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Looking for a speedy midweek meal? Minced beef might just be the answer. When you’ve got this versatile ingredient to hand, you’re already well on the way to a delicious, easy meal. From a rich Bolognese sauce to a fast and filling Thai-inspired stir-fry, as well as crowd-pleasing burgers and a hearty meatloaf, here we’ve rounded up the tastiest minced beef recipes around.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover 33 minced beef recipes anyone can make – and everyone will adore.
Keema is a minced meat dish found in various forms throughout India. Our recipe uses beef (lamb is also a popular option) and is lightly spiced with curry powder. The key to making a really full-flavoured keema lies in the paste made from ginger, garlic and chilli – these ingredients provide three different types of heat, which balance each other out and give a complex note to the dish.
It’s the sauce that makes this burger so special – inspired by McDonald's famous Big Mac sauce, it has that perfect balance of sweet, salty and sharp flavours (the secret is including sweet pickle relish and paprika). The recipe is easy to make, meaning you can rustle up dinner in around 20 minutes.
With its crispy rigatoni edges, bubbling tomato sauce, tiny meatballs and puddles of oozing melted mozzarella, this rustic pasta bake screams comfort. Serve with a green salad and garlic bread for a simple meal that the whole family will love.
Bibimbap is a Korean dish consisting of bowls of rice topped with sautéed vegetables, a fried egg or egg yolks, beef mince, spicy sauce and kimchi. Bringing masses of flavour and texture to the table, this recipe provides a great opportunity to get creative and use up the leftovers in your fridge.
When it comes to midweek meals, this recipe ticks a multitude of boxes – it’s tasty, thrifty and simple to prepare, and the beef filling can be made up to three days in advance (it also freezes well). Once the veg-packed mince mix is ready, it’s used to stuff flour tortillas, which are rolled up, arranged side-by-side in an ovenproof dish and topped with chipotle paste and grated cheese. After 15 minutes in the oven, the tortillas will be lightly browned and the cheese bubbling.
A meatball recipe with a bit of a difference – and a tasty surprise hidden inside. Here, juicy queen green olives are wrapped in a flavourful minced beef mixture to make meatballs that are roasted in the oven (rather than fried). They’re then simmered in an aromatic tomato sauce rich with more olives (this time of the pitted black variety), herbs and wine.
This Spanish-inspired recipe sees baked aubergines stuffed with a meaty ragù flavoured with cumin, cinnamon, red pepper and nutmeg. It calls for minced lamb, but minced beef works equally well. The aubergines are sprinkled with Manchego cheese before being returned to the oven until the cheese is melted and golden.
Lasagne might just be the ultimate crowd-pleaser: layers of silky pasta, creamy sauce and a rich, meaty ragù, all topped with a crunchy cheese lid – what’s not to love? Even better, the cooking time is mostly hands-off. Just leave the meat sauce to slowly cook away, make your béchamel sauce and assemble the dish in 20 minutes. The oven will do the rest of the work for you.
For a meaty version of this fast, fragrant stir-fry, follow our recipe – but swap the soy mince for minced beef. Ready in just 20 minutes, it's a quick and filling midweek supper. A crispy fried egg completes the dish.
Get the recipe for stir-fried beef with basil and chilli here
A dinner featuring meatball subs is always going to go down a storm. This recipe makes four saucy, decadent meatball sandwiches, though you could always double up the ingredients to feed more. Add sliced mozzarella, provolone, Cheddar or American-style cheese to the subs and grill until melted, to take them to the next level. Any leftover meatballs are perfect for lunch the next day.
We're calling it: this is the ultimate cheeseburger recipe to make at home. It uses beef with a 20% fat content, which makes the burgers extra juicy. Season the patties well with salt and pepper before they go on the grill, then load with cheese (the melty American kind works best), dill pickles, tomato, red onion and lettuce for a feast of a meal.
You don’t need a loaf tin to make this dish – the meat can be moulded by hand, and baked on a roasting tray. This old-school favourite is super-succulent, wonderfully satisfying and pairs perfectly with mashed potato, veggies and a gravy made from the loaf’s juices.
Here a family favourite is given an indulgent upgrade, with the addition of a smoky, spicy butter that's stirred in at the end. Serve this rich and warming chilli with rice, sour cream, grated Cheddar and a wedge of lime to balance out the heat.
These succulent, spicy beef skewers won’t last long once they’re on the table. Beef mince with a high fat content makes them extra juicy, and if you barbecue them, they’ll develop a nice smoky char. Pile onto a bed of hummus, then top with a zesty mix of red onion, lemon, parsley and sumac to serve.
What’s more comforting than a bowl of cheesy, gooey mac ‘n’ cheese? Mac ‘n’ cheese with meat sauce underneath it! Follow your favourite recipe for mac ‘n’ cheese (we love the cauliflower one below), but spread a layer of Bolognese sauce over the base of the dish before adding the cheese and pasta – then, just bake in the oven as usual.
Speed is of the essence with this brilliantly spicy, pleasingly salty stir-fry recipe. Prep all the ingredients in advance, pop your pan over a high heat, and get cooking. Key to success is ensuring the beef mince becomes properly browned and crisp before you add the fragrant ginger and garlic. Serve spooned over rice or piled into crunchy lettuce cups.
Get the recipe for ginger beef stir-fry with lime and herbs here
When you've got a bit of time on your hands, this comforting Italian dish is the perfect foodie project. Filling the delicate tortellini with meat does require patience, but the end result is well worth it, particularly if you serve the pasta covered with a rich beef Bolognese sauce, as we have here.
These moreish pastry parcels pack a real flavour punch. The meat (you can substitute the lamb in this recipe for minced beef) is spiked with fiery green chillies, chilli powder, garam masala and ground coriander, before being encased in flaky puff pastry. Any leftovers are great for lunch the next day.
These meatballs are incredibly tasty – there's chilli for heat, plus classic Italian herbs oregano and basil, as well as pine nuts, which provide great texture. The tomato sauce is rich and vibrant, with fresh tomatoes and white wine adding depth of flavour. Simply serve with spaghetti, Parmesan and fragrant basil.
A proper gourmet burger, this recipe combines beef mince, diced venison steak and chorizo for the ultimate in flavour and texture. Harissa and smoked paprika add a hint of smokiness and spice, while Mexican chilli cheese, garlic and parsley mayo, pickled red onions and grilled red peppers are the perfect toppings.
In this recipe, beef shin, bone marrow and lean beef mince are simmered slowly in red wine, herbs and star anise to make a deeply flavoursome stew. While the stew simmers, you can prepare the herby dumplings, which are added in 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time. This comforting dish goes really well with buttered green vegetables.
This traditional Greek dish features layers of baked aubergine, mince, courgette and potato slices topped with a thick, cheesy sauce. It's fine to use either beef, pork or lamb mince, depending on your preference, or opt for a combination of all three.
For a twist on a classic, try Indian-spiced burgers. Garam masala, garlic and ginger give the patties a lovely aromatic flavour, while the caramelised onions and roasted chilli yogurt add a pleasing sweetness and creaminess. Serve with sweet potato fries for a proper treat.
You can use beef, lamb or pork mince in this Norwegian meatball dish. Spices (allspice, nutmeg, white pepper and ground ginger) give the meatballs their characteristic flavour, and they're served in a rich, roux-based beef stock and crème fraîche gravy. Offering mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam on the side is a must.
This classic British dish is almost identical to shepherd’s pie, the defining difference being that it uses minced beef instead of lamb. A comfort food favourite that people of all ages adore, the dish freezes well, so it's worth making a double batch and filling the freezer with the extras.
Bobotie is a South African dish made from minced beef spiced with curry powder, ginger, turmeric, raisins and chutney. A mixture made from whisked egg and milk is poured over the top just before the dish is transferred to the oven and baked.
Cornish pasties are a hearty delight, originating from Cornwall, UK, where they’re arguably the county’s most loved export. In the recipe below, they’re made the traditional way: shortcrust pastry shells are stuffed with minced beef, chopped potato, swede and onion, then baked in the oven. Serve with mushy peas or pickled cabbage for a filling meal.
Amp up a classic cottage pie by replacing the usual layer of mashed potato with decadent potato dauphinois (potato slices cooked in cream) instead. Follow the recipe below to make the dish, swapping the minced lamb for beef, if you like. Serve with your choice of green vegetables.
These South African–inspired burgers are all about the marinade. Before being shaped into patties, beef mince is steeped in a mix made from various sauces (tomato, Worcestershire and peri peri included), as well as fruit chutney, red wine, cola, paprika and a barbecue spice blend. This makes the finished burgers extra succulent, rich and sweet.
The combination of beef mince, onion, garlic, jalapeño peppers and beef jus is the secret behind the bold flavour of these succulent beef kebabs. They’re delicious topped with toasted flaked almonds, and served with warm pitta breads and a slow-simmered spicy tomato sauce.
This gorgeously rich slow-cooker version of Bolognese sauce is worthy of a place in everyone’s recipe repertoire. There’s minimal hands-on cooking and prep time, and the dish can be left to simmer away all day, ready to be spooned over pasta, jacket potatoes or rice, or even wrapped up in a soft flour tortilla and topped with sour cream and Cheddar.
This filling, tasty pie sees a mix of minced beef, tomatoes, veggies and potato topped with crispy filo pastry. It's simple to make and you can use any veg you have to hand – cauliflower, carrots and frozen sweetcorn work particularly well – while cardamom, garlic, garam masala and curry powder give it a satisfying depth of flavour.
These spicy Italian meatballs combine finely minced beef chuck steak with flavoursome pork shoulder and creamy ricotta. Once assembled, the meatballs are braised in a chilli-spiked red onion and tomato sauce, but you could use a jar of shop-bought marinara, if you prefer.
Get the recipe for spicy Italian meatballs here
Now check out our best comfort food recipes
Last updated by Dominique Ayling.
Perhaps a little lacking in diversity with too many variations on burgers/meatballs. How about Asian Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry, Polish Stuffed Cabbage leaves (Gołabki), Dolmades, Pastitsio (aka Makaronia), Keema Curry. So much more that can be done with mince.
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05 November 2018