Do You Cover Meatloaf While Cooking It?

You can choose to cover your meatloaf if you want to, but I don’t recommend it. When anyone asks, “Do you cover meatloaf while cooking it?” I always reply that if you cover it, you’ll be steaming it, not baking it. Covering meatloaf while it cooks means that it cooks in its own juices, which can give you a texture kind of like a cafeteria-style meatloaf. If you like that kind of loaf, more power to you, but many people don’t.

Keeping your meatloaf uncovered allows it to fully bake it and get that crispy brown exterior that most people want on their meatloaf. Don’t worry about your meatloaf drying out, as the fat content of the meat is usually enough to keep it moist as it cooks. Of course, if you’re at all worried about that, you could always wrap your meatloaf in bacon before you cook it, which adds moisture as well as delicious smoky flavor.