If you’ve ever found meatloaf to be boring, try this hearty Paleo Southwestern Meatloaf. It’s studded with colorful peppers and onions for lots of textural contrast, and seasoned with cilantro, cumin, and black pepper.
Start with a base of lean, grass-fed ground beef. Too much fat content will result in a soggy, greasy final product—so be sure to find ground beef with as much lean meat as possible.
Prepping this Southwestern Meatloaf couldn’t be any easier. All you have to do is chop or mince red onions, garlic, bell pepper, cilantro, and parsley. Combine with the lean beef, crack in three eggs, a bit of flaxseed oil, and season with cumin and black pepper. Be sure to mix until just combined—don’t over-mix here!
Roast the meatloaf in a 400°F oven for 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer hits 160°F. As tempting as it might be to slice into your Southwestern Meatloaf as soon as it’s out of the oven, let it rest 10 minutes before serving. This gives it enough time for the juices to redistribute.
Serve with a side of sautéed spinach and mushrooms, and you’ve got a complete Paleo meal!
TIPS:
- If the meatloaf seems a little loose while mixing, add a bit of almond flour to help bind the ingredients together.
- If you don’t have a loaf pan, you can also make this right on a baking sheet. Just use your hands to form the meat into a loaf on a foil-lined pan. You might even prefer to go this route, since you won’t get any trapped steam. Give it a try!
For hundreds of pure Paleo recipes be sure to check out The Real Paleo Diet Cookbook and The Real Paleo Diet Fast and Easy.
Southwestern Meatloaf
- Recipe by: The Paleo Diet Team
- Serves: 8
- Meal: Dinner
- Serves: 8
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
2 lb lean ground beef
2 red onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cups fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
3 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp flaxseed oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl until just combined.
Spread mixture evenly in a bread loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
Let rest 10 minutes before slicing into portions. Serve hot.
Related Recipe
