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Woah! This smoked meatloaf recipe wrapped in bacon is SO GOOD. It’s the ultimate pellet grill comfort food dish that’s easier to make than you’d think. This method makes it SUPER moist and tender. Let’s smoke bacon wrapped meatloaf on the Traeger…

Best Traeger Smoked Meatloaf Bacon-Wrapped

Table of Contents

HEY THERE — Are you on instagram? I post quick, easy smoker recipes there @sipbitego.

How long does it take to smoke meatloaf at 250 degrees F?

Plan for about 3-4 hours of smoking time for meatloaf.

Do you put smoked meatloaf on smoker racks?

No, for this meatloaf smoked in a pan, you want it to soak in its own juices while it cooks. This might look a little weird if you’re new to this particular meatloaf cooking method. But it turns out super juicy while picking up a ton of smoky flavor from the pellets.

Why do you use bread chunks instead of bread crumbs in smoked meatloaf?

You could substitute the diced bread with bread crumbs of the same volume, but using fresh or slightly stale bread in this smoked meatloaf makes it extra moist and light.

What do you do with leftover smoked meatloaf?

Dice it up and toss it on smoked pizza or make meatloaf sandwiches the next day. It reheats easily if you slice it up and cook it in the oven at 350 on a sheet tray.

Can you substitute pork meat?

Yes, similar to smoked meatballs, you can substitute half the ground beef with ground pork. This recipe can also be adapted to use ground chicken meat or ground turkey meat too. But, I do have to say, the poultry versions in particular can be a bit softer and more likely to fall apart compared to beef.

How can you make stuffed smoked meatloaf?

Experiment with flavors by adding in extra stuffing ingredients like diced jalapeños to make a spicy smoked meatloaf. Try stuffing with shredded gouda, jack, cheddar or mozzarella cheeses. You can also sprinkle in your favorite BBQ rub or a little brown sugar on top, which tastes great with smoked bacon.

Ingredients for smoked meatloaf

Here’s what you need to make smoked bacon wrapped meatloaf.

Infographic with smoked bacon wrapped meatloaf ingredients list with recipe image

Eggs
Ketchup
Worcestershire sauce
Bread
Heavy cream
Onion
Garlic
Salt and pepper
Ground beef (*for the most juicy meatloaf, use 80/20 ground beef)
Bacon
BBQ sauce

With all the tasty flavors, I swear this is a smoked meat loaf everyone will drool over!!

Smoked Mac And Cheese Dinner With Smoked Meatloaf — The perfect pair: smoked meatloaf served with smoked mac n cheese.

See how to griddle bacon on the Traeger Flatrock and how cook Blackstone bacon…

How to smoke meatloaf on a pellet grill

Now I’ll walk you through it…

Infographic with recipe steps and captions to make smoker meatloaf on Traeger pellet grills

FYI – This recipe has been adapted from baking meatloaf in the oven in a particular way where it cooks in its own juices to keep it very, very moist.

While smoking, a lot of juice is expected to come out of the meatloaf. That is OK. It’s basically basting itself. After smoking it, you remove it from the juice before slicing it.

Slice of smoked meatloaf cooked on the pellet grill

Detailed recipe steps

Preheat Traeger Grills or Pitt Boss or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 250 degrees F.
Prep the bacon wrapped meatloaf filling for smoking. Start by combining the smoked meatloaf beef mixture by adding to a large bowl: eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, diced bread, heavy cream, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk together until combined. Next, add in the ground beef. Use your hands to gently, loosely, combine the beef with the egg and seasoning mixture. Again, don’t over mix it – the goal is to mix everything until just combined.
Form smoked meatloaf patty. Set a large cast iron skillet or deep rimmed pan at your workstation. (As the meatloaf cooks on the smoker, juices will come out so you want a pan that’s at least 2 inches deep). To the center, add the ground beef mixture in a large log shape, wide enough to fit a piece of bacon around the center (about 5-6” wide).
Wrap meatloaf with bacon. Place the bacon strips on top of the ground beef so they are slightly overlapping, so the bacon fully covers the meatloaf, with no gaps between the pieces. Next, use your fingers and gently wrap the bacon around the sides of the meatloaf.
Smoke meatloaf on the pellet grill at 250 degrees F. Add the bacon wrapped meatloaf in the cast iron pan directly to a preheated smoker at 250 degrees F. Close the lid. Continue smoking until the internal temperature of the meatloaf smoking reaches 145 degrees F.
Brush with BBQ sauce. When the meatloaf measures 145 degrees F internally, brush the top with BBQ sauce.
Continue smoking bacon wrapped meatloaf until it reaches 160 degrees F, as measured with an internal read thermometer. When it comes to smoker cook times, exactly how long to smoke meatloaf will depend on how many times the pellet grill is opened and how thick the meatloaf is.
Finish smoked meatloaf by removing it from the smoker. Use two big spatulas to transfer the meatloaf from the liquid in the pan to a wire rack (over a rimmed baking sheet).
Rest smoked meatloaf, covered in foil, 15 – 20 minutes. To serve, transfer it to a cutting board and slice it into 2-3” segments. Serve with a little extra BBQ sauce in a small bowl if desired. Enjoy.