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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish Recipes

    Persian Meatloaf

    Modified: Feb 11, 2025 · Published: Jul 7, 2011 by Ashley

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    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·Leave a Review

    This Middle Eastern-spiced comfort food recipe proves that meatloaf doesn't have to be boring. In this Persian meatloaf recipe, ground beef or lamb is spiced and mixed with celery leaves and fresh herbs to bring a bit of excitement to an otherwise traditional dinner.

    Plate with Persian meatloaf with rice and accompaniments.

    It's no secret that I love Persian food. I'm always on the lookout for ways to include the flavors of the Middle East into meals for my family. And one of the ways that I most enjoy doing this is by changing up the flavors of traditionally non-Persian dishes.

    A lot of Persian recipes take hours of cooking, soaking, or simmering, so I also like making more quick-cooking versions of classics, like this sheet pan kebab recipe made under the broiler or this chickpea flatbread version of falafel.

    That kebab recipe, traditional American meatloaf, and a meatloaf recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, In a Persian Kitchen have come together over the years to make this delicious meatloaf recipe.

    It's one I've been making since I first moved to New York and got my own tiny kitchen in the early 2000's, and it's always a welcome addition to our dinner table.

    Jump to:
    • 🧡 Why we love this recipe
    • 📝 Ingredients
    • 🥣 Substitutions
    • ✅ How to make this recipe
    • 📌 Tips
    • 💡 What to serve with Persian meatloaf
    • 🍽️ Still hungry? You may also like...
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🧡 Why we love this recipe

    • It comes together with minimal effort - it's mostly unattended bake time.
    • Meatloaf holds up great for leftovers!
    • This recipe is a great way to use celery leaves, which are an ingredient that many people discard or don't know how to use.
    • It's great served with rice or stuffed into pita pockets as sandwiches.
    • Ground lamb or beef (or a blend of the two!) work really well in this recipe.
    • Meatloaf freezes beautifully!
    Plate with Persian meatloaf with rice and accompaniments.

    📝 Ingredients

    Here's everything you need to make this Persian meatloaf (see recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full directions):

    Ingredients ready to make Persian meatloaf.
    • Ground lamb, beef, or bison
    • Rolled oats
    • White or yellow onion
    • Eggs
    • Tomato paste
    • Green onions
    • Celery leaves
    • Parsley
    • Lemon juice
    • Kosher salt
    • Freshly cracked black pepper
    • Ground cinnamon - this gives a warm, spiced background note to the meatloaf
    • Ground sumac - optional but delicious sprinkled over top when serving

    🥣 Substitutions

    I made this recipe with ground beef for years. Then I tried it with ground lamb and we ended up loving it even more. In recent years, I've been cooking more with ground bison, which would also be an excellent choice here.

    You could also try a mixture of any of those meats. Since the recipe calls for 1 ½ pounds of meat, it could be a good opportunity to use multiple types of protein.

    I haven't personally tried this recipe with vegan ground meat substitute yet, but my inkling is that it would work well. You can feel free to omit the eggs, too, to keep it vegan. If the mixture is too stiff, add a splash of water.

    Mixing a bowl of Persian meatloaf ingredients together by hand.
    Mixing a bowl of Persian meatloaf ingredients together by hand.
    Persian meatloaf mixture on a foil-lined sheet pan.

    ✅ How to make this recipe

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
    2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
    3. Mix the ingredients together in a bowl - get your hands in there to work everything together well and make sure the ingredients are well incorporated.
    4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and flatten it into a rectangular loaf.
    5. Bake for an hour, letting cool slightly before slicing and serving.

    See recipe card below for full instructions.

    Persian meatloaf mixture formed into a rectangular loaf on a foil-lined sheet pan.
    Baked Persian meatloaf on a foil-lined sheet pan.

    📌 Tips

    Mixing ground meat with your hands can be a bit messy, but I find it's the best way to get everything well combined. If you think of it, take the meat out of the refrigerator 10 minutes before you plan to mix so it's not so icy cold on your hands.

    Make sure you grate the onion over a container to catch all of the juice - you want to include that in your meatloaf mixture!

    Grating an onion on a box grater.
    Adding grated onion to a mixture of Persian meatloaf ingredients.
    A bowl of Persian meatloaf ingredients ready to mix.

    Many meatloaf recipes call for baking in a loaf pan. My preference is always to do it more "free-form" on a large, rimmed baking sheet. This lets the extra fat and grease move out of the meat mixture instead of staying inside.

    For this reason, I also recommend lining the baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. It helps make cleanup a lot easier!

    Plate with Persian meatloaf with rice and accompaniments.

    💡 What to serve with Persian meatloaf

    Warmed pita bread and basmati rice are delicious alongside any Persian dish. Many Persian restaurants will also serve a little platter with cubes of feta cheese, fresh parsley, and radishes.

    If you're looking for recipes to make to go with your meatloaf, here are some of my favorites:

    • Persian Dill + Lima Bean Riceturned out onto a platter.
      Polo Shevid Baghali (Persian Dill + Lima Bean Rice)
    • Overhead view of a Persian meal with yogurt, kebab, veggies, and pita.
      Mast-o-Khiar with Walnuts + Raisins
    • Ladling homemade yogurt into a glass jar for storage.
      Homemade Instant Pot Yogurt
    • Bowl of fattoush salad with serving utensils.
      Middle Eastern Fattoush Salad with Homemade Pita Chips
    Cross-section of Persian meatloaf on a platter with side dishes alongside.

    🍽️ Still hungry? You may also like...

    Looking for other recipes with Persian flavor? Try these:

    • Overhead view of a platter of kebab with onions and tomatoes.
      Broiler Kebab Sheet Pan Meal
    • Persian Malbec Lamb Burgers with Mast-o-Khiar and Pomegranate Tomato Jam.
      Persian Malbec Lamb Burgers with Mast-o-Khiar and Pomegranate Tomato Jam
    • ¾ view of yogurt cups with an array of Persian toppings for making jeweled yogurt parfaits.
      Persian Jeweled Yogurt Parfaits
    • ¾ view of 2 bowls of Instant Pot Persian Beef and Celery Stew (Khoreshe Karafs) with mast-o-khiar over dill rice next to an Instant Pot.
      Instant Pot Persian Beef and Celery Stew (Khoreshe Karafs)

    Doing some online shopping? Check out my Amazon shop page for recommendations!

    Print

    📖 Recipe

    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Plate with Persian meatloaf with rice and accompaniments.

    Persian Meatloaf

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
    • Author: Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen - Ashley Covelli (Adapted from In a Persian Kitchen)
    • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
    • Cook Time: 60 Minutes
    • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    • Yield: 8 Servings
    • Category: Main Dish
    • Method: Oven
    • Cuisine: Middle Eastern
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Ground beef or lamb is spiced and mixed with celery leaves and fresh herbs in this comfort food recipe with Middle Eastern flair.


    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 ½ pounds ground lamb, beef, or bison
    • ½ cup rolled oats
    • 1 large white or yellow onion, grated
    • 2 large eggs
    • ¼ cup tomato paste
    • ¼ cup finely chopped green onions (about 1-2 green onions)
    • ¼ cup finely chopped celery leaves
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
    • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • Ground sumac, for serving (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and set aside.
    2. To a large bowl add the ground meat, rolled oats, grated onion, eggs, tomato paste, green onions, celery leaves, parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Using your hands, mix together until thoroughly combined.
    3. Turn the meatloaf mixture out onto the center of the prepared baking sheet. Press the mixture out to form a rectangular loaf, around 1 ½ – 2 inches high.
    4. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving. Sprinkle with ground sumac, if desired.

    Notes

    Recipe adapted from In a Persian Kitchen: Favorite Recipes from the Near East by Maideh Mazda

    We like to serve Persian meatloaf with a sprinkling of ground sumac alongside steamed basmati rice (plain or with dill and lima beans), mast o khiar, and pita bread.

    See full post above for tips and substitution ideas.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @bigflavors on Instagram and hashtag it #cookbigflavors

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    Hi, I'm Ashley and I’ve been writing about food & recipes here at Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen since 2006. I want to help you (yes, you!) gain confidence in the kitchen so you are excited to cook at home for yourself and your loved ones.

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