This elk meatloaf recipe combines lean ground elk meat with fatty ground pork for a perfectly balanced texture and flavor. Packed with savory flavors, it's the ultimate comfort food that's sure to please the whole family. Perfect for cozy weeknight meals or Sunday dinners, this elk meatloaf will quickly become a family favorite!
Recipe Highlights
Family-Friendly: This classic meatloaf is a crowd-pleaser that the whole family will love. For more family-friendly elk recipes try chicken fried elk steak, elk patty melts, elk burgers, or Swedish elk meatballs.
Comfort Food Classic: With nostalgic savory flavors, this wild twist on a classic is the perfect comfort food.
Easy to Make: Everyday ingredients and simple preparation make meatloaf one of the easiest elk recipes to make.
Ingredients
- Ground Elk: Other wild game meat like ground venison can be used in place of ground elk. Ground beef can also be used. Need more ideas for ground elk meat? My most popular ground elk recipe is these ground elk quesadillas.
- Ground Pork: When using lean game meats like elk, the addition of fatty ground pork makes the perfect texture for meatloaf. You can use 100% ground wild game if you'd like, but the texture and flavor will be different.
- Vegetables: I like the pieces of vegetables in meatloaf, but you can also shred them to make them blend in more with the meat. If you prefer the flavor, you can substitute a red pepper for the green one.
- Breadcrumbs: I like to use homemade sourdough breadcrumbs, but you can use your preferred breadcrumbs. The key is letting them soak in the wet ingredients before mixing them into the meatloaf. This helps keep the meatloaf from falling apart.
- Wet Ingredients: The milk, egg, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and mustard combined with the sourdough breadcrumbs create the perfect binder for meatloaf. You can adjust the quantities of the sauces to match your tastes.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
Recommended
Sheet Pan
I prefer using a sheet pan instead of a loaf pan or baking dish because it allows the entire surface of the meatloaf to caramelize beautifully.
How to Make Elk Meatloaf
With these simple steps, making elk meatloaf is easy. It's a great way to turn ground meat into a comforting classic!
- Step 1: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and let it melt. Add the diced onions, diced pepper, and garlic to the pan.
- Step 2: Stir to coat the vegetables and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and let the vegetables cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Step 3: To a large bowl, add all remaining ingredients except the meat. Stir to combine.
- Step 4: Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to absorb the moisture.
- Step 5: Add the cooked vegetables to the breadcrumb mixture. Stir to combine.
- Step 6: Add the ground elk and ground pork to the bowl. Gently combine all of the meatloaf ingredients until it is a uniform mixture.
- Step 7: Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and grease the pan with olive oil. Transfer the meatloaf mixture to the pan.
- Step 8: Shape the meatloaf into a loaf shape. Place the pan in the fridge for at least 2 hours before cooking to allow the flavors to come together.
- Step 9: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the meatloaf for 45 minutes.
- Step 10: Drizzle ketchup over the top of the meatloaf, if desired. Return the meatloaf to the oven for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the outside is golden brown.
- Step 11: Let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes before serving. Slice and serve with ketchup on the side. Enjoy!
Pro Tip
Mix the ingredients gently and avoid overworking the ground elk meat to ensure your meatloaf stays tender and juicy. I use this same technique in my venison meatball recipe to keep them tender too!
Elk Meatloaf Variations
If you're looking for something with a little more flair, try these creative variations!
- Mini Elk Meatloaves: Form the mixture into individual portions for quicker cooking and easy serving.
- Bacon-Wrapped Elk Meatloaf: Add a smoky touch by wrapping the meatloaf in homemade smoked bacon before baking.
- Spicy Elk Meatloaf: Add diced quick pickled jalapeños, smoked paprika, and a dash of hot sauce for a kick of heat.
- BBQ Elk Meatloaf: Swap the ketchup both in the meatloaf and on top for your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Italian Meatloaf: Make a batch of elk sausage using this venison Italian sausage recipe instead of plain ground elk meat.
Storage
Elk meatloaf is an excellent option for a freezer meal. I love to have 1 or 2 on hand for busy weeknights. Shape and freeze the uncooked meatloaf on a sheet pan. Once frozen, transfer to a vacuum bag or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake according to the recipe instructions.
Cooked meatloaf can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Some other recipes I like to keep on hand in the freezer for busy weeknights are venison sloppy joes, venison stew, and venison shepherd's pie.
What to Serve with Elk Meatloaf
Elk meatloaf is a great dish for when you want a satisfying, hearty meal. For classic side dishes, I like to serve it with garlic green beans, and mashed potatoes or rosemary roasted potatoes. Or for something different, try maple roasted delicata squash or grilled potatoes. Dip it in some smoked tomato jam or ketchup for extra flavor. No matter how you pair it, elk meatloaf is sure to be a comforting and delicious centerpiece for any meal.
Recipe FAQs
Add fatty meat like ground pork to keep it moist. Additionally, adding ingredients like sourdough breadcrumbs, eggs, and sauces will keep the meatloaf moist and tender.
Sautéing onions, peppers, and garlic before mixing them into the meatloaf ensures they are fully cooked when the meatloaf is done and brings out their sweet flavors.
Yes, you can freeze elk meatloaf either before or after baking. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or vacuum seal it. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating or cooking.
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Thank you!
Annie
📖 Recipe
Classic Elk Meatloaf
Equipment
- sheet pan with aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground elk
- ½ lb ground pork
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ cups yellow onion, ¼" diced
- 1 cup green pepper, ¼" diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ketchup, optional (for serving)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and let it melt. Add the diced onions, diced pepper, and garlic to the pan. Stir to coat the vegetables and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and let the vegetables cool while you prepare the other ingredients.
- To a medium bowl, add all remaining ingredients except the meat. Stir to combine. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to absorb the moisture.
- Add the cooked vegetables to the breadcrumb mixture. Stir to combine.
- Add the ground elk and ground pork to the bowl. Gently combine all of the meatloaf ingredients until it is a uniform mixture.
- Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and grease the pan with olive oil.
- Transfer the meat mixture to the pan and shape it into a loaf form. Place the pan in the fridge for at least 2 hours before cooking to allow the flavors to come together.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the meatloaf for 45 minutes.
- Drizzle ketchup over the top of the meatloaf, if desired. Return the meatloaf to the oven for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the outside is golden brown.
- Let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes before serving. Slice and serve with ketchup on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
- I prefer using a sheet pan instead of a loaf pan or baking dish because it allows the entire surface of the meatloaf to caramelize beautifully.
- Other wild game meat like ground venison can be used in place of ground elk. Ground beef can also be used.
- When using lean game meats like elk, the addition of fatty ground pork makes the perfect texture for meatloaf. You can use 100% ground wild game if you'd like, but the texture and flavor will be different.
- I like the pieces of vegetables in meatloaf, but you can also shred them to make them blend in more with the meat. If you prefer the flavor, you can substitute a red pepper for the green one.
- I like to use homemade sourdough breadcrumbs, but you can use your preferred breadcrumbs. The key is letting them soak in the wet ingredients before mixing them into the meatloaf. This helps keep the meatloaf from falling apart.
- The milk, egg, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and mustard combined with the breadcrumbs create the perfect binder for meatloaf. You can adjust the quantities of the sauces to match your tastes.
- Mix the ingredients gently and avoid overworking the ground elk meat to ensure your meatloaf stays tender and juicy.
Adrienne says
I was excited to make this and it turned out delicious! The flavor was great and it wasn't dry at all. I think the addition of the pork made all the difference. I made mini-meatloaves so I adjusted the cook time accordingly. So good!
Annie Weisz says
Thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. The pork definitely adds a little something extra. Love the idea of making mini meatloaves! So happy it was a hit!
Hannah Berry says
Super tasty!! My meatloaf took about 20 minutes longer to come to temperature - I am thinking maybe I formed my loaf too fat in the middle? It also didn’t set super well for me when I cut into it, so maybe I’ll add a bit more breadcrumbs next time.
My whole family loved the flavor, even my 2 year old! Plus, it felt nice to have most of the prep work done early because of the 2 hour fridge time. I’ll definitely be making it again in the future!!
Annie Weisz says
Thank you so much for making it! I'm glad your family loved the flavor. Yes, a thicker center can definitely add some extra cook time, so shaping it a bit differently next round should help. And adding an extra tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs is a great idea if you want a firmer meatloaf. Your meat could have had more moisture in it than what I used to test the recipe, so it's good to experiment!
Anthony says
I'm pretty picky with meatloaf, but this recipe was amazing! Highly recommend.
Annie Weisz says
Thanks so much, Anthony! I'm glad you enjoyed it! 😊
Gary Nofer says
This recipe is spot on! Easy and delicious! I would never even thought about making meatloaf with venison but I did it and of course with the rest of the recipes it was delicious!
Thank you for all the recipes
Gary N
Annie Weisz says
Thanks so much, Gary! I'm glad you loved the meatloaf as much as I do! 😊
Austin Kirchhoff says
Just delicious. I’ve made this twice - once as written and once with the addition of finely diced carrots. Great both ways!
Annie Weisz says
Thank you so much! I love the idea of adding carrots. That sounds delicious!
Gary says
This recipe was very unique resulting in a delicious meatloaf. Prepping the ingredients separately then incorporating them made all the difference. Accompanied with a mushroom gravy put it over the top.
Keep them coming Annie.
Annie Weisz says
Thanks so much, Gary! The mushroom gravy sounds like a delicious addition. 🤤
Nicole says
I made this last night for dinner. VERY good! I made one to freeze as well so we have dinner for a busy night! Definitely recommend.
Annie Weisz says
Thanks so much, Nicole! I love making an extra meatloaf for the freezer too!
Alan Griffith says
At age 67, my wife asked me to prepare my own elk meat meals. This recipe is easy to fix and tasty. Reminds me of my grandma's meatloaf. I know for a fact she only used beef, not wild game. My elk meat comes in near 2 lb plastic tubes so nearly doubling the recipie is easy and means I've got plenty of left overs for the week to come.
Annie Weisz says
Thank you so much for sharing this. I love that it brought back memories of your grandma’s cooking! Enjoy those leftovers!