No More Dry Meatloaf — Ina Garten Uses This Foolproof Hack

Most home cooks have a recipe or two they keep in their back pocket for those cozy, rainy-day meals, but meatloaf sadly isn't one of them for many. The primary reason people sleep on the rich and savory comfort food is typically that, at some point in their lives, they have had a rendition of the dish that was devoid of moisture, and nobody wants to experience that more than once. Drying out the meat is an all too common mistake that's ruining your meatloaf, but thanks to Ina Garten's straightforward hack, dehydrated meatloaf never needs to sully your dinner plate again.

The genius of this technique is that it has nothing to do with the ingredients incorporated into the dish. Instead, once the Barefoot Contessa pops it into the oven, she fills a pan with hot water and sets it on a rack directly under it. The water evaporating from the pan surrounds the meatloaf with humidity, ensuring that the meat won't dry out while it bakes.

Not only does this hack save you from experiencing a dry bite, but it also keeps the meatloaf from cracking on the outside, preserving its visual appeal. Still, Garten isn't a kitchen newbie by any means, and putting a pan of hot water under the dish isn't the only way she makes sure it comes out juicy and tender. The water will save a meatloaf that might otherwise come out sapped of moisture, but there are more methods of preventing it from drying out.

While Ina Garten employs external forces to ensure her meatloaf is moist, what goes into the mix still makes a difference regarding juiciness. Her recipe includes a healthy dose of flavorful chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce. They obviously impart savory, meaty notes to the fare, but those liquid ingredients also work to keep the meat saturated while it's in the oven.

Another element that helps Garten's meatloaf stay moist is the star of the dish — the meat itself. She opts to use ground chuck that is 80% lean. Using beef that boasts a minimum of 15% fat helps the meat stay juicy while it cooks. Adding ground pork to your meatloaf mixture can likewise boost the moisture content and impart additional savory notes that beef alone won't bring.

Still, even utilizing ingredients that assist in preventing the nostalgic cuisine from drying out probably won't save it from such a fate if you get handsy with it. One of the keys to making juicy meatloaf, no matter what gets put in the mix, is gently folding it rather than recklessly mashing it together to create a perfect log shape. Even Garten's water hack might not be able to save an aggressively mixed meatloaf from becoming dry and dense in the oven. It's a fundamentally simple dish, but a little finesse can go a long way toward making meatloaf a suppertime staple that friends and family will be excited to see grace the dinner table.