How to cook and freeze mince

Versatile and easy to prepare, mince is a go-to family favourite. Learn how to cook and store mince with these easy tips and tricks.

taste team

2 min read

June 17, 2024 - 9:16PM

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Crumble the mince into the pan in small batches. Cook stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the mince, for 8-10 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

How to cook mince

Brown

Tip: For best results don’t overcrowd the pan and spoon away excess fat.

Get inspired with our collection of delicious mince recipes.

Meatballs

Line a flat baking tray with baking paper. Shape tablespoons of mince mixture into balls. Arrange in a single layer on baking trays. Chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to help keep their shape. Cook according to recipe directions.

Tip: Use wet hands to help roll the meatballs in to evenly shaped balls.

Explore our range of flavoursome meatball recipes, featuring classic meatball stroganoff, moroccan meatballs and one-pan mozzarella meatball bake.

One-pan mozzarella meatball bake

How to freeze and thaw mince

Place raw mince in a clean, sealable bag. Fill with mince meat until about 3/4 of the bag is full. Remove excess air by smoothing out any air bubble in the bag. Use a skewer or chopstick to quarter the mince into quarters. Label the bag with name and date.

Tip: The bag can be freezed for up to 3 months. Remove the required portion to defrost and return the remaining mince to the freezer.

Frequently asked questions

Why do you need to brown the meat?

Browning is the process where the outer surface of the meat is seared on medium heat. The technical term is known as Maillard reaction and helps release the rich, meaty flavours and aromas of mince meat. To achieve the best results don’t overcrowd the pan as this will cause the beef to stew in its own juices.

What type of mince meat should I use?

It depends on the dish, but generally speaking you can’t go wrong with about half and half pork to beef mince ratio. This ratio is most delicious in tomato-based sauce recipes such as the classic spaghetti and meatballs, pork and beef lasagne and stuffed beef and pork mince cabbage rolls.

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Beef mince