Beef mince is a staple in most Australian households. It’s so versatile and delicious, which is why we’ve compiled a list of our favourite beef mince recipes for you to try. We’ve also enlisted the help of one of an award-winning butcher in Wyong, The Sausage Man, to answer all our meaty questions.
“Mince seems to often be underrated, it is such a versatile meat selection and can be used for so many dishes and purposes. Also comes in all varieties, beef, lamb, pork & chicken.” said Jake.
The Sausage Man prides themselves on being the sausage specialists, but their love for mince is just the same. Jake, owner of The Sausage Man butcher, says all his products are, “high-quality meat cuts, all grass-fed and grass-finished beef and lamb.” This award-winning butcher has three locations across the New South Wales’ Central Coast.
Photo by Beyond Meat on Unsplash
4 Quick & Easy Beef Mince Recipes
1. Mum’s beef mince.
Beef mince was a regular meal in my house growing up. We had it at least once a week, but never in the same way. Some nights were nachos and cottage pie, others simply mince on pasta.
In an attempt to save money and time, my mum made her own beef mince recipe that was loved by the whole family. To this day it’s still one of my favourites.
Ingredients:
- 500g lean beef mince
- 200g frozen spinach
- 1 packet taco spice mix
- 1kg bag frozen peas and corn (you switch this out for your favourite vegetable)
- 1 x 500g canned tomatoes
- 150ml water
How to make Mums Beef Mince:
- Over medium heat, add a small amount of your preferred cooking oil to a large pot and begin to cook the beef.
- Once the mince has browned, add spinach. Cook until wilted.
- Add canned tomatoes, water and taco spice mix. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Add in frozen peas and corn, simmer for 30 minutes until reduced.
If you have fussy kids, like my Mum did, use a blender to blend the mince until smooth. It’s a great way to hide vegetables. I was, personally, oblivious to the peas and corn in this recipe for many years thanks to this trick.
2. Beef mince meatballs.
Who doesn’t love beef mince meatballs? They’re a great family staple. Simply add a pasta and some pasta sauce and you’ve got yourself a super easy and delicious meal to suit the whole family. One of our personal favourite beef meatball recipes is inspired by Linda Larsen from ‘The Spruce Eats.’
The recipe only takes 45 minutes to make, including cooking time, and makes four servings.
Ingredients:
- 500g beef mince
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons of water
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup onion (finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 150 grams spinach
How to make your beef mince meatballs:
- Gather ingredients, line a baking tray and preheat your oven to 180° fan forced.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg, water, breadcrumbs, spinach, onion, salt and pepper. Stir to combine before adding beef mince.
- Mix gentle with your hands until the beef is smooth and all the ingredients are well combined.
- Roll together meatballs of roughly 2.5cm in diameter and place on a tray.
- Cook for 30 minutes, turning half way, until golden brown.
If your family isn’t a fan of beef mince, try switching to lamb or chicken mince.
Did you know you can freeze beef mince meatballs? Meaning you can double this recipe and save some for a busy week when you don’t have time to cook.
3. Beef mince taco meat.
How could we not add beef mince tacos to our top mince recipes! You can’t go past the store-bought taco kit, but if you’re up for a little challenge, try making your own taco seasoning. One of our favourite recipes is from House of Yum. Their recipe serves eight people and takes under fifteen minutes to make.
Ingredients:
- Your favourite soft or hard shell tacos.
- 500g lean beef mince
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup tomato paste
How to make your beef tacos:
- In a frypan, add a small amount of oil and cook beef over medium heat until it starts to brown.
- Reduce to a low heat, add spices and tomato paste. Stir until combined. Set aside to simmer for five minutes.
- While the meat simmers, prepare your chosen taco fillings. We recommend tomato, sour cream, cheese, corn and lettuce.
- Remove the meat from heat and serve.
Jake from the Sausage Man on the Central Coast suggests adding pasta sauce for a richer flavour!
4. Spaghetti Bolognese
There is no better way to welcome the cooler months to Australia than with a great new spaghetti bolognese recipe. The recipe we are going to share with you today is full of flavour and is guaranteed to be a new family favourite. This recipe can serve up to five people and takes a little under 20 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 teaspoons mixed Italian herbs
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 carrots, shredded
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 oven-roasted capsicum from a jar, roughly chopped (reserve a little liquid)
- 2 tablespoons raw sugar
- 500g beef mince
- 50g tomato paste
- 2 cans plain whole tomatoes
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese to serve
- 80g of your favourite dried pasta, per person
To make spaghetti bolognese:
- Place a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil.
- In a frypan, heat your oil over low-medium heat and sweat the onions with a little water until starting to go translucent.
- Add your garlic to a pan and cook for a further minute.
- Turn up your heat to medium-high, add olive oil and beef mince, cooking until starting to brown.
- Add your carrot, onion and oven-roasted capsicum to the pan. Fry off for a further 3 to 5 minutes.
- Once everything is starting to soften and meat is browned, add in your salt, pepper, mixed Italian herbs, tomato paste and a little liquid from the jar of oven-roasted capsicum.
- Continue to stir for 3 minutes and return heat to medium.
- Pour in the 2 cans plain whole tomatoes, filling half of one can with water and also adding to the pan.
- Stir the tomatoes and gently mash them as they begin to hit.
- Your water should now be in a rolling boil, so add in your pasta and set your timer for 8 minutes, or for the length the package recommends.
- To your pan, stir in Worcestershire sauce and raw sugar. Turn your heat down to low-medium and leave to simmer uncovered.
- Once pasta is al dente, drain and either add to your sauce or to a plate to be topped with the sauce.
- Sprinkle over some parmesan cheese and serve!
This recipe is great to make in large quantities and freeze.
Frequently Asked Questions About Beef Mince
1. How long does beef mince last in the freezer?
Depending on the cut of meat, uncooked meats can be stored for 6 months in a freezer. However, it is recommended beef mince be frozen for no longer than 3 months, due its processed nature.
2. What can I make with beef mince?
The possibilities with beef mince are endless. Some of our favourite meals to make with beef mince are:
- Nachos
- Tacos
- Shepard Pie
- Beef Burgers
- Meatballs
- Spaghetti Bolognese
3. How do you defrost beef mince?
Best practise for defrosting any meat is to move it from the freezer to the fridge the night before you wish to use the meat. This allows the meat to remain in a stable temperature as it defrosts, helping prevent bacteria build-up.
Tip: Flatten out your beef mince before freezing so it fits easily in the freezer and thaws much quicker.
4. What other types of mince are there?
Jake from The Sausage Man says there are many cuts of mince available from his store.
“The best cuts of lean meat, hand selected cuts for mincing, we use only the best quality. Stocking chicken, lamb, beef and pork. We can offer mixed mince packs depending on availability,” Jake said.
5. Is there a beef mince shortage?
We thought there was no one better to answer this question than Jake, owner of The Sausage Man butchery.
“There is plenty of meat and we haven’t experienced any shortage at all. We can still order the same levels of stock as we always have,” Jake said.
“There are some people who are experiencing issues, but across our 3 stores, I buy in bulk to ensure I have plenty of stock for my customers.”
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