Meatloaf is a huge fave of my folks (my fave octogenarians, I call them) and especially when fall rolls around. But it always seems like there are two issues with meatloaf. The first? Even though we have an absolute fave, this Cook’s Illustrated Meatloaf, there’s no doubt sometimes you need a change-up from the classic! This Mexican Meatloaf with Honey Chipotle Glaze is a def upgrade…still familiar, still meatloaf,  but popping with fun flavor!

Mexican Meatloaf with Honey Chipotle Glaze

The other issue with meatloaf? It has to cook just about fuh-evah! Now you can do the standard thing with this meatloaf and bake it in a pan, but honestly, who’s got time? This time of year seems to be such a busy time (late August) with back to school stuff going on and summer’s end. Even if you don’t have kids, doncha just want to squeeze every minute of the summer in that you can? With this recipe you can make one big meatloaf, but I urge you to try the quick cooking mini version! (Plus you won’t heat up the kitchen as much!)

About Mexican Meatloaf with Honey Chipotle Glaze:

This meatloaf is not only easy & fun and so tasty with a little bit of Southwestern/Mexican flair; each little meatloaf has a good amount of crusty, browned exterior and that’s always the best, most flavorful part. And I don’t want to forget to mention the fun Honey Chipotle Glaze that goes on top! Use a little or use a lot, according to your taste.

That’s glaze is part of what takes this Mexican Meatloaf South of the Border and over the top! There’s flair in the meatloaf, ground beef, of course, but that’s mixed with some punchy chorizo and there’s a poblano pepper, too, which is mild but flavorful. A little sour cream (you could use yogurt) keeps the meatloaf moist but also mellows the spiciness out. The meatloaf, anyone will love – lots of flavor, not too much heat.

Mexican Meatloaf with Honey Chipotle Glaze

The Honey Chipotle Glaze:

It’s the saucy topping that really makes the whole meatloaf, and that sauce IS tangy, spicy deliciousness. It’s not knock your socks of hot, but it has a lot of personality, as my Dad would say. The flavor’s complex but it takes about five minutes to mix up…bonus, right! It’s seriously one of my fave sauces and I use it elsewhere on my site, too, although I increased it slightly for this recipe. (I usually double it anyway whenever I make it.)

You’ll see it on my Grilled Steak with Honey Chipotle Glaze and it’s fabulous with flank steak but full disclosure,  I often use that on steak other than flank. It will make even an every day old cheaper, grocery steak fab! I also use it on my fiery Juicy Lucyfer Sliders. If you love a little spice, if you love cheesy filled burgers, check it!

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Making Mexican Meatloaf with Honey Chipotle Glaze:

Mexican Meatloaf is an easy one, just saute up an onion and then mix in the rest of the ingredients. I like to mix together everything except the meats, then work the meats into the mixture, gently, with clean fingertips. That’s the key to a tender meatloaf. Now, if you use a fresh poblano, you’ll want to roast it until charred and then remove the charred skin. Shortcut this recipe by using a small can (or a partial can) of poblano chilis, drained well.

These are baked on a sheet tray. Line your sheet tray with foil for easy cleanup and turn up the edges of the foil to catch any drippings. I like this method of baking straight on a sheet tray whether I’m making a large meatloaf or individual ones. Most of the excess fat drains out and the amount of crusty browned outside edge is maximized. If you’re making one large meatloaf you can always put it into a loaf pan if you want.

For this recipe, I don’t add the glaze before the meatloaf cooks, although you could separate out a portion of the glaze and do that if you want to. I just drizzle it on once the meatloaf is served; that makes it easy to serve these even to people who might not appreciate that spicier glaze.

You can mix these up little meatloaves up the day before and refrigerate so they’re ready to go the next day. Because they’re small there’s no concern about them taking longer to cook from cold. This is one of my favorite recipes to double and freeze half for a quick meal down the road.

Home Made Chorizo

The Chorizo:

There’s no doubt that depending on where you live it can be tricky to buy Chorizo. It’s cheap and easy to make your own. While my recipe for Homemade Chorizo calls for toasting and grinding several different chiles, a quick down and dirty version can be made by using the individual chili powders.

If you want to substitute and not use chorizo, make a meatloaf mixture by using ground pork. You can go with all ground beef, too. If you do either, I recommend you add a little Ancho chili powder and some cayenne. The meatloaf will not be as complex but will still be fabulous!

Saving Money on Mexican Meatloaf with Honey Chipotle Glaze:

Shop for sales priced ground beef for a recipe like this. I buy the larger family packs and break them down and freeze in portions. Ground beef goes on sale so often, there’s really no need to pay full price. I look for a rock bottom price about once a quarter. I mentioned making your own chorizo, which is incredibly cheap to do, but you might find it at a low around Cinco de Mayo (here’s my post,  Cinco de Mayo – It Makes Cents to Save) or at a Latin market.

Generally, the best bet for great pricing for any Mexican or Latin American items is to shop at a market; although many are available in the supermarkets these days the prices are generally higher. The pantry items like Chipotle peppers in a can or canned green chili or salsas are usually at a low around Cinco de Mayo. Stock up your pantry if you see a great price then.

Sour cream or crema can be pricey; yogurt is your budget option, here and works just as well. Watch for sales around holidays on that sour cream. Once open, store upside down in the fridge (make sure the seal is tight!) and it will keep longer. When using, use clean utensils and don’t set it out unlidded; at the very least, get in the habit of placing the lid on if you’ve left out to serve from.

It’s incredibly cheap to make your own breadcrumbs. It’s an item I literally never buy! I picked up some for a friend once and was flabbergasted! I make my own Homemade Bread Crumbs and store them in the freezer. Personally I like toasted breadcrumbs in this recipe but there are only a few (1/2 cup – this is low carb) so it won’t skew the recipe much to use fresh.

Note: this recipe was upgraded with the new glaze, simpler recipe along with new text & photos June 2020.

Mexican Meatloaf with Honey Chipotle Glaze

Mexican Meatloaf

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• Author: meatloaf adapted from Marcella Valladolid
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Beef Main Dish
• Cuisine: Mexican or Southwestern

Ingredients

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Meatloaf:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 poblano chile, roasted, skinned & finely diced (or a small can or partial can of green chilis, drained)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup sour cream, Mexican crema or yogurt
• 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 pound ground beef
• 6 ounces soft Mexican chorizo, removed from casing and crumbled
• lime wedges for garnish

Glaze:

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 large chili from a can of Chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

 

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a heavy skillet, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook several minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two longer. Add to a large bowl and let cool for a few minutes. To the bowl add the eggs. Beat lightly. Add in the salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin, ketchup, and sour cream (or substitute) and mix together. Add in the bread crumbs, ground beef, and chorizo, and mix together lightly, but thoroughly.

For Individual Servings: Portion out into six servings. Form into oval egg-shaped loaves about 3 inches tall with curved tops (dividing is easiest done by estimating half of the mixture, then thirds.) Place on a foil-lined rimmed sheet tray (foil is optional, for easy clean up) an inch or so between each loaf. Bake at 350 degrees to 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes depending on oven. Do not over bake.

For Large Meatloaf: Put the mixture into loaf pan or form a loaf-shaped meatloaf on foil on a sheet tray and bake until the meatloaf registers 160 degrees F, about an hour to an hour & 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully pour off any accumulated drippings.

Serve with glaze, drizzled and/or passed at the table and lime wedges for garnish.

The Glaze:

Mix together ingredients. May be made ahead. Bring out of the fridge to warm to room temperature as the honey will cause the glaze to thicken in the cold.

Notes:

To Freeze: Lay each individual loaf on a piece of plastic on a flat surface. Freeze until hard, then use the plastic wrap to wrap each individual loaf. Add to a Ziploc and label. Thaw overnight in the fridge to bake the next day.

Nutrition

• Calories: 460
• Sugar: 14 grams
• Sodium: 1138 mg
• Fat: 24 grams
• Saturated Fat: 8 grams
• Carbohydrates: 26 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Protein: 25 grams
• Cholesterol: 131 mg

Keywords: breadcrumbs, Chipotle, Chorizo, Freezes Well, Ground Beef, Hoisin, Honey, Hot Peppers, ketchup, Lime, Marcella Veladolid, Meatloaf, Mexican Crema, Mexican or Southwestern, Poblano Peppers, Salsa, Sour cream, Yogurt

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I’ll be sharing at Fiesta Friday #186, hosted this week by  Colleen @ Faith, Hope, Love & Luck, and Alex @ Turks Who Eat.  Stop by and visit if you have a minute! 🙂