This old-fashioned curried beef mince combines lean beef mince, mixed vegetables and a mild curry gravy made with stock, worcestershire sauce and the classic curry powder you'll find in Aussie homes. Serve it with rice for a hearty dinner and then use the leftovers to spoon over toast for an easy breakfast the next day (at least, that's what my Dad always did!).
This curried beef mince is an old-fashioned, Australian-style savoury mince with curry rather than a traditional Indian keema curry (which typically foreground garlic, ginger and Indian spices). It's build off my Nan's savoury mince and curried sausages which I grew up having all through my childhood. So of course when I developed this recipe I had to get all of her tips and tricks!
And I think it was on point because when I asked Zak for feedback, he said that the downside was there wasn't more of it! So I take that as pretty positive that this is a winning meal prep.
TL;DR
- Servings: 8
- Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes (can simmer for up to 1 hour)
- Meal prep: Serve with a side of rice, potatoes or on top of toast for an easy breakfast
- Fridge storage: 4-5 days in an airtight container
- Freezer storage: Freeze mince and rice separately to retain texture for up to 3 months
- Reheating: Drizzle a bit of water and microwave for 2-3 minutes (stirring every minute)
- Customise: Add extra curry, heat it up with some chilli, mix-and-match how you serve it.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Makes eight portions. The recipe uses 1kg beef mince and is intentionally scaled for a large family dinner or a week of freezer meals.
Staple ingredients. Beef mince and rice, plus some frozen veggies keep it budget-friendly with staple ingredients most houses have
Flexible serving options. Serve it with rice, mashed potato, toast, pasta, flatbread or a baked potato.
Ingredients
Beef mince. I use lean beef mince to keep the finished gravy from becoming overly greasy. Regular beef mince can also be used and may provide a richer flavour, but you may want to drain any substantial excess fat after browning.
Stock. Stock adds depth and richness to the curry. I use a homemade chicken stock, but store-bought beef, chicken or vegetable stock would work well.
Worcestershire sauce. DO. NOT. SKIP. If you've ever heard of the importance of the "umami" flavour, this contributes to it, making meats like beef even more irresistible.
Frozen carrot, peas, and corn. You can use fresh and dice the carrot as you wish, or substitute with other vegetables you have on hand. Frozen are extremely convenient.
Curry powder. Curry powder is the key spice that gives this dish its signature flavor, adding warmth and complexity. I use the classic Keen's curry powder like I do in my slow cooker curried sausages but you can use whatever curry powder (and strength) you prefer - although a change can make it less of the classic you grew up with.
If you really like a bit of spice, add in some fresh chilli, cayenne pepper or chili powder to increase the heat.
Butter. Used to make the curry roux with flour. It can be replaced with margarine or oil (it just needs a fat element), although butter provides more flavour.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity.
Substitutions and variations
Mince. Turkey, chicken, pork or lamb mince can be substituted, although each will slightly change the flavour and richness.
Worcestershire. This adds saltiness, acidity and a savoury depth. You can substitute for BBQ sauce or soy sauce for similar impact but the overall flavour may differ.
Sweeter. Every now and then my Nan would add in some sultanas to the beef mixture which I quite liked, but I know it's not for everyone and it wasn't her typical recipe. But if you like a bit of sweetness, give it a go!
Serve with. Rice is really practical for meal prepping, but you're definitely not limited to that grain! Mix-and-mash with some mashed potatoes one night, pasta another and on toast for an easy breakfast
How to make curried mince and rice
Step 1: Saute onion in a pan over medium heat until translucent (approx. 2-3 minutes).
Step 2: then add beef and cook until mostly browned (approx. 5 minutes). Remove and set aside.
Step 3: Gently melt the butter on the pan over medium-low heat then add in flour and curry powder and whisk to create a thick paste.
This makes a simple roux that thickens the stock into a curry gravy. Cooking off the flour also helps remove the dusty taste.
Step 4: Pour in stock and Worcestershire sauce. Allow it to come to a bubble.
Step 5: Add the beef and onion back in and stir everything together until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in the veggies.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 10 minutes or up to an hour. Note - simmering for longer will continue to reduce the sauce so you may need to add a little more stock.
Troubleshooting: If the sauce is too thick, add stock or water one tablespoon at a time. If it is too thin, continue simmering uncovered before adding more flour.
Step 6: During the simmering time you can prepare the rice according to the packet instructions or follow my tips and tricks.
Then, serve or store for meal prep
Lauren's Top Tips
Whisk your roux. When making the paste with flour and curry powder, use a small whisk to ensure the mixture is smooth and free of lumps before adding in the stock and Worcestershire sauce. This will help the sauce thicken more evenly.
Slow simmer. While the curry is simmering, reduce the heat to the lowest setting to allow the flavors to meld together. The longer you let it simmer, the richer and deeper the flavor will become.
Meal prepping curried mince
This curried beef mince is particularly useful for meal prep because the thick curry gravy helps the beef and vegetables remain moist during storage and reheating. The full recipe makes eight portions, so it works well for family dinners, work lunches or stocking the freezer with easy Plan B meals.
Storing
Allow the curried mince and rice to stop steaming before transferring them to containers (I recommend glass meal prep containers because the curry can discolour plastic).
You can portion the rice and mince side by side (this prevents the rice from absorbing too much) for ready-to-reheat meals, or store the components separately if you want more flexibility later in the week. When stored properly, they'll last in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Add toppings such as Greek yogurt, coriander, chutney or fresh chilli after reheating rather than storing them with the hot meal.
Bulk meal prepping
I have made this curried beef mince as part of a larger meal prep for my gym because it is easy to scale, affordable and straightforward to portion. Mince is much easier to cook in bulk than individual cuts of meat, while frozen vegetables reduce the amount of chopping required.
When increasing the recipe, use a large pan or cook the beef mince in batches. Overcrowding the pan can cause the mince to steam and release excess liquid instead of browning. Once the batches are cooked, combine everything with the curry gravy in a large pot or pan.
Reheating
Microwave. Add a splash of water or an icecube to the rice before reheating (this will create some steam and help it remain fluffy). Microwave on 1 minute intervals (for approx. 2-3 minutes).
Stove. You could also reheat on the stove over medium heat (approx. 5 minutes).
When serving, I recommend adding some fresh herbs or even a sprinkle or chilli flakes to make it feel like it was freshly cooked (you can also make it more versatile by changing it up each day).
Freezing curried mince
The curried beef mince and rice can both be frozen, but I recommend freezing them separately where possible as this allows you to be versatile.
I usually freeze the curried beef mince and vegetables without the rice in 1-cup Souper Cubes. I find one cup is a useful portion of mince, and freezing it separately means I can mix and match it with different sides rather than always being committed to rice. Depending on what we feel like, I can serve it with freshly cooked rice, mashed potato, toast, a baked potato, cauliflower rice or flatbread.
If you do want to freeze as a complete meal, store the rice on top of the mince to prevent it from absorbing too much of the liquid.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
The stock was likely added too quickly to the butter-and-flour paste. You'll want to wait until the thick paste has formed and then whisk the stock in.
The curry powder needs to cook briefly in the butter and flour before the stock is added. Stir it for approximately one minute over moderate heat without letting it burn.
The flour-thickened gravy continues to thicken as it simmers and cools. Stir in a small amount of stock or water until it reaches the consistency you prefer.
Other ground meat meal prep recipes
Or, you can have a browse through my minced meat recipes for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Curried Beef Mince and Rice
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 kg (2 lb) lean beef mince
- 1 brown onion
- 4 tablespoon butter, or margarine
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoon curry powder, see note 1
- 1 cup stock, beef or chicken (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, subs note 2
- 500 g (3 cups) frozen mixed vegetables
- 500 g (2 ½ cups) rice, yields approx.8 cups cooked, adjust if not serving all with rice
Instructions
Prepare
- Dice: 1 brown onion
Cook
- Heat pan over medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté 1 brown onionuntil translucent (approx. 2-3 minutes). Add 1 kg (2 lb) lean beef mince and cook until mostly browned (approx. 5 minutes). Remove and set aside.
- Gently melt the 4 tbsp butter on the pan then add in 2 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp curry powder and whisk to create a thick paste.
- Add the 1 kg (2 lb) lean beef mince and 1 brown onion back in and stir everything together until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in the 500 g (3 cups) frozen mixed vegetables.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 10 minutes. You can simmer for up to an hour if you want a more intense flavour or if dinner is a while off. Consider adding a little more stock to compensate for the longer time.
- During the simmer, you can prepare the 500 g (2 ½ cups) rice according to the packet instructions or follow my tips and tricks.
Serve
- Serve the mince mixture over the rice.
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