The Best Gluten-Free Meatloaf (dairy free)

Why you will love this recipe:

• This healthy ground beef meatloaf is full of flavour and turns out nice and moist, never dry or boring. It's a fun twist on a traditional meatloaf recipe. 
• It's easy to make and uses pantry staples that I bet you already have in your home.
• This gluten-free meatloaf is made without breadcrumbs and instead uses almond flour as a binder.
• It's made in one bowl so the clean up is quick and easy.
• This gluten-free meatloaf recipe is kid friendly and also makes great leftovers so it's perfect for meal prep. It also freezes really well.
• Besides being gluten free, this classic meatloaf is also dairy free, grain free, paleo and Whole30 compliant.

Ingredients and substitutions: 

For the exact measurements refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Lean ground beef - the base of this gluten-free meatloaf recipe is lean ground beef. It gives it a lot of flavour and the fat helps keep it nice and moist. I personally use grass fed and grass finished lean ground beef but you can use any type of ground beef that you like.
• Shredded carrots - to help keep this meatloaf nice and moist and give it even more flavour and texture.
• Coconut aminos - to add just a bit more flavour and moisture to this gluten-free meatloaf. Instead of coconut aminos you can use a gluten free soy sauce.
• Onion - fresh chopped onion helps add even more flavour to this easy meatloaf. You can use a white onion, yellow onion or sweet onion to make this gluten-free meatloaf recipe.
• BBQ sauce - you can either use store bought bbq sauce or make your own healthy bbq sauce. This helps add both flavour and moisture to this meatloaf recipe. 
• Ketchup - to help give this meatloaf so much flavour! You can use store bought or homemade ketchup.  
• Almond flour - this works so well as a binder and is a great gluten-free substitute to breadcrumbs. Instead of almond flour you could use gluten-free oats, crushed gluten free crackers, gluten-free breadcrumbs or almond meal in place of regular breadcrumbs.
• Eggs - eggs are used to help bind the meatloaf and make it even more moist. I have not tried any egg substitutes such as chia egg or flax egg for this recipe and am not sure if they would work out so don't recommend trying to make that swap.
• Spices - sea salt and ground black pepper are all you need to season this flavourful meatloaf.

Recipe variations and add ins:

• To make this meatloaf paleo: use almond flour, paleo compliant bbq sauce, ketchup, and coconut aminos.
• To make this meatloaf Whole30 compliant: use almond flour, Whole30 compliant bbq sauce, ketchup and coconut aminos.
• Instead of ground beef you could make this gluten-free meatloaf with ground turkey, ground pork or ground chicken instead. Just note that if you use a different meat the cooking time may vary.
• Instead of almond flour you could use crushed gluten-free crackers, gluten-free breadcrumbs, gluten-free oats or a gluten-free flour blend instead.
• You can either top this meatloaf in more bbq sauce or leave it plain.
• To make this gluten free meatloaf with no ketchup, use barbecue sauce instead of ketchup. 
• To give this meatloaf a different flavour you could add other spices or dried herbs such as garlic powder, onion powder or Italian seasoning. 

How to make gluten-free meatloaf:

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and add all the meatloaf ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir well until combined.

Step 2

Grease a bread pan or loaf pan (or line it with parchment paper) and transfer the meatloaf mixture to the pan. Spread the meat mixture into an even, flat layer. Cook the loaf for 50 minutes and let it cool for 5-10 minutes.

Step 3

This is optional, but before serving you can spread barbecue sauce or ketchup over the top of the loaf to give it even more flavour. I highly recommend doing this! Then cut the loaf into pieces and enjoy!

How to serve gluten-free meatloaf:

This meatloaf can be served in so many ways and is a great family friendly meal. I love pairing it with green beans and sliced almonds or an apple and kale slaw. Other great side dishes to pair with meatloaf are almond flour biscuits, paleo cornbread muffins, gluten free cornbread, mashed potatoes, crispy potato wedges or stewed potatoes.

You could also use this meatloaf to make a meatloaf sandwich!

How to store:

Store any leftover meatloaf in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

This gluten-free meatloaf also freezes really well for up to 3 months. Just don't add any bbq sauce or ketchup to the top of the meatloaf before you freeze it - add that once it has thawed. I recommend freezing it in a freezer bag.