Smoked Feetloaf
On October 23, 2019 (Updated October 25, 2023)
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Smoked Feetloaf is a fun and festive way to enjoy meatloaf on Halloween. Begin with a delicious meatloaf recipe, form it into the shape of a foot, add a few ghoulish details, and you’re set to celebrate in style!
Feetloaf
That’s right, guys. We’re getting punny and creative over here at Hey Grill Hey with a crazy take on festive meatloaf. Enter the awesome world of FEETLOAF! Feetloaf is basically a simple meatloaf recipe molded into the shape of a foot. Get it? Feetloaf? Oh man, this recipe brings me too much joy.
The recipe below makes 1 large foot (I like to think of it as bigfoot’s foot). If you are hosting a large party during October, you can always double the batch and make two (or more!) feet. This meat is easily manipulated, so if a foot doesn’t sound appetizing to you, feel free to shape this into whatever spooky creation you can think up.
In addition to the meat mixture itself, you’re gonna need some onion slivers (for toenails) and a carrot (for bones) to finish up your foot. These final additions make this a hauntinly good dinner for any spooky occasion.
Smoked Feetloaf for Halloween
Making this feetloaf has become a Halloween tradition in our household. You’d be surprised how much more willing kids are to eat meatloaf when it’s in a spooky shape. Not only is it kid-friendly, but it tastes great, too. This is a meal that will truly satisfy the entire family!
I like to mix up the meatloaf in afternoon to have it ready to smoke a few hours before dinnertime. If you plan ahead, you can have the feetloaf ready just before the trick-or-treating begins so your family has full tummies before you begin your sugar binge.
Tips for Smoking Feetloaf
Before you get started on making your feetloaf, here are some handy tips and suggestions to help your foot come out tasting delicious:
- Place your feetloaf in a grill pan or basket. This will ensure you get smoke on meatloaf, and it allows the fat to drain. (Make sure you have a drip tray below to catch the fat).
- Don’t get thrown off by pink! Ground meat has this tendency to really take on smoke. This makes it really hard to gauge a smoked meatloaf’s doneness. You’ll see quite a bit of pink in the meatloaf, so I strongly using a meat thermometer so you don’t have to go off looks alone.
- Have fun and get creative. If you don’t want to make a foot, you don’t have to shape it like one. Go crazy and get creative. This can be formed into a skull, a hand, a bat, whatever floats your boat!
More Meatballs and Meatloaf Recipes
I’m a big fan of meaty recipes. Add in seasonings and peppers to the mix, and I’m all in. Check out more meaty recipes from Hey Grill Hey below:
Jack’d Up Smoked Meatloaf
Cheesy Jalapeno Bacon Smoked Meatballs
BBQ Meatloaf with a Bacon Weave
Halloween Feetloaf Recipe
Follow the recipe, and I’ll teach you the simple steps to making your own feetloaf at home. Hey Grill Hey is dedicated to help you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a backyard BBQ hero. You can find more of my smoking and grilling recipes and videos on YouTube, Instagram, or our Facebook Page.
Smoked Feetloaf
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 3 eggs
- 1 red onion minced
- 1 red bell pepper minced
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Feetloaf Glaze
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Feetloaf Decorations
- 1 wedge white onion cut into 1 inch pieces (for toenails)
- 1 carrot peeled and cut into 4 inch pieces (for the bones)
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in 1 T olive oil and minced onion and minced bell pepper.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes or until they start to soften. Add in 2 cloves of garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, add your ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Add in the cooled onions and peppers. Gently mix with your hands to mix everything
- Transfer the meatloaf mixture to a grill pan and shape into a foot! Make sure to leave some meat for the ankles and use your fingers to shape each toe.
- Put a 1/2 to 1 inch piece of white onion on the top of each toe to make a toenail.
- Insert 1 thick piece of carrot and 1 thin piece of carrot into the ankle portion of the foot for the bones.
- Place the feetloaf in the grill pan on the preheated smoker. Close the lid, smoke for 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 150 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the glaze. Brush the glaze on the meatloaf. Close the lid and cook the feetloaf for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove the feetloaf from the smoker. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve. I call dibs on the pinky toe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
the pro move would be to use the bones from a leftover pork/lamb shank!
I want to smoke a handloaf tonight and bring it to work tomorrow for our Halloween party. I was thinking of adding provolone cheese on top for the added gory effect, but not sure when I should add it or how it would reheat. Do you have any suggestions? Should I reheat the loaf in the oven at work and top with cheese then? Should I only smoke the loaf to maybe 150 degrees since I’m going to warm in the oven? What do you think?