Meatloaf
at 350°F
The answer
1 hr 5 min – 1 hr 20 minat 350°F
a Meatloaf take about 1 hr 5 min – 1 hr 20 min in a 350°F oven. Done is 160°F on a food thermometer, plus a 10-minute rest — never the clock alone.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·350°F planning range derived·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
Time by weight at 350°F
Planning ranges for a fully thawed, fridge-temperature meatloaf. The right-hand column is when to take the first thermometer reading.
| Weight | Estimated time at 350°F | Check thermometer from |
|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | 45 min – 55 min | 40 min in |
| 1.5 lb | 55 min – 1 hr 10 min | 45 min in |
| 2 lb | 1 hr 5 min – 1 hr 20 min | 55 min in |
| 2.5 lb | 1 hr 15 min – 1 hr 30 min | 1 hr 5 min in |
| 3 lb | 1 hr 25 min – 1 hr 40 min | 1 hr 10 min in |
Start checking the internal temperature well before the low end of the range — an early check costs nothing; a late one costs the meal. Done means 160°F on a food thermometer.
SOURCE·USDA safe-temperature guidance·timing ranges derived, see method·REVIEWED JUL 2026
350°F vs the other temperatures
Same cut, every temperature this site publishes for it.
| Oven temp | Time for a 2 lb meatloaf | Per pound |
|---|---|---|
| 350°F (this page) | 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
The clock tells you when to start looking. The thermometer tells you when to stop.
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.
Answers people ask
How long does a meatloaf take at 350°F?
About 1 hr 5 min – 1 hr 20 min at 350°F. It is done at 160°F internal on a food thermometer, not by the clock.
What internal temperature is a meatloaf done at?
160°F, measured with a food thermometer in the thickest part, then rested about 10 minutes. That is the USDA FSIS safe minimum.
Is 350°F a good temperature for a meatloaf?
It is one of 2 temperatures this site publishes for this cut (350°F, 375°F). It is the most commonly used.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·doneness figures quoted in these answers·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Where these numbers come from
Ranges are anchored to USDA FSIS published timetables where they exist, and derived from that anchor plus cross-checked published sources where they do not — widened to cover the disagreement between sources rather than split down the middle. The full reasoning is on the method page. If a figure here looks wrong, say so — corrections are prioritised.
SOURCE·USDA safe-temperature guidance·timing ranges derived, see method·REVIEWED JUL 2026
