Hickory-Smoked BBQ Meatloaf with Brown Sugar Glaze

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A whole meatloaf cooked low and slow at 250°F over hickory, so smoke works its way right through the beef instead of just sitting on the crust. It picks up a rosy smoke ring, stays juicy thanks to a milk-soaked panko base, and gets lacquered with a sticky brown sugar barbecue glaze in the last hour. Twelve ingredients, one loaf, and enough leftovers for smoky meatloaf sandwiches the next day.

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground beef (80/20)
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 small yellow onion, grated
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp coarse black pepper

• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar
• 3 chunks hickory wood chunks (or 2 cups hickory chips)

Instructions

1. Set up your smoker for indirect cooking and bring it to a steady 250°F (120°C). Add the hickory wood chunks (or a foil pouch of soaked chips) so you have thin blue smoke before the meat goes on.
2. In a large bowl, stir the panko and milk together and let sit 5 minutes until pasty. Mix in the beaten eggs, grated onion, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
3. Add the ground beef and mix with your hands just until combined — overworking makes it dense. Shape into a loaf about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide directly on a sheet of heavy foil, then fold the foil edges up slightly to catch drips and poke 6–8 small holes in the base so fat can drain.
4. Place the loaf on the smoker grate and smoke undisturbed at 250°F for about 2 hours, until an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 140°F (60°C). Do not open the lid for the first 90 minutes.
5. Stir the barbecue sauce and brown sugar together, then brush half over the top and sides of the loaf. Smoke 30 minutes more, brush on the remaining glaze, and continue until the internal temperature hits 160°F (71°C) — usually 45 to 60 minutes total after the first glaze.
6. Move the meatloaf to a board, tent loosely with foil, and rest 15 minutes before slicing thick. The glaze will set to a sticky lacquer as it rests.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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