Air Fryer Meatloaf Patties

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Last Updated on January 2, 2024

If you’re looking for a great meatloaf recipe, this Air Fryer Meatloaf recipe is perfect. Not only are the ingredients simple and easy to use but the flavor is truly unlike anything you’ve tried. This is one of my top comfort food dishes that I can’t wait to share these delicious air fryer meatloaf patties with all of you.

Three air fryer meatloaf patties in buns with chocolate milk in the background

Recipe reprinted with permission from Paleo Cooking With Your Air Fryer by Dr. Karen S. Lee, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018. Photo Credit: Donna Crous.

Can we just all stop and give a big should out to our air fryer? When it comes to cutting down on our cook time and having a top of air fryer recipes out there to choose from, I couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the recipes every single time.

I think it’s safe to say that my family agrees as well. When I tell them that this meatloaf recipe is on the radar for dinner, they immediately request that I use our Air Fryer to cook it up. (and I couldn’t agree more!)

If you’re looking forward to all the tips on making meatloaf, be certain to follow the bread crumbs (ha- see what I did there?) to get all your questions answered (also check out this yummy air fryer chicken burgers recipe).

Air Fryer Meatloaf

Before diving in and giving you all my secrets about this air fryer meatloaf patties recipe, let’s answer a few common questions that everyone needs to know.

What is an Air Fryer?

Despite its catchy name, an air fryer is essentially a convection oven on your counter. You can bake, roast, and make crispy fries in a fraction of the time without using cooking oils.  

 Instead of using the deep-fry method, an air fryer is designed to pass on hot air and cooks all types of food as the appliance starts to heat up. 

Moreover, using an air fryer has other essential benefits. For example, it’s safe to use due to its safety features and design. Because it uses a small amount of oil to cook food, there’s no chance that the appliance will overheat and cause a fire hazard. It also doesn’t use flame, so there’s no way you’ll burn down your kitchen, especially if it’s unattended. Lastly, because an air fryer has non-stick interiors, food doesn’t stick, making it easy to clean and maintain. 

However, like other home appliances, an air fryer can also get damaged due to age, overuse, and other neglectful actions. Hence, to ensure this appliance’s maximized functionality when cooking meatloaf patties, you must take care of it regularly. For instance, you should clean the air fryer basket with steam to avoid a potential malfunction. You should also avoid using water hotter than 40°C when cleaning it as the internal parts might get damaged and no longer circulate hot air. 

What can I do to keep my meatloaf from falling apart?

This is actually a common question because it’s a common occurrence with many people. You’re going to want to get a good consistency with your meatloaf between the egg and other binding ingredients. If you make it too dry, it’s going to fall apart when it’s cooking.

Make certain to put the ingredients in a large bowl, combine them well, and work the ingredients with your hands whenever possible. You’re trying to make a patty, or a loaf, that will hold its shape when you’re cooking it.

Should you cover meatloaf with foil when baking?

Maybe if you’re cooking it in the oven, yes. But when you’re cooking up this recipe in your air fryer oven, there’s no need to cover it with foil.

Can you put a beef patty in an air fryer?

You bet. You can actually put any type of food in the air fryer that you want and cook it up easily. All ingredients are pretty much fair game in the air fryer basket.

What are the best foods to cook in an air fryer?

Typically, you’re going to find that the foods that cook up the best in the air fryer are foods that are breaded and meant to be fried. Now this doesn’t mean that other ingredients and food items won’t work well, but they might not have that crisp that you’re looking for.

How to make Air Fryer Meatloaf

Let’s talk a bit about how to bring this recipe to reality. One of the biggest reasons that I love using my air fryer is that it cuts down on the total time for my cooking and prepping as well. And when it comes to this air fryer meatloaf patties recipe, I’m all about making it as easy as possible.

Since prep time is minimal for this recipe, the magic really does happen once you add this air fryer meatloaf into the air fryer.

You’ll be amazed that the total time to make this simple recipe from start to finish is less than 30 minutes of time. (and that’s with 10 minutes of prep time and 10 minutes of cook time in the air fryer. The other 10 minutes are rest time!)

Ingredients needed to make Air Fryer Meatloaf

The list of ingredients to make this recipe is found below.

10 minutes total time to prep

10 minutes cook time

  • 1 lb ground beef, 80/20 fat (if you use lean ground beef, it might be too dry)
  • 2 eggs, beaten 
  • ¼ Cup onion, finely chopped 
  • 1 clove garlic, minced 
  • ½ Cup blanched almond flour, extra fine 
  • ¼ Cup coconut flour 
  • ¼ Cup ketchup 
  • ½ tsp sea salt 
  • ½ tsp black pepper 
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 
  • 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, See below 
  • ½ tsp Tarragon, dried
  • Salt and pepper to taste

How to make Air Fryer Meatloaf

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Make patties that are about 2” in diameter and about 1” thick.

If you want to make thicker or thinner patties, make sure all of them are similar in size, so they cook properly at the same time. Place the patties on a platter and refrigerate for 10 minutes for the flour to absorb the wet ingredients and the patties to become firm. 

Preheat the air fryer to 360°F. 

Place as many patties as you can fit in the basket and close. Set the timer for 10 minutes. 

Check the patties halfway. When the timer goes off, take them out to a serving platter and cover until all the patties are cooked. 

These sliders are perfect on your favorite paleo bread or biscuits or on lettuce wraps or with a side of spring greens.

Tips and Suggestions for Making This Air Fryer Meatloaf Patties Recipe

The great thing about this air fryer meatloaf recipe is that you can alter up a few things and have it taste totally different. Some of my simple suggestions for making this meatloaf taste varied each time you make it is found below.

  • If you’re wanting to add a little bit of heat to your air fryer meatloaf, go ahead and top with hot sauce. Your meat loaf is certain to have a bit more heat once you do that! Salsa is also another topping for meat loaf that can add a really great flavor as well.
  • Lowering the fat content of the meatloaf is also a simple idea. You can swap out for less fat ground beef or even try a ground turkey, too. Just be careful when you cook meatloaf with meat that has a lower fat content because it might make it be too dry.
  • Add other ingredients that you’re craving and love. Some people like to add in garlic powder, salt, more Worcestershire sauce, and even a few more bread crumbs to really enhance the texture, too. Just be careful not to over season your meat or it will overpower everything else when making meatloaf.
  • Don’t be afraid to buy lean ground beef or other meats when they’re on sale so that you can stock up on the ingredients that you need to make this simple air fryer meatloaf recipe. Trust me, your family will thank you. because cooking meatloaf patties will be much easier and faster. However, if you’re still looking for a reliable source of fresh meat to buy, there are online butchers out there who offer reliable butcher delivery services. They can help you get top-quality meat products delivered straight to your doorsteps.
  • If you’re worried that your meat isn’t cooked all the way through, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. This will give you the most accurate reading and give you peace of mind.

What side dishes go well with this air fryer meatloaf?

This simple recipe opens the door for so many other great options. And the truth is that a lot of foods go great with meatloaf.

Some side dish options that I love are mashed potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, anything steamed and green, or a tasty side salad as well. Don’t’ forget to use your air fryer basket and cook up some fries or onion rings to go along with this simple meatloaf recipe.

What can you do with leftovers of this ground beef meatloaf?

If you’re wanting to eat something besides a meatloaf sandwich with the air fryer meatloaf left over, break it up and add it to a salad instead. You can easily fry up the pieces using 1 teaspoon of olive oil to give the ground beef meatloaf recipe a whole new taste.

The flavor of the ground beef is really good so there’s no reason that you can’t use it freely in other recipes, too. Even though I prefer it as meatloaf, change it up a bit!

You can also put it in a loaf pan to warm up the meat, and cover it with cheese or an extra glaze of ketchup.

Can you freeze meatloaf for later?

You can. To freeze your meatloaf properly, you just need to be certain that you’re storing the meat in the proper container or bag that is approved and safe for the freezer.

Once you do that, you should be able to use it later without issues.

I love to freeze my meat because it makes prep time a total breeze later on down the road.

Topping ideas for your meatloaf made in the air fryer

The great thing about meatloaf is that there are a lot of toppings that you can add as well. Your Air Fryer might cook the meatloaf up super fast but you’ll be ready with all your toppings in hand.

Some topping ideas that you can use as a glaze or just as food to have on top are mustard and ketchup mixed together, chopped chives, cheese, fresh cilantro and anything else that you want to use.

As you’ll be able to see from the recipe card below, there are not many ingredients or steps to making this meatloaf. As long as you’re able and willing to follow the simple directions and give your air fryer a try, this meatloaf is going to come out perfectly time and time again.

It’s time to let your air fryer take over and make your dinner an absolute breeze. And trust me on this one…once you let the air fryer do all the hard work, you’re never going to want to cook up your meals any other way!

This is one of my favorite recipes and I have a feeling you’re going to be feeling the very same way!

This recipe is from the cookbook Paleo Cooking with your Air Fryer so check it out below for more delicious recipes.

Paleo Cooking w Air Fryer cookbook that shares this air fryer meatloaf patties recipe

Grab this recipe for Air Fryer Meatloaf Patties that are easy to make and Keto to boot!

Air Fryer Meatloaf Patties
Yield: 8 people

Air Fryer Meatloaf Patties

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Whip up your favorite meatloaf in a breeze with these air fryer meatloaf patties recipe.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Make patties that are
  2. about 2” in diameter and about 1” thick. If you want to make thicker or thinner patties,
  3. make sure all of them are similar in size, so they cook properly at the same time. Place the patties on a platter and refrigerate for 10 minutes for the flour to absorb the wet ingredients and the patties to become firm.
  4. Preheat the air fryer to 360°F.
  5. Place as many patties you can fit in the basket and close. Set the timer for 10 minutes.
  6. Check the patties half way. When the timer goes off, take them out to a serving platter and cover until all the patties are cooked.
  7. These sliders are perfect on your favorite paleo breads or biscuits (P.164) or on lettuce wraps or with a side of spring greens.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

8 people

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 246Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 311mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 19g

Did you make this recipe?

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11 thoughts on “Air Fryer Meatloaf Patties”

  1. There can be many reasons why your meatloaf falls apart. The most common reason is that your meatloaf doesn’t have enough binding agents. To help your meatloaf stay together add things in like eggs and bread crumbs because they are key ingredients that bind meat stick together.

    Reply

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