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German Meatloaf on blue and white plate.
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4.92 from 12 votes

Easy German Meatloaf (Hackbraten)

This authentic hackbraten is full of flavour. A great quick meal for the family that everyone will love.
Course Main Course
Cuisine German
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6 people
Author Marita

Ingredients

  • 800 g mixed mince /ground meat 28 oz, 50% pork and 50% beef. You can just use beef but that will alter the texture
  • 2 bread rolls stale, you can also use stale baguette
  • 1 onion medium size approx 150 g/ 5 oz
  • 70 g pickled gherkins 2.5 oz,. or you can use cornicons. Use the dill gherkins/pickle
  • 15 g parsley 0.5 oz
  • 2 eggs medium size
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon paprika powder
  • 100 g butter 3.5 oz

Instructions

  • Slice the breadrolls in small pieces and soak them in some warm water. Squeeze them out very well, in order to draw out the moisture. Otherwise your meatloaf might end up being too wet.
  • Chop the onions, gherkins/pickles and parsley finley.
  • Heat up 1 tablespoon of butter and fry the onions until they start to brown.
  • Place the mincemeat/ground meat in a large bowl. Add the bread pulp, onions, eggs, mustard, gherkings, paprika powder, salt, pepper and mix with your hands until everything is combined.
  • Preheat your oven to 180°C / 356°F. Grease the bottom of an oven pan with butter.
  • Place your meat mix into the oven form and form into an oval shaped loaf.
  • Place in the oven and back for approximatley 45 minuites.
  • Melt the remaining butter in a pan or microwave. Every 10 minutes brush the top of the meatloaf with a little butter.
  • To test if the meatloaf is done, you can stick a meat thermometer in it. If the core temperature is around 75°C/ 170°F it should be done. However, it should roughly take around 45 minutes.
  • While the meatloaf is baking, you can prepare a quick sauce to go with it. I recommend this rahmsauce or jäger sauce recipe.
  • Serve immediatley. It goes well with mashed potatoes, potato dumplings and boiled vegetables.

Video

Notes

I would recommend checking out the step by step instructions pictures on the main post. 

Recipe Variations

  • Use a rectangular or loaf form to bake your meatloaf in. This will give it a more precise shape.
  • Add hard-boiled eggs to your loaf. You will need to boil the eggs first and then peel them. Do not boil them until very hard as the eggs will still cook even more in the oven, and then they might end up too try. First, make the base of your meatloaf, add the eggs in the middle and then top with the rest of the meat.
  • Try out different seasonings: Sage, Tarragon or Oregano are popular herbs to add.
  • Cover your meatloaf with bacon instead of brushing it with melted butter. This will give you a nice crispy outside, but the inside will still be lovely and moist.

Storage Instructions

A cooked Hackbraten will stay good in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. You can reheat it in the oven or the microwave.
Alternatively, you can freeze the meatloaf in slices. Store in airtight freezer bags.