Easy Mini Meatloaf (Whole30, Low Carb, Paleo)

Simple and crowd pleasing paleo mini meatloaves made with almond flour! These little meatloaf cupcakes are moist, flavorful, and so easy to make! Because they’re individually portioned, they cook up fast in a single muffin tin and freeze well.

Is there such a thing as delicious and moist easy meatloaf? YOU BET.

Drop all of your preconceived notions about meatloaf, because this recipe is about to rock your world. If you grew up eating meatloaf like me, you probably remember meatloaf being slightly crumbly, and sometimes dry and overcooked on the top. I mean, come on, when you throw a bunch of meat in a loaf pan and cook it for up to an hour in the oven, it happens.

But this easy mini meatloaf recipe? It is nothing like that. This recipe uses simple ingredients, and only uses one bowl for mixing ingredients, and one muffin tin for cooking the mini meatloaves. Clean up is easy, it cooks up quickly, and let me tell you—the mini meatloaves are absolutely moist and delicious.

When making this recipe, make sure to use a high quality grass-fed ground beef. Because there are only a few ingredients, the quality of meat you choose will make a big difference in overall flavor. This recipe is also completely grain-free, paleo, and whole30 compliant—so it will fit a variety of needs. YAY!

If you’re following Whole30, make sure to use an unsweetened organic ketchup, such as Primal Kitchen Ketchup (my personal favorite). And while the cream of tartar is an extra step—don’t skip it! Cream of tartar helps to tenderize the meat, and makes the mini meatloaves extremely moist and tender.

Why I Love This Meatloaf Recipe

• This easy mini meatloaf recipe makes delicious and moist mini meatloaves!
• This recipe has the perfect combination of savory flavors—the meatloaves are super tasty and kid-friendly!
• This recipe is great for meal prepping and cooking in bulk because it freezes easily. You can double or triple the recipe if you’re storing meals in the freezer (this makes a great postpartum meal)!
• The ingredients are very simple and straightforward.
• This recipe is Whole30, low carb, and paleo!

How to Make Paleo Mini Meatloaf

1. Preheat: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 12-slot muffin tin with parchment liners.
2. Mix: In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, almond flour, ketchup, mustard, garlic, Italian seasoning, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper until well incorporated.
3. Whisk: In a small bowl, whisk the warm water, cream of tartar, and baking soda until it’s combined and starts to bubble. Pour the water over the meat mixture and mix everything together to combine. 
4. Transfer: Scoop the meatloaf mixture evenly into the prepared muffin tin, filling each liner to the top. Flatten each meatloaf with the back of a spoon to make sure the meat is spread evenly in each liner.
5. Bake: Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through in the center. Let the meatloaves sit for 5 minutes prior to eating. Enjoy with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce!

Cooking Tips

• Spread the mixture evenly among the 12 muffin slots. Make sure to fill each muffin slot entirely with the meatloaf mixture, and pack it in with the back of a spoon.
• If the meat mixture goes above the parchment liner/slot, that’s fine! The meat will not expand when baking.
• When mixing the water into the meat mixture, make sure to massage the meat well. If it helps, use gloves when doing this.
• If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, use 1/2 tsp garlic powder instead.

More High Protein Dinners

• Healthy Sloppy Joes
• Paleo Chicken Tenders
• Paleo Turkey Burgers
• Egg Roll in A Bowl with Ground Turkey
• Grilled Chicken Skewers

What did you think about this easy mini meatloaf recipe? Let me know what you think below!