This smoked habanero meatloaf is by far my favorite version of any smoked meatloaf that I’ve made. The meat comes out unbelievably tender, with a nice smoky flavor. And of course, there’s a kick – a big kick from spicy BBQ sauce mixed with habanero salsa and mixed into the meat and used as a glaze.
The leftover smoked habanero meatloaf (if you have any) is just as good as the day you made it. Perfect for sandwiches. For sandwiches we just topped crisped French bread with a slab of warmed meatloaf followed by mayonnaise and red onion. The onion adds a nice crunch to the tender meatloaf.
You can make this dish in the oven and still have a fantastic dish, too.
I prefer to use fruit or nut woods when I smoke unless I want a heavier smoke flavor. Pecan, apple or cherry are my favorites. I used apple for this meatloaf.
If you prefer a more savory meatloaf try my smoked Italian meatloaf. It’s a bit more work, but worth it.
I smoked the meatloaf on my Weber Smokey Mountain smoker. You can also make it in the oven, or over indirect heat on a gas or charcoal grill.
Smoked Habanero Meatloaf Version 2.0
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 large egg
- ½ tablespoon milk
- 1 cup plain bread crumbs Italian-seasoned bread crumbs work just as well
- 2 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning I used our homemade mix
- 1 cup barbecue sauce I used Weber Kick’N Spicy
- ½ cup habanero salsa I used Mrs. Renfro’s Habanero
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
For the smoker
- Fire up your smoker for cooking at 225 – 250 F with a light wood, such as apple.
For the oven
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
Assembly
- Place the onion, celery and green pepper into a blender. Pulse until chopped, but not quite pureed. Squeeze out any excess moisture. It is important to get as much moisture out as you can. I put the vegetable mixture in a cheesecloth and wrung them like a wet towel.
- Place beef and pork into a large bowl. Add onion mixture.
- Whisk egg with milk and add to beef mixture, along with the bread crumbs and steak seasoning.
- In a separate bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, salsa, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour half of the sauce onto the meat mixture and combine all ingredients well. Reserve the remaining sauce.
- Spray a 9×13 aluminum (or glass if using the oven) pan with non-stick spray.
- Add the beef/pork mixture and form into a roll. Spoon remaining sauce over top.
- If cooking in the oven, bake 45-60 minutes or until center is done. You may want to drain some of the accumulating fat before serving.
- If cooking in the smoker, poke a few holes along the edges of the aluminum pan so that any accumulating fat drips out. Smoke 2-3 hours at 250 F or until the center is done.
- Let meatloaf rest for 10 minutes and then slice into thick pieces.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.