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My Smoked Meat Loaf Recipe

A smoked beef-and-sausage meatloaf with buttermilk-soaked bread, sautéed vegetables and a barbecue glaze.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Resting 20 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Jeff Phillips

Ingredients

Meat and Binder

  • 1 lb ground chuck 80/20
  • 1 lb ground breakfast sausage hot or regular
  • 2 slices loaf bread or one hamburger bun, torn into about 1 cup pieces
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs

Vegetables and Seasoning

  • ½ cup diced bell pepper mixed colors
  • ½ cup diced yellow onion about one small onion
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • 2–3 tablespoons olive oil ingredient list says 2; detailed sauté step allows 2–3
  • ¼ cup Jeff's barbecue sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Jeff's original rub
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Glaze

  • Jeff's barbecue sauce enough for the top and sides

Instructions

  • Tear the bread into small pieces and soak in the buttermilk. Stir in the eggs and set aside.
  • Sauté the diced pepper, onion and celery in olive oil over medium heat about 10 minutes, until starting to soften. Remove and cool.
  • Stir 1/4 cup barbecue sauce and 3 tablespoons rub into the cooled vegetables.
  • Combine the ground chuck, sausage, bread mixture, vegetable mixture and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix gently just until combined, without overworking.
  • Shape into a roughly 2-inch-thick rectangular loaf on a smoker-safe rack, tray or perforated pan. Parchment under a rack-supported loaf can help with removal.
  • Prepare the smoker for indirect cooking at 225–240°F with hickory or another available wood, using a water pan if applicable.
  • Smoke about 3–4 hours, keeping light smoke going for at least 2 hours. At around 155°F, brush the top and sides with barbecue sauce.
  • Allow about 25–30 minutes for the glaze to caramelize and finish to 160°F in the center. The source permits a slightly early pull with carryover; verify the final 160°F endpoint before serving.
  • Rest under tented foil 15–20 minutes, then slice.

Notes

Estimated yield: 6 generous servings from the 2 lb meat mixture plus bread and vegetables. The glaze stage is included toward the end of cooking rather than a separate mandatory fixed total; thickness determines timing. The card preserves the source's 155°F glazing trigger and 160°F final target, distinguishing its carryover option. The 1 teaspoon salt and specific sauce/rub amounts come from the detailed directions.