Mohamed Shili Alton Brown Smoked Meatloaf is a smoky American dinner featuring a blend of beef and pork. Barbecue potato chips, chipotle peppers, and a hint of cocoa powder create a deep, savory crust that stands up to the smoker.
Approach E: Alton Brown’s approach here is completely different from your standard grandma-style loaf. Most recipes use breadcrumbs or crackers to hold things together, but this one uses crushed barbecue potato chips. This adds a punch of salt and smoky seasoning that matches the wood fire while keeping the middle from getting too dense.
The first time I made this, I was worried about the cocoa powder in the glaze. It turns out it’s not for sweetness, but to give the meat a dark color and a rich, earthy backbone that plays off the chipotle peppers. If you want a loaf that actually tastes like it spent time in a smoker rather than just getting steamed in an oven, this is the method to use.
Alton Brown Smoked Meatloaf Ingredients
For the Glaze and Binder:
- 2/3 cup (160ml) ketchup
- 1/4 cup (60ml) tomato paste
- 2 ounces (55g) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 6 ounces (170g) barbecue potato chips, crushed
For the Vegetable Base:
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 medium carrot, cut into 6 pieces
- 1 Fresno chile, seeded
- 1 medium onion, cut into 8 pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Meat:
- 1 pound (450g) ground chuck
- 1 pound (450g) ground sirloin
- 1 pound (450g) ground pork
- 3 large eggs
How To Make Alton Brown Smoked Meatloaf
- 1. Prepare the Glaze: In a large bowl, mix the ketchup, tomato paste, chopped chipotle peppers, and cocoa powder until smooth. Take out 1/3 cup (80ml) of this mixture and set it aside in a small dish to use for the final coating later.
- 2. Prepare Potato Chip Mixture: Use a food processor to grind the barbecue chips until they look like coarse crumbs. Stir these directly into the large bowl with the remaining ketchup mixture so they can start to soften.
- 3. Prepare Vegetable Mixture: Pulse the garlic, carrot pieces, Fresno chile, and onion in the food processor until they’re very finely chopped. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat, then add the chopped vegetables, sage, and salt.
- 4. Cook the aromatics: Sauté the vegetable mix for about 5 minutes until the onion looks see-through and the carrots have softened. Stir this warm mixture into the bowl with the chips and ketchup, then let it sit for a few minutes to cool down.
- 5. Make the Meatloaf: Add the ground chuck, sirloin, pork, and eggs to the bowl and mix everything together with your hands until just combined. Shape the meat into a rectangle about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide on a large piece of heavy-duty foil.
Don’t overwork the meat while you’re shaping it. If you squeeze and mash it too much, the finished loaf will be tough and rubbery instead of tender.
- 6. Smoke the Meatloaf: Heat your smoker to 120°C (250°F) using a hardwood chunk like hickory or oak for the best flavor. Poke several small holes in the bottom of the foil under the meat for drainage, then place the loaf in the smoker with a tray underneath to catch the fat.
- 7. Glaze and Finish Cooking: Fold the sides of the foil down after 45 minutes to expose the meat, then brush on the reserved glaze from the first step. Keep smoking the loaf until a meat thermometer pushed into the center reads 60°C (140°F), which usually takes about 40 more minutes.
- 8. Rest and Serve: Lift the meatloaf out of the smoker and let it sit on a cutting board for at least 30 minutes before you try to slice it. This waiting time lets the juices settle so the slices stay whole when you cut them.
Skipping the rest is the quickest way to end up with a pile of crumbled meat. The structure needs that cooling period to firm up enough to handle a knife.
Recipe Tips
- Use kettle-style chips: These thicker chips hold their texture better than thin ones, which can turn into a soggy paste before the meat even hits the smoker.
- Let the meat sit at room temperature: Giving the shaped loaf an hour on the counter before smoking helps the heat travel to the center faster. This prevents the outside from drying out while the middle is still cold.
- Don’t skip the pork: Using only beef makes a very dry loaf, especially in a smoker. The ground pork adds enough fat to keep the meat moist during the long cook time.
- Watch the internal temperature: Take the meat out as soon as it hits the target temp. Because the meat is dense, it’ll continue to rise a few degrees while it rests on the counter.
- Store leftovers in the fridge: This meatloaf makes incredible cold sandwiches the next day because the smoky flavor gets even stronger after a night in the refrigerator.
What To Serve With Alton Brown Smoked Meatloaf
Buttery mashed potatoes or a baked sweet potato make a great base for a thick slice of this meatloaf. The creamy texture of the potatoes helps balance out the spicy kick from the chipotle peppers in the glaze.
A simple green salad or some grilled corn on the cob adds a fresh crunch to the meal. If you want something more traditional, try a side of slow-cooked green beans with a bit of bacon.
How To Store Alton Brown Smoked Meatloaf
- Fridge: Keep any leftover slices in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. It’ll stay fresh and tasty for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: The best way to warm this up is in a heavy skillet over medium heat with a tiny bit of butter. This crisps up the edges of the slice while keeping the middle moist. You can use a microwave for a minute, but the crust will get soft and lose its texture.
- Freeze: You can freeze the cooked loaf by wrapping individual slices in foil and putting them in a freezer bag. They’ll last for about 3 months, though the texture of the potato chips inside might change slightly.
Alton Brown Smoked Meatloaf Nutrition Facts
Per serving (1 of 8):
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Protein: 32g
- Fat: 28g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 950mg
FAQs
Can I use regular breadcrumbs in Alton Brown Smoked Meatloaf?
You can use them, but the barbecue potato chips are what give this specific recipe its unique saltiness and extra layer of smoke. If you switch to breadcrumbs, you’ll need to add another teaspoon of salt and perhaps a dash of smoked paprika to compensate.
Why does the meatloaf stay pink even when it’s cooked?
That’s a natural reaction between the smoke from the wood and the protein in the meat, often called a smoke ring. As long as your internal thermometer reads 60°C (140°F) or higher, the pink color is a sign of good smoking, not undercooked meat.
Can I bake Alton Brown Smoked Meatloaf in a regular oven?
Yes, you can cook it at the same temperature in the oven, though you won’t get that deep wood-fired flavor. I’d suggest adding a few drops of liquid smoke to the ketchup mixture if you’re going the oven route.
What’s the purpose of the cocoa powder in the glaze?
The cocoa powder adds a dark, mahogany color to the exterior and a bitter earthiness that cuts through the sweetness of the ketchup. It doesn’t make the meat taste like chocolate, but it makes the chipotle peppers taste much more complex.
Do I have to use a Fresno chile?
No, you can swap it for a red jalapeño or even a green one if that’s all you can find. The Fresno is mostly there for a medium heat level and a bright red color that matches the rest of the vegetable base.
Try More Recipes:
Alton Brown Smoked Meatloaf
Description
Alton Brown’s Smoked Meatloaf completely reinvents a classic comfort food by taking it out of the oven and putting it into the smoker. Instead of bland breadcrumbs, he uses crushed barbecue potato chips for the binder, pairing them with a savory vegetable base and a robust trio of ground chuck, sirloin, and pork. Finished with a sweet, spicy, and deeply complex chipotle-cocoa glaze, this meatloaf cooks low and slow over hardwood to develop an incredible smoky crust and a melt-in-your-mouth interior.
Ingredients
For the Glaze and Binder:
For the Vegetable Base:
For the Meat:
Instructions
- Prepare the Glaze: In a large bowl, mix the ketchup, tomato paste, chopped chipotle peppers, and cocoa powder until smooth. Take out 1/3 cup (80ml) of this mixture and set it aside in a small dish to use for the final coating later.
- Prepare Potato Chip Mixture: Use a food processor to grind the barbecue chips until they look like coarse crumbs. Stir these directly into the large bowl with the remaining ketchup mixture so they can start to soften.
- Prepare Vegetable Mixture: Pulse the garlic, carrot pieces, Fresno chile, and onion in the food processor until they’re very finely chopped. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat, then add the chopped vegetables, sage, and salt.
- Cook the aromatics: Sauté the vegetable mix for about 5 minutes until the onion looks see-through and the carrots have softened. Stir this warm mixture into the bowl with the chips and ketchup, then let it sit for a few minutes to cool down.
- Make the Meatloaf: Add the ground chuck, sirloin, pork, and eggs to the bowl and mix everything together with your hands until just combined. Shape the meat into a rectangle about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide on a large piece of heavy-duty foil.
- Smoke the Meatloaf: Heat your smoker to 120°C (250°F) using a hardwood chunk like hickory or oak for the best flavor. Poke several small holes in the bottom of the foil under the meat for drainage, then place the loaf in the smoker with a tray underneath to catch the fat.
- Glaze and Finish Cooking: Fold the sides of the foil down after 45 minutes to expose the meat, then brush on the reserved glaze from the first step. Keep smoking the loaf until a meat thermometer pushed into the center reads 60°C (140°F), which usually takes about 40 more minutes.
- Rest and Serve: Lift the meatloaf out of the smoker and let it sit on a cutting board for at least 30 minutes before you try to slice it. This waiting time lets the juices settle so the slices stay whole when you cut them.
Don’t overwork the meat while you’re shaping it. If you squeeze and mash it too much, the finished loaf will be tough and rubbery instead of tender.
Skipping the rest is the quickest way to end up with a pile of crumbled meat. The structure needs that cooling period to firm up enough to handle a knife.
Notes
-
Use kettle-style chips: These thicker chips hold their texture better than thin ones, which can turn into a soggy paste before the meat even hits the smoker.
Let the meat sit at room temperature: Giving the shaped loaf an hour on the counter before smoking helps the heat travel to the center faster. This prevents the outside from drying out while the middle is still cold.
Don’t skip the pork: Using only beef makes a very dry loaf, especially in a smoker. The ground pork adds enough fat to keep the meat moist during the long cook time.
Watch the internal temperature: Take the meat out as soon as it hits the target temp. Because the meat is dense, it’ll continue to rise a few degrees while it rests on the counter.
Store leftovers in the fridge: This meatloaf makes incredible cold sandwiches the next day because the smoky flavor gets even stronger after a night in the refrigerator.
