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There are countless ways you can use ground meat, but nothing beats a perfect, moist meatloaf. It’s called meatloaf because of the shape that it attains when it is presented. After combining all the ingredients and assuming a loaf shape, the dish is smoked or baked.
You can use other types of meat as well. Meatloaf that is flavorful, moist, and tender is the star of most dinners throughout the Western world. The loaf should not crumble when sliced. The glaze contains ketchup and other ingredients depending on the recipe you are making.
However, if you want to try something new and want to substitute ketchup in meatloaf, then go with the substitutes we have mentioned. The beautiful glaze at the top elevates the taste of the dish, so it’s not just a large piece of meat that you are serving up on a platter.
The dish has a tendency to become dry, as you might expect. Hence, you have to follow a few techniques to keep it moist for a longer period of time. However, the reason why most people like to prepare meatloaf is that it’s so easy to quickly whip up.
You can use any leftover meatloaf in the sandwiches the next day. If you constantly have trouble keeping the meat juicy while preparing meatloaf, there are a few tips that’ll help you.
Nearly 15% of the beef should contain fat, and it’s always important to grate the onions and add flavorful seasoning. The right seasonings and flavor will make your meatloaf tasty, making it distinct from a simple hamburger.
Ketchup adds the sugary part to the glaze as it is caramelized in the oven. However, sugar may be a problem for those with diabetes.
Substitutes For Ketchup
If you are trying to cut down your consumption of ketchup or just looking for a different alternative to it for your next meatloaf, there are quite a few options that you might want to consider. Here are a few.
- BBQ sauce
If you want to really make your dish shine while making this family classic, go for BBQ sauce as a glaze. The taste this glaze imparts is sweet and smoky at the same time. You can either toss the BBQ sauce from a readymade bottle or make some at home.
There’s obviously going to be a major difference in the taste and the texture, but making it at home means that you get a bit more control over the taste. The homemade sauce has a thicker consistency. The recipe we have shared has rich in the flavor of onion, garlic, and sugar.
Molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, paprika and chili powder, salt, and mustard can be mixed together to make BBQ sauce. You have to add tomato sauce to get the reddish hue which is what BBQ sauce is famous for.
- Mayonnaise
Although distinct from ketchup, mayonnaise can be used as a glaze on the meatloaf. You can add great flavor through red and green peppercorn paste in the mayo. The spices and seasonings are also flexible, and you can change them according to your tastes.
Thus, it is important to try out new stuff to figure out the right mix. This is not the closest to your ideal ketchup-based meatloaf, but it does the trick. However, keep in mind that mayo might not be the direct alternative that you are looking for.
The taste, for instance, is completely different, and mayo is not a preferred choice for most people. Mixing mayo with meatloaf, especially if you are not sure how the people might react, is definitely not recommended.
- Red Salsa
Want to try something spicy yet full of unique flavor? Using tomatoes as a base with onions, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and multiple herbs as ingredients is just what you need to create red salsa.
Furthermore, a pinch of salt and pepper and some jalapenos are also needed to really make your dish salsa shine. Mix all the ingredients in a blender and your meatloaf glaze is ready! Salsa is the main part of Mexican cuisine. It has traditionally been used in a host of different dishes.
However, you can serve meat and chicken with red salsa. Diabetics looking for a ketchup alternative must try this sauce, as it is free of sugar. However, unlike ketchup, salsa has a serious kick to it. Ketchup mellows the flavor in the dish quite a bit, whereas salsa really spices things up.
If you know that the audience likes meatloaf, then go for it. However, if you have a strong inkling that the audience might not really appreciate spicy food, you might want to avoid using salsa in your meatloaf.
- Mushroom sauce
This luxurious mushroom sauce is a treat for meatloaf lovers. It’s your choice whether you want to stir mushrooms in butter and pour over the meatloaf or follow a long restaurant-style mushroom sauce recipe.
Thus, you can substitute the ketchup in substitute and all other options having tomato sauces. Again, the mushroom sauce will change the flavor profile of your meatloaf dish, taking it in a completely different direction.
It’s imperative that you determine whether your audience will appreciate mushroom sauce in the first place or not.
- Cheese
Cheese toppings can enhance any dish and meatloaf is no different. Sprinkle grated cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella, or whatever cheese you appreciate. Cheese is high in fat, so if that’s of particular concern to you, you may want to choose some other option.
However, it can be a great substitute for people who want to stay away from ketchup and want something that adds a sharp tinge to your dish.
If you are looking for the closest alternative to ketchup, but without all the sweetness, you might want to consider using either tomato paste or sauce. Tomato paste, as you can imagine, brings out an intense tomato flavor without adding a kick of sugar or sodium.
While the flavor profile might not be as intense as you might get with ketchup, it’s still a quite viable alternative to ketchup for use in meatloaf. The best thing about tomato paste is that it’s readily available from almost any store in your area.
It’s available in both canned as well as tube form, making it incredibly easy to squeeze out. If you need something that’s a bit soupier than ketchup, then tomato paste might be a better alternative.
However, you might want to exercise a bit of caution when adding tomato sauce as glazing to the whole meatloaf.
- Worcestershire Sauce
There’s little doubt in the fact that the unique flavor profile of Worcestershire sauce makes it one of the best choices for people who want a viable alternative to ketchup. The complicated list of ingredients that are added to Worcestershire sauce often makes it difficult to make it at home.
Despite being a staple in kitchens around the globe, most people usually prefer getting Worcestershire sauce from their local stores.
At its core, Worcestershire sauce is a fermented condiment that contains vinegar, along with a bunch of other seasonings that include anchovies, molasses, garlic, onion, tamarind, and several others.
Worcestershire sauce has a slightly muted taste when compared with other condiments like ketchup, but if you need a direct option that’ll give your meatloaf a wonderful taste, you can’t go wrong with it.
Meatloaf is a family favorite for dinner. It is quite popular because of the caramelized topping, that’s usually achievable due to adding. However, if you loathe ketchup or just want to try out something new, you can try other easy substitutes. BBQ sauce is the closest to ketchup.
It gives the same look and sweet and savory flavor. You can use mayonnaise with a little extra flavor, salsa that has tomatoes but is not sugary, mushroom sauce, or any other of the many alternatives on this list. It is important to try different options from time to time.
Maybe your loved ones will like the last element you try. Enjoy making juicy and tender meatloaf with any of these condiments as glazing!