Why Meatloaf Falls Apart and Crumbles. How to Fix your Meatloaf Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to fix crumbly meatloaf? ›

When this happens, it's because you didn't use enough. Next time, try adding in an extra egg and/or some more breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rice, barley, corn flakes, crackers, and dried soup mix can also stand in as binding ingredients as well. Including larger quantities of these items should help solve the problem.

Too Much Liquid

One of the most common reasons meatloaf is watery is an overabundance of liquid ingredients. Adding broth, milk, or eggs can enhance flavor and moisture, but too much can lead to a soupy consistency. Use these ingredients sparingly, and consider adding breadcrumbs or oats to absorb excess moisture.

Eggs Add Structure

Egg yolks, which are mostly water but contain a good amount of protein and fat, add flavor, richness, and moisture. They also help bind the meat together and get the loaf to set in a stable form without the need to overwork the meat.

If you don't have any bread, you can substitute it for breadcrumbs, crackers, cereal grains, oatmeal, instant rice, instant barley, or even potato flakes! However, bread is still the best choice of all the potential options.

To moisten dry meatloaf, drizzle a small amount of broth, tomato sauce, or gravy over the slices before reheating.

The wet ingredients you add to meatloaf make it juicy. Using whole milk will add more richness and fat that keeps it from going dry. Along with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, it gives meatloaf a marvelous texture.

Onions, garlic and celery do pose one problem though: they don't cook down easily. Little bits of crunchy onion or celery or potent, hot garlic will spoil the comforting aspect of eating meatloaf.

Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? The meatloaf can be cooked uncovered. However, if you are concerned about it burning, you can cover the meatloaf with foil for the first 45 minutes and uncover it for the final 15 minutes to allow the meatloaf to brown on top.

No matter which meats you decide to use, the right ratio of lean meat to fat is a critical factor in determining the texture and moisture of your meatloaf. A ratio of 80 percent meat to 20 percent fat is the generally accepted formula. Some cooks use 30 percent fat, but there is a fine line between juicy and greasy.

Rice Krispies works great as a binder material thanks to their plain, starchy, porous, and crisp structure. Because these rice bits are relatively tasteless, they also bulk up and soak up the flavor of the spices and meat in the meal you are cooking.

Why does my meatloaf come out dry? ›

Beware Breadcrumbs: Overusing breadcrumbs can soak up moisture and leave your meatloaf dry. Use breadcrumbs in moderation or try using alternatives like oats or crushed crackers. Use Extra Egg: Eggs act as binders and provide moisture. Add one or two eggs per pound of meat for a moist texture.

Because meat shrinks when cooked, mince proteins are likely to separate and crumble unless bound together. Whether it's breadcrumbs or egg (or both), or simply salt, binding the mince is a crucial step in maintaining the softness of your meatballs while preventing them from falling apart.

If your meatloaf is grainy, you may have accidentally cooked it too hot and too fast. When the oven temperature is set too high, "all the little proteins are going to ball up, and they'll just squeeze out all of the other ingredients.

Cooking at a higher temperature also creates a temperature gradient where the outside gets much hotter than the inside, which can result in an unevenly cooked meatloaf. The outer layer of the meatloaf can dry out and even become overly browned or crusty before the middle reaches the desired internal temperature.