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Boston Market Meatloaf – Top Secret Recipe (Copycat Recipe) + VIDEO

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Posted by:

Erin Lynch

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Updated:

October 7, 2025

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4.98 from 49 votes

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This Boston Market Meatloaf (Copycat Recipe) tastes just like they make at Boston Market – It’s kicked up with a BBQ sauce and ketchup glaze that tastes so amazing!

Sliced BOSTON MARKET meatloaf in serving tray with green beans and mashed potatoes.

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I’m on a definite comfort food kick this week. First was this yummy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, then Tomato Bisque Soup, and now Meatloaf.

This recipe was originally published in 2014. It was updated in 2020 to add new photographs. The original recipe remains the same. Enjoy! 

Making dishes like this always makes me feel a little bit like I’m on an episode of Leave it to Beaver. But hey, classics are classics for a reason… They’re yummy! What are some of your favorite old-school comfort food recipes?

This version is a copycat of Boston Market’s famed meatloaf.

It’s got a nice thick ribbon of a barbequey-ketchup running down the middle. It’s sliced into eight portions halfway through cooking, allowing for that sauce to penetrate each slice. It also helps to make sure that the loaf cooks uniformly.

Of course the end pieces are always my favorite! Those usually get eaten first, and the rest saved for leftovers.

Ingredients for BOSTON MARKET meatloaf in mixing bowl.
Unbaked meatloaf in pan.
Pan of meatloaf covered with foil.
Half baked meatloaf in pan before slicing.
Half baked meatloaf after slicing and drizzling on tomato sauce.
Finished baked meatloaf in loaf pan.

If you loved this Boston Market Meatloaf recipe I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished cookies and share it with me onInstagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

Wine Pairings for Meatloaf:

  •  Try a red that’s robust but not too tannic. A Zinfandel or Merlot would pair perfectly.

Tips for Making Boston Market Meatloaf:

  • Don’t overwork the meat mixture, this will make your meatloaf tough.
  • A meatloaf pan ($10) is a handy little gadget that you may not own yet. They’re great because the perforations allow for the fat to drain while it’s baking. Plus, it’s got a nifty lift out tray that makes removing the loaf from the pan so simple!
  • To complete the upscale TV dinner experience, serve dinner on these fun trays !!! Oh hi retro night!
Sliced BOSTON MARKET meatloaf on serving platter.

More Copycat Recipes:

  • PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps Recipe (Copycat)
  • Cranberry Bliss Bars (Starbucks Copycat)
  • Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat) 
  • Easy Mongolian Beef Recipe (PF Chang’s Copycat)
  • 3 Healthy Protein Boxes (Starbucks Copycat) 
Sliced BOSTON MARKET meatloaf in serving tray with green beans and mashed potatoes.

What to Serve with Boston Market Meatloaf:

  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes
  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes
  • Green Beans
  • Parmesan Crusted Delicata Squash
  • Smashed Potatoes
  • Sauteed Spinach
  • Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
  • Mashed Cauliflower
  • Asparagus
  • Mashed Sweet Potatoes
  • More → 35+ BEST sides for meatloaf

If you loved this meatloaf recipe – be sure to try my Air Fryer Meatloaf too!

More → 35+ Ground Beef Recipes

Boston Market Meatloaf Recipe

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Sliced BOSTON MARKET meatloaf in serving tray with green beans and mashed potatoes.

Full Recipe

Boston Market Meatloaf (Copycat Recipe)

This Boston Market Meatloaf (Copycat Recipe) tastes just like they make at Boston Market – It’s kicked up with a barbeque ketchup sauce that tastes so amazing!
4.98 from 49 votes
Print Pin
Serves 4 servings
Created by Platings and Pairings
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons barbecue sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Combine tomato sauce, barbecue sauce and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until bubbling, stirring constantly, and remove from heat.
  • Add all but 2 Tablespoons of this mixture to the ground beef in a large mixing bowl, along with the flour, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and ground pepper. Mix until well combined.
  • Place mixture in a loaf pan. Wrap tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes. 
  • Using a spatula to hold the meatloaf in the pan, drain the fat. 
  • While still in the pan, slice the meatloaf into 8 slices. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the meatloaf, in a stream down the center.
  • Return the sliced meatloaf to the oven, and bake uncovered for an additional 30 minutes.
  • Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe by Todd Wilbur and his book Even More Top Secret Recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 517kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 961mg | Potassium: 703mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 5mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!
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4.98 from 49 votes (30 ratings without comment)

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62 responses

  1. Jane
    October 7, 2018

    5 stars
    Wow. Nice recipes. Love these secrets. I will try this out at weekend. Thanks for your case.

    Reply
    1. Lucas
      October 9, 2018

      4 stars
      Jane . . I use this recipe but modify it slightly by using the bread crumbs and one egg and it seems to work very well. I have also used the flour and truthfully there isnt enough difference to mention – either way its my go to recipe for meatloaf.

      Reply
  2. Billie
    January 12, 2019

    5 stars
    This is my FAVORITE Meatloaf. It’s messy to prepare, but we love it! I use a splash of Worcestershire sauce as well. Try it. It’s delicious!

    Reply
  3. 50+ Copycat Restaurant Recipes – Over The Big Moon
    April 25, 2019

    […] Boston Market Meatloaf Copycat Recipe at Platings and Pairings […]

    Reply
  4. Christianne
    October 30, 2019

    In the heading you mention barbeque ketchup sauce. In the ingredients you talk about tomato sauce. Is it style Heintz ketchup or Hunt’s tomato sauce that you use… I’m assuming that it Hunt’s tomato sauce.
    Can anyone reply. I’m looking at making this tonight.
    Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Erin
      October 30, 2019

      Hi Christianne – I use a can of tomato sauce for this recipe. Thanks for the question!

      Reply
  5. Rhonda
    December 8, 2019

    5 stars
    My family loved this recipe. We have some members with celiac so I made two. One gluten free and one following (mostly) the recipe. For the gluten free option I added coarse gluten free bread crumbs in place of the Flour in the same amount and gf bbq sauce. Didn’t seem to need any egg!
    For the regular recipe I had to use half tomato soup and half sauce (I ran out of sauce doing the first one!) and I actually liked that sauce a teeny bit better.
    Also for the second half of the cooking I upped the temp to 425 and cooked them both about 40 more minutes instead of a half hour to keep it from being mushy.
    Excellent recipe and thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      December 9, 2019

      I’m so happy you enjoyed it Rhonda! Thanks for sharing your modifications!

      Reply
  6. Ashley Lundberg
    March 30, 2020

    This is so weird – but it’s just not cooking. I have it in at 400° and did the initial 30 minutes. It was still completely raw. Then another 30 minutes – barely improved and then 30 minutes again. Cook and then 30 more minutes and it is somewhat doable. Our oven is brand new – so not sure what’s going on! Anyone else have issues? It smells so good.

    Reply
  7. Susan E. Snook
    April 11, 2020

    I’m in the middle of making this now. When I took it out after the first half hour to drain the fat and cut it, it still was very raw, kind of hard to cut. It’s back in the oven now uncovered and has 13 mins left of the last half hour. I’ll see if it cooks through in that amount of time.

    Reply
  8. Susan E. Snook
    April 12, 2020

    5 stars
    I had posted earlier about worrying a little b/c after the first half hour, when I uncovered it to drain the fat and slice it, it seemed pretty raw. But after the second half hour uncovered, it came out perfect. I took a bite, and boy, it truly does taste like Boston Market’s meatloaf. FYI: I followed the directions exactly. This will be for lunch/dinner tomorrow.

    Reply
  9. Denise
    May 20, 2020

    I’m very excited to make this recipe, but I have 2 questions: I’ve never actually made meatloaf before (i only order it once in a blue moon from Boston market!) So I bought a meatloaf pan that drains the meat while it’s cooking. My big questions 1) your recipe says to first wrap in foil while baking then open foil and drain. Is the pan I got not needed since being wrapped in foil won’t allow the meat to drain in the pan or is the foil only to catch the grease? I hope you understand my question because I may not have worded it well. Also, I bought 90% lean beef which is actually fattier than we usually use for burgers or lasagna even though others considered it too dry for those dishes. Opinion for meatloaf?

    Reply
    1. Erin
      May 21, 2020

      Hi Denise – You should be good with the 90%. I would use your meatloaf pan and cover it with foil baking it covered for the first half of the time, then uncovered for the second half. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  10. Mike
    July 3, 2020

    5 stars
    Love this recipe. Our family’s go to for meatloaf. I always add a touch of worchestishire sauce and a bit of Heinz 57 to the sauce mix to tang it up a tad. Also bake for 40-45 mins on the second cycle to get crispier edges. Very delicious!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      July 4, 2020

      Thanks so much for sharing your tips Mike!

      Reply
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Hi, I’m Erin!

Can I pour you a glass of wine? Let’s have some fun in the kitchen! Maybe some pasta? A juicy steak? I’ve got loads of yummy, easy recipes for you! Because cooking should feel as comfy as your favorite yoga pants. ♥

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