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Traditional Scottish Mince and Tatties

By Victoria · On: Jul 05, 21 · Last Modified: Apr 06, 23

148 shares
  • 12

Traditional Scottish Mince and Tatties is a family midweek meal that consists of tender minced beef with carrots, onions, and green peas served near creamy mashed potatoes. It’s an ideal midweek meal if you want to cook minced meat with potatoes for your family.

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Summer recipe of comfort food on a blue plate.

Calling all foodies and lovers of comfort food! Today, we’re taking a culinary journey to Scotland with a classic dish that’s been loved for generations – Traditional Scottish Mince and Tatties!

This hearty and delicious meal combines savory minced beef with tender carrots, flavorful green peas, and a rich and creamy potato mash.

As we start to prepare this recipe, let’s take a moment to appreciate the beauty of Scottish cuisine. It’s a cuisine that’s rooted in tradition and history, with dishes that have been passed down from generation to generation.

And, as with many traditional dishes, there are countless variations of Mince and Tatties. Each family has their own special recipe, and we encourage you to experiment with your own twists and flavors.

For our version of Traditional Scottish Mince and Tatties, we’re using a delicious combination of minced beef, onions, carrots, and green peas that have been simmered in a flavorful vegetable broth.

The key to making a great mince is to let it cook slowly and gently until the meat is tender and the flavors have melded together.

And let’s not forget about the Tatties – the creamy, buttery mashed potatoes that make this dish truly special. We’ve added a touch of milk and butter to make the mash extra rich and indulgent, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley for a pop of color and freshness.

When it’s time to serve, pile the creamy Tatties onto a plate, and top them with a generous scoop of the savory mince. You’ll have a hearty and satisfying meal that’s perfect for any occasion – from a cozy family dinner to a big celebration with friends.

So, let’s raise a glass to Scotland and all the wonderful flavors that come from this beautiful country. And, most importantly, let’s enjoy every delicious bite of this Traditional Scottish Mince and Tatties recipe. Sláinte!

In This Post: show
1 💁 Is Mince and Tatties Healthy?
2 💁 What is Scottish Mince and Tatties?
3 ✨ Tips for Success? How to Make It Better?
4 ❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe?
5 🥘 Ingredients Needed for This Recipe?
6 🥦 Ingredients Swap?
7 🥑 How to Make This Recipe Vegetarian / Vegan?
8 💁 How to Scale the Recipe Up and Down?
9 🥘 Slow Cooker & Instant Pot Instructions
10 👩‍🍳 Step-by-step Directions
11 Storage Instructions:
12 ❓Answering Your Questions:
13 📋 Recipe Card:

💁 Is Mince and Tatties Healthy?

To get a healthy meal in the end, it is necessary to use fresh meat and vegetables. It would also be a good thing to use homemade vegetables or meat broth.

💁 What is Scottish Mince and Tatties?

It’s basically ground beef with root vegetables and hearty gravy with mashed potatoes that originates from Scotland to England. It is very easy to make from a few simple ingredients that you can find in your fridge.

✨ Tips for Success? How to Make It Better?

  • Use meat that has a fat percentage of 12-15%.
  • Use homemade vegetable or meat broth.
  • Choose higher starch potatoes like Russets or Yukon Golds. These will get you the fluffiest, smoothest, and most flavor-packed mash.
  • Use butter from the farm to get a puree with a more intense taste.
  • After you have added the flour, fry the whole composition a little to intensify both the taste of the meat and the vegetables.
Delicious Scottish mince and tatties with fresh parsley.

❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe?

  • This is a quick recipe. You will need less than one hour from start to finish.
  • You will need only ingredients that you always have at hand.
  • You can prepare it ahead.
  • It’s a budget-friendly recipe.
  • It is a dish that is easy to cook for a larger number of people. If you have a larger family, this dish can be a good option for you.
  • If you have kids – they will love this dish.
  • A great option if you want a new mince beef recipe to try.

🥘 Ingredients Needed for This Recipe?

Ingredients for mince and tatties on a white table.
  • 1 lb (454 grams) of Potatoes.
  • 1 medium Onion. Diced or minced.
  • 1 lb (454 grams) of Minced Beef. Ideally to use meat that has 12-15% fat.
  • ½ cup of Frozen Green Peas.
  • 2 medium Carrots.
  • 1 small stick of celery, diced.
  • 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour.
  • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 cup of Vegetable Broth.
  • 7 tablespoons (100 grams) of Butter.
  • Milk to taste.
  • Salt and Pepper to taste.
  • Garlic optionally.

🥦 Ingredients Swap?

  • Minced beef. You could replace the beef minced meat with other types of meat, such as minced pork, or lamb. Just be careful not to use dry meat. Wondering if you can cook the mince from frozen?
  • Vegetables. I used apio celery, but you can also use celery roots, parsnips, or other roots. Also, a good fit in this recipe would be the taste of zucchini, tomatoes, or hot peppers if you prefer spicy food.
  • Green peas. If you prefer a sweeter taste, you could partially replace the peas with sweet corn.
  • Worcestershire Sauce. If you want to diversify the taste of the dish, you could replace it with soy sauce.

🥑 How to Make This Recipe Vegetarian / Vegan?

If you want to opt for a vegetarian or vegan option, you could replace minced meat with minced lentils. Use vegetable broth instead. The butter, you could replace it with olive oil or another type of oil you prefer.

Also, I will not advise using coconut oil because its aroma does not match the rest of the ingredients.

💁 How to Scale the Recipe Up and Down?

Don’t be afraid to modify the proportion of vegetables and meat. If you prefer vegetables, you could add more vegetables, and if your family and friends are avid meat lovers, increase the proportion of meat. This recipe does not involve fixed quantities of a particular product, so do not be afraid to experiment.

🥘 Slow Cooker & Instant Pot Instructions

If you want to prepare the mince and tatties in a slow cooker, you can follow the same recipe by browning the beef and vegetables and then transferring them to a slow cooker with 1 cup of vegetable broth. Set the timer to 6 hours on low heat or 4 hours on high heat.

If you plan to prepare this recipe in an Instant pot, select the “Sauté” function to brown the meat and vegetables. After that, cook them on high pressure for 30 minutes.

👩‍🍳 Step-by-step Directions

As the potatoes need a little more time to boil, we will start with them. For that, wash well the potatoes, peel them, and cut them into cubes of about 1 “. Put the potatoes in a large pan to boil. When the water starts to boil, add a tablespoon of salt. Let the potatoes boil, and let’s jump to the gravy that we are going to prepare.

Boiling potatoes cubes in hot water.

For this, take a pan, melt the butter in it or just use olive oil. After that, brown the chopped onions for about 2-3 minutes.

Browning chopped onions in a sauce pan.

When the onions start to become transparent, add the meat to the pan and mix well the ingredients. Let them cook for another 10 minutes.

Ground meat with chopped onions in a sauce pan.

Add vegetables and all-purpose flour. Mix all the ingredients and fry them a little to intensify their taste. This will take us another 5 minutes.

Green peas with celery, carrots and all purpose flour.

Add the Worcestershire sauce and the vegetable broth. Mix everything well and cover with a lid. Let everything cook for another 30 minutes.

Mixed mince and tatties with vegetable broth.

In the meantime, return to the potatoes and check if they are cooked. When they are ready, remove the water from the pan and add the butter over the potatoes.

Potatoes cubes with butter in an iron sauce pan.

Grind the potatoes well and adjust the salt to your taste. If you prefer a softer consistency, add a little milk over the potatoes until you get the desired consistency. Mix everything well and our easy and delicious puree is ready to be served.

Creamy smashed potatoes in a gray pan.

Serve the meat sauce over the puree. For extra freshness, on the plate, add over some fresh aromatic herbs. I used chopped parsley.

Smashed potatoes with grounded meat on a plate.

Storage Instructions:

Can You Make It in Advance?

Sure. You can prepare the sauce with minced meat in a larger quantity, divide it into small portions, and freeze it. On the day when you want to serve the food, all you have to do is defrost the sauce and make a fresh puree.

How Long Does It Last in the Fridge?

If you have cooked a larger quantity, put it in a tightly closed container, and you can keep it in the fridge for another 2-3 days.

How to Heat this Dish?

You can heat this dish easily in the microwave or on the stove.

❓Answering Your Questions:

How Do You Cook Mince So It’s Tender?

If you have picked tougher meat, cook it on low heat for a longer period (2-3 hours). And add the vegetables half an hour before the meal is ready.

How to Make Mince and Tatties Quicker?

If you have decided to prepare the mince and tatties but you’re limited on time, I have a few tricks for you that will allow preparing this recipe quicker. For the meat, pick tender meat. Which will allow us to cook it faster. If you want the puree to prepare more quickly, cut the potatoes into smaller cubes. This will make the potatoes boil faster.

How to Cook Mince and Tatties Without Potatoes?

A perfect alternative to mashed potatoes for this recipe is to use dumplings instead.

What Herbs to Add for an Extra Flavor?

To add extra freshness to the plate, over the final dish, I decided to add a little fresh chopped parsley. Dill and coriander would fit just as well.

How to Thicken Mince and Tatties?

To control the thickness of the meal, I used all-purpose flour, but you could also use corn or potato starch. For an even healthier option, use oatmeal.

What to Serve Near It?

A green salad would fit perfectly. A glass of red wine or beer also would be a great fit for this recipe.

📋 Recipe Card:

Smashed potatoes with grounded meat on a plate.

Traditional Scottish Mince and Tatties

Victoria
Traditional Scottish mince and tatties. A family midweek meal that consists of tender minced beef with carrots, onions, and green peas served near creamy mashed potatoes.
5 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Scottish
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 626 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Potatoes
  • 1 Onion Diced or minced.
  • 1 lb Beef Minced. Ideally to use meat that has 12-15% fat.
  • ½ cup Frozen Green Peas
  • 2 Carrots medium
  • 1 stick Celery Diced.
  • 1 tablespoon All-purpose Flour
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 cup Broth
  • 7 tablespoons Butter
  • Milk To taste
  • Salt To taste
  • Black Pepper To taste
  • Garlic optionally

Instructions

  • Put the potatoes to boil.
    1 lb Potatoes
  • Cook the onions for 2 minutes.
    1 Onion
  • Add the meat and cook it for about 10 minutes.
    1 lb Beef
  • Add the flour (or starch) and vegetables you have decided to use. Fry them for about 5 minutes.
    ½ cup Frozen Green Peas, 1 stick Celery, 1 tablespoon All-purpose Flour, Garlic, 2 Carrots
  • Add the worcestershire sauce and broth into the pan. Cover with a lid and simmer them on low heat for about 30 minutes.
    1 cup Broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • Grind the puree with butter and adjust to taste with salt and milk.
    Milk, Salt, Black Pepper, 7 tablespoons Butter
  • Serve the meat gravy next to the puree and optionally pour over the freshly chopped parsley.

Quick Note

I highly recommend reading the entire recipe to find more tips and notes about this recipe. Read Full Recipe ⇑

Notes

  • Use quality minced beef: It’s important to use high-quality minced beef for this recipe. Look for beef that has a good amount of fat content, as this will help keep the meat juicy and tender.
  • Slow-cook the mince: The key to a delicious mince is to let it cook slowly and gently. This will allow the flavors to develop and the meat to become tender. If you’re short on time, you can use a pressure cooker to speed up the cooking process.
  • Add butter and milk to the mash: The secret to making the perfect Tatties is to add plenty of butter and milk to the potatoes. This will create a rich and indulgent mash that pairs perfectly with the savory mince.

Nutrition Estimates

Sodium: 541mgCalcium: 57mgVitamin C: 34mgVitamin A: 6022IUSugar: 6gFiber: 5gPotassium: 1072mgCholesterol: 132mgCalories: 626kcalTrans Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 23gFat: 45gProtein: 25gCarbohydrates: 31gIron: 4mg
Keyword beef, mince, potatoes, scottish, tatties, vegetables
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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148 shares
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About Victoria

Hey, I'm Victoria, the blogger behind the Go Cook Yummy. I'm running this blog with my husband, Alex, where we share our family recipes that actually work.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emily Liao

    Jul 07, 21 at 12:05 AM

    5 stars
    Such a comforting and easy combo! Loved the flavors in this.

    Reply
  2. maryanne

    Jul 07, 21 at 12:06 AM

    5 stars
    I love learning about Scottish dishes that I am not familiar with, and this Mince and Tatties dish sounds so tasty! It reminds me of something my grandma used to make that was so warm and comforting. I can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
  3. Beth

    Jul 07, 21 at 12:14 AM

    5 stars
    This is going to be such a tasty and very flavorful dinner tonight! My family and I are going to be obsessed with this recipe. Excited to try this very soon! Thanks for such a great recipe!

    Reply
  4. Elizabeth Flight

    Jul 07, 21 at 1:01 AM

    5 stars
    I love an easy and delicious dinner recipe and this one hit the spot! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Amanda Dixon

    Jul 07, 21 at 1:02 AM

    5 stars
    This was total comfort food! We are mashed potato fanatics, so this was an instant hit. Will definitely put this on our dinner rotation!

    Reply
  6. Gemma

    Jul 07, 21 at 5:13 PM

    5 stars
    Wow! That just looks so amazing! My mouth is watering.

    Reply
  7. Lulu

    Jul 08, 21 at 7:53 AM

    This is now our comfort food go-to. Will add more veg to bulk it out next time but it’s so GOOD!

    Reply
  8. Fiona Pirie

    Jul 10, 21 at 10:19 AM

    I’m going to make this for my dad tomorrow, our Sunday dinner. Thank you!

    Reply
  9. Jacqueline Meldrum

    Jul 14, 21 at 12:00 PM

    5 stars
    I grew up on this in Scotland and it’s total comfort food. I now make it vegan and it’s still something to look forward too. You make it look much more bonnie than it usually looks.

    Reply
  10. Max Roberts

    Apr 26, 23 at 11:24 AM

    5 stars
    Wow! It was so good! Every bite takes me on a journey to the enchanting hills of Scotland. A heartfelt thank you for sharing this culinary treasure!

    Reply
  11. Liam Campbell

    May 16, 23 at 10:32 AM

    5 stars
    I recently prepared your traditional Scottish mince and tatties recipe, and it was a delightful taste of Scotland! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!

    Reply

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Meet Alex & Victoria!

A couple passionate about home cooking. Our mission? To inspire you with our handcrafted, healthy recipes, whether it's a family dinner, a festive celebration, or a quick snack, we've got a recipe for every occasion. Read more...

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