain the water inside your pot, (set potatoes aside if you added them), return the basket with your meatloaf inside and pour barbecue sauce on top.
- Close your air fryer lid. That is the one that is attached.
- In 8-12 minutes the outside of your meatloaf will become wonderfully crusty like we like it here.
- This is subjective so if you like it really crispy you’ll set closer to 12 minutes, or less if you just want a tad.
Should you pressure cook or air fry meatloaf in Ninja Foodi?
In our directions you are going to use both Ninja Foodi pressure cooker and air fryer functions. This way you get it as tender as possible inside but we do like a bit of crisp on the outside so a few minutes are at the end for that too. In the case you just wanted to use one, follow our air fryer meatloaf wrapped with bacon instead.
Can you make meatloaf into meatballs?
Yes! If you wanted this done faster in smaller forms use the same meat mixture to make this into bite size pieces with homemade meatballs in air fryer directions here. That is a fun one we enjoy as is with sauce on top for a meal or thrown in with spaghetti.
You could as long as they fit inside the pot. You can place inside the inner basket with holes on the bottom or set on a trivet at the very bottom which would fit a larger size. In the case of making meatloaf in it, we don’t use a pan at all!
Why we love Ninja foodi meatloaf
- This quick meatloaf recipe requires no preheating of the oven at all.
- Perfect when it’s hot outside and you don’t want to heat up your house.
- It is healthier because the fat drains away from the meat in the pressure cooking process.
- There are holes at the bottom of the air fryer basket used.
- You can adjust how crunchy the outside gets easily.
- The air crisp lid can be lifted up and checked often so it doesn’t burn. Adding more time is as easy and pushing a button.
Are you ready to try it now??!! Seriously, it is the only way we make meatloaf anymore. Forget the loaf pan in the oven, this is a game changer!!
What is the best side dish for meatloaf?
I would say our two favorite pressure cooker recipes to serve with this is either Ninja Foodi rice, Ninja Foodi air fryer vegetables or mashed potatoes. By way of vegetables I usually throw one of these in:
- Ninja Foodi Broccoli only takes 1 minute.
- Air fryer frozen tater tots smothered with cheese
- Ninja Foodi spaghetti is amazing with melted cheese on top.
How to save leftovers
If you have leftovers, store in airtight containers in the fridge when it is cooled to room temperature. They will stay good for up to 3 days and can be reheated as is or chopped up and used in ground beef recipes.
How do you moisten leftover meatloaf?
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees
- Spray nonstick cooking spray onto the bottom of a baking dish.
- Pour a thin layer of tomato sauce, bbq sauce, or gravy in the bottom
- Lay slices of your dried up meatloaf inside
- Pour another thin layer of your sauce on top
- Bake for approx 10 minutes or until it’s as hot as you desire
Ninja Foodi Meatloaf
Equipment
- 1 ninja foodi
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, could use half ground sausage too
- 1/2 c bread crumbs, we used Italian style
- 1 packet French onion soup mix
- 1 tbsp Ranch dressing mix
- 2 tsp dehydrated onions
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 green onion , diced, optional
- 1 egg, can leave out if you need it to be egg free, but is much moister with it
- 3/4 c barbecue sauce, to be added once meatloaf is pressure cooked
Instructions
- Mix together all ingredients (except the bbq sauce) in a bowl until all powder is incorporated well into the meat.
- Form into a round or oval pattie with the same thickness all the way around so it cooks evenly. Add 1.5 c water into the inner pot of your Foodi. (if you wanted to add peeled 1" cubed potatoes add in with liquid now)
- Place meat into air fryer basket and lower that into your inner pot.
- Close pressure cooker lid (one that isn’t attached) and then turn Foodi on.
- Press pressure button, high, for 25 minutes.
- Allow to naturally release steam for 5-10 minutes. Then release rest of steam.
- Remove lid, pour water out of your inner pot (remove potatoes and set aside if added) and pour barbecue sauce on top of your meatloaf patty. Sprinkle green onions on top if desired now.
- Close air crisp lid (one that is attached). Press air crisp button, 390 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Then remove meatloaf, slice and serve!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wish I had tried this method instead of using the directions in the Foodi for Beginners cookbook! There was LOTS of grease in the pan and it wasn’t crusty like I like. I have my own recipe and got tired of cleaning my oven after making it — grease splashes! My recipe calls for 2 lbs. ground beef chuck + 1/2 lb. ground pork. Can’t wait to make it again with your method — just make 2 loaves and cook them separately! Takes so little time! Just keep one warm in the oven while making the other !!
THANKS !!
glad I could help
I am making a smaller amount because it’s just me and my husband. I have these 2 small loaf pans. Should I use those and place them in the big pot? Or should I use the pan with the holes in it so the grease drains away?
If they are in loaf pans the grease wouldn’t drain away anyway so either would be fine
I didn’t see a recipe card at the bottom.
It is there, you can click jump to recipe button at the top too and get there
I am making this recipe tonight and have a problem/ question?! How in the world did you drain the water off before baking it in the next step? It’s way to hot and if I try to lift out the meat at this point, it will fall into a million pieces!!! I don’t know what else to do but attempt to air dry it at this point but leave the liquid in the bottom because there’s no way I can get it out without destroying the meat or burning myself trying to lift the rack out with the meat on it! I’m so confused!!
It won’t hurt to leave the liquid in the bottom at all.
@Betty Edwards, if you use the air fryer basket to keep the meat out of the water, lift out, set aside, pour out water, then put basket with meatloaf back in cooker and brown!
@Betty Edwards,
If you go to WalMart or Target or even Home Depot or Lowes, they sell an item called pot holders or oven mitts, specifically used for handling hot items. These work wonderfully not only for removing items from your oven but also for removing the pot from your Ninja. Remove the inner basket using the oven mitts and set aside. Again, using your oven mitts, grab the sides of the big pot and pour out the liquid. Place the big pot back in the Ninja (keep your mitts on) and place the inner basket inside the big pot. Oven mitts work great!!!
@Betty Edwards, I ordered a sling of sorts, its a silicone heat resistant handles sling
Got it from Amazon. Not expensive. Hope this is helps
I make this delicious recipe all the time and it’s truly wonderful. I am having company tonight and making a 3 lb meatloaf, I am curious as to how long I should pressure cook it for. Please lmk your thoughts. Thank you
@TJ, I need an answer to this too, making a 3lb meatloaf with this recipe tonight
I going the try it today but with honey bbq sauce not a big fan of heat like a little but not old the top. My daughter would love it with the heat. lol wish me luck.
I live in the uk what can I substitute the ranch dressing mix with
@Alley, ranch dressing is easily bought. I get it all the time in asda tesco etc
Awesome recipe and instructions. I tweaked for my food allergies but this is a great recipe!!!
Oh good!!