This savoury mince is a family favourite recipe and a classic British comfort food. It is full of vegetables, and flavour and can be served with mashed potato, pasta, rice or even roast potatoes. From bold seasonings and adding extra vegetables for batch cooking and freezing for later, this recipe has it all and is hugely versatile.
Savoury mince is one of those perfect, easy meals you need to master. It’s the base of so many foods and can be just what you need on a cold autumn day. Add any mix of vegetables or earthy herbs and a starchy side and you’ve got a winter warmer.
Why you’ll love this easy savoury mince recipe
It’s simple. Who doesn’t love a simple dinner recipe? This savoury mince recipe is made in a single pan on the hob which makes clean up quick and simple too.
You can personalise your savoury mince, use up any old vegetables you have in the fridge, add in a can of chopped tomatoes, and add a whole bunch of garlic. The world (or your stovetop pan) is your oyster.
This savoury mince recipe is also a really handy recipe to have on hand if you need a quick freezer meal. You can make the mince up in advance and then freeze it in individual portions. This allows you to defrost exactly the amount you need per person. It will be a lot quicker too.
Ingredients
For the full recipe and instructions scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe card.
Beef Mince
It wouldn’t be a savoury mince recipe without beef mince. You can pick any fat percentage you want but 10% is usually a good level to aim for. It’s tasty but not too greasy.
If you’re cooking on a budget, try buying a beef and pork mince mix. This reduces the cost but still provides a nutritious and high-protein meal.
Onion
The base of all good meals, is always just onion in the pan when someone says “Ohh what’s cooking? That smells good.” In this savoury mince recipe you can use either brown, red or white onions. Just slice and dice them, pop in the pan and watch the compliments rake in.
Celery
Green, crunchy and full of goodness, adding celery to mix is a great way to add one of your 5 a day.
Garlic
My favourite aromatic. Garlic is not measured in recipes in grams or ounces – it is measured in your heart. You should always add garlic to your mince when it’s cooking for a full flavour.
Bacon
Unusual, but delicious. Adding chopped bacon or pancetta to your recipe is a great way to add depth and uniqueness to the dish. I just chopped bacon rashers from the butchers for this recipe but you could use whatever you have available.
Carrots
Always in the fridge, carrots add colour and flavour to the savoury mince and mash. Adding some carrots will also add a little sweetness that works wonderfully in the meal.
Tomatoes
The chopped tomatoes or passata provide a sauce for your savoury mince recipe. Just pour in and warm with the other vegetables and ingredients and mix through.
Sweetcorn and Peas
If you’re looking to up the veggie content add some peas and sweetcorn while the mince is cooking. This adds some much-needed crunch and colour whilst sneaking in some more goodness too.
How to Make easy savoury mince – Step by Step
Keep scrolling to find the full printable instructions and ingredient quantities.
Chop your bacon, celery and onion and start browning it in a large pan on the hob.
Keep cooking these until they are part cooked and well combined. Add your first batch of seasoning.
Add your mince and seasoning.
Brown and add more seasoning.
If you’re in a hurry add your carrots par-boiled.
Mix through and cook all the ingredients together.
Now add your final batch of seasoning, leftover veg and tomato paste.
Allow everything to simmer together until you’re ready to serve.
Top Tips for making savoury mince
Add more garlic. Trust me, everything gets better with more garlic.
If you’re in a hurry, add your carrots to the mix par-boiled. You can chop and boil them while the other things cook in the pan. Then add them when you add the peas and sweetcorn.
Serving Suggestions
Savoury Mince and Pasta
Whether an official spaghetti bolognese or just a simple pasta and mince. You can easily boil up your favourite pasta, then spoon it into your mince mix and top with a healthy amount of cheese.
If you want to crisp up the cheese you can place it in the oven for a short while.
Savoury Mince and Mash
One of my favourite autumnal meals. Adding a thick, creamy mash on top of your savoury mince will turn it into a tasty cottage pie. It’s the perfect quick and easy one-pot meal for when you can’t be bothered to cook anything fancy.
Savoury Mince and Rice
Another starchy side for this meal is rice. It’s light and pulls flavour from the savoury mince recipe really well. It’s just as easy and is a bit different to the usual mince and mash.
Equipment
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Easy savoury mince Substitutions and variations
Extra vegetables
Keep topping up that saucepan with veggies, add broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage or anything you have in the cupboard. You can really bulk up the meal but adding even more veggies.
vegan quorn mince
If you’re looking to make this a vegan savoury mince recipe you can pick up some Quorn mince. It’s a great meat-free alternative and provides great flavour and texture in this meal.
Storing easy savoury mince / Making ahead of time options
Batch Cooking
Making a savoury mince is a great way to batch-cook meals. Buy a large quantity of mince and cook it up and batch out in portions. Make meals for every day of the week in one go, saving you time and energy.
Freeze for later
To keep your savoury mince fresh for longer, consider freezing your mince in individual potion-sized pieces. You can bag the mince or keep it in a freezer-safe Tupperware box.
Easy savoury mince FAQS
- What makes mince taste better?
- What to add to mince when cooking?
- Can you freeze savoury mince?
- Do you season mince before cooking?
- Do you fry mince or onions first?
What makes mince taste better?
The key thing to make savoury mince taste better is seasoning! Garlic is a popular choice. You can also try adding herbs, wine, spices and when all else fails… more garlic.
What to add to mince when cooking?
Add the mince when your onions are about halfway cooked. That way your veggies won’t be overcooked while you’ve still got raw mince. Luckily as this recipe cooks for a while everything will be cooked fully by eating time.
Can you freeze savoury mince?
Yes, you can freeze savoury mince once it’s cooked and fully cooled. This allows you to meal prep or batch cook your mince for a week’s worth of meals. for best results freeze in small portions. It makes it easier to defrost and can be used for individual portions.
Do you season mince before cooking?
For the best results, season your mince whilst cooking at multiple points for optimal flavour. Salt and pepper are, of course, the obvious choices but you also need to add some herbs and spices to round out the flavour.
Do you fry mince or onions first?
I always start with the onions as they take longer and provide a delicious base to cook your mince in.
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Recipe
Easy Savoury Mince Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 onion
- 4 rashers bacon
- 2 sticks celery
- 500 g beef mince
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 carrots
- 1 tin of tomatoes
- 500 ml stock (made with 1 beef and 2 vegetable stock cubes)
- 2 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 2 bay leaves
- 400 g mushrooms
- 200 g frozen mixed vegetables (we usually go for peas and sweetcorn)
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 3 tbsp red wine (optional)
- 1 tbsp instant coffee
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onion, celery, garlic, carrots, mushrooms and slice the bacon and set aside. Boil the kettle and make the stock.
- Place the casserole dish on the hob with the olive oil in a medium low heat.1 tbs olive oil
- Add the onion, bacon and celery. Cook until the onion and celery are soft and the bacon is cooked.1 onion, 4 rashers bacon, 2 sticks celery
- Add the mince beef and garlic to the casserole dish.500 g beef mince, 2 cloves garlic
- Cook until all the mince beef is browned.
- Stir in the carrots to the dish. Give them a few minutes in the pan to soften.2 carrots
- Add the tin of tomatoes, tomato paste, the stock, mixed herbs and the bay leaves.1 tin of tomatoes, 500 ml stock, 2 tsp dried mixed herbs, 2 bay leaves, 2 tbsp tomato puree
- Add the choppped mushrooms along with the frozen peas and sweetcorn.400 g mushrooms, 200 g frozen mixed vegetables
- Add the lid and reduce the heat to low and allow the savoury mince to reduce for a minium of 20 minutes. The mixture should have thickened.
- Add the red wine and instant coffee. Stir in well and leave the mince to cook on for another 5-10 minutes.3 tbsp red wine, 1 tbsp instant coffee
- The savoury mince is now ready to serve. It can be served with pasta, spaghetti, potatoes and so much more.
- This is a perfect recipe to make to batch cook and freeze.
Notes
- for extra flavour, you can add 2 tsp Bovril / Marmite / Worcestershire sauce.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
This dish is so versatile. I like adding as much hidden veggies as I can. Thanks!
Such a comforting meal! The flavors sound absolutely fantastic. Definitely perfect for pairing with pasta.
This hearty, comforting and delicious Savoury mince is going in my weekly meal rotation ASAP! I really appreciate your step-by-step instructions and pictures. I’m looking forward to making this for my family.
We loved the savoury mince, the bacon really makes it super tasty.
This is a great batch cook recipe. Not only does it taste great but it doubles up easily so I was able to freeze some for an easy meal another day.
So comforting and delicious and loved the bacon.
Perfect for when the sun is hiding – and extremely tasty too!