A modern twist on a traditional classic, this savoury turkey mince recipe is a robust, nourishing comfort dish that’s easy to make and sure to satisfy. With a little bacon for extra flavour, plenty of vegetables and a rich savoury tomato gravy, this economical dish is an all-round winner.
Savoury turkey mince
Turkey is not just for Christmas! Nor Thanksgiving and Easter. This lean, tasty, affordable meat is full of essential nutrients and it’s well worth including it in your regular menu. My savoury turkey mince recipe is a great place to start.
See also
- My slow cooker turkey chilli is a delicious twist on traditional beef chilli
- Based on my popular savoury beef mince try making savoury lamb mince for a change.
- Greek style lamb mince pizza will transport you back to your holidays.
This savoury, satisfying turkey mince recipe is a great example of all that’s good about turkey outside of the traditional roast. It makes a substantial meal but is affordable, relatively low in calories and absolutely delicious.
I have added plenty of vegetables for a delicious, balanced meal, and a little bacon, just because it pairs so well with turkey.
Serve it as you would traditional minced lamb or beef, with boiled or mashed potatoes and a green vegetable, or topped with mash as a cottage pie. Alternatively, it’s great with rice, as a filling for a baked potato, or with a hotpot style potato topping.
Why make savoury turkey mince
- An easy, economical meal
- Nutritious and satisfying
- Adaptable and easy to bulk out
- Ideal for batch cooking – fill your freezer!
Ingredients
- Onions and garlic – peeled and finely chopped
- Bacon – Use whatever you like. I chose a good dry-cure back bacon but you can use smoked, unsmoked, lardons, streaky or back.
- Dripping or olive oil (not shown) – for frying. Dripping or chicken fat is better than oil in this recipe. I like to use the reserved chicken fat from making chicken stock.
- Turkey mince – I like the thigh as it has more flavour and fat. Ideally you want a mince with about 10% fat.
- Flour – to thicken. You can use any type of flour, even bread flour. See my notes below for how to make this gluten free if you don’t have gluten free flour.
- Mixed herbs – a generous pinch of your usual blend
- Chicken stock – I like stock pots but you can use a cube if you prefer.
- Tomato puree – or a spoonful of tomato sauce
- Soy or Worcestershire sauce – for extra flavour.
- Vegetables – the easiest is a frozen mix, such as peas, corn, carrots and beans. Use what you like and have.
- Fresh herbs (optional, not shown) – for garnish
How to make savoury mince – step-by-step
Step One – Prepare the onion, garlic and bacon. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Then cut the bacon into small pieces (unless you are using ready-made lardons). I find a pair of good sharp kitchen scissors so much easier to use than a knife for this.
Step Two – Heat the dripping (or oil) in a shallow pan with a tightly fitting lid. Add the onion and bacon, and fry for a few minutes.
Step Three – Add the garlic and the mince to the pan and continue to cook. 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 off. (Photo shows after adding and frying the first batch of mince.)
If you find that there is a lot of liquid in the pan, scoop the mince mixture out of the pan into a bowl, leaving the liquid behind. Add the liquid to your stock, put a little more fat in the pan and return the mince to the continue cooking.
Break up it and keep stirring. Carry on frying for about 10 minutes, adding the meat in stages, until the meat is browned and there is no liquid left in the pan.
Step Four – Add the flour and stir it in. Then cook for few more minutes, stirring all the time. Take care that the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Gluten free? If you don’t have gluten free flour, you can leave it out. At the end of cooking, put two teaspoons of cornflour in a small bowl, add a little water and stir to make a smooth cream. Stir this into the mince and cook for another minute to thicken the dish. Repeat if necessary to get the consistency you want.
Step Five – Add the herbs, chicken stock and tomato puree together with the soy or Worcestershire sauce. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer.
Step Six – Turn the heat right down, using a diffuser ring if you need one to keep the temperature low. Put the lid on the pan and leave for 20 minutes.
The dish should be rich and glossy with a thick tomato gravy.
Step Seven – 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 are reheating to serve.
Serving suggestion
Garnish with a little parsley or other fresh herbs if you like.
This savoury turkey mince recipe is delicious in baked potatoes, with mash or rice.
Savoury mince variations
- Try some different herbs or a pinch of chilli or curry powder.
- To make your mince go further, add a can of any drained rinsed beans with the vegetables, or some red lentils with double their volume of extra liquid when you add the stock.
- Add extra veg! Try frying chopped celery 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.
Storage
Your turkey mince will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three days or in the freezer for three months.
Pack it into pots as soon as it is cold and get it into the freezer or fridge as quickly as possible. I like to use stackable plastic takeaway trays. They’re convenient, free with the takeaway and it’s better to reuse than recycle!
Reheat your turkey mince in a pan on the stove top, or in the microwave until piping hot.
Hints and tips
- Slow cooker method – Cook to step 5 above and then transfer to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours. You might need a little less liquid. If you have too much, leave the lid ajar for the last 30 minutes of cooking to allow the mince to thicken.
- In the oven – Cook to step 5. Then transfer to the oven in a covered casserole dish for 40 minutes.
- Use dripping rather than oil. It just tastes better.
- Brown the turkey mince properly before adding the flour. It needs to be properly broken up with no liquid in the pan. It is best to add the mince in stages when you brown it.
- For batch cooking / making ahead – cook to stage 5, pack into freezer safe boxes and add the vegetables once the mince has defrosted and you are ready to reheat it.
- Add more vegetables – it is really easy to add extra veg to this dish. Try finely chopped celery or sliced peppers along with the onion and garlic. Add frozen mixed vegetables to save time and effort.
FAQS
Turkey has more flavour than chicken but is milder in flavour than the more usual beef or lamb used for mince. It takes on flavours from the gravy well, so it is very adaptable.
If you buy a packet of “free flow” frozen mince, you can cook from frozen, which makes life very easy. You need to add it in stages, making sure each batch is defrosted and has started to colour before you add the next.
Turkey is a great protein for meat-eaters. It is leaner than beef or lamb, and full of nutrients, including vitamin B, selenium and zinc.
Related recipes
- Turkey koftes with cous cous – another delicious and economical use for turkey mince
- How to cook a turkey crown – for a fuss free Christmas dinner
- Easy leftover turkey curry – make the most of your roast
Side dishes for turkey mince
- Spicy rice – perfect for mopping up the juices!
- Any other easy rice recipe!
- Smashed peas – quickly made from frozen peas!
Savoury Turkey Mince
Ingredients
- 1 onion (peeled and diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and diced)
- 2 rashers bacon (or lardons)
- 1 tbsp chicken fat (or other dripping or olive oil)
- 450 g turkey mince
- 2 tbsp flour (any sort)
- 2 tsp mixed herbs
- 425 ml (1¾ cups) chicken stock
- 2 tbsp tomato puree (or ketchup)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
- 250 g frozen mixed vegetables (your choice)
- a handful of chopped parsley or other herbs to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the onion, garlic and bacon. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Then cut the bacon into small pieces.1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 rashers bacon
- Heat the dripping (or oil) in a shallow pan with a tightly fitting lid. Add the onion and bacon, and fry for a few minutes.1 tbsp chicken fat
- Add the garlic and the mince to the pan and continue to cook. Do this in stages, because if you add all the mince at once, it will steam rather than fry. If you find there is a lot of liquid in the pan, remove it and add to the stock.450 g turkey mince
- Add the flour and stir it in. Then cook for few more minutes, stirring all the time. Take care that the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan.2 tbsp flour
- Add the herbs, chicken stock and tomato puree together with the soy or Worcestershire sauce. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer.2 tsp mixed herbs, 425 ml chicken stock, 1 tbsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp tomato puree
- Turn the heat right down, using a diffuser ring if you need one to keep the temperature low. Put the lid on the pan and leave for 20 minutes.
- Add the frozen vegetables. Stir through and cook for another 5–8 minutes. Garnish with some fresh herbs before serving hot with potatoes or rice.250 g frozen mixed vegetables, a handful of chopped parsley or other herbs to garnish
Notes
Storage
Your turkey mince will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three days or in the freezer for three months. Pack it into pots as soon as it is cold and get it into the freezer or fridge as quickly as possible. I like to use stackable plastic takeaway trays. They’re convenient, free with the takeaway and it’s better to reuse than recycle! Reheat your turkey mince in a pan on the stove top, or in the microwave until piping hot. If you are batch cooking for the freezer, you can leave adding the vegetables until you are reheating to serve.Hints and tips
- Slow cooker method – Cook to step 5 above and then transfer to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours. You might need a little less liquid. If you have too much, leave the lid ajar for the last 30 minutes of cooking to allow the mince to thicken.
- In the oven – Cook to step 5. Then transfer to the oven in a covered casserole dish for 40 minutes.
- Use dripping rather than oil. It just tastes better.
- Brown the turkey mince properly before adding the flour. It needs to be properly broken up with no liquid in the pan. It is best to to add the mince in stages when you brown it.
- For batch cooking / making ahead – cook to stage 5, pack into freezer safe boxes and add the vegetables once the mince has defrosted and you are ready to reheat it.
- Add more vegetables – it is really easy to add extra veg to this dish. Try finely chopped celery or sliced peppers along with the onion and garlic. Add frozen mixed vegetables to save time and effort.
- For a gluten-free version, you can leave the flour out at Step 4. Then at the end of cooking, put two teaspoons of cornflour in a small bowl, add a little water and stir to make a smooth cream. Stir this into the mince and cook for another minute to thicken.
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