Fall is the best time to start cooking and gathering! If you are looking for some fun party ideas to serve to your party guests, make these delicious Apple Cider Slushies for the kids and Hot Spiked Apple Cider for the adults. And no one can resist Pumpkin Fluff Dip, made with real whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice.

Up close of baked Halloween feetloaf on a baking tray.

Creepy Halloween Meatloaf Recipe

If you are really looking to gross out your Halloween guests, serve them a meal they will never forget…feetloaf! This creepy twist on meatloaf may make people take a double take (and maybe a little queasy) because it is shaped to look like severed feet. SO DISGUSTING!!

But, beneath those crusty toenails and bloody skin is just savory, delicious meatloaf made with regular ingredients like ground beef, garlic, breadcrumbs and bbq sauce! Believe me when I say It tastes way better than it looks.

This Halloween, make sure feetloaf is on the menu, it is a must-make recipe!! You can also add in these mini mummy dogs, this wrapped mummy pizza braid and these cookie witch hats for dessert.

Recipe Ingredients

Eggs: Eggs work as a binder to hold the feetloaf together.
Milk: Use whole milk or low fat milk.
Bread Crumbs: Italian bread crumbs add flavor and helps with moisture retention.
Beef: Use lean ground beef (80/20) or less fat.
Garlic: Freshly minced garlic adds flavor.
Sauces: You will need worcestershire sauce and barbecue sauce to go in the meatloaf and a little bbq sauce as the glaze. And ketchup will be used around the onion “ankle bone.”
Seasonings: The seasonings you will need are Italian seasoning, dried parsley, salt, and pepper.
Onion: A small amount of onion is used to make the toenails of the feetloaf and a thick slice will be used as the ankle bone.

All of the ingredients needed to make feetloaf.

How to Make Feetloaf

Here are the basic instructions to make homemade feetloaf. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post with full ingredients and instructions to make it.

Step one is eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs to a large glass bowl. — **STEP 1:** In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs. Let this sit.

Step two is adding in the ground beef and seasonings. — **STEP 2:** Cut up the onion to form toenails and ankle bone. Add the ground beef, barbecue sauce, Italian seasoning, dried parsley, garlic, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to the breadcrumb mixture.

Step three is mixing together the beef mixture with the breadcrumb mixture. — **STEP 3:** Mix the beef and the breadcrumb mixture until just combined. Divide into two equal amounts.

Step four is forming two feet out of the mixture on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. — **STEP 4:** On the prepared baking sheet, place the two sections of meatloaf mixture. Form each one into a foot shape with toes.

Step five is the onion toenails and ankle bone added to the shaped feet. — **STEP 5:** You can push the onions into the “nail beds” to really resemble toe nails. Then add the ankle bone. Bake.

Step six is brushing on the bbq sauce and then the ketchup after the feet have baked. — **STEP 6:** After cooking, brush feet with bbq sauce then put back in oven. Once done brush ketchup over the “bone” then drop small spoonfuls of ketchup to resemble blood dripping.

Cooking Tips and Tricks

Mix the beef mixture until the seasonings and breadcrumbs are just combined. Overworking the meat can make it a little more dense.
Applying the barbecue sauce glaze toward the end of cooking helps to keep it from burning on the loaf.
Use aluminum foil between the “toes” to try to keep them shaped.
It is better to cook the meatloaf to the correct temperature of 160°F rather than by the length of time.

Recipe Variations

Mini Feetloaves: Make smaller feet to serve as appetizers, you will also need to make smaller toenails and smaller ankle bone out of the onion. Also, adjust the cooking time, the smaller feet will cook faster than the large ones.
You can use plain bread crumbs if that is what you have on hand.
If you would like to add onions to the meatloaf, I highly recommend sauteeing them on the stove until they are soft before adding them to the meat mixture to be baked.

Up close for feet formed out of meatloaf mixture and the onion toenails added on a baking sheet with a towel in the background.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can feetloaf be made in advance or the night before Halloween? You can assemble the feetloaf the night before. Keep it covered tightly and store in the fridge. When you are ready to bake it, it may need more time to cook because it is coming straight out of the fridge.

Can I use ground chicken or ground turkey instead? You can switch out the meats, but the internal temperature will need to be 165°F and it may come out drier because they contain less fat than beef.

How to Store & Reheat

How to store it? Let the meatloaf cool and put in an airtight container. It should last about 3-4 days in the fridge.

How do you reheat? Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until heated through.

How to freeze? Let the feetloaf cool completely before putting into an air tight, freezer safe container. Individual portions should be wrapped tightly. It can be frozen for 2-3 months, just be sure to label with the recipe and date. Thaw frozen cooked loaf on a plate in the refrigerator overnight until defrosted. Then reheat.