Can you feel this delicious smell? It’s from our kitchen! Today we are cooking taco meatloaf! Even if you are not one of the meatloaf lovers this recipe of taco meatloaf won’t leave you indifferent.
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Just imagine super moist and tender meat with taco seasoning and spicy salsa topped with melted cheese… Mmm… Super yummy combination.
TACO MEATLOAF
Usually, it takes more than an hour to prepare such a coarse piece of ground meat. So we decided to shape smaller cutlets. In such a way, we reduced cooking time in half and received individual servings of taco meatloaf.
You don’t need to spend much time cooking. Just combine all ingredients in a bowl, shape meatloaves, top them with salsa and shredded cheese, and bake! In half an hour you’ll receive super tasteful taco meatloaf.
HOW TO MAKE TACO MEATLOAF?
- Step 1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line your baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl combine ground pork, ground beef, crushed Doritos, a cup of shredded Mexican blend cheese, salsa, lightly beaten eggs, and taco seasoning. Mix until well combined. Wet your hands with cold water and shape mini loaves from the received mixture. Arrange them onto a baking sheet.
- Step 2. Make a topping for your taco meatloaf: spoon a tablespoon of salsa on top of each mini meatloaf. Then sprinkle meatloaves with shredded cheese. You can use both store-bought or homemade salsa for this recipe.
- Step 3. Transfer your meatloaves to the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 F. After baking, let rest for 10 minutes, divide between plates, and serve with your favorite side dish.
How do you keep taco meatloaf moist?
The best way to keep your taco meatloaf moist is to use the right proportion of lean meat and fat. It doesn’t matter which type of meat you decide to use, 80% of meat to 20% fat is the best ratio.
Cooking temperature also matters. We recommend baking taco meatloaf at 325-350 F. If it is too high it will reduce the baking time, but it tends to dry out the meat.
Do you cover taco meatloaf when baking?
You don’t need to cover mini taco meatloaves with foil while baking. Putting the foil on your meatloaves will tend to steam them, rather than bake.
That’s because the moisture that evaporates from meatloaves will not have where to go.
But if you decide to prepare a large single meatloaf from the whole meatloaf mix, you may cover it with foil but uncover it for the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Why is my taco meatloaf mushy?
If your taco meatloaf is mushy, this means that you’ve added too much liquid to the meatloaf mix. In this case, you need to reduce the number of liquid ingredients such as salsa or panade (if using).
You can also add more crushed Doritos or breadcrumbs to the loaf mix. It will help to soak the moisture up and make your meatloaf less mushy.
Why is my taco meatloaf so dense?
Taco meatloaf may become too dense if you mix the ingredients too much. Overmixing is the most common mistake while cooking meatloaf.
To avoid this, try to combine all ingredients carefully and stop when everything is mixed up. Don’t forget that you’ll mix the meatloaf again when shaping it before cooking.
When shaping, don’t press the loaf too much as well, this will lead to tough and dry meatloaf.
What to serve with taco meatloaf?
You have a huge variety of side dishes to choose from. I love my taco meatloaf with steamed green beans.
Taco meatloaf can be also served with Grilled Eggplant, or,Corned Beef Hash or refried beans, guacamole, some veggie salad, or even Mexican Rice or Sweet Potato Fries!
You can also eat taco meatloaf on its own or with a spoonful or two of salsa.
RECIPE TIPS;
- You can try to use different cheeses in this taco meatloaf recipe. Just for you to know, that cheeses with lighter color burn more quickly and it’s better to sprinkle them over the loaves for the last ten minutes of cooking. 10 minutes will be enough for the cheese to melt.
- Try to shape your meatloaves approximately the same sizes. In this case, they will cook evenly while baking and you won’t get a raw meatloaf.
- You may use the type of meat you love most. The taste would change a bit, but it will still be delish!
Can you freeze cooked taco meatloaf?
You can definitely freeze cooked taco meatloaf! Arrange all your leftovers in an airtight container or in a freezer bag and place it in a freezer.
Your meatloaves will “survive” in a freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat your taco meatloaf, take it out of the freezer, let it thaw, and bake to warm the meatloaf up.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
- Marry Me Chicken
- Jiffy Cornbread Casserole
- Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew
- Alice Springs Chicken Recipe
- Classic Meat Pie
- CHEESE AND GARLIC CRACK BREAD
BEST TACO MEATLOAF
Our taco meatloaf recipe differs from traditional meatloaves. Both baked and crockpot meatloaves look more like meat bread or huge meat cutlet.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 bag Doritos, crushed
- 1 cup Mexican blend cheese, shredded
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cup salsa
Topping:
- 6 tbsp salsa
- 1 cup shredded cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F and cover the baking sheet with foil. In a bowl combine all ingredients for meatloaf. With your hands shape mini loaves and arrange them onto a baking sheet.
Place a tablespoon of salsa on top of each mini meatloaf and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Transfer baking tray to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes, share between plates, and serve with your favorite side dish.
Notes
- If you don’t want to use Doritos, you can easily omit it and use bread crumbs, panko, cracker crumbs, or crushed pork rind (for low carb option) instead.
- If you want to make your taco meatloaves spicier, feel free to add some chopped chili or chili flakes to the meat mixture.
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