Savoury Mince

Savoury Mince is a British and Australian comfort food classic. It's a budget-friendly, cozy, one-pan dish of ground/minced beef and vegetables in a rich gravy. 

As well as being delicious (seriously, my kids love this), what makes savoury mince so special is its adaptability. You can sneak in extra veggies, swap out the beef for lamb, chicken, pork, or turkey, and play with the seasonings to make it your own. 

Whether you grew up with this classic or it's your first time making it, savoury mince is sure to become a regular on your dinner table. It's comfort food at its finest—simple, hearty, and totally delicious!

These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients. For a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.

Onion: You can use any onion that you have available. We usually have standard brown onions. 
Garlic: Unusually for this site, there is only 1 clove of garlic in this recipe. That's because this is a dish from my childhood; there was never garlic when my Gran made it for us. But I couldn't resist adding a little bit. But as always, measure garlic with your heart.
Ground/minced beef: For a truly comforting meal, go for ground/minced beef with some fat content; it will help the sauce have that rich mouth feel. I typically buy 85% beef/15% fat. If you buy lean beef the meat will taste drier.
Dried herbs: The recipe specifies Thyme, Oregano, and Parsley. But you can replace them all with 4 teaspoons of dried mixed herbs.
Beef broth: This adds a beefy, meaty flavor. Feel free to use chicken or vegetable broth if you only have those available.
Beef bouillon cubes: These really boost the meaty flavor of the ground beef. I use beef oxo cubes (the red ones). But use whatever you have. Or you can replace them with 2 teaspoons of a concentrate like 'better than bouillon' (check the instructions on your concentrate. You want to use however much it suggests for 2 cups of water)
Frozen veg: Any frozen veg works here, carrot, corn, and peas are traditional. But use what you know your family will eat. If you are using something chunky like broccoli or cauliflower, you will need to use more than 1½ cups worth.

We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you. Have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!

• You want to use a large skillet or shallow casserole dish for this recipe to ensure you can fit everything in and have space to stir.
• Add the garlic after you have browned the ground/minced beef. This ensures that it doesn't burn.
• When adding the flour, sprinkle it over the surface of the beef and then stir to combine it. If you do it in one spot, it is much harder to dissolve it into the fat of the meat.
• The recipe says to cook the meat and gravy for 10 minutes, but you can leave it for longer if you are making side dishes. Just add a lid and put it on the lowest heat. If the sauce looks thick, add a little water or broth to thin it out.
• The frozen vegetables are cooked in the sauce; depending on your mixture of vegetables, this can take different times. Carrots, corn, and peas need around 3 minutes. But cauliflower or broccoli may need longer.

These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.

• Change the ground/minced beef: You can swap it for lamb, chicken, pork, or turkey. Or use a mixture. A Pork and Beef combination is a favorite in our house.
• Add mushrooms: You can finely chop mushrooms and cook them with the onions. Or add sliced mushrooms when you add the beef.
• Add peppers: Add some chopped bell pepper/capsicum as you are cooking the onions.
• Add different seasonings: It is a great dish to change the flavor with herbs and spices. Swap the dried herbs for some curry powder and make curried mince. Add some taco or Moroccan seasoning and serve the finished dish over rice. 
• Add wine: While my Gran never put wine in her savoury mince, a half cup of red wine would add to the rich gravy. 

Sides: Mashed Potatoes!!! They are the perfect side for the rich gravy goodness. You could go for rice or a baked potato, or my youngest loves this with buttered macaroni. 

Wine: When pairing wine with savoury mince, you'd want something that complements the rich, hearty flavors but isn't too overpowering. A lightly oaked Chardonnay has enough body to hold up against the rich sauce. Or go for something super crisp, like a new-world Sauvignon Blanc, to cut through the richness. 
The smooth tannins and fruit-forward profile make a Merlot a perfect choice for red wine drinkers. Or go for a Grenache with a spicy, fruity structure that will stand up to the ground beef but won't overwhelm the dish.