A simple and easy weeknight meal, this savoury mince recipe is tasty, versatile and a great recipe for batch cooking and freezing. Proper British comfort food at its best!
Serve with roast potatoes or creamy mashed potatoes for a hearty and filling dinner!
I love old-fashioned savoury mince during the cold winter months. It's warming comfort food that's very filling!
Best of all, it's super cheap and quick to make, utilising frozen vegetables and pantry staples, which combine to make a delicious thick gravy-style sauce for the minced beef.
👩🍳 Looking for another easy minced beef recipe? Try this traditional South African Bobotie!
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✔️ Why should you try it?
Why this is the best savoury mince recipe:
- Quick and easy to make.
- A brilliant minced beef recipe for batch cooking and freezing.
- Uses frozen vegetables and pantry staples to keep the costs down.
- Hearty and filling.
- Old-fashioned comfort food.
- Transform it into a bolognese or chilli with a few added ingredients.
🥘 Ingredients
- Minced Beef - use lean minced beef or you could substitute for Quorn mince.
- Olive Oil - for frying.
- Onion - finely chopped or swap for a red onion.
- Garlic - 2 cloves give the best flavour.
- Dried Italian Herbs - or use dried thyme or rosemary.
- Tomato Purée - or tomato paste adds depth of flavour.
- Flour - helps thicken the sauce.
- Beef Stock - creates the gravy.
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables - I used a mixture of frozen peas, carrots and green beans.
- Marmite - the secret ingredient that adds so much flavour! Use vegemite if you're in Australia or NZ or swap for Worcestershire sauce.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Heat the oil in a shallow casserole or large pan and fry the chopped onions and garlic until soft.
Two: Stir through the dried Italian herbs then turn up the heat and add the beef mince. Break up the mince with a wooden spoon and continue to stir until the mince changes colour.
Three: Stir in the flour and cook for a minute, before adding the tomato puree, beef stock and marmite. Simmer for 15 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally.
Four: Stir in the frozen mixed vegetables and cook for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Serve with air fryer roast potatoes or mash.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the savoury mince with crispy polenta roast potatoes, creamy mash, roast sweet potato, or even rice and pasta, with a side of vegetables such as garlic green beans. Home-baked focaccia is always a tasty accompaniment to bulk the meal out, and it can also be used for mopping up the thick beef gravy-style sauce.
I've also served it in a giant Yorkshire pudding before, which the kids really liked, and even topped it with puff pastry to make a mince beef pie.
Leftovers could be used to make an easy lasagne or cottage pie, spoon it through cheesy pasta, or use it as a topping for jacket potatoes.
Batch cook and freeze in portions.
📖 Variations
- Use lamb mince instead of beef mince, or make it vegetarian and use Quorn mince.
- Add chilli powder or chilli flakes if you like things hot. You could even add a can of kidney beans in chilli sauce to transform it into a quick and easy chilli con carne.
- I usually add frozen mixed vegetables but you could use fresh vegetables if you prefer. Peppers, courgettes, or sweetcorn would all work well in this easy beef mince recipe.
- Swap the dried herbs for fresh herbs. Thyme and rosemary would work well.
🥡 Storage
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: In the microwave until piping hot.
Freeze: Once cooled, place the mince in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
❓ FAQS
Dried herbs like thyme, rosemary and oregano are good with beef. Marmite is also a great flavour enhancer and is added to beef stews and recipes using minced beef such as bolognese and chilli.
Minced beef (ground beef) is widely available in supermarkets. If you prefer to make your own minced beef the best way of doing it is to cut a beef joint into cubes (brisket is good for this), freezing the cubed beef for half an hour, then placing in a food processor and pulsing until you get your desired consistency.
Fry the beef on a fairly high heat and whilst doing so, use a wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces.
😋Related recipes
More recipes using minced meat;
- Keema Matar - minced beef and pea curry, easy to make, flavourful, and a great way to introduce your children to curry.
- Mild Chilli Con Carne for Kids - the chilli is subtly spiced and packed full of flavour, but not hot or spicy, so kids can enjoy it too!
- Chorizo Bolognese - smoky and rich, this delicious chorizo bolognese packs a punch in flavour and elevates the humble (but still very tasty) bolognese to the next level.
- Easy Lasagne - a quick and easy lasagne recipe made with a cheat’s white sauce, ready in just 45 minutes! Delicious comfort food the whole family will love.
- Pork Bolognese - a lighter alternative to traditional beef bolognese.
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese - chuck it all in and switch on!
🍽️ More family-friendly recipes
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Recipe
Savoury Mince
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 500 g Minced Beef use lean 5% fat
- 1 Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon Dried Italian Herbs or use dried thyme
- 2 tablespoon Plain Flour
- 450 ml Beef Stock
- 3 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 1 teaspoon Marmite or use a splash of Worcestershire Sauce or vegemite
- 200 g Frozen Mixed Vegetables
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a shallow casserole and fry the chopped onions and garlic until soft.
- Stir through the dried Italian herbs then turn up the heat and add the beef mince. Break up the mince with a wooden spoon and continue to stir until the mince changes colour.
- Stir in the flour and cook for a minute, before adding the tomato puree, beef stock and marmite. Simmer for 15 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the frozen mixed vegetables and cook for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Serve with roast potatoes or mash.
Video
Notes
- Use lamb mince instead of beef mince or make it vegetarian by using Quorn mince.
- Add chili powder if you like things hot. You could even add a can of kidney beans in chili sauce to transform it into a quick and easy chili con carne.
- I usually add frozen mixed vegetables but you could use fresh vegetables if you prefer. Peppers, courgettes or sweetcorn would all work well in this mince.
Kara
Your posts have made me a marmite convert. I've been looking for some new ideas for ground beef beyond my go-to bolognese or burgers. Thanks for this!!
Irina
I have all the ingredients on my hands and am going to make it. The meal sounds easy to make and delicious to taste. 🙂
Felicity Gardner
Whoops, I’m a Kiwi and we eat Marmite,mostly. The Aussies are vegemitans 😊
Sara Welch
This is my kind of comfort food! Adding this to my dinner line up for the week; looks too good to pass up, indeed!
Julie Menghini
This mince sounds so flavorful. I like the idea of serving it with roasted potatoes. Will definitely give that a try.
Jo
Made this Savoury Mince over the weekend and it was a hit! Thank you for sharing!
Sara Welch
Served this for dinner last night and it did not disappoint! Easy, hearty and hits the spot! Delicious!
Tara
Such a comforting weeknight meal! Definitely perfect for the cooler weather we are having and I love the minimal prep.
Charla
This looks so inviting my family are going to love your mince recipe. Thank you!!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
This is perfect comfort food and I love the addition of marmite for extra flavour.
Liz
I never normally rate recipes I try but my kids don't usually eat 100% of a meal either. This was quick, cheap, easy and delicious. Made with stuff I had already in the kitchen (after I realised I didn't have the ingredients for what I originally thawed mince for) and best of all my kids approve! Thankyou!
Beth Sachs
Hi Liz. I'm so glad your kids enjoyed it!
Lyn
This is the best savory mince I have ever eaten. I’ve made it about 10 times!! My family reckon they could eat it every night. It’s quick and easy to make and so tasty. Very hearty and healthy as well as comforting on a cold night.
Beth Sachs
So glad your family love it Lyn!