Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine

Why It Works

• Roasting the canned kidney beans before mixing them into the meatloaf mixture transforms them from soft and mushy to dense and meaty, giving the finished meatloaf the ideal sliceable texture.
• Sautéing the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic concentrates their sweetness and savoriness while evaporating excess water, so they deepen the meatloaf’s flavor without diluting the mixture.
• Finishing the loaf with repeated layers of glaze at high heat builds a deeply browned crust that adds flavor and balances the moist interior.

I grew up in a meatloaf household. My dad did most of the cooking (which was better for everyone), but when it was my mom’s turn to make something we’d all enjoy, she leaned into classic Americana, and her meatloaf was a staple in our home. Her version was dense and homey, topped with a glaze that wasn’t quite barbecue sauce and wasn’t quite ketchup, and those nights always felt special. It was deeply savory and reliably comforting—and it’s still the meatloaf I love as an adult.

But loving that classic doesn’t mean I want to cook it the same way every time. These days, I’m always looking for ways to make the foods I already love feel fresher and a little more flexible—especially when it comes to using less meat without losing flavor or satisfaction. Meatloaf, with its forgiving structure and emphasis on seasoning and texture, is the perfect place to do that kind of rethinking.

Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine

That mindset—making a meatloaf that still tastes rich and meaty while using less meat—is what shaped this recipe. Once you start pulling meat out of the mix, the real question becomes what, if anything, should take its place. Some recipes lean on mushrooms for umami, others bulk things out with grains or breadcrumbs, but after testing a few different directions, I kept coming back to beans. When handled with intention, they do more than just stretch the meat: They add their own savory depth, help the loaf stay moist, and reinforce its structure rather than weaken it.

To make that approach work, I leaned on a handful of techniques I’ve picked up over the years, especially from former Serious Eats culinary director Kenji. From his classic meatloaf, I borrowed the idea of building a deeply savory base by sautéing the aromatics and enriching the mixture with gelatin to lock in moisture. From his black bean burgers, I learned that beans need to be dried and concentrated before they’re mixed in. Together, those techniques make it possible to replace half the meat while keeping the loaf juicy, cohesive, and firmly in meatloaf territory.

Tips to Make a Juicy, Flavorful Less-Meat Meatloaf

Making a less-meat meatloaf that still tastes rich and satisfying comes down to a few key techniques, each designed to build flavor, manage moisture, and keep the loaf cohesive.

1. Roast the beans. This step makes them dense, meaty, and flavorful. Fresh from the can, kidney beans contain a lot of liquid, which can add too much moisture and prevent the meatloaf from setting. Drying them in the oven before mixing them into the loaf drives off excess moisture and concentrates their flavor, resulting in a firmer, meatier bite. This simple step prevents the meatloaf’s interior from turning pasty and helps the beans behave more like ground meat, improving the structure and sliceability.

Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine

**2. Use flavorful meat—and don’t overthink the blend. **When you’re making a meatloaf with less meat, the flavor of what does go in matters even more. Classic recipes often call for a mix of beef, pork, and veal to balance richness and tenderness, but buying three different meats in small amounts isn’t always practical. The good news is that you don’t need to chase the perfect ratio here. A fresh, well-seasoned ground meat—whether it’s all beef or pork or a store-bought "meatloaf" or "meatball" mix—will deliver plenty of savoriness. With the beans providing moisture and structure, the meat’s main job is flavor, so starting with something you’d happily cook on its own is what really counts.

**3.Add gelatin to boost juiciness. **Reducing the amount of meat changes how a meatloaf holds onto moisture and sets as it cooks. To compensate, blooming unflavored gelatin in a mixture of chicken stock and milk helps the loaf retain juiciness and gives the finished slices a plump, tender texture. As the loaf bakes, the gelatin melts and disperses evenly, binding the ingredients together and reinforcing the structure that would otherwise come from meat proteins alone. The result is a meatloaf that stays cohesive, slices cleanly, and remains moist from edge to center.

**4. Cook the aromatics first to concentrate flavor and control moisture. **Raw vegetables release a surprising amount of water as they cook, which can soften the meatloaf and dilute its flavor. Sautéing the onions, carrot, celery, and garlic in butter before adding them to the mix drives off excess moisture while deepening their sweetness and savoriness. Instead of steaming inside the loaf, the pre-cooked aromatics contribute concentrated flavor and help the meatloaf set with a cleaner, more cohesive texture.

5. Finish with a glaze for a lacquered crust. A final blast of high heat transforms a simple ketchup-based glaze into a glossy, lacquered coating with real depth. Brushing the glaze on in thin layers and returning the loaf to a 500°F oven allows each layer to reduce and caramelize, building a sticky-sweet crust with concentrated flavor and a lightly charred, barbecue-like finish. I also add a little gochujang to bring a subtle spicy-sweet kick.

Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine

This half-bean meatloaf keeps everything I love about the classic—savory flavor, a tender interior, and clean, satisfying slices. The beans don’t just stretch the loaf; they contribute moisture, structure, and depth when handled with care, turning an affordable pantry staple into a real advantage. It’s still exactly the kind of meal I want to serve with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli, the way my mom always did.

Keep Screen Awake

For the Meatloaf:

2 (15-ounce; 425 g each) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup (120 ml) store-bought low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup (60 ml) whole buttermilk

1/2 ounce unflavored gelatin (14 g; about 1 1/2 tablespoons)

1 small onion (4 ounces; 110 g), roughly chopped (about 3/4 cup)

1 small carrot (2 ounces; 56 g), peeled and roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 stalks celery (50 g total), roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter

1/2 cup (30 g) panko breadcrumbs, plus more as needed

2 teaspoons (10 ml) soy sauce

2 teaspoons (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon (5 ml) fish sauce

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 pound (450 g) ground beef, pork, veal, or any combination

2 large eggs

4 ounces (115 g) cheddar, provolone, Monterey Jack, and/or Muenster cheese, finely shredded (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup (10 g) finely minced fresh parsley

2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Glaze:

3/4 cup (180 ml) ketchup

1/4 cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (120 ml) cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 teaspoons gochujang (optional)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). On a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, spread kidney beans in a single layer. Roast until beans split and their skins look dry and slightly crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

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Combine chicken stock and buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup, then sprinkle gelatin evenly over the surface. Set aside.

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In a food processor, place onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and pulse until finely chopped, but not pureed, 10 to 15 pulses (see notes). In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add vegetable mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and most of liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in stock mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes.

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Transfer roasted beans to now-empty food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped; the largest pieces should be about 1/3 of a whole bean. Add beans to bowl with the cooked aromatics.

Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine 1.

Add panko, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, paprika, ground meat, eggs, cheese, parsley, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Mix gently with clean hands until homogeneous. If the mixture feels loose, add up to 2 tablespoons of additional panko.

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Transfer mixture to a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, pressing firmly to remove any air pockets. Cover tightly with greased heavy-duty aluminum foil and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or for up to 2 days.

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Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). When ready to bake, invert the foil-covered loaf pan onto a rimmed baking sheet. Loosen the foil and peel it back, leaving it underneath the loaf to catch juices. Bake until the loaf is beginning to set and feels firm to the touch, about 30 minutes.

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Use a thin metal spatula to lift an edge of the inverted loaf pan and slide it off the meatloaf. Return uncovered loaf to oven and bake until center registers 150°F (65°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 500°F (260°C).

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While the loaf rests, in a small saucepan, combine ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, pepper, and gochujang (if using) and cook over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until smooth and sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.

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Brush a thin layer of glaze onto the meatloaf, then bake for 3 minutes. Brush again and bake for 3 minutes longer. Brush once more and bake until the glaze is bubbling and deep brown, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let loaf rest for 15 minutes.

Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine 1.

Slice and serve with extra glaze.

Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine

Special Equipment

Food processor, 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, instant-read thermometer, pastry brush

Notes

If you don’t have a food processor, feel free to mince the vegetables by hand.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The shaped and foil-covered raw loaf can be refrigerated for up to 1 day before baking.

Leftover meatloaf can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
455	Calories
21g	Fat
35g	Carbs
31g	Protein

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Nutrition Facts Servings: 4 to 6 Amount per serving Calories 455 % Daily Value* 21g 27% Saturated Fat 9g 46% 145mg 48% 1233mg 54% 35g 13% Dietary Fiber 4g 13% Total Sugars 19g 31g Vitamin C 8mg 39% Calcium 143mg 11% Iron 4mg 24% Potassium 780mg 17% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)