Potato Chip Meatloaf Recipe
This potato chip meatloaf uses crushed plain potato chips in place of breadcrumbs, with ground beef, cheddar, carrot and a ketchup glaze. To make it gluten-free, use gluten-free-labeled chips and soy sauce and check all remaining ingredient labels.
Recipe at a glance: Makes 6 servings with 1½ pounds of ground beef. The original recipe uses a 5 × 9-inch loaf pan, or a loaf shaped on a baking sheet. Plan on 15 minutes of prep and about 1 hour in a 350°F oven; check the center with a food thermometer before serving.

Why Potato Chips?
The other day my husband requested a “hearty meal”! The first thing that came to mind was meatloaf. It’s hearty and filling! The only problem is I have to find a way to make all of our meals gluten free.
All the meatloaf recipes that I’ve seen always call for bread crumbs. So I came up with the alternative!
I used potato chips instead of breadcrumbs and it worked great. It doesn’t change the flavor if you use regular potato chip. On the contrary it actually adds a nice amount of additional salt and flavor.
Thin, plain potato chips are the original choice for this recipe. Crush the chips before measuring the ½ cup. Chips add salt as well as flavor, so the original mixture has no extra salt. Flavored chips will change the seasoning; check their labels if you need a gluten-free option.

What You Need:
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup crushed potato chips
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Making Your Meatloaf Gluten Free
Using potato chips instead of breadcrumbs does not by itself make the whole recipe gluten-free. The glaze also contains soy sauce, which may contain wheat. Choose soy sauce labeled gluten-free, use gluten-free-labeled potato chips, and check the ketchup and all other packaged ingredients. Use clean utensils and preparation surfaces to avoid gluten cross-contact. See the FDA guidance on gluten-free labels for more information.
The best part of this recipe is that it adds great flavors to the meat loaf, no need for added seasoning. Hope you enjoy this Meatloaf Recipe!
Pan, Texture and Doneness
Use the original 5 × 9-inch loaf pan, lightly greased, or form the mixture into a loaf on a baking sheet as directed in the card. Combine the meatloaf ingredients just until mixed, then add the glaze. The carrot, milk and cheese are part of the original mixture; keep those amounts consistent when making this version.
Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour, and continue cooking if needed until a food thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 160°F. Time and browned color alone do not establish doneness. This follows the USDA minimum temperature for ground meat.
Print Your Meatloaf Recipe Here
Potato Chip Meatloaf Recipe
This meatloaf has a surprising ingredient! See this hearty main dish idea!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, shredded
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup crushed plain potato chips (labeled gluten-free if needed)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup ketchup (for the glaze)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (for the glaze)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (for the glaze; labeled gluten-free if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 5 × 9-inch loaf pan, or use a baking sheet for a free-form loaf.
- In a medium bowl, mix the ground beef, onion, carrot, egg, milk, crushed potato chips and cheddar just until combined.
- In a small bowl, mix the ketchup, brown sugar and soy sauce to make the glaze.
- Place the meat mixture in the prepared loaf pan, or shape it into a loaf on the baking sheet.
- Pour the glaze over the top.
- Bake for about 1 hour, continuing as needed until a food thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 160°F. Do not rely on cooking time or color alone.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 435Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 143mgSodium 545mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 1gSugar 9gProtein 35g
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made this tonight and was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can’t wait to try it. Didn’t want to use bread crumbs. Thank you.
You’re quite welcome Mary! Let us know how it turns out 🙂
Used bbq chips! Was pleasantly shocked at how good this was!
That sounds pretty yummy – may have to try BBQ chips myself. Let us know if you try any other flavors 🙂
I was wondering do you add ketchup to the potato chips and mix it with the meat OR leave it out?because with so many meatloaf recipes out there they ALWAYS put ketchup in the meat,I just want a meatloaf that didn’t relie on ketchup for flavor.
Hi George, you don’t have to use ketchup. I’ve made meatloaf plenty of times without it. Just crumble up the chips and mix it with an egg then add it to the meatloaf mixture. You can also substitute the ketchup with a little A1 steak sauce or Heinz57. My mom even uses Campbells vegetable soup drained 🙂