Deluxe Smoked Habanero Meatloaf

This deluxe 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.

Deluxe Smoked Habanero Meatloaf

Perfect For Sandwiches Too!

The leftover deluxe 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
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5 from 1 vote

Deluxe Smoked Habanero Meatloaf

This smoked habanero meatloaf is by far my favorite. The meat comes out tender, with a nice smoky flavor (though you can make it in the oven and still have a fantastic dish). And of course, there’s a kick.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword meatloaf, smoked, spicy
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 445kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

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.

Notes

Also great served on toasted Texas toast as sandwiches! 

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 692mg | Potassium: 606mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 326IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Smoked Habanero Meatloaf

This smoked habanero meatloaf is by far my favorite. The meat comes out tender, with a nice smoky flavor (though you can make it in the oven and still have a fantastic dish). And of course, there’s a kick – a big kick from BBQ sauce mixed with habanero salsa and mixed into the meat and used as a glaze.

Smoked Habanero Meatloaf

The Perfect Sandwiches

The leftovers of this smoked habanero meatloaf are just as good as the day you make it. Maybe even a little bit better. It is perfect for sandwiches, which we made the next day. We just topped toasted French bread with a slab of warmed meatloaf followed by mayonnaise and red onion. The onion and bread add a nice crunch to the tender meatloaf. I can’t have a sandwich without mayonnaise, so mine definitely got an extra helping of it on top.

Smoked Habanero Meatloaf Sandwiches

Go Light On The Smoke

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 wood chunks for this meatloaf.

I smoked the meatloaf on my Weber Smokey Mountain smoker. For a great side dish I made my crispy smoked smashed potatoes.

Smoked Habanero Meatloaf
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Smoked Habanero Meatloaf

This smoked habanero meatloaf is by far my favorite. The meat comes out tender, with a nice smokey flavor (though you can make it in the oven and still have a fantastic dish).
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword meatloaf, smoked, spicy
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 445kcal
Author Mike

Equipment

Ingredients

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.
  • 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 or until the center is done.
  • Let meatloaf rest for 10 minutes and then slice into thick pieces.

Notes

Great served on Texas toast or hamburger buns as sandwiches.

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 692mg | Potassium: 606mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 326IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Pepper Jack Meatloaf

Now, truth be told, if I can, I’m going to smoke my meatloaf. Now, having said all that, I was all over this cheesy pepper jack meatloaf recipe when I came across it. I figured how can it be bad? And it wasn’t. At all. It reminded me of a Juicy Lucy hamburger in ways. There’s nothing but flavor in bite after bite. Oh, and my meatloaf favorite: chunky vegetables. If a meatloaf is going to have veggies in it, I want to taste them, see them and get some crunch from them.

Pepper Jack Meatloaf

The Best Meatloaf Sandwiches

I really liked the celery in this Pepper Jack meatloaf too. It added a nice crunchy contrast to the meat and the velvety cheese. The leftovers also made for fantastic meatloaf sandwiches. I just slice the meat loaf thick, pile it on thick Texas toast, and squirt on a bit of ketchup.

Also try my BBQ meatloaf sandwiches!

Pepper Jack Meat Loaf
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4 from 1 vote

Pepper Jack Meatloaf

I was all over this cheesy pepper jack meatloaf recipe when I came across. It's like a Juicy Lucy burger but in meatloaf form.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword cheese, meatloaf
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4 -6
Calories 633kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Spray a loaf pan or baking dish with non-stick spray.
  • Combine the beef, celery, onion, crackers, and eggs. Mix well. Get in there with your hands and work it!
  • Place half of the meat into the pan. If you’re using a baking dish, form the meat into a loaf.
  • Sprinkle the cheese over the meat.
  • Add the remaining meat on top and pinch down along the sides to seal the cheese inside.
  • Spread ketchup over the top of the meat and sprinkle with chili powder, salt and pepper.
  • Cover the pan with lose-fitting foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 425 F.
  • Let bake another 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf is 160 F.
  • Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Great on thick bread and served as sandwiches, too!

Nutrition

Calories: 633kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 213mg | Sodium: 747mg | Potassium: 553mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 763IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 475mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.