Meatloaf Seasoning

Upgrade your comfort food and use this homemade meatloaf seasoning blend for your next meatloaf. It’s savory with a little heat and sweetness.

What Is Meatloaf Seasoning?

It’s a spice blend to use when making meatloaf, of course! More specifically, this recipe is based on McCormick’s Meat Loaf Seasoning packet.

It’s got a good amount of salt and sugar that is balanced and really nice in meatloaf. Then there’s a touch of herby flavor from the dried thyme. There’s lots of great savory flavor from garlic powder, onion powder, and celery salt. Round it out with a little heat from black pepper, ground mustard, and paprika.

Now you’ve got the best seasoning blend for the family favorite meatloaf!

Why Use Meatloaf Seasoning?

So why use homemade meatloaf seasoning? It’s got a perfect blend of flavors to complement a classic meatloaf. Using dry powdered forms of garlic, onion, and celery means you get to skip the chopping. Plus it makes for a smoother meatloaf that holds together better when slicing. The brown sugar in the recipe brings just a touch of sweetness which goes well with the typical meatloaf glaze.

Plus, you can adjust it if you need to. You can substitute dried oregano for some or all of the thyme. You can also use whichever kind of paprika you like – hot, regular, or smoked paprika. 

It’s also a time saver if you make meatloaf on a regular basis. Make the full batch or even a double batch of the recipe below so you get that family favorite on the dinner table quicker on those busy weeknights.

How Much Seasoning To Use

In my testing, I found that 4 teaspoons of this meatloaf seasoning was perfect per one pound of ground meat. While my Air Fryer Meatloaf recipe makes a small one pound meatloaf, other recipes may vary. This Classic Meatloaf in the oven makes a 2 pound meatloaf, so you’d need 8 teaspoons (which is also 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons).

Plus, you may find that the packages of ground beef at your grocery store are around 1 and 1/3 pound of meat. In that case, you can use the small batch recipe below to just make 2 tablespoons of seasoning.

Make A Small Batch Of Meatloaf Seasoning

To make 2 Tablespoons, which is perfect for about 1 and 1/3 pounds of ground meat, use the recipe below.

To Make 2 Tablespoons of Meatloaf Seasoning, Combine:

• 1 and 1/4 tsp. salt • 1 and 1/4 tsp. brown sugar • 3/4 tsp. paprika (any kind) • 3/4 tsp. garlic powder • 3/4 tsp. onion powder • 1/4 rounded tsp. celery seed* • 1/4 rounded tsp. dry mustard* • 1/4 rounded tsp. dried thyme* • 1/4 rounded tsp. pepper* *These need to be about 1/3 of a teaspoon each. But since we don’t typically have that measurement, just doing a slightly heaped 1/4 teaspoon will do the trick.

If you want to add seasoning as you cook to approximate this blend, add equal amounts of salt and brown sugar, and then a little more than half of that amount of paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Then about half of that amount of celery seed, dry mustard, thyme, and pepper.