This Kentucky-style Bourbon and Coke Meatloaf will become the only way you will want to eat meatloaf. The flavor is awesome! The meatloaf is flavored with bourbon, coke, and lots of bacon and has a ketchup and brown sugar glaze. Leftovers are great for making a meatloaf sandwich.
This is a recipe I adapted from the cookbook “Smoke and Pickles” by Edward Lee. Chef Lee owns the restaurant 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Kentucky. His food has both southern and Korean influences.
The recipe in the cookbook is of a Bourbon and Coke Meatloaf Sandwich. He uses the grease that cooks off from the meatloaf to make a sawmill gravy for the sandwich and he tops it with a fried egg. Totally something I would order at a restaurant, but I thought it was a little over the top for a weeknight meal. I tweaked the recipe for the actual meatloaf a little and it was fabulous!
Meatloaf Ingredients
I had never added bourbon or coke to a meatloaf and they both really work. To make the meatloaf, onion, celery, mushrooms, and bacon are sauteed along with garlic. They are mixed into 80% lean ground beef along with egg, fresh bread crumbs, and ketchup which help bind the meatloaf. For flavoring, Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons Coke, 1 tablespoon bourbon, and Italian seasoning are added.
Serve with mashed potatoes for an unbelievably delcious southern meal.
Recommended Equipment
- Large Skillet- These skillets are a little pricey but they are super high quality.
- 9×5-inch Loaf Pan- this Wilton 9″x5″ Nonstick Ultra Bake Professional Loaf Pan is inexpensive and perfect for baking Banana Bread.
Great Sides To Go With Meatloaf
- Southern-Style Green Beans
- Smothered Cajun Green Beans
- Southern Cabbage
- Super Creamy Mac and Cheese
- Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
- PepperJelly Glazed Carrots
Bourbon and Coke Meatloaf
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 heaping cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 1 heaping cup chopped white mushrooms
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/4 pounds ground beef chuck (80% lean)
- 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Coca-Cola
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Glaze
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, bacon, and garlic and cook 4 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and let cool.
- Add the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, egg yolk, ketchup, coke, bourbon, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to bacon mixture. Mix until blended, shape into a loaf and place in a 9×5-inch pan.
- Stir glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Spread over top of meatloaf.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Tip pan to drain excess grease off. Let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Want to Save This Recipe?
Recipe adapted from Smoke and Pickles
More Meatloaf Recipes
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
This was a delicious meatloaf, and I’ll definitely make it again, but I might change how to handle the bacon — I wasn’t convinced it was well cooked when in the pan with all the onions, celery, garlic and mushrooms, although it tasted fine.
After trying this recipe, this is the only meatloaf we make
So happy to hear that!
Bourbon makes everything better! What a delicious meatloaf!
The recipe was delish!!!! Please upload some more similar recipes, my mates loved it. thanks