It’s hard to believe, but back to school is right around the corner. Which means back to trying to wrangle everyone to the table in between homework and extracurricular activities. One thing that always rounds them up is my Korean Meatloaf. This is not your standard 1960’s diner fare. Korean Meatloaf is a juicy and flavorful umami bomb, with an insanely delicious glaze. Leftovers make fantastic sandwiches for school lunches. Let me show you how easy it is to make.

Why everyone needs a great meatloaf recipe?

Very few things give you as much bang for the buck as meatloaf. It ticks so many boxes. Easy to make? Check. Make in advance? Check. Freeze extras? Check. Feed a crowd? Check. Inexpensive? Check. Crowd pleaser? Check. Full of flavor? Check. Delicious? Of course. Plus you can use this for both Asian style meals or more Western ones. It works equally well with rice, bread, or mashed potatoes. And you can use any meat you like: chicken, turkey, lamb, vegan meats-they all work. Do you need any more reasons?

Gochujang Gang

Gochujang is one of my favorite condiments. Used by Koreans as often as ketchup is used by Americans, it is a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and smoky. I use it two ways in my Korean Meatloaf, both in the glaze and the meat itself. The glaze is a tangy and savory blend, and just requires blending the gochujang with rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, and ketchup.

If you’re worried about the meatloaf being spicy, don’t be. The amounts used in the glaze and in the loaf are very conservative. You won’t notice much heat, but you will notice the amazing flavor in this meatloaf. Because who wants to eat bland meatloaf?

If you’ve made meatloaf before, the process will be familiar to you. It’s the standard procedure, though the taste is anything but! I like to make a flavor paste, if you will, and then mix that into the meat. The mix of meat I use is beef and pork. Beef gives it that deep meaty flavor and pork gives it moisture and balance. The two meats together give your meatloaf superior texture and flavor than one meat alone. But you can also use whatever ground meat or meat substitute you prefer.

Once the meatloaf is baked, I like to give it a quick pass under the broiler to get the glaze nice and bubbly. Keep a close eye on it as the sugary glaze can burn very quickly.

The meatloaf should rest for at least 10 minutes; that makes it easier to slice. It also gives you just enough time to mix up a batch of Sesame Dressing for a simple salad to serve alongside. Or if you really want to make your life easier, round out your meal with some leftover veggies like I did 😉 This family favorite will ease the sting of back to school, and I can’t wait for you to try it. Take a moment to rate or comment on the recipe, we love hearing from you! And tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love seeing your creations too!

Korean Meatloaf

★★★★★ 4.3 from 3 reviews

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Korean

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Ingredients

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Glaze:

• 1 tablespoon gochujang chile paste
• ½ cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Meatloaf:

• ½ large onion
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 lb ground beef (85/15 blend)
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 eggs
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon gochujang chile paste
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ⅛  teaspoon ground black pepper
• oil spray for the pan

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Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 and move the rack to the middle of the oven.
2. Make the glaze: Combine the gochujang, ketchup, vinegar, and light brown sugar in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside. 
3. Using a box grater and shred the onion over a large bowl (if the onion starts to fall apart, just mince the rest up with your knife and add it to the bowl). Add the breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, gochujang paste, salt, and pepper to the bowl. 
4. Stir to combine into a thick paste.
5. Then add the beef and pork. Mix well with your hands. Spray a loaf pan lightly with oil and scoop the mixture into a loaf pan. 
6. Run a wet hand lightly over the top of the meatloaf so that it is smooth. Put the loaf pan on a tray, in case juices overflow the pan, and then put the tray into the oven.
7. Bake for 45 mins, then take the pan out, pouring off any accumulated juices or fat. Pour half of the glaze on top of the meatloaf and gently brush to evenly coat it. Cook for an additional 25-30 mins. (an internal temperature check should read 165 degrees)
8. Turn the oven to broil on high and move the oven rack to the second from the top shelf. Brush the meatloaf with the remaining glaze and put it in the oven for 3-4 minutes until the glaze is bubbly and starting to brown. 
9. Let the meatloaf sit for at least 10 mins before taking it out of the pan. Cut into thick slices and serve.

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Notes

*Double the recipe and make a second loaf to freeze. You will need to cook the meatloaves for longer, with an additional 20-30 minutes in the oven. Defrost overnight when ready to eat. Microwave for 10 minutes on medium power or reheat in the oven for 15 minutes on 350.

*If you like your meatloaf extra saucey, double the glaze amount, and serve the extra sauce at the table for people to help themselves.

Keywords: gochujang, korean food, family dinner