Fried Meatloaf Bites

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy: You’ll just need to mix the meatloaf, roll it into balls, coat them, and fry them. That’s it!
• Juicy: The meatloaf mixture stays juicy and delicious, thanks to the BBQ sauce, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce I add.
• Super Crispy Coating: The breading uses a layer of flour and cornstarch, a layer of buttermilk, and a layer of panko to create a super crispy coating.
• Tons of Flavor: The meatloaf is loaded with flavorful ingredients, and the coating is seasoned with bold spices to create a ton of flavor in every bite.
• Customizable: It’s easy to play with the ingredients to create different flavor profiles.
• Versatile: You can serve these meatloaf bites as an appetizer or main course.

Ingredients

Meatloaf

• Ground Beef: I prefer using lean ground beef to reduce the amount of grease produced when the mixture cooks.
• Eggs: Eggs add moisture and bind the meat together.
• Crushed Cheez-Its: Crushed Cheez-Its take the place of breadcrumbs, adding cheesy flavor while binding the meatloaf ingredients.
• Sauce: A blend of BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup adds plenty of moisture for juicy, flavorful meatloaf bites.
• Seasonings: A blend of granulated garlic, onion powder, and smoked paprika adds smoky, aromatic flavor that enhances the flavor of the beef and sauce ingredients.

Crispy Coating

• Flour and Cornstarch: A blend of all-purpose flour and cornstarch allows the buttermilk to adhere to the meatballs.
• Buttermilk and Eggs: Whisked buttermilk and eggs combine with the flour layer to create a moist base for the seasoned panko.
• Seasoned Panko: A mixture of crushed panko, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes creates a super crispy coating with bold flavor.
• Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil is preferred for frying for its neutral flavor and high smoke point.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact measurements.

Flavor Variations

• Ground Meat: You can use ground chicken, ground beef, ground pork, a 50/50 mix of beef and pork, or chorizo for this recipe.
• Mild: Cut the Cajun seasoning by half and leave out the red pepper flakes for a mild version of this recipe.
• Extra Spicy: Add red pepper flakes to the meatloaf mixture as well as the breading for an extra-spicy version.
• BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite BBQ sauce for this recipe. They all add a slightly different flavor to the meatloaf bites.

Instructions

Meatloaf Bites

1. Mix all the meatloaf bite ingredients in a large bowl until combined.
2. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Flash freeze the bites for at least an hour or until solid.

Coating

1. Set up a dredging station by adding the flour and cornstarch to a shallow container, the whisked eggs and buttermilk to a second shallow container, and the crushed breadcrumbs and seasonings to a third shallow container.
2. Preheat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet on medium-high heat.
3. While the oil preheats, roll each ball into the flour mixture, then the eggs, and finally, the breadcrumb mixture.
4. Fry 6 to 8 balls at a time in the hot oil until golden on all sides. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels as they finish, and repeat until all the balls are fried.
5. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce as an appetizer or mashed potatoes and a veggie side as a main course.

Hint

I find that using my hands is the easiest way to mix the meatloaf ingredients.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze leftovers for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.

To reheat the fried meatloaf bites, defrost them in the refrigerator overnight if frozen. Then, microwave at 30-second intervals until heated through. You can also air fry them for a 3 to 4 minutes at 350 until heated through and crispy.

Pairing Suggestions

Serve these bites as an appetizer with cheese sauce, BBQ sauce, ranch, aioli, or any of your other favorites.

As a main course, pair the bites with garlic parmesan mashed potatoes or white rice with vegetable sides like bacon green beans, vegetable patties, or corn ribs.

Tips

• The easiest way to mix the meatloaf is to use clean hands.
• Mix the meatloaf ingredients until just combined. Overworking ground meat causes it to become dry as it cooks.
• It’s important for the meatloaf balls to be solid before coating and frying them so they hold their shape while the coating cooks.
• I recommend lean ground beef for this recipe. Anything fattier than that will make the meatballs greasy, as the fat can’t cook out of the meatballs.
• To easily crush the panko breadcrumbs, add them to a resealable baggie and lightly crush them by rolling a rolling pin back and forth over them.
• Work in small batches to keep your oil hot and ensure the coating gets crispy instead of soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Try These Fried Meatloaf Bites

These fried meatloaf bites are a fantastic appetizer with your favorite dipping sauces or main course with mashed potatoes or rice and vegetables. In either case, everyone always comes back for more. Why wouldn’t they, with a recipe so full of flavor and texture? And you’ll be happy to make these because they’re so easy. Give them a try, and I know you’ll love them as much as we do.