Meatloaf
cooking times
The answer
1 hr 5 min – 1 hr 20 minat 350°F
At the most common temperature, 350°F, a meatloaf runs about 1 hr 5 min – 1 hr 20 min at 2 lb. Pick your temperature below for the full chart. Done is always 160°F internal.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·meatloaf row of the FSIS chart·REVIEWED JUL 2026
USDA safe zone — 160°F and above
Done is a temperature, not a time. Every figure on this page is a planning range; the green band is the only part that decides. For a meatloaf it opens at 160°F and a 10-minute rest.
Source—USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service safe minimum internal temperatures—retrieved 2026-07
How this is worked out
- Anchor. Start from what USDA FSIS publishes for a meatloaf — its safe minimum internal temperature of 160°F, and the FSIS roasting timetable where one exists for this cut.
- Rate. Convert the anchor into a planning rate at 350°F: a published weight-bracket table, cross-checked against at least three independently published sources.
- Scale. Multiply that rate by your weight. A 2 lb piece lands at 1 hr 5 min – 1 hr 20 min; the range is widened to cover source disagreement rather than averaged into false precision.
- First check. The first thermometer reading is set at 85% of the low end of the range — early enough that an under-reading costs nothing and a late one cannot cost the meal.
- Gate. The time is only a plan. It is not done until a food thermometer reads 160°F in the thickest part, then rests about 10 minutes. Time never overrides temperature on this site.
- Round. Every printed figure is rounded to the nearest 5 minutes; precision beyond that would be invented.
plan_low = weight_lb × min min/lb
plan_high = weight_lb × max min/lb
first_check = plan_low × 0.85
DONE ⟺ internal_temp ≥ 160°F AND rest ≥ 10 min
(USDA FSIS — the gate, not the clock)
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·safe minimum for this cut·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Pick your temperature
Every temperature this chart room holds for a meatloaf, each with its own worked ledger.
The whole cut, temperature by temperature
| Oven temp | Time for a 2 lb meatloaf | Per pound |
|---|---|---|
| 350°F | 1 hr 5 min – 1 hr 20 min | bracket table |
| 375°F | 55 min – 1 hr 10 min | bracket table |
SOURCE·USDA safe-temperature guidance·timing ranges derived, see method·REVIEWED JUL 2026
When it is actually done
160°F internal
The USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature for this cut is 160°F, followed by a rest of about 10 minutes. The clock estimates; the thermometer decides. Every time on this page is a planning range, not a doneness test.
Source note: Ground beef must reach 160°F — grinding distributes surface bacteria through the interior, so the 145°F whole-cut rule does not apply. Timing is by loaf size bracket, not per pound: a wider loaf of the same weight cooks faster than a taller one.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·meatloaf row of the FSIS chart·REVIEWED JUL 2026
What the ledger does not tell you
- A free-form loaf on a sheet pan cooks 10–15 minutes faster than the same mix in a loaf pan, and browns on three sides instead of one.
- Glaze in the last 15–20 minutes; sugar-based glazes burn over a full cook.
- Rest 10 minutes before slicing or the slices fall apart.
The clock tells you when to start looking. The thermometer tells you when to stop.
