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.
I want to make this meatloaf but with 2 pounds of ground meat. Should I double the ingredients and double the pressure cooking time as well as the crisp time. Please let me know. I’m planning to make this for dinner tonight. Thank you all!
I usually do 1.5 lbs. using these same measurements, so for 2 you may want to increase just maybe 2 minutes but probably wouldn’t need a lot longer. You don’t want it to be too well done and it will continue to cook during the air crisp step
I really do want to try this but I’m in the UK and I cannot find onion soup powder anywhere and believe I have travelled every supermarket I can lol. So if any of you lovely ladies would like to send me some I would be eternally gratefull. I can pay u by PayPal if that helps. I’ve managed to get most seasonings from Amazon bless them .
Girl tell me what you need and I’ll send it to you! This meatloaf is awesome!
Beth it’s the onion soup mix I need everything else I’ve managed to get from amazon. They do sell it but it’s about 6 uk pounds for a small packet. If you could get me some and post it I would be very grateful. I can give you my address if you would like to email me and we can work out how to pay you. Regards carol
I have not made a good meatloaf for 40 years until now! I did use 1lb Ground Beef (90%/10%) and 1 lb of ground veal. I did not double the Onion Soup mix or Ranch powder. And, I used Gluten Free bread crumbs. I did double the the rest of the ingredients and made 2 oblong loaves in my Ninja. Once it was pressure cooked, I just spread some barbecue sauce over both loaves before I air fried it.
This is the VERY BEST meatloaf ever! Moist and tasty – not at all greasy. Because my husband loves gravy, I reduced the water from the pot on the stove with a tsp or so of “Better than Bullion Beef Base” and thickened with a little bit of starch in water.
MMM-mmm GOOD! Thanks!
Yay!!
Carol, did you get hooked up with any onion soup mix?
Just to let you know I made this today but I put in a packet of onion stuffing mix plus 1 very finely diced onion and the dried onions. It turned out pretty well juicy saucey and to die for. I couldn’t find onion soup mix so thought I would use what I have lol. Plus the stuffing mix is breadcrumb based.
I’m thinking you are looking for the wrong thing. Try looking for Lipton Onion Soup Mix. They sell this on Amazon.
Hi suse I have seen it on Amazon but have you seen the price it’s 6 English pounds for 2 sachets. That’s way beyond what I expect to pay. I realise it’s an import but it’s still very expensive. Most of the other seasonings have been really reasonable especially as they are huge compared to what I normally buy. X
I made this today (8/16/20) and it turned out great. My family loved it. The recipe was easy to follow. Thanks!
This is how to make onion soup mix if you do not have it.
Mix ingredients together (this makes one packet worth)
1/4 cup dried onion flakes
2 Tablespoons beef bouillon granules , or bullion paste, or 6 beef bullion cubes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Thanks for the tip
I really do want to try this but I’m in the UK and I cannot find onion soup powder anywhere and believe I have travelled every supermarket I can lol. So if any of you lovely ladies would like to send me some I would be eternally gratefull. I can pay u by PayPal if that helps. I’ve managed to get most seasonings from Amazon bless them .
You can make your own lipton onion soup mix. Lol for a recipe online. It has way less sodium anyway.
Good blend of flavors but best of all nice juicy textures in each slice. Love it!!
Oh yay!!
I am new to the Foodie. The meatloaf recipe say 1 pound ground meat. Do you double cooking time for 2 pounds?
No. I have done 1.5 lbs. with the same timing. For 2 lbs. I might increase initial time by a few minutes only.
This looks so good! I am making this for dinner tonight. Never thought to make a meatloaf in the Ninja. I am using two pounds of ground beef so and I don’t want any pink so I will add the 2 minutes to the cooking time. Thank you so much! Only thing I will change is the BBQ sauce as my husband doesn’t like BBQ sauce. (I know he’s a real weirdo) So I will be putting a Sweet Chili Sauce on it.
Sauce on it.
@Diane, How did this turn out with the two extra minutes? Did you also double the recipe ingredients? Thanks!
Used ground turkey from Costco and follow the directions otherwise best meatloaf I’ve made in years!
Such a great recipe! I would have never thought to make meatloaf like this. So good
How much longer do you think it takes her 2 pounds
How long would it take for 2 pounds
I’m curious too for 2 lbs. (and then would the egg, breadcrumbs, soup mix be doubled as well?)
I usually cook 1.5 lbs at a time and these measurements work just as well as using 1 lb. You could increase it a bit but I wouldn’t double other ingredients
I made 2 LBS and it took 40 min
Awesome, thanks for the note
Great with the bbq sauce, family loved it!
I made this last night, and it was a huge hit!! I will be making this again for sure. Thanks for the recipe!!
Can I put carrots and potatoes in the pan below the basket?
You could try, haven’t done that
I used my own recipe (which has grated carrots, curry powder and ginger) but followed your cooking directions. By far the best way to cook ever! I had resorted to only cooking my meatloaf but no more. Love your recipes!
Terry, wish I had your recipe. Sounds yummy.