This easy savoury mince recipe is an absolute classic Australian dish that is perfect for weeknight cooking. This simple mince recipe is so easy to make, and tastes even better reheated! It’s also really versatile, being served over toast, mashed potato, rice or wrapped in puff pastry for an easy pie or pastie.
This recipe is old fashioned but it is sure to be a family favourite. It’s one of those recipes that is very easy, uses cheap, easy to find pantry staple ingredients and is also versatile enough that you can simply adapt it using whatever ingredients you have on hand. It’s also wholesome nostalgic comfort food so you really can’t go wrong.
Plus the serving options are pretty limitless. Savoury mince at its most basic form is served over well-buttered toast, but spoon it over some creamy mashed potatoes or steamed rice and you have yourself a hearty meal that is sure to satisfy hungry bellies.
If you have left overs, which you should because I’m going to recommend you double the recipe as it’s great for batch cooking, pop some in the fridge or freezer for later. You can then spoon the leftover filling into puff pastry and then either by using a pie maker or simply folding them into triangles and baking in the oven you can quickly have yourself a very tasty homemade pie or pastie.
Or you can simply skip the pastry and top with any leftover mashed potato for an easy cottage pie!
You can even extend the dish further by adding more veggies. Honestly the possibilities for this budget-friendly dinner recipe are endless so no wonder it is a family favourite!
Key Ingredients
Savoury mince is a great meal to make at the end of the week to use up those leftover veggies in the fridge. For this base version, you’ll need the following ingredients but remember, this is a very adaptable recipe.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Onion and garlic – onion and garlic create the flavour base of this recipe. I’m using a regular brown onion but you can also use a red onion or any that you have on hand or prefer.
- Tomato paste – adding richness and bold flavour to this recipe.
- Curry powder – a secret family ingredient, this is technically optional but it will add so much extra flavour to the dish, I highly recommend it!
- Beef mince – you can use any ground beef mince for this recipe or even substitute it with turkey mince for a lower fat option. Lamb mince would also work in this recipe if you prefer!
- Worcestershire sauce – adding extra flavour and richness to the gravy, personally I think this is an absolute essential ingredient to ensure you have a flavourful dish.
- Beef stock – creates the base of the gravy. I like to use salt-reduced so you can control your salt levels but any will work here.
- Vegetables – for this recipe I love to use frozen mixed vegetables such as peas, carrot, and corn as I usually have it on hand and they are quite inexpensive, however you can use any mix of fresh or frozen vegetables chopped up.
- Cornflour – also known as corn starch, we add a little bit at the end to thicken up the sauce making it a bit more like gravy.
- And of course you’ll want to finish off your dish with a good seasoning of salt and black pepper to pull all the flavours together.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make this old fashioned savoury mince for dinner, you’ll need a large saucepan with taller sides and a wooden spoon. I like to use my enamel coated cast iron pot for this.
Once you have gathered your ingredients and chopped your onion and garlic, you can start by heating your selected pan over medium heat. Add a little olive oil and then add the finely diced onion and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the onion turns translucent. Stir in the crushed garlic and cook until delicious and fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and curry powder to the pan and cook for a minute or two to allow the tomato paste to slightly darken and the curry powder to become fragrant. If it’s becoming a little too dark, turn down the heat and add a splash of beef stock to deglaze the bottom of the pan. You can do this by scraping the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon as you add in the liquid.
To your pan, add in the beef mince and use your wooden spoon again to break it apart. Mix with the onion mixture and cook until the mince has browned.
Add in the Worcestershire sauce, beef stock and frozen vegetables and stir well. Bring the mixture to a simmer before reducing the heat to low, and leave it to simmer for about 10 minutes to develop the flavours.
To finish, in a small bowl, mix the cornflour with a little water to make a smooth paste and stir this into the mince mixture, and let it simmer for a few more minutes until the sauce thickens into a gravy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
This really is a great weeknight dinner recipe as it takes about 20 minutes to prepare with the easiest side to serve with this simple savoury mince only requiring a little toasting of bread!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this recipe is perfect for freezing! Allow the mince to cool before transferring it to an airtight container or freezer bags, and store it in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw and reheat when you’re ready to enjoy it again.
Of course! You can use fresh vegetables if you have them on hand. Simply dice or chop them into small pieces and add them to the pan along with the beef mince. Adjust the cooking time to ensure the vegetables are tender.
Absolutely! Savoury mince is a great dish to prepare in advance and often tastes even better reheated. Once cooked, allow it to cool, and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat it in a pan or the microwave when you’re ready to enjoy, adding a splash of additional stock or water if needed to thin it out.
More easy weeknight dinners:
Slow Cooked Curried Sausages
20 Minute Bow Tie Pasta
Lemon and Garlic Chicken Tray Bake
15 Minute Garlic Prawn Noodles
Cottage Pie
Burger Bowls
Savoury Mince
Ingredients
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- 500 grams beef mince
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 1 ½ cups frozen vegetables peas, carrot, corn
- 2 teaspoons cornflour
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large saucepan or pot with tall sides over medium heat. Add a little olive oil and then add the finely diced onion. Cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring with a wooden spoon, or until the onion turns translucent. Stir in the crushed garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds to release the aroma.
- Add the tomato paste and curry powder to the pan and cook for a minute or two to allow the tomato paste to slightly darken and the curry powder to become fragrant. If it’s becoming a little too dark, turn down the heat and add a splash of beef stock to deglaze the bottom of the pan.
- Add the beef mince to the pan. Break it apart with a spoon or spatula and cook until it’s browned.
- To the mince, add the Worcestershire sauce, beef stock and frozen vegetables. Stir well and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes to develop the flavours.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with a little water to make a smooth paste and stir this into the mince mixture, and let it simmer for a few more minutes until the sauce thickens into a gravy.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Brian says
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. The only thing I do different is to use a combination beef and pork mince in mine, but no matter what you use you can’t go wrong with this one!
Sally says
Thanks Brian! Totally agree, it’s very versatile!
Mel says
Just made this and it tastes so good!
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed this one Mel!
sherry says
yes i love it on toast the next day when the flavours have developed 🙂 Such a classic aussie dinner too.
Sally says
Totally agree Sherry!