Looking for a popular comfort food to serve on a cold day? Try our Scottish mince and tatties recipe. It's easy and incredibly delicious; you'll love each bite of the tender beef simmered in a rich brown gravy.
If you are craving a Scottish meat dish for supper, you'll also want to try our Scottish steak pie and our Forfar bridies.
Why This Recipe Works
- We start building the flavor with browning the mince (ground beef) in hot oil, then we set it aside to drain.
- The skillet is wiped out and the onions, carrots, and garlic are sauteed in unsalted butter.
- To continue to build more flavor, tomato paste is added to the pan and browned.
- To thicken the gravy, flour is added and the rawness is cooked out.
- The skillet is deglazed with beef broth and the brown bits are scraped off so none of the flavor is wasted.
Ingredients
Wondering what you need to make mince and tatties? It takes pantry staples, so you might already have everything for this popular Scottish dish.
- Fats: We used olive oil to brown the mince (ground beef) and butter for the roux for the gravy.
- Meat: We used mince (ground beef) that was 80/20 for more flavor, and drained the fat.
- Vegetables & Aromatics: We used yellow onion, carrots, freshly minced garlic, and tomato paste.
- Thickener: We used flour as a thickener for the gravy.
- Spices and Flavorings: We used salt and freshly ground black pepper along with Worcestershire sauce.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Mince and Tatties
Gather all the ingredients for mince and tatties.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat for 2 minutes then brown the mince (ground beef) until no pink remains. (image 1)
- Drain, then set aside. (image 2)
- Wipe out the skillet. Melt the butter over medium high heat until it is foamy. Add the onion and carrot, then sprinkle with salt. Sauté for 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. (image 3)
- Add the black pepper and the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, constantly stirring. (image 4)
- Sprinkle on the flour and cook for 2 minutes. (image 5)
- Deglaze the pan with a bit of beef broth, then gradually pour in more beef broth while stirring. (image 6)
- Add the Worcestershire sauce. (image 7)
- Stir, then add the cooked and drained mince (ground beef) back into the skillet. Mix the together with a wooden spoon and add more beef broth, to get it the right consistency. (image 8)
- Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to cook down into a nice gravy, add the salt. Simmer for another 5 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings. (image 9)
- Serve it while it's still hot with tatties (mashed potatoes) and peas. (image 10)
Recipe FAQs
Mince and tatties in America is ground beef and mashed potatoes. It is like a deconstructed shepherd's pie (cottage pie in the UK) where the meat, potatoes, and green peas are cooked separately. It's a comforting food that's perfect for a cold, rainy day.
Since English is a complex language, this word has more than one meaning. It can mean chopping up meat very small, and it can also mean a certain kind of packaged meat, like minced beef.
Many times the words can be used as synonyms, but technically they refer to two different techniques of processing raw meat. Ground beef is made from lean meat and fat that is put through a meat grinder and is now smooth. Meat that is minced is finely chopped meat that has more texture.
If you want to make your own at home, the best cut of meat for the classic 80/20 ratio of meat to fat are shoulder cuts of beef.
Make Ahead: Mince and tatties can be made the night before and reheated the day of your event.
Leftovers: Any leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Place in a freezer friendly container for up to 1 month.
Reheat: When ready to use, thaw the mince and tatties in the fridge overnight and reheat in a skillet over medium heat. Add a bit of beef broth to get the right consistency.
Serve
Traditionally, mince and tatties is served with mashed potatoes and peas, but you could also serve it with a green salad and a slice of crusty freshly baked bread.
If you want to try some other recipes with ground hamburger (minced beef), try these recipes for shepherd's pie, Forfar bridies, skillet chili cornbread, and Salisbury steak.
Expert Tips
- For the best flavor, use mince (ground beef) that is 80/20 that is browned in hot oil and then set aside to drain.
- Wipe the skillet out and saute the onions and carrots together in unsalted butter.
- Brown the tomato paste before cooking the flour for the gravy.
- Deglaze the pan with beef broth and a wooden turner to get all the brown bits off the pan.
- Salt to taste closer to the end of cooking to get the flavor just right for the mince and tatties.
Other Scottish Recipes
Recipe
Mince and Tatties
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2.25 pounds mince (ground beef)
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 2 cups carrots, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups beef stock
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat for 2 minutes, then brown the mince (ground beef) until no pink remains, drain, then set aside.
- Wipe out the skillet. Melt the butter over medium high heat until it is foamy, then add the onion and carrot and sprinkle with salt. Saute for 8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add the black pepper and the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Sprinkle on the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan by pouring in a bit of beef broth, using a spatula to scrape the browned bits off the base of the pan, then gradually pour in more beef broth while stirring.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and the drained mince (ground beef) back into the skillet. Mix the together and add a bit more beef broth to get it the right consistency.
- Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to cook down the liquid into a nice gravy, add the salt. Simmer for another 5 minutes, taste, and adjust seasonings.
- While it is simmering, cook the 6 peeled and quartered tatties (potatoes) until fork tender with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 bay leaves. Drain and air dry in the strainer. Return the tatties (potatoes) to the pot. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, heat up ½ cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Mash the tatties (potatoes) and then add the warmed milk and butter mixture. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve the mince and tatties together with boiled peas and enjoy.
Notes
- For the best flavor, use mince (ground beef) that is 80/20 that is browned in hot oil and then set aside to drain.
- Wipe the skillet out and saute the onions and carrots together in unsalted butter.
- Brown the tomato paste before cooking the flour for the gravy.
- Deglaze the pan with beef broth and a wooden turner to get all the brown bits off the pan.
- Salt to taste closer to the end of cooking to get the flavor just right.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Alex
The meat is tender and juicy, and has a lovely flavor. The onions and carrots add extra deliciousness. Very good, and I would have it again!
Emma
Thank you, Alex! I'm happy you enjoyed the mince and tatties!
Beth
The meat is very flavorful and the carrots in the mixture add color. Excellent with the tatties and some peas! I would definitely eat this again.
Emma
That's wonderful to hear, Beth!