Slow Cooker Savory Mince Recipe

Name: Slow Cooker Savory Mince Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 380 min
Total time: 400 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb ground beef (mince); 1 medium yellow onion, chopped; 2 medium carrots, diced; 2 stalks celery, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 cups beef stock; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 tbsp cornstarch; 1 cup frozen peas; 1 tsp dried thyme; 2 leaves bay leaves; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper

A bowl of thick, gravy-coated ground beef mince with carrots, celery, and peas, ladled over a mound of mashed potatoes.

Browning the mince before it goes into the slow cooker builds a deep, savory base that plain dumping-in-raw mince never develops, and a long low simmer breaks down the onion, carrot, and celery until they melt into the gravy instead of staying crunchy. A cornstarch slurry stirred in at the end thickens everything to a proper gravy consistency without needing to reduce the liquid on the stove.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 6 hr 20 min
Total: 6 hr 40 min
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Servings6

Dietary goal:

1 1/2 lb ground beef (mince)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef stock
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp dried thyme
2 leaves bay leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 352
Protein: 22g
Carbs: 11g
Fat: 24g

Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.

Need different units or a different yield? Try our Conversion Calculator →

Instructions

1Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef in batches, breaking it into crumbles with a spatula, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off the excess fat.
2Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.
3Stir in the beef stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper until combined.
4Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the carrots and celery are fork-tender.
5About 20 minutes before serving, whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl until smooth.
6Stir the cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker along with the frozen peas. Cover and cook on high for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the gravy thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
7Discard the bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
8Serve hot spooned over mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered toast.

How to Defrost Mince Meat

Tips & variations

Ground lamb or ground turkey both work as a 1:1 swap for the beef, though turkey mince benefits from an extra splash of Worcestershire sauce since it has less natural richness.
For a cottage pie version, spoon the finished mince into a baking dish, top with mashed potatoes, and broil for 5 to 8 minutes until the top browns.
Stir in 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms with the onion and carrots for extra bulk and an earthier flavor.
If the gravy still seems thin after the slurry step, whisk in another tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with cold water rather than adding it dry, which will clump.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze in freezer bags or containers for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring in a splash of beef stock if the gravy has thickened too much, or microwave in 1-minute increments, stirring between each.

Tips from the Tulo kitchen

Breaking the mince into small, even crumbles while browning (rather than leaving big clumps) helps it cook through evenly and keeps the finished texture from turning into dense chunks.
If using mince straight from the freezer, thaw it completely first; frozen mince added directly to the skillet steams and releases water instead of browning, which mutes the flavor of the whole dish.

FAQ

Can I skip browning the mince and add it raw to the slow cooker?

Yes, but the flavor will be noticeably flatter and grayer in color, since the beef never develops the browned, savory crust that comes from searing it in a hot skillet first.

Can I use frozen ground beef mince directly in this recipe?

No, it should be fully thawed first. Frozen mince added to a hot skillet releases excess water and steams instead of browning, and it won't cook evenly in the slow cooker either.

What can I serve slow cooker savory mince with besides mashed potatoes?

It works well over rice, egg noodles, or thick slices of toast, and also makes a solid filling for a baked potato or a pie crust topped with puff pastry.

Can I thicken the gravy without cornstarch?

Yes, an equal amount of all-purpose flour whisked with cold water works as a substitute, though it should be stirred in about 30 minutes before serving since flour thickens more slowly than cornstarch.