Easy & Tasty Mince and Tatties Recipe - Scottish Scran (2024)

Mince & Tatties may not be the most exciting meal to make, but it’s a simple savoury mince recipe that brings plenty of comfort, and for many of us, a lot of nostalgia.

Although I grew up in New Zealand, savoury mince and tatties was a common staple on our family dinner table, especially during the colder months.

It brings back fond memories of meals at home and at my grandparents’ houses, as it does for many others too!

We called it “savoury mince”, I guess to differentiate from the type of mince you find in a mince pie at Christmas time. This seems kind of funny because surely there are many more savoury mince recipes than sweet ones!

Easy & Tasty Mince and Tatties Recipe - Scottish Scran (1)

A savoury mince recipe is also one of the first meals that I made when I moved into my first flat and had to start really planning meals and cooking for myself because it’s so easy to make, but is tasty and warming.

Plus, if you make extra you can have it on toast the next day! Trust me, it’s delicious.

Like many Scottish recipes (we’re looking at you, Stovies) each family has their own take on this classic, and each one will tell you that theirs is the best.

This mince and tatties recipe is our own savoury mince recipe, with tips from family, and we’re happy to share it with you.

The best thing is, you can always change things up to suit your own tastes, and make our savoury mince and tatties recipe your own!

Scroll to the end or use the table of contents below to be taken straight to the Printable Recipe Card.

Table Of Contents

  1. Recipe Variations
  2. Mince and Tatties in the Slow Cooker
  3. Other Savoury Scottish Recipes to Try:

Ingredients for Mince & Tatties

We’ve kept our mince and tatties recipe simple, with the most basic of ingredients.

Of course, there are many extras you could add that we’ve detailed in the variations section below, but we think this is the easiest way to make this tasty dish.

  • 500g (1lb) minced beef
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 5 tbsp flour
  • 350-450ml beef stock/gravy *see recipe method for details

Stock or gravy?

We prefer to use stock to flavour our mince and tatties, but lots of people swear by gravy granules and water instead.

Gravy will thicken the mixture faster than stock, and you can use a little less flour (try 3 tbsp instead).

Minced Beef

We’ve made our mince and tatties with both lean beef (less than 5% fat) and beef with 20% fat.

We have to say the 20% beef is usually a bit tastier, but of course, you can use lean beef and add additional seasoning or try some of the variations below if you like too.

Easy & Tasty Mince and Tatties Recipe - Scottish Scran (2)

How to make Mince & Tatties – Step by step Method

Dice the onion and peel and chop the carrots into circles.

Heat a saucepan or pot to a medium heat, melt the butter and add the onions, cooking them until they are soft.

Add the mince, using a wooden spoon to break it up so there are no big lumps.

Add the flour and stir thoroughly.

Add the carrots and stock/gravy. You should have enough to cover the meat. It will reduce through the cooking process but if it does so too quickly you can add a bit more.

Turn to a low heat and simmer until the meat and carrots are tender and it has all thickened up. This will be approximately an hour. You can also cover with a lid if the stock is reducing too quickly.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, prepare your mashed potatoes as desired (we like lots of butter and seasoning!) and then serve with any other sides like peas or skirlie.

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Recipe Variations

As we mentioned, savoury mince and tatties is a very personal recipe. You can change things up as you wish!

Adding Sauces

As a child, we always added a bit of tomato sauce to our mince & tatties, and I would liberally squirt some extra over the top right before eating too. Brown sauce is another option as well.

Some people like to add Worcestershire sauce to the recipe, and maybe a dash before serving as well, although this is more English of course.

Extra Ingredients

Our mince and tatties recipe is very simple and sticks to the most basic ingredients, as it would have been made for many years.

However, you will find some savoury mince recipes that include things like garlic, red wine, celery, tomato paste, or even beer.

All of these can definitely make a delicious mince and tatties meal, and you’re more than welcome to try them of course!

Somewhat controversially, my Mum has also been known to add a teaspoon or two of garam masala to the mix as well.

Easy & Tasty Mince and Tatties Recipe - Scottish Scran (4)

Adding Dumplings

Dumplings are a popular addition to mince, either with or without the tatties on the side. You can see our Dumplings recipe here – we make ours without suet, although you can switch it in if you like.

You can see our full to get all the timings right.

Serve with something else

We have also been known to serve this mince recipe with rice or pasta, whatever we have available at the time!

Mince and mashed tatties will always be our favourite, but sometimes we go for boiled, and sometimes we don’t have them, so we use something else. It’s all up to you!

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Mince and Tatties in the Slow Cooker

You could also easily adapt this to be a mince and tatties slow cooker recipe.

The difference with cooking in a slow cooker is that the mixture does not reduce as it does on a stovetop, so you’ll want to add less water with your stock/gravy granules, although you can use the same amount of those to keep the flavour.

Add around half to three-quarters of the amount of water (it’ll depend on the size of the slowcooker as you still want the mince to be JUST covered.

If the mince is too runny at the end of the cooking time (4 hours high and 6-8 hours low) then you can add a little cornflour to thicken it.

And there you have our simple mince and tatties recipe! A firm favourite in our household, and many others too.

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Top Tips for Cooking Mince & Tatties

What if you add too much water?

If you accidentally add too much liquid, then you can just let it simmer and reduce for longer.

If you don’t have the time, you could always mix a bit of the sauce (maybe a quarter of a cup) with some cornflour or flour to make a paste, then add it back in and stir thoroughly.

What if you add too much flour?

If you have the opposite problem and somehow added too much flour, then you can add some more gravy/stock to thin it out a little.

Printable Mince & Tatties Recipe Card

Yield: 4-6

Easy & Tasty Mince and Tatties Recipe

Easy & Tasty Mince and Tatties Recipe - Scottish Scran (7)

Mince and tatties is a warm and comforting meal that's perfect for the winter months. Like many Scottish recipes each family has their own take on this classic, and each one will tell you that theirs is the best! This mince and tatties recipe is our own recipe, with tips from family, and we’re happy to share it with you. The best thing is, you can always change things up to suit your own tastes, and make this recipe your own!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 500g (1lb) minced beef
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 5 tbsp flour
  • 350-450ml beef stock/gravy *see recipe method for details

Instructions

    1. Dice the onion and peel and chop the carrots into circles.
    2. Heat a saucepan or pot to a medium heat, melt the butter and add the onions, cooking them until they are soft.
    3. Add the mince, using a wooden spoon to break it up so there are no big lumps.
    4. Add the flour and stir thoroughly.
    5. Add the carrots and stock/gravy. You should have enough to cover the meat. It will reduce through the cooking process but if it does so too quickly you can add a bit more.
    6. Turn to a low heat and simmer until the meat and carrots are tender and it has all thickened up. This will be approximately an hour. You can also cover with a lid if the stock is reducing too quickly.
    7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    8. Meanwhile, prepare your mashed potatoes as desired (we like lots of butter and seasoning!) and then serve with any other sides like peas or skirlie.

Notes

Stock or Gravy?

We prefer to use stock to flavour our mince and tatties, but lots of people swear by gravy granules and water instead. Gravy will thicken the mixture faster than stock, and you can use a little less flour (try 3 tbsp instead).

Minced Beef

We've made our mince and tatties with both lean beef (less than 5% fat) and beef with 20% fat. We have to say the 20% beef is usually a bit tastier, but of course you can use lean beef and add additional seasoning or try some of the variations below if you like too.

Adding Sauces

As a child, we always added a bit of tomato sauce to our mince & tatties, and I would liberally squirt some extra over the top right before eating too. Brown sauce is another option as well.

Some people like to add Worcestershire sauce to the recipe, and maybe a dash before serving as well, although this is more English of course.

Extra Ingredients

Our mince and tatties recipe is very simple and sticks to the most basic of ingredients, as it would have been made for many, many years. However, you will find some recipes that include things like garlic, red wine, celery, tomato paste, or even beer.

All of these can definitely make a delicious mince and tatties meal, and you’re more than welcome to try them of course!

Somewhat controversially, my Mum has also been known to add a teaspoon or two of garam masala to the mix as well.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 463Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 400mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 38g

Let us know how you go, and if you add any extras!

Phil and Sonja x

Other Savoury Scottish Recipes to Try:

  • Delicious Creamy Haggis Pasta Recipe
  • Balmoral Chicken Recipe: Chicken Stuffed with Haggis
  • Traditional Scotch Broth Recipe
  • Simple Beef Olives Recipe
  • Scottish Steak Pie Recipe
  • Traditional Scottish Stovies Recipe (Plus Variations!)

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Easy & Tasty Mince and Tatties Recipe - Scottish Scran (2024)

FAQs

How do you make mince soft and tender? ›

How do you cook mince so it's tender? To cook tender minced beef make sure it has enough fat content to stop it drying out, and then use it in dishes that allow it to cook for long enough to become tender. Even in very simple dishes like this classic mince and tatties the meat is cooked for long enough to tenderise it.

How to cook mince the best? ›

Mince is best cooked in batches for optimum browning. A big batch of mince in a small pan will stew in its juices, turn grey and won't develop the same flavour that browned beef has. Add a little more oil with each batch if needed. The same rule applies for cooking meatballs.

What are mince and tatties made of? ›

Mince and tatties is a Scottish dish which consists of ground beef and mashed potato. Other vegetables or thickening agents are sometimes added to the dish as well.

What makes mince taste better? ›

Mix in some garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and a bit of cumin. Maybe a dash of Worcestershire sauce if you're feeling fancy. Fat is Flavor: Get ground beef with a higher fat content, like 80/20.

Why do you soak mince in milk? ›

According to SunFed Ranch, marinating beef in milk creates a lightly acidic bath for the meat, tenderizing it without breaking down its proteins too much. The calcium in the milk reacts with the enzymes in the meat to gently soften the proteins, facilitating another tenderizing process.

How do you cook mince without it being chewy? ›

Another little tip of mine for cooking burger patties is to not season the meat mixture with salt, as salt can toughen the mince. I prefer to season the patties as I cook them in the pan, preferably over a reasonably high heat and for not too long as the mince can dry out.

Do you cook mince in oil or butter? ›

To get the best flavour from your minced beef, you should brown it slightly before you add it to your recipe. To brown / fry your mince take the following steps: Add a dash of oil to a hot pan & add your mince. Stir to make sure the mince doesn't stick to the pan and browns evenly.

What meat makes the best mince? ›

Chuck, brisket and shoulder are good choices if you are to prepare everything yourself. Calculate 100 to 125 gram per person for steaks and 75 to 100 grams for Bolognese sauce.

What is Tatties in Scotland? ›

Neeps are mashed swede or turnips, and tatties are mashed potatoes. Confusingly, people in Scotland refer to what the English calls turnips as swedes, and what the English call swedes as turnips.

What do British call ground beef? ›

Ground beef, minced beef or beef mince is beef that has been finely chopped with a knife, meat grinder (American English), mincer or mincing machine (British English).

What's the difference between ground beef and mince? ›

The terms “ground meat” and “minced meat” are sometimes used interchangeably. But they indicate two techniques for processing raw meat: ground meat is an emulsion of lean meat and fat, whereas minced meat is finely chopped skeletal-muscle meat. Ground meat is consistent and smooth; minced meat is choppy and textured.

How do you mince step by step? ›

Mincing is taking something that is roughly chopped and then chopping it finely. Put one hand flat on top of the knife while moving the knife over the chopped pile. Occasionally, use the heel of the knife to gather the pile back together. This will work for a recipe that calls for finely chopped or minced ingredients.

What cut of beef is used for mince? ›

Nowadays, chuck steak (that's beef) is usually used to make minced meat because of the rich flavour and the fat-to-meat ratio.

What is a substitute for mince? ›

Ground Poultry

With a similar texture, ground chicken or ground turkey can be superb substitutes for ground beef. The poultry is a bit paler than beef, which can change the appearance of some dishes, but they still taste equally delicious.

How do you tenderize minced beef? ›

You can velvet meat and make it melt-in-your-mouth tender by quickly tossing chunks of beef or chicken in about ¾ tsp of baking soda for about 15 minutes before your next stir fry, then rinse and pat the meat dry before putting in the pan.

What is the secret to soft ground beef? ›

It's called “sodium bicarbonate,” but is known to most as “baking soda,” and adding it to your ground beef helps keep it tender while also speeding up the browning process.

How do you soften mincemeat? ›

it wants a long slow cooking and use milk instead of stock, the milk will soften the meat. How are you cooking it? When you cook mince you need to start by browning it quickly, breaking it up as you go. This is not the time for casual, gentle stirring - get in there and break it up, turning constantly over a high heat.

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