This is the ultimate keto meatloaf recipe! Super juicy and flavorful, it comes out perfectly every time. And making it in your crockpot means clean up is a snap.
Have you ever made keto meatloaf in a slow cooker? Trust me, once you try it, you may never make it any other way again. It’s so tender and juicy, it almost melts in your mouth.
Paired with some creamy mashed cauliflower, it’s a hearty and healthy comfort food meal. And slathering it in a little Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce doesn’t hurt either.
My family adores this keto meatloaf recipe, so I turn to it frequently. It’s nice to have one of those sure-fire hits in your dinner repertoire. Happy tummies and no complaining make it one of our favorite easy keto dinners.
Fans love it too! I first published this recipe in 2015, and decided it needed a bit of an update. I didn’t change the fantastic flavor, but now it’s even lower in carbs.
Why you must try this recipe
Cooking meatloaf in a slow cooker has several distinct advantages. Slow cookers produce a gentle, moist heat, ensuring that your keto meatloaf doesn’t dry out.
You can also time your meal to be ready when you are. Simply program your crockpot for a delayed start, or let the finished meatloaf stay warm in the pot after cooking. Either way, it’s ready when you get home from work.
And clean up is easy too! Just pour out the juices and soak your crockpot insert in soapy water.
Reader Testimonials
“This was the best keto meatloaf we’ve tried. The texture was excellent, very flavorful and you couldn’t tell it was low carb. EXCELLENT!!!” — Jill
“Super love this meatloaf! This tasted so amazing! Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make recipe! Fam really loves it! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!” — Allyssa
“This is one of my favorite weeknight meals. Not too dry, but very moist. My family loves this!” — Sandy
Ingredients you need
- Ground meat: I like to use a combination of ground beef and ground pork for more moisture and flavor, but you can use ground beef alone.
- Onion: Finely chop or grate your onions so the meatloaf holds its shape better and the flavor will be mixed in evenly.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds more flavor, but you can also use garlic powder.
- Cracker crumbs: The keto-friendly cracker crumbs from RealPhat Foods make the perfect filler for recipes like keto meatloaf. I also use them in my keto meatball recipe. But you can also substitute with regular almond flour or crushed pork rinds.
- Eggs: Meatloaf holds together best when you use eggs as the binder.
- BBQ Sauce: I always use my easy Keto BBQ Sauce for this meatloaf. You can use store-bought sugar free bbq sauce, but many are made with aspartame or sucralose, which I find unpalatable. A few good choices are Yo Mama’s No Sugar Added BBQ Sauce and Keto Primo.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Step by Step Directions
This recipe is so easy and results in perfectly juicy keto meatloaf every time!
1. Mix the ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, onion, cracker crumbs, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper. Add in the eggs and mix well with your hands until fully combined.
2. Prepare the slow cooker: Set a trivet into the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Take a large piece of tinfoil and poke a few holes in it with a kitchen skewer (this allows the fat and liquids to drain away from the meatloaf).
3. Form the loaf: Shape the mixture into a loaf roughly 5 x 9 inches on the foil. Lift the foil by edges and place on the trivet, then place the lid on the slow cooker.
4. Cook: Cook the meatloaf on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. In the last half hour of cooking, brush the top and sides with about 1/3 cup barbecue sauce. Use two serving forks to lift the meatloaf out of the slow cooker and onto a serving platter. Slice and serve with remaining barbecue sauce.
Expert tips
Preparing your crockpot: Placing a trivet in the slow cooker keeps the meatloaf off the bottom so that it cooks more evenly. It also allows some of the fat and juices to drain off. Poking holes in the foil also allows the fat and juices to fall to the bottom.
Cook on low or high: Depending on when you need it, you can cook this meatloaf on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Because it contains ground pork, you want the loaf to reach at least 160ºF in the center.
Brush with sauce: I like to brush it with some sauce in the last half hour of cooking, so that it bakes on. Then I serve the rest at the table so that people can add more as they like.
Oven-baked method: Transfer meat mixture on a baking sheet with parchment paper and form into a loaf about 5 by 9 inches. Bake 40 to 50 minutes at 350F, until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cracker crumbs from Real Phat Foods work really well as a binder for keto recipes. They are harder than almond flour or crushed pork rinds, so they soak in the moisture of the meat and eggs a little more during cooking. But any of these options work well and result in juicy keto meatloaf.
This keto meatloaf recipe has 4.4g of carbs and 1g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.4g net carbs per serving.
Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the finished, cooked meatloaf. Wrap it up tightly to avoid freezer burn and freeze for up to two months.
What to serve with keto meatloaf
Besides the aforementioned mashed cauliflower, try one of these delicious sides:
Slow Cooker Keto Meatloaf Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (907.18 g) ground beef
- 1 lb (453.59 g) ground pork, (or another pound beef)
- 1/4 cup (40 g) onion, chopped fine
- 1/2 cup (30 g) keto cracker crumbs, (or almond flour)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 recipe Easy Sugar Free BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, onion, cracker crumbs, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper. Add in the eggs and mix well with your hands until fully combined.
- Set a trivet into the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Take a large piece of tinfoil and poke a few holes in it with a kitchen skewer (this allows the fat and liquids to drain away from the meatloaf).
- Shape the mixture into a loaf roughly 5 x 9 inches on the foil. Lift the foil by edges and place on the trivet, then place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. In the last half hour of cooking, brush the top and sides with about 1/3 cup barbecue sauce.
- Use two serving forks to lift the meatloaf out of the slow cooker and onto a serving platter. Slice and serve with remaining barbecue sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Thanks for this recipe!
I’ve never been a huge fan of meatloaf (I think because growing up, my mom always overcooked) but love slow cooker recipes. Also trying to do some food prep for my upcoming rotator cuff surgery so decided to try. No pork in my freezer so used chicken. Also had some sautéed mushrooms I wanted to use up so added those. Also used pork rind crumbs instead of cracker crumbs.
So moist and juicy cooked in the slow cooker. Delicious! Portioning out the rest for the freezer so hoping this is just as good from frozen.
I just had my first serving of this. It has GREAT flavor. I still think that it needs less meat, perhaps only 2# instead of 3. I used almond flour instead of the crackers, and it worked well. It took about 70 minutes at 350* on a sheet pan in the oven. Surprisingly not dry even though it was baked for a long time. I will definitely make this again using only 2# of meat and the same amount of the other ingredients. Not fond of pork, so I’ll use turkey or chicken and beef ground meat. Also, since it won’t be such a HUGE ‘log’ of meat, I’ll cook it in the loaf pan instead of on the sheet pan.
Love Carolyns desserts, but I really love her savory lunch/dinners too.
Actually everything of hers is good.
I used 1# each turkey, pork, beef as it is what I had. I felt that the other ingredients weren’t enough for 3# of ground meat…..but didn’t add more. I didn’t cook in the crockpot as it is in storage right now. I formed it in a 9 x 5 inch ceramic loaf pan but removed it to a rimmed baking sheet to cook. It is cooking now. Will give review once done. It does look very good. I made the BBQ sauce yesterday, x2 and it was really good! I actually had 2 small bottles of mesquite and hickory smoke that had been around for a LONG time! I used the mesquite.
A must cook. Easy to make Easy to cleanup and everyone loved it. 10 stars!
What kind of trivet can go in crockpots
Lots of them! https://amzn.to/4gpiPbQ
This was the first non-baked recipe I have tried from this site and it did not disappoint. I particularly liked the sweet/tangy homemade BBQ sauce to accompany it!
Thanks so much!
We had this tonight. It was good. I think I’ll try the bbq sauce you suggest on it next time. I made another one from your cookbook that was a little warm (if you know what I mean). The meatloaf was good, next time I will probably not put the Italian seasoning in it. I like meatloaf with sage and Worcestershire sauce in it. I like that I have so much left over. There are just 2 of us eating, so some will go in the freezer for later use.
Thank you as always for such good recipes.