My savoury lamb mince recipe is a lightly spiced twist on the classic supper dish, a wholesome, warming supper with plenty of vegetables in that rich, fragrant gravy. Enjoy it with jacket potatoes or topped with mash and finished in the oven for an extra-special shepherd’s pie.
Savoury lamb mince recipe
Savoury lamb mince is a traditional family favourite. The foundation of the classic shepherd’s pie, there is nothing more homely and comforting.
See also
- Good old-fashioned leftover lamb stew, as traditional, homely and delicious as you could hope for.
- For a hearty, satisfying supper, nothing beats this rustic one-pot lamb and bean casserole.
- Enjoy this simple leftover lamb curry as a delicious Monday night supper.
- Savoury beef mince is rich and satisfying, and great in a cottage pie or on jacket potatoes.
- Warming and delicious, this slow cooker beef casserole is hard to resist.
It sometimes seems as though we are losing touch with these ordinary everyday recipes, the food on which most of us were raised. We love the traditional versions, but sometimes they bear revisiting with a new twist. This lamb mice is based on my classic beef savoury mince for when we want a change.
I have always liked to get some veg into my mince, cottage-pie style, and I also like a touch of spice now and again. I have been enjoying a lot of Turkish and Lebanese food recently, lamb shish kebabs, lamb koftes and more, and lamb is central to this style of cooking.
So I have borrowed a touch of Eastern Mediterranean seasoning for a new spin on this classic savoury lamb mince, adding a hint of warming cinnamon and cumin. If you don’t like the spices, however, you can leave them out for delicious lamb mince that will work in all the traditional pies and bakes.
Why make savoury mince
- A homely classic with a modern twist
- A great way to get extra veg into the most determined meat eaters!
- A flexible recipe that can be varied lots of ways
- Adaptable and easy to bulk out
- Perfect for batch cooking and filling the freezer – cook once, eat three times or more!
Ingredients
- Onions and garlic – peeled and finely chopped
- Celery – can be left out if necessary, but adds depth of flavour, importantly it does not make the finished dish taste of celery.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
You can buy a frozen soffritto mix (some shops call this vegetable base mix) of pre-chopped onions, celery and carrots. This really saves the chopping, as you just add it to pan and fry from frozen. I use it all the time for soups, and the base for many savoury dishes.
- Fat or oil – for frying the vegetables and mince. Beef or lamb dripping (white fat) will give a better final result than oil.
- Herbs and spices – a good pinch of your usual herb blend. I’ve added some cumin and cinnamon for a Middle Easten twist. You could also use some of my kebab seasoning blend.
- Minced lamb – Choose a good minced lamb; lean, but not too low in fat. Fat means flavour!
- Flour – to thicken. You can use any type of flour, even bread flour. If you want your savoury lamb gluten free, see my notes below.
- Tomato puree – or a spoonful of tomato sauce. (any leftover tomato puree can be portioned in an ice cube tray and frozen, then packed into a plastic box or bag for longer term storage).
- Stock – Choose something with plenty of flavour. I like the stock-pot style of easily dissolved jelly. Most people do not keep lamb stock in the house, though you can buy cubes now. I generally use chicken. For a meatier dish, use beef stock and make it a little weaker than usual.
- Vegetables – Use a frozen mix such as peas, corn, carrots and beans. Use what you like and have to hand. Take them out of the freezer to defrost when you start cooking the lamb. This means they will be partially defrosted and take less time. You can use leftover cooked vegetables if you prefer.
How to make savoury lamb mince – step-by-step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Prepare the vegetables:
- Peel and chop the onion.
- Trim the celery, cut into strips lengthwise and chop.
- Peel and chop the garlic.
Step Two – Heat the dripping or oil in a shallow pan or skillet with a tightly fitting lid. Add the onion and celery and fry for a few minutes.
Step Three – Now add the garlic, herbs and spices, and cook for another minute or two until fragrant. The vegetables should be just starting to turn golden.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
Garlic takes less time to fry than onion. Give the onion a few minutes head start. Then add the garlic. In this way you avoid the risking of burning the garlic, which would spoil the dish.
Step Four – Add the mince. The best way to do this is in several stages, because if you add all the mince at once, it will steam rather than fry. Frying is necessary for both flavour and colour.
Break up the mince, and keep stirring. Fry for about 10 minutes, adding the meat in stages until it is browned and there is no liquid left in the pan.
Step Five – Add the flour and stir it in. Then cook for few more minutes, stirring all the time. Take care that nothing starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. It is important to cook the flour at this point so that you will not taste it in the dish.
Gluten free? If you don’t have gluten-free flour, leave it out. At the end of cooking, put two teaspoons of cornflour into a small bowl, add a little water and stir until thoroughly combined, to make a liquid about the consistency of cream. Stir this into the mince and cook for another minute. Repeat if necessary, to get the consistency you want.
Step Six – Add a splash of stock and stir it in. Once absorbed, add more, as if making a white sauce or risotto. Adding the stock slowly means you won’t get lumps. Once you have used all the stock, add and stir in the tomato puree.
Step Seven – Turn the heat right down, using a diffuser ring if you need one to keep the temperature very low. Put the lid on the pan and leave for 20 minutes. When the mince is cooked, it should be dark and glossy with a thick, rich gravy.
Step Eight – Add the frozen vegetables. Stir through and cook for another 5–8 minutes. If you are batch cooking for the freezer, you can leave adding the vegetables until you reheat the mince to serve.
Serving suggestion
Enjoy this spiced savoury lamb mince with potatoes and green vegetables or with turmeric rice.
Use it to make a shepherd’s pie, topping with mashed potato (or mashed celeriac, or butternut squash mash) to finish in the oven.
You could also use it to stuff vegetables such as aubergine (egg plant) or pepper then bake in the oven.
Savoury mince variations
- If you use chicken stock, the mince can be quite light in colour. You can use a dash of soy sauce or a tiny dab of gravy browning to make it darker if you prefer.
- You could make this savoury lamb mince recipe with with turkey or veggie mince instead.
- Vary your herbs or a try a pinch of chilli or curry powder to add some heat instead of cumin and cinnamon that I have used.
- To make your mince go further, add a can of any drained rinsed beans. You can also add some red lentils with double their volume of extra stock.
- Add extra veg! Try frying aubergine or diced peppers with the onion and garlic at the start. Add diced courgettes, roasted squash or pumpkin along with the frozen vegetables, or include small pieces of cauliflower or broccoli, which will cook in the stock.
Storage
This savoury lamb mince will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three days or in the freezer for three months.
To store your mince, pack it into pots as soon as it is cold and get it into the freezer or fridge as quickly as possible. I reuse plastic takeaway trays for this, as I find they stack neatly.
Reheat your mince in a pan on the stove top, or in the microwave until piping hot.
Alternative methods
- Slow cooker method – Cook to step 4 and then transfer to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours. You might need a little less liquid. To compensate, you can leave the lid ajar for the last 30 minutes of cooking to allow the mince to thicken.
- In the oven – Cook to step 4. Then transfer to the oven in a covered casserole dish for 40 minutes.
Hints and tips
- Use dripping rather than oil. It produces a better and much more traditional result.
- Brown the mince well before adding the flour. The lamb needs to be properly broken up with no liquid left in the pan. It is important to add the lamb in stages when you brown it.
- For batch cooking / making ahead – cook to stage 5, pack into freezer safe boxes. Just add the vegetables once the mince has defrosted and you are ready to reheat.
- Add more vegetables – it is really easy to add extra veg to this dish. Cauliflower and aubergine are particularly well suited to the spices.
FAQS
I allow about 75 g per person, but obviously it depends on how hungry you, how you are going to serve your mince and if you are adding protein in the form of lentils or beans.
If you buy a packet of “free flow” frozen mince, you can cook from frozen. Add in stages, making sure each batch is defrosted and has started to brown before you add the next.
Standard mince is 20% fat. I prefer a leaner 10–15%. But use what you have. I don’t recommend going below 10% fat, as if you use this, the end dish can be quite dry, and much of the flavour is in the fat.
Traditionally in northern Europe lamb is roasted with rosemary, although oregano and thyme also pair wonderfully. However I think this savoury mince is better with a more southern spice mix. if using rosemary I’d leave the cinnamon and cumin out.
Side dishes for savoury lamb mince
- Easy sauteed potatoes are delicious and go with everything!
- Pan fried gnocchi – crispy and so good!
- Mashed swede is another great alternative to mashed potato to soak up the juices.
- This easy braised celery makes an unusual and delicious side dish.
- Easy spiced rice is great for mopping up all those wonderful juices!
More recipes with a touch of spice
- My fuss free chicken shish kebabs are marinated in yogurt for a fabulous coating and tender meat.
- If you like a North African spice palate, try this leftover lamb tagine with succulent apricots.
- My easy lamb rogan josh is a rich and delicious curry house favourite that’s even better made at home.
- Slow cooker lamb curry is the perfect hands-off dish for when you want something fabulous to come home to.
Easy Savoury Lamb Mince
Ingredients
- 1 onion (peeled and diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and diced)
- 1 stick celery (chopped)
- 15 g lamb or beef dripping (or 1 tbsp oil)
- 2 tsp mixed herbs (I like oregano and thyme)
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 450 g minced lamb (about 12–15% fat)
- 2 tbs flour (any sort)
- 2 tbs tomato puree (or ketchup)
- 425 ml (1.75 cups) stock (lamb, chicken or weak beef stock)
- 250 g frozen mixed vegetables (your choice)
Instructions
- Start by preparing the vegetables. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Trim the celery, cut into strips lengthwise and chop.1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 stick celery
- Heat the dripping or oil in a shallow pan or skillet with a tightly fitting lid. Add the onion and celery and fry for a few minutes.15 g lamb or beef dripping
- Now add the garlic, herbs and spices, and cook for another minute or two until fragrant. The vegetables should be just starting to turn golden.2 tsp mixed herbs, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp cinnamon
- Add the mince. The best way to do this is in several stages, because if you add all the mince at once, it will steam rather than fry.450 g minced lamb
- Break the mince up, and keep stirring. Fry for about 10 minutes, adding the meat in stages until it is browned and there is no liquid left in the pan.
- Add the flour and stir it in. Then cook for few more minutes, stirring all the time. Take care that nothing starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.2 tbs flour
- Add a splash of stock and stir it in. Once absorbed, add more. Adding the stock slowly is important to avoid lumps.425 ml stock
- Once all the stock has been absorbed, add the tomato puree and stir in.2 tbs tomato puree
- Turn the heat down as low as it will go. Put the lid on the pan and leave for 20 minutes. When the mince is cooked, it should be dark and glossy with a thick, rich gravy.
- Add the frozen vegetables. Stir through and cook for another 5–8 minutes.250 g frozen mixed vegetables
Notes
Storage
This savoury lamb mince will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three days or in the freezer for three months. To store your mince, pack it into pots as soon as it is cold and get it into the freezer or fridge as quickly as possible. I reuse plastic takeaway trays for this, as I find they stack neatly. Reheat your mince in a pan on the stove top, or in the microwave until piping hot.Alternative methods
- Slow cooker method – Cook to step 4 and then transfer to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours. You might need a little less liquid. To compensate, you can leave the lid ajar for the last 30 minutes of cooking to allow the mince to thicken.
- In the oven – Cook to step 4. Then transfer to the oven in a covered casserole dish for 40 minutes.
- Use dripping rather than oil. It produces a better and much more traditional result.
- Brown the mince well before adding the flour. The lamb needs to be properly broken up with no liquid left in the pan. It is important to add the lamb in stages when you brown it.
- For batch cooking / making ahead – cook to stage 5, pack into freezer safe boxes. Just add the vegetables once the mince has defrosted and you are ready to reheat.
- Add more vegetables – it is really easy to add extra veg to this dish. Cauliflower and aubergine are particularly well suited to the spices.
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