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    Home » Budget Dinners

    Mexican Beef Mince

    AU$1.47 | £0.54p per serve
    By Robyn | Published: Aug 29, 2022 | Modified: Oct 5, 2022

    TO THE RECIPE Show me the Video
    close up of minced beef in a pan with text overlay to create a pin for Pinterest

    Packed with beans and vegetables this easy Mexican beef mince recipe is a delicious family friendly budget dinner recipe. Ready in under 40 minutes, cook up a batch and enjoy it on top of boiled rice, tacos, in quesadillas or burritos.

    Close up of Mexican beef mince in a blue pan, topped with fresh coriander and avocado cubes.

    My family love beef mince, whether it’s in this savoury mince recipe (which can also be served so many ways, from bolognese to in lasagna) or when time is short, these 15 minute Hoisin beef noodles are a dinner time saviour. But when I want to stretch beef mince out to feed a crowd, or batch cook something that I can use for many different meals, I turn to these Mexican inspired beef mince recipe.

    Jump to:
    • Why we love this recipe
    • Ingredients notes and substitutions
    • How to make this recipe
    • FAQ
    • My recipe tips
    • Green pepper / capsicum
    • Add some extra veggies
    • Serving Ideas / Using leftover Mexican beef mince
    • Storage
    • Variations
    • More budget family dinner recipes
    • Mexican Beef Mince

    Why we love this recipe

    • It is a budget friendly minced beef recipe. By adding store cupboard staples tinned black beans, tinned tomatoes and tinned sweetcorn to the beef mince, it makes the mince go further – this recipe feeds 6-8 people on 500g / 1 pound minced beef.
    • It’s a great meal prep recipe. Cook a batch of this one pot Mexican mince and beans and serve on the following busy weeknights, or freeze and defrost later in the week.
    • Mexican mince is a dinner loved by kids, and because it contains an assortment of vegetables you can serve it with pasta or rice and not have to worry about adding any extra veggies on the side.

    Ingredients notes and substitutions

    • Beef mince – ground beef. I prefer to use lean beef mince to make this recipe.
    • Garlic – 2 cloves of fresh garlic or 1 teaspoon minced jarred garlic.
    • Tomato puree – tomato paste. Adds depth to the tomato flavour in addition to using canned tomatoes.
    • Spices – ground cumin, ground coriander and dried oregano.
    • Green capsicum / pepper – use red or yellow capsicum / peppers if you prefer. Here in Australia green capsicum are often cheaper so when using them in a dish like this mince recipe I often go for green.
    • Tomatoes – I often use chopped tomatoes for their ease, but plum tomatoes would work, use a spoon to chop them up once they are in the pan.
    • Beans – I use tinned black beans or tinned kidney beans.
    • Sweetcorn – tinned corn or 250g (1 ¾ c) frozen corn.
    • Water – I often make this Mexican minced beef with water, however if you have any beef or chicken stock, this would make it a richer mince.
    ingredients needed to cook the beef mince recipe measured out and placed in individual bowls

    How to make this recipe

    Note: scroll down to the end of the post for the full detailed recipe.

    1. Cook the onion in oil over a medium heat until soft.
    2. Add the crushed garlic and chopped green pepper / green capsicum and cook for a couple of minutes.
    3. Turn the heat up and add the minced beef, then cook, breaking the mince up with the spoon, until browned all over.
    4. Lower the heat, add the tomato puree / tomato paste, ground cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano and stir. Cook for 1 minute.
    5. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, water, black beans, sweetcorn and season with salt and pepper.
    6. Simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the beef is cooked through.
    7. Serve straight away, or cool then place in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
    cooked minced beef in a pan without any additional toppings to show the budget meal it can be

    FAQ

    Can I cook Mexican mince in the oven?

    Yes you can cook Mexican mince in the oven. Once you’ve browned the beef mince and added the tomatoes, stock and seasonings, place the lid on and cook in a preheated oven at 180˚C / 356˚F for an hour to an hour and a half until thickened.

    How do I know when my mince is cooked?

    Take a piece of the minced beef and cut it open. It should be brown all the way through and not red/pink.

    My recipe tips

    • Browning the mince before adding the tomatoes not only ensures the beef mince is cooked through but adds extra flavour.
    • Use a hot pan to fry the mince. If you put the ground beef in when the pan is cold it will stew rather than brown.
    • If you want to double the recipe, fry the beef mince in two batches – this will ensure that it doesn’t overcrowd the pan and won’t stew in its juices rather than browning.
    Budget Tip Box

    Green pepper / capsicum

    In Australia, this is one of the more expensive ingredients in this recipe. To reduce the cost of the recipe you can sub with grated pumpkin (when in season) or grated zucchini/ courgette.

    Make it go further icon

    Add some extra veggies

    Add grated carrot or two and cook with the capsicum / pepper. Or cook your favourite pasta shapes and stir in to the mince before serving – I always find it goes further served this way.

    Serving Ideas / Using leftover Mexican beef mince

    • Mexican beef mince bowl – serve this Mexican mince over steamed or boiled rice, then add some cubed avocado, and sprinkle with fresh coriander.
    • Mexican baked potato – Spoon into a jacket potato / baked potato or sweet potato and sprinkle some grated cheese over the top.
    • Mince Burrito – Heat a corn wrap or tortilla, then spoon in cooked rice and a couple of spoonfuls of Mexican mince and roll up.
    pan of the cooked minced beef with a portion taken out.

    Storage

    • This mince will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
    • Freeze for up to 3 months.

    Variations

    • Spicy – this recipe doesn’t contain any ’heat’ spices as I have made it with younger kids in mind (and a certain 5 year old who would sniff out any spice whatsoever), however if you like spicier meals then add ½ -¾ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper, or top served mince with chopped jalapeños – or try these quick pickled chillies.
    • Chicken – use chicken mince instead of the beef mince.

    More budget family dinner recipes

    • One Pot Creamy Sausage Pasta
    • Chicken Pasanda
    • Tuna Pesto Pasta
    • Ham and Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
    A blue bowl filled with Mexican mince and rice ready to eat, topped with avocado cubes

    Mexican Beef Mince

    Author: Robyn

    Minced beef is cooked with beans and corn in a Mexican spiced tomato sauce to create this budget family dinner. Its great for meal prep and freezer friendly too.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Course dinner
    Cuisine International, Mexican
    Servings 8 People
    Calories 169 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil / olive oil ($0.06 / £0.03p)
    • 1 brown onion, finely chopped ($0.45 / £0.10p)
    • 2 garlic cloves, crushed ($0.26 / £0.05p)
    • 1 green capsicum / pepper, finely chopped ($2.48 / £0.48p)
    • 500g (1 pound) beef mince ($6.50 / £2.60)
    • 420g (14oz) tinned / canned black beans ($0.80 / £0.60p)
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin ($0.10 / £0.04p)
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander ($0.14 / £0.05p)
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano ($0.09 / £0.03p)
    • 1 tablespoon tomato puree / paste ($0.03 / £0.03p)
    • 400g (14oz) tinned / canned chopped tomatoes ($0.75 / £0.28p)
    • (350ml) (1½ c) water
    • salt ($0.01 / £0.01p)
    • black pepper ($0.03 / £0.03p)

    Instructions
     

    • In a large saucepan, fry the onion in the oil over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes until soft.
    • Add the crushed garlic and chopped green pepper / capsicum and cook for 2 minutes,
    • Add the minced beef and turn the heat up to high. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring, breaking the beef up with a spoon.
    • Lower the heat to medium, add the tomato puree, ground cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano and stir and cook for 1 minute.
    • Tip in the chopped tomatoes, water, black beans, sweetcorn and season with salt and pepper.
    • Simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the beef is cooked through.
    • Serve straight away, or cool then place in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

    Video

    Notes

    Estimated cost: Australia $11.70. Per serve (8 servings) = $1.47
    UK: £4.30. Per serve (8 servings) = £0.54p
    Beef mince – ground beef. I prefer to use lean beef mince to make this recipe.
    Oil – Olive oil or neutral oil.
    Garlic – 2 cloves of fresh garlic or 1 teaspoon minced jarred garlic.
    Tomato puree – tomato paste. Adds depth to the tomato flavour in addition to using canned tomatoes.
    Spices – ground cumin, ground coriander and dried oregano.
    Green capsicum / pepper – use red or yellow capsicum / peppers if you prefer. Here in Australia green capsicum are often cheaper so when using them in a dish like this mince recipe I often go for green.
    Tomatoes – I often use chopped tomatoes for their ease, but plum tomatoes would work, use a spoon to chop them up once they are in the pan.
    Beans – I use tinned black beans or tinned kidney beans.
    Sweetcorn – tinned corn or 250g (1 ¾ c) frozen corn.
    Water – I often make this Mexican minced beef with water, however if you have any beef or chicken stock, this would make it a richer mince.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 169kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 17gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 324mgPotassium: 547mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 155IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword budget beef mince recipe, Mexican minced beef, minced beef recipe

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    Robyn Jones, Recipe Developer & Food Photographer

    Robyn Jones

    Recipe Developer | Food Photographer | Writer

    Hi! I'm Robyn, a toddler mum with a passion for all things food! Having moved internationally 7 times in the past 12 years I have developed a love of making international recipes into family friendly ones you can make in your own home, with local ingredients; wherever you live!

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