This simple savoury mince recipe is tasty, versatile and a great recipe for batch cooking and freezing. It's proper British comfort food at its best and my family have been enjoying this very recipe for over 50 years (thank you Nana!).
Serve the family-friendly minced beef stew with roast potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, toast, or transform it into a tasty bolognese, chilli, or minced beef pie with a few extra ingredients!
I love old-fashioned savoury mince, especially during the cold winter months when you want something rich, warming, and hearty to fill you up!
Best of all, it's frugal, quick to make (cook time is just 35 minutes), and made in one pan! It utilises 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!
Jump to:
✔️ Why should you try it?
Why this is the best savoury mince recipe;
- Quick and easy-to-make minced beef recipe, on the table in under 40 minutes.
- Great for batch cooking and freezing.
- Uses frozen vegetables and pantry staples to keep the costs down.
- Old-fashioned comfort food which both kids and adults will love!
- It's a versatile recipe that can be transformed into bolognese, lasagne, or minced beef chilli with a few added ingredients.
🥘 Ingredients
Minced Beef - use lean minced beef (ground beef) or you could substitute for Quorn mince for a veggie alternative. Try lamb mince or turkey mince for a different taste.
Olive Oil - for frying.
Onion - finely chopped brown onion or swap for a sweeter red onion.
Garlic - 2 cloves finely chopped give the best flavour.
Dried Italian Herbs - or use a combination of dried thyme, oregano, and rosemary.
Tomato Purée - adds richness and depth of flavour.
Flour - helps thicken the sauce.
Beef Stock - creates the gravy. You could also use vegetable or chicken stock for a lighter tasting meal.
Frozen Mixed Vegetables - I used a mixture of frozen peas, carrots and green beans. Frozen sweetcorn is another good option.
Marmite - the secret ingredient that adds so much flavour! Use vegemite if you're in Australia or NZ or swap for Worcestershire sauce.
Salt & Pepper - for seasoning.
🔪 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. If you would like to thicken the gravy up further, add a tablespoon of thickening granules or whisk in a cornflour slurry. Serve with air fryer roast potatoes or mash.
💭 Expert tips
- Quality Mince: Opt for good quality lean mince. The higher the quality of the mince, the less fat it will contain and the more flavour it will deliver.
- Browning the Mince: Ensure you brown the mince properly before adding any liquids. This crucial step caramelises the proteins, providing a depth of flavour to the dish.
- Seasoning: Season well and taste as you go along. This allows you to adjust the flavours according to your preference.
🍴 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 minced 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 your food spicy. 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, celery, courgettes, or sweetcorn would all work well in this easy beef mince recipe.
- Mix in a tin of chopped tomatoes for more flavour.
- Swap the dried herbs for fresh herbs. Thyme and rosemary would work well.
- Try making this recipe in your slow cooker!
🥡 Storage
Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: In the microwave until piping hot. You could also reheat it in a saucepan on the hob.
Freeze: Once cooled, place the mince in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
❓ FAQS
Dried herbs like thyme, rosemary and oregano are good with beef. Marmite is also a great flavour enhancer (as is Worcestershire sauce) 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.
Of course, feel free to add some chilli powder or fresh chillies to increase the heat to your liking.
😋Related recipes
More recipes using mince;
- 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
Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!
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
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a shallow casserole and fry the chopped onions and garlic until soft.1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Onion, 2 Garlic cloves
- 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.2 teaspoon Dried Italian Herbs, 500 g Minced Beef
- 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.2 tablespoon Plain Flour, 450 ml Beef Stock, 3 tablespoon Tomato Puree, 1 teaspoon Marmite
- Stir in the frozen mixed vegetables, season, and cook for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Serve with roast potatoes or mash.200 g Frozen Mixed Vegetables, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Video
Notes
- Use lamb mince instead of beef mince or make it vegetarian friendly and use Quorn mince.
- Add chili powder if you like things spicy. 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 minced beef recipe.
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!
Jenny Gregory
So easy! Thank you.
Janet Bailey
Hi Beth,
This is the best mince dinner I have ever eaten. My mother made a similar recipe that was awfully bland and I swore I would never make it when I started to cook for myself. However, when I came across this website & your recipe I was intrigued and had to try it. I'm so glad I did.
Janet
T