Beef mince recipes for easy weeknight dinners

Beef mince – otherwise known as ground beef – is one of the hardest-working ingredients you can have in your fridge. Economical, endlessly versatile and quick to cook, it’s the foundation of countless easy dinners, transforming into everything from flavour-packed Asian-inspired stir-fries and juicy cheeseburgers to Turkish flatbreads and silverbeet rolls stuffed with beef and rice.

Whether you’re feeding a family or simply looking for a low-fuss weeknight-friendly meal, these easy mince beef recipes deliver maximum flavour with minimal effort.

Chilli con carne

The big bowl o’ red may have hotly contested origins, but chilli con carne’s smoky, spicy appeal is indisputable.

Beef koftas with green couscous and pistachio nuts

Put this on high rotation in your household.

Dainty Sichuan’s ma po doufu

Fiery, numbing, salty and sweet, this Sichuan dish of humble origin is today a worldwide hit.

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Meatballs served with tzatziki, two silver forks and water glass.

Kafeneion’s keftedes (Con’s mum’s famous meatballs)

Melbourne’s Kafeneion has perfected the art of keftedes (Greek meatballs).

Stir-fried beef with red chilli and egg

This super quick stir-fry with beef and a fried egg brings the heat thanks to the red chilli.

Baked manti on a bed of garlicky yoghurt, drizzled with sweet brown butter

Baked beef manti with garlic yoghurt and spiced honey butter

These Turkish dumplings are baked for a crisp exterior and a soft, pillowy centre.

Bar Lune’s katsu sando

Having friends over? These little sandwiches from Adelaide’s Bar Lune will delight.

Paprika beef meatballs with sour cream and crisp onion

Recipe for paprika beef meatballs with sour cream and crisp onion.

Italian sloppy Joes

Italian sloppy Joes recipe – Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat, add onion and chopped garlic and sauté until golden (2-3 minutes). Add beef and brown well, breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon

Zucchini yemesta in a silky avgolemono sauce

Zucchini yemesta with avgolemono sauce

Stuffed zucchini meets silky avgolemono.

Fast chilli con carne

Some purists believe there is no room for beans, but we think they add a rich, earthy flavour.

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Classic cheeseburger

A patty of well-seasoned minced beef with melted cheese, sliced tomato, lettuce and onion on a soft bun – easy, right? There’s plenty of room for variation – it’s all about personal preference and big flavour.

Neil Perry’s spaghetti Bolognese

The perfect spag bog is a matter of taste, but Neil Perry’s version has to be top of our list.

Matt Breen’s Mum’s lasagne

The chef of Hobart restaurant Sonny shares his family’s recipe for lasagne, one of the first dishes he learned to cook.

Paulette Whitney’s Mum’s silverbeet rolls

A hearty main course for the cooler months, these rolls stuffed with rice, onion, minced beef and bacon are exactly the type of comforting home cooking that cures colds, winter blues and everything in between.

Spaghetti and meatballs

The definition of comfort food.

Bourke Street Bakery’s guide to making the perfect meat pie

From the filling to the pastry, the founders of the Australian and New York bakery powerhouse show how to make the classic pie, step by step.

Curry bread (kare pan toasties) on a dark grey plate

Kare pan toasties (Japanese curry bread)

The famous Japanese curry bread gets a fast makeover in this easy toastie recipe.

Salvatore Caccioppoli: Tagliatelle Bolognese

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for tagliatelle Bolognese by Salvatore Caccioppoli from Melbourne restaurant Svago.

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Beef burger with blue cheddar and dill pickles

Australian Gourmet Traveller fast spring recipe for beef burger with blue cheddar and dill pickles.

Lemongrass beef with rice noodles

Noodle salads are excellent in all weather – particularly when it’s steamy because there’s minimal cooking involved. This dish works well with sliced sirloin; we’ve made it quicker by using minced beef instead.

Turkish flatbread with beef and yoghurt

Turkish flatbread with beef and yoghurt recipe – For flatbread, combine yeast, 80ml warm water and 2 tsp salt in a large bowl and stir until yeast dissolves.

Beef taco rice

Beef taco rice is an Okinawan specialty that is an example of how fusion is by no means a dirty word.

Beef Massaman pot pies

An easy beef pie recipe to make for midweek dinners.

David Thompson: Stir-fried minced beef with chillies and holy basil (Neua pat bai grapao)

Australian Gourmet Traveller Thai recipe for stir-fried minced beef with chillies and holy basil (Neua pat bai grapao) by David Thompson.

Mince beef FAQs

What can I make with beef mince that isn’t bolognese?

Contrary to belief, there are endless possibilities for cooking with beef mince that don’t involve spaghetti or bolognese. David Thompson’s fiery stir-fry with chillies and holy basil is bound to become a weeknight staple, as is a classic chilli con carne crowned with sour cream and fresh herbs. If time is on your side, a shepherd’s pie, lasagne or the fusion dish, Okinawan taco rice make for an excellent weekend project.

What do I add to mince to make it tasty?

Mince beef doesn’t need a lot to shine. Start with browning it for caramelisation before layering in some flavour boosters, be it a few teaspoons of spices and aromatics to serve alongside some vegetables and fluffy rice, or conjuring up a quick, tomato-based pasta sauce for it to soak up.

Author Monique Foy Senior Content Producer

An English major with a penchant for anchovies on toast and the ocean, Monique Foy got her start at Gourmet Traveller after an existential crisis and career pivot. Following her time as a digital marketer at global media agencies and a short stint as an SEO writer, Monique threw caution to the wind one Wednesday and decided to pursue her true passion – writing, of the food and drinks variety. Since then, she’s had her work published in Broadsheet and Urban List, and she joins Gourmet Traveller as Senior Content Producer with the intention to continue adding funky venues and quaint new wine bars to her growing iPhone notes section.

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

25 easy beef mince recipes that aren’t simply bolognese

Chilli con carne

Beef koftas with green couscous and pistachio nuts

Dainty Sichuan’s ma po doufu

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5 Orange accommodation picks for your next trip to NSW wine country

A chef’s guide to the best restaurants in Seoul

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Kafeneion’s keftedes (Con’s mum’s famous meatballs)

Stir-fried beef with red chilli and egg

Baked beef manti with garlic yoghurt and spiced honey butter

Bar Lune’s katsu sando

Paprika beef meatballs with sour cream and crisp onion

Italian sloppy Joes

Zucchini yemesta with avgolemono sauce

Fast chilli con carne

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5 Orange accommodation picks for your next trip to NSW wine country

A chef’s guide to the best restaurants in Seoul

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Classic cheeseburger

Neil Perry’s spaghetti Bolognese

Matt Breen’s Mum’s lasagne

Paulette Whitney’s Mum’s silverbeet rolls

Spaghetti and meatballs

Bourke Street Bakery’s guide to making the perfect meat pie

Kare pan toasties (Japanese curry bread)

Salvatore Caccioppoli: Tagliatelle Bolognese

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5 Orange accommodation picks for your next trip to NSW wine country

A chef’s guide to the best restaurants in Seoul

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Beef burger with blue cheddar and dill pickles

Lemongrass beef with rice noodles

Turkish flatbread with beef and yoghurt

Beef taco rice

Beef Massaman pot pies

David Thompson: Stir-fried minced beef with chillies and holy basil (Neua pat bai grapao)

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