This super easy and tasty paleo meatloaf is nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, low carb, keto, Whole30-friendly, and packed with meat and veggies for a simple all-in-one weeknight meal. Our family loves this ground beef meatloaf so much that I normally bake two at a time so I have an extra one to eat for leftovers!
Table of Contents
- The easiest paleo and keto meatloaf!
- Cauliflower rice to the rescue!
- Can you use fresh spinach?
- Do other ground meats work in this recipe?
- Ingredients
- How to make paleo and keto meatloaf
- What are good side dishes to serve with this meatloaf?
- More paleo ground beef recipes
- Easy Paleo and Keto Meatloaf Recipe
The easiest paleo and keto meatloaf!
My goal was to develop a paleo meatloaf recipe that’s crazy-simple and economical to throw together using staples from my fridge and freezer—and I’m thrilled with the results! The kids love this meatloaf recipe and don’t even notice that half of it is made out of vegetables. I think it’s because they’re too busy fighting over the crispy bacon on top!
Cauliflower rice to the rescue!
Traditionally, breadcrumbs are added to meatloaf as a filler to stretch out the meat and to make the texture less dense. Many paleo and keto meatloaf recipes call for almond flour in place of breadcrumbs, but I wanted to use a wheat-free, and nut-free filler to improve the consistency. While leafing through an old cookbook, I found a meatloaf recipe that recommended using leftover rice as a filler and that’s what inspired me to use riced cauliflower in this recipe. It works great, and the kids don’t even notice the extra vegetables!
I’ve done some experimentation, and found that fresh riced cauliflower works better than frozen because less liquid is released after the meatloaf is cooked. If you do use frozen riced cauliflower, be prepared for a little more residual liquid in the pan.
Can you use fresh spinach?
Yes, but it’s easier to thaw two 10-ounce packs of frozen spinach! I always have frozen spinach or kale in my freezer because I’m too lazy to wash or chop the greens. If you plan on making meatloaf later in the week, just throw the packs of frozen greens in the fridge to thaw the night before.
If you are substituting fresh spinach, use 2 pounds of it because the greens will cook down dramatically. After rinsing and draining the spinach, toss it in a hot skillet and cook it in only the water clinging to the leaves. Once the spinach has wilted, remove it from the pan and finely chop it up. Cool the chopped spinach to room temperature before adding it to the meatloaf.
Do other ground meats work in this recipe?
You can definitely use another ground meat—just make sure it’s not super lean. I’ve also made this meatloaf with a combination of ground pork and beef, and the results are delicious!
Ingredients
- Ground beef: I like to use 85% lean ground beef in this recipe but as I said above, you can totally sub another ground meat. Yes, you can use ground turkey if you want but make sure it’s not the 99% lean stuff.
- Frozen spinach or frozen curly kale: I like using frozen greens for this meatloaf because you don’t have to wash or cut anything. Plus, I always have bags in my freezer! You can definitely use fresh spinach or kale, it’s just more work!
- Riced cauliflower: Fresh riced cauliflower works better than frozen. No riced cauliflower, but have some leftover mashed cauliflower? You can sub that instead!
- Onion
- Garlic
- Eggs
- Bacon: Don’t skip the bacon! The bacon drippings flavor the meatloaf as it cooks!
- Extra virgin olive oil, ghee, or avocado oil
- Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt: I really think Magic Mushroom Powder is the secret for why this meatloaf tastes so amazing. The mushrooms are undetectable but add so much flavor!
- Marinara sauce: I like to warm up some marinara sauce to serve on the side as a sauce. Ketchup or barbecue sauce also works great!
How to make paleo and keto meatloaf
Heat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Use a brush or paper towel to grease the interior of a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with olive oil or your fat of choice. (Instead of greasing the pan, you can also line it with parchment paper so the meatloaf is easy to remove at the end.)
Wrap the thawed spinach or kale in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid…
…and place the dried greens in a large bowl. (Discard the reserved green liquid or add it to a soup.)
Add the beef, onions, cauliflower, garlic, Magic Mushroom Powder (or Diamond Crystal kosher salt)…
…and whisked eggs to the spinach.
Use your hands to gently mix the meatloaf mixture to combine everything.
Transfer the meat and veggie mixture into the greased loaf pan and flatten the top with your hands. Cover the top with the three slices of bacon.
Pop the meatloaf in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until cooked through. The meatloaf should come away from the sides of the pan and the internal temperature measured with a meat thermometer should be at least 160°F.
Then, turn on the broiler and cook the meatloaf for 5 to 10 minutes or until the bacon is crispy on top.
Take the meatloaf out of the oven and rest it for 10 minutes.
Slice and serve with warm marinara sauce, if desired. Happy eating!
What are good side dishes to serve with this meatloaf?
Simple vegetable dishes are the best thing to serve with this meatloaf. I like accompanying it with a green salad, broiled asparagus (you can cook them in the oven while the meatloaf is resting), or a yummy vegetable soup (like Carrot Cardamom Soup).
How do you save any leftovers?
I keep leftover meatloaf in the fridge for up to 4 days or tightly sealed airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months. Pro tip: double the recipe and make two loaves at a time because it’ll take the same amount of time to cook twice the food!
How do you reheat the leftovers?
Slice up the meatloaf into ½-inch slices and pan fry them in some fat over medium heat until browned on both sides. I actually like these toasty meatloaf slices better than the ones fresh from the oven!
More paleo ground beef recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Easy Paleo and Keto Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 20 ounces frozen chopped spinach or 16 ounces frozen curly kale defrosted
- 1 pound ground beef 15-20% fat
- 1 cup riced cauliflower fresh works better than frozen
- 1 cup finely chopped onions or shallots
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1½ teaspoons Magic Mushroom Powder
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 3 bacon slices
- 1 cup marinara sauce optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Use a brush or paper towel to grease the interior of a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with olive oil or your fat of choice.
- Wrap the thawed spinach or kale in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid and place the dried greens in a large bowl. (Discard the reserved green liquid or add it to a soup.)
- Add the beef, onions, cauliflower, garlic, Magic Mushroom Powder (or Diamond Crystal kosher salt), and whisked eggs to the spinach.
- Use your hands to gently mix the meatloaf mixture to combine everything.
- Transfer the meat and veggie mixture into the greased loaf pan and pat flat with your hands. Place the three slices of bacon on top.
- Pop the meatloaf in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until cooked through. The meatloaf should come away from the sides of the pan and the internal temperature should be at least 160°F.
- Turn on the broiler and cook the meatloaf for 5 to 10 minutes or until the bacon is crispy on top.
- Take the meatloaf out of the oven and rest it for 10 minutes.
- Slice and serve with warm marinara sauce, if desired. Happy eating!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Michelle – a bit late to the game. My kitchen is about the size of a closet, so this recipe is both easy and difficult. 🙂 I made your magic mushroom powder last year, and like Franks Hot sauce, I use it on everything!
The only change I made to your recipe is to cook it in mini-loaf pans and cook it for about 35-40 minutes. It is wonderful, delicious and a go to on my weekly menu round.
My job is crazy, so knowing I have something in the freezer that I can throw in the fridge in the morning and know that I can have a healthy dinner in 20 minutes has saved my life and my stomach.
This is so hearty, that I have about half for dinner and leftovers for lunch. As I can’t do tomato or tomato sauces I eat this like early Keto – mayo and dill pickle chips!
Your sheetpan porkchops with sprouts, apple and onion is also a total winner. Thank you!
Thanks Dee!
This is SO good. I’ve made it a few times, and my hubby loves it too. He actually will request it. There are never enough leftovers for me to freeze some.