If the cooking temperature is maintained at 400 degrees Fahrenheit throughout, it should take your meatloaf about 40 minutes to cook through to a safe internal temperature.
The meatloaf should be checked to see if it is fully cooked at this point rather than waiting for the timer to go off, in my opinion, as this does not necessarily mean that it is ready to eat.
How Long to Cook a 4 Lb Meatloaf
| Oven Temperature | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Total Time |
| 375 F | 10 minutes | 1 hour | 1 hour, 10 minutes |
Tips on How to Cook a 4 Lb Meatloaf
Cooking can be challenging because there are so many factors that can change your recipes. You’ll discover that determining the ideal temperature and duration combination is really all there is to it.
The following advice should be kept in mind to prevent consuming meatloaf that is raw on the inside but charred on the outside.
The size of the meatloaf is particularly significant because it influences how long and hot your oven will run.
You will need to cook a thick piece of meat for a considerable amount of time at a respectable temperature, so keep your oven at that temperature.
Doneness – After about two hours, a 4-pound meatloaf should be ready. However, overcooking it will result in tough, crumbly meat, which is not ideal.
You only need a thermometer to check that your meatloaf is cooked to the proper temperature. Using a meat thermometer, your meatloaf should be cooked to an internal temperature of 155 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Notably, the temperature inside your meatloaf will increase as you remove it from the oven, producing a nice moist loaf for you to enjoy every time.
preserving the meatloaf’s moisture – Many would contend that using lean ground beef will cause the dish to become dry. Notably, other components in the meat mixture like milk, egg, ketchup, and sliced onion will all support maintaining the moistness and flavor of your meatloaf.
The absence of binding agents is one of the most frequent causes of meatloaf falling apart. Eggs and bread crumbs are essential components for a fantastic meatloaf because they bind the meat together, so include them in your recipe to help it stay together.
You can try southern meatloaf sauce, which is sweet, tangy, and unbelievably delectable. The addition of white vinegar and brown sugar transforms the household favorite ketchup into a mildly sweet BBQ sauce flavor that the whole family will enjoy. It’s the ideal meatloaf topping, and everyone enjoys it.
Keep in mind that cooking different sizes will require different cooking times when preparing a 4 lb meatloaf. However, take a look at this simple recipe for a 4 lb meatloaf:
At 350 degrees F, a 4 lb meatloaf will bake in 2 hours and 40 minutes. By inserting a thermometer into the center of your meatloaf, you can still check the temperature of your meatloaf in the oven until then.
How Long To Bake Beef Meatloaf At 400?
Normally, baking a beef meatloaf at 400 degrees takes 40 to 55 minutes. Beef is the usual essential component in traditional meatloaf recipes. Meatloaf is frequently made with lean ground beef due to its flavor and compact structure.
However, since lean ground beef has less fat than regular ground beef, the meatloaf becomes drier after baking. Because of this, when making this traditional dish, people frequently add a lot of milk and sour cream to increase the meatloaf’s fatty and moisture content.