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A round-up of our most popular mince recipes

Mince is cheap, mince is versatile, mince is good.

Picadillo

Picadillo Source: Danielle Abou Karam

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Mince (any type) is the kind of thing you'll want to keep on hand. You can have a packet or two of mince in the freezer, ready to launch whenever the 'what's for dinner?' blues start. The good news is, those blues need not be a theme-tune for long because we've got a mince meat recipe for every kind of mood and every kind of mince.

If you're looking for meatballs/keftedes/kofta/sliders, look here:
Otherwise, join us here as we feast on mince recipes from every cuisine; all of them clean plate-approved by popular demand.

Holy lunch

Holy basil chicken with fried egg
Street food dining at its finest. Source: Alana Dimou
Make like the Thais and munch on this quickly  for lunch - served with rice topped with an egg. If you think cooking your own Thai food is a bit daunting, start here.

Bun cha cha cha

Bun cha by Luke Nguyen
Bun cha is grilled pork, rice noodles, herbs and fish sauce all in one bowl. What a combination! Source: Luke Nguyen's Railway Vietnam
So many elements we love about Vietnamese dishes are . And at its heart, the marinated minced pork and pork belly patties are bursting with fresh flavours.

Shepherd's gem

The Cook Up Reinventing the Meal
No need to defrost the potato gems either - pop them straight on the top before the whole lot goes into the oven. Source: Kitti Gould
This is a cute way to make faster to make - no need to mash the potato when potato gems are on hand. The same shortcut will also work in this .

Crispy parcels

Crispy-baked pierogi
Mince comes into its own when wrapped up in a flaky pastry. Source: Hardie Grant Books
Baking your pierogi isn't common practice, but it works a treat in . The ground pork and pine nut filling is *chef's kiss*.

A clever twist

RX47-Recipe-AdamLiaw-MinceBourguignon-CreditJiwonKim-TCUS7-3.jpg
Source: Jiwon Kim
This is a to the classic French beef bourguignon. By replacing brisket (or chuck steak) chunks with beef mince and using a supermarket jar of pre-cooked, peeled baby onions instead of tiny pearl onions, you'll save time and money without compromising on taste!

Another delivery

Indonesian Savory Martabak
A parcel of crispy pastry filled with eggs, beef and spices? Sign us up! Source: SBS Food
Also in crispy parcel form, this time from Indonesia.  is stuffed with mince, eggs and spices then deep fried until its thin dough wrapper (or spring roll wrapper, if you making a cheat's version) crisps up nicely. The combination is good and it's one of Indonesia's most prized street foods for a reason.
READ MORE

Lamb martabak

Big flavours

Riz al djaj (poached chicken with smoked rice and tahini yoghurt)
If you're feeling pressed for time, feel free to only make the rice in this dish. It's enough all on its own. Source: Andrew Dorn
is a traditional Lebanese dish with chicken mince at its heart and garlic in its soul. There are many steps to the perfect dish, but just make more than you need of everything to add extra flavour to your dishes all week.

Picadillo

Many Cuban dishes have a base of sofrito, a mixture of capsicums, onions, garlic and tomatoes, slow-cooked in oil to create a sweet, fragrant starting point for a meat dish. is cooked this way, and it is featured almost weekly on chef Danielle Alvarez's comfort food menu at-home.
Picadillo
Picadillo Source: Danielle Abou Karam

Slow boat ragú

Ragú Bolognese with tagliatelle
If there were one, this would be the real 'bolognese'. Source: Jono Fleming
Mix up your veal and pork mince for an authentic  that takes a respectable seven hours to cook. Hush now, anything less just isn't bolognese!

Layered perfection

Lasagne
Source: Alan Benson
Let's not forget , one of the most popular mince dishes, well, anywhere ever. Though a thousand interpretations exist, the classic beef-layered-with-pasta-and-cheese version holds the crown. Okay, okay, here's one for the béchamel lovers:

Greek response

Steve's moussaka
This particular moussaka calls for a combination of turkey, pork and chicken mince, so go for your life. Source: Poh & Co. 2
If we're listing lasagne, you'd better believe we're listing . It's the kind of bake that brings the punters from far and wide when you mention you're making it. The more the merrier, we say!

Don good

Chicken rice bowl
Making a variety of soboro don is a great way to show off your minced meat. Source: Alan Benson
A is basically an homage to minced meat, in this case chicken mince. The salty-sweet mirin, soy sauce and ginger sauce is completely addictive, so lucky this dish is a healthy one - you'll be making it regularly.

Tacokinawa

Beef and bean taco rice
Japanese chef Matsuzo Gibo started the taco rice craze in 1984, serving US military personnel stationed in Okinawa. Source: Adam Liaw
Another popular Japanese mince dish is . It's one of those strange cross-cultural flavour marriages that just works. In this case, Tex-Mex meets Okinawa.

An element of surprise

RX47-Recipe-WesleyCooperJones-Terrine-CreditJiwonKim-TCUS7-4.jpg
Source: Jiwon Kim
This modern from chef Wesley Cooper Jones includes a special ingredient, adding an element of surprise. It contains black fungus mushroom, an ingredient more commonly used in Chinese recipes.

Sang it loud

Sang choy bao
There's just something about wrapping flavoursome pork mince in lettuce leaves and crunching merrily away. Source: Adam Liaw
is a beloved dish for many because it really is 'fun to eat'. They say that all the time but a dish so rarely lives up to fun hype - this one truly does.

Larb it

Prawn and pork larb
This dish has all the wonderful hallmarks of a Thai salad: spicy, sour and salty with a rounded sweetness that doesn't dominate. Source: Danielle Abou Karam
Larb is a spicy Thai salad and all the tastiness is there in this , plus added heat to fire things up.
READ MORE

Duck larb

Ham it up

Hamburgers
A hearty beef patty features in the original hamburger, but feel free to mix up your mince. Source: Donna Hay
Have you ever wondered why it's called a when there's no ham in it? The name comes from Hamburg in Germany, where the hamburger first originated. Good to clear that up - let's eat!

Keema keen

Minced goat with red kidney beans (razma keema)
This recipe calls for goat's mince, but if that's too tricky, lamb will do nicely. Source: Chris Chen
India's favourite mince dish has got to be . For the home cook, it makes a curry both achievable and cheap to make. This is highly recommended for a weeknight dinner with plenty of naan or roti to wrap it up.

Meatballs for all

RX47-Recipe-MichelleBridges-PorkMeatballs-CreditJiwonKim-TCUS7-4.jpg
Source: Jiwon Kim
Perfect for sharing with your gluten-free or coeliac friends, these are packed with garlic, ginger, and chilli flavours and served with a sweet and zesty lemony slaw.

Un-con-firmed

Chilli con carne
The great thing about an unconfirmed recipe is you can feel free to mix things up to suit yourself. Source: Alan Benson
could be called chilli con-troversial. Many American states claim this Mexican-inspired dish as their own, although Texas is the frontrunner. Rest assured, it's worth fighting for.
READ MORE

Turkey chilli

Well stuffed

Baked stuffed tomatoes
Whole tomatoes are stuffed with a mixture of rice, lamb mince and fresh herbs and baked until juicy and fragrant. Source: Kitti Gould
Mince is excellent for stuffing into vegetables. Exhibit A: these lamb. Exhibit B: these . Exhibit C: these .

Sarma goodness

Sarma getting prepared for cooking
This traditional Serbian recipe for pickled cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of mince, rice and spices, is bursting with delicious flavours. Source: Tammi Kwok
Cabbage leaves are another go-to wrapper for mince in many cuisines and  is a testament to why. First, pickle your cabbage, then stuff it with spiced beef and pork mince and see how you go.

Pie it on

StockFood_381265RE_357924722 meat pie
A golden puff pastry case is a must. Source: Stockfood
There are many ways to meat pie and it's worth trying them all. is for one large pie to feed the clan, but individual pies are easy to make yourself as well. Ditch the frozen variety and make your homemade pies instead!

Kibbeh dreams

Baked kibbeh (kibbeh bil sayneeye)
A Lebanese specialty: baked kibbeh (kibbeh bil sayneeye), laced with the seven-spice blend baharat. Source: Alan Benson
is Lebanon's national dish and it's fast becoming Australia's as well. The simple fact is, once you try it, you crave it. Go on, you'll see...

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6 min read
Published 10 July 2024 10:33am
Updated 25 July 2024 10:15pm
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