The BEST Instant Pot Meatloaf recipe [better than Boston Market] (2024)

The BEST Instant Pot Meatloaf recipe, similar to Boston Market. Made simply with beef OR turkey, our meatloaf is moist and delicious.

Moist and juicy meatloafcooks up easily and quickly in the Instant Pot or any pressure cooker.

Meatloaf wasn’t a meal I loved. I set out to make the best meatloaf I could as my other half LOVES meatloaf. We took a simple approach; similar to Boston Market meatloaf. So many meatloaf recipes are overly flavored with lots of sweet add ins like barbecue sauce or are wrapped in bacon. we didn’t want all the “stuff” just an old fashion and delicious comfort style meatloaf; sometime simple. The result was fabulous.

This Instant Pot Meatloaf recipe cooked in an Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker ensures a moist and delicious meatloaf, like no other.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Meatloaf

• Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
• Grapenut Nuggets and Panko – we found this combination gave the meatloaf a perfect and tender bite.
• Diced Tomatoes
• Garlic Powder
• Onion and Egg

It is the best meatloaf I have ever had and we switch off between using ground turkey and ground beef.

Ground Beef or Ground Turkey?

• My original recipe, which was made for the oven used ground beef. While very delicious, we decided to make it the next time with ground turkey and “beef” it up a bit. Worcestershire sauce is a wonderful flavor enhancer and gives turkey an almost beefy flavor. We found the ground turkey meatloaf to be seriously as delicious, if not more!

Pro tip: If using ground turkey for Instant Pot Meatloaf, add an extra 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce.

Grapenuts and Panko

• We almost always add GrapeNuts Nuggets Cereal and Worcestershire Sauce when using ground turkey. Ground turkey generally is drier after cooking. Plus, the nugget cereal adds fiber, while Worcestershire and adds a huge flavor boost.
• The combination of the two starches work really well with ground beef and we found them to give the meatloaf the perfect texture of tender with a bite, not mushy.

In keeping this meatloaf recipe simple, the only vegetable used are diced onions. We found adding in other veggies like green pepper, almost over powered the meat and gave it too strong a flavor.

Pro Tip: Make sure to dice the onion really well, or else you will have crunchy onions in the meatloaf.

We like to use a can of diced tomatoes, drained and weuse an immersion blenderto formthe sauce. Half of the sauce it is used in the meat mixture and the other half is sweetened for the topping.

Tomato Sauce v Diced Tomatoes/Fresh Tomatoes

• Tomato sauce is concentrated tomatoes in a can and is not a just picked fresh tomato taste. Meatloaf should be light, tender, yet have a nice bite and not give the feeling of a hamburger in loaf form.
• Blended canned diced tomatoes are much less processed than tomato sauce and they give meatloaf a lighter and fresher taste.

Pro Tip: Fresh tomatoes can be used in place of a can of diced tomatoes.

In a Mixing Bowl and with clean hands, mix together the ingredients.

For other recipes using ground turkey, check out my Pressure Cooker Tex-Mex Turkey Chili, my Pressure Cooker Beef and Macaroni, and my Pressure Cooker Healthy Inside-Out “Egg rolls” recipes.

The meat mixture should be about 6-8 inches long, depending on if you are using a 6 quart or 8 quart pressure cooker.

Foil Sling for Instant Pot Meatloaf

A foil sling is helpful if you are putting the meatloaf right on top of the trivet inside the Instant Pot. However, if you are also making potatoes, or potatoes and carrots, the grease will drip down into the water. Depending on how you like your mashed vegetables, this could be a good thing or not a good thing.

To make matters easier, a steamer rack with handles, such as the one in the photo above is super easy to use. The handles are great for pulling out the meatloaf without any worry of tipping the foil and having the meatloaf end up on the ground. ThisSecura Steamer Trivetcomes in both a 6 quart and 8 quart size, so choose the best size for your Pressure Cooker.

If you do not have a crisping lid and want to brown the top of the Instant Pot Meatloaf, it is a good idea to use the foil, so you can slide the meatloaf into an oven safe pan and brown the top.

Decide if you will make separate Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or if you want to cook the potatoes at the same time as you are cooking the meatloaf.

How to Cook Potatoes with Instant Pot Meatloaf

• Well, first of all, wow! Cooking the potatoes in the same pot with the meatloaf is totally awesome!
• So that the potatoes and carrots don’t become waterlogged and or mush into oblivion, add a very Short Legged Trivet, so that the potatoes are not sitting in the water.
• The potatoes (and carrots) then go on top of that trivet and then the meatloaf.

Pro Tip: Leave the potatoes (and carrots) whole since meatloaf has a longer cook time. They will steam to perfection.

Check out my Healthy Carrot/Potato Mash to make delicious orange colored mashed potatoes. They sure are pretty.

The meatloaf and vegetables fit nicely in the Instant Pot.

Everyone loves a little sauce on top of their meatloaf. I bet this is one of the few recipes around, which does not use ketchup. Why? Because the meatloaf should not taste like a hamburger!!! Unless of course, you want it to and in that case make my deliciousInstant Pot Cheeseburger Meatloaf.

Make the Sauce

• With the remaining pureed diced tomatoes, add in the sugar and whisk together well.

If you do not have a crisping lid, just put the meatloaf an oven safe Baking Dish and brown the top with the sauce.

Alternatively, leave the meatloaf in the pressure cooker and use your crisping lid.

• Mealthy CrispLid (buy from Mealthy) / Mealthy CrispLid (buy from Amazon)
• Instant Pot Crisping Lid (buy from Instant Pot) / Instant Pot Crisping Lid (buy from Amazon)

Serve your Pressure Cooker Turkey Meatloaf with the potatoes and carrots cooked in the pot or try my Garlic Whipped Potatoes.

I like peas, or another green vegetable; do you? Drizzle the remaining sauce over each serving.

More Instant Pot Ground Beef Recipes to Make

• Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowls
• Instant Pot Beef and Macaroni
• Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

• Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
• J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
• Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk – a MUST have, probably my most used utensil
• LamsonSharp Chef’s Slotted Turner – I totally love this spatula!
• Alton Brown Salt Box
• My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
• Stainless Steel Tall/Short Trivet & Egg Cooker Set
• Stainless Steel Basket Rack w/ Holes for Meatloaf
• 3.5 Quart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
• Pyrex Oblong Glass Baking Dish

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Here is the handy printable recipe:

PIN this Pressure Cooker Turkey Meatloaf & Potatoes {Instant Pot}!