These mini meatloaf muffins are made with beef and quinoa for a hearty, filling and protein packed dinner. Simple to make, they make for a great main dish or lunch and can also be made ahead of time for freezer friendly meals. Made without breadcrumbs and gluten-free.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or line with silicone muffin liners.
In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until well combined, reserving half of the BBQ sauce.
Divide the meatloaf mixture among 16-18 muffin cups. Spread the remaining BBQ sauce over each meatloaf muffin. If you aren't using a pan with 24 cups, you may need to make a couple of batches (or form a mini meatloaf or a couple of burgers out of the remaining mixture).
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
Allow meatloaf muffins to cool before removing from pan. Garnish with a bit of additional BBQ sauce and a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
Use extra lean or lean beef. If you go with a higher fat variety, the grease will spill out of the muffin tin while baking.
Do not over mix. This may result in dense meatloaf muffins. Instead, mix until just combined.
Cook the quinoa before mixing. You can buy pre-cooked quinoa for ease, or cook dry quinoa in boiling water for about 15 minutes (follow the instructions on the package).
To make quinoa: If you’re making the quinoa from scratch and don’t have some already made, you’ll need to cook 1/3 cup dry quinoa in 2/3 cup water or broth to get one cup cooked quinoa. If you decide to make extra quinoa, you can always use it to make my Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Cups or Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes or use it as a base for a quinoa salad (try this Greek quinoa salad)!
Spray the muffin tin with cooking spray or use silicone muffin liners. This will help prevent you from having to scrub the pan once finished cooking (you’ll thank me later)!
Once cooked, let the meatloaf muffins rest to allow juices from meatloaf muffins to redistribute. This will result in juicier meatloaf!
Be sure to make a double batch for easy freezer meals!
To freeze: place cooled meatloaf muffins on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a large ziploc bag or freezer friendly container.