10 Wallet-Friendly Ways to Cook with Mince

One of our favourite ways to cook mince for the family is a batch of San Choy Bow. Kids love digging in with their hands—and we love sneaking in a couple of serves of vegetables (try adding extra diced carrot, mushrooms or capsicum).

Works well with: Pork, chicken or turkey mince.

Try this awesome San Choy Bow recipe.

Give your classic burger or rissole recipe an Asian accent by grated ginger and chopped spring onion to the mince mixture. Serve them Vietnamese-style with rice vermicelli, salad and nuoc cham dressing, or for an Asian take on spaghetti and meatballs, roll up some beef and water chestnut patties, then serve them with a bowl of egg noodles.

Works well with: Beef, pork, veal or chicken mince.

Give our Japanese Ramen Burger recipe a go!

Whether it's Shanghainese Xiao Long Bao, Japanese Gyoza or the Cantonese Siu Mai, mince is a must when making Asian dumplings, making for a juicy filling. For a hit of texture and flavour, add vegetables, such as shredded cabbage and spring onion, or sweet little nubs of prawn meat.

Works well with: Pork or chicken mince.

Check out our classic Chinese dumpling recipe.

Stir fries have become staples in Australian kitchens, thanks to their quick cooking time and flexible recipes. While we usually reach for sliced beef or chicken fillets when whipping up a stir-fry, it’s worth giving mince a whirl—it cooks quickly and evenly, and is more affordable that prime cuts.

Works well with: Beef, pork or chicken mince.

Cook up our easy stir-fry recipe with green beans and pork.

And for those nights when you want the comfort of spaghetti bolognese, why not try an Asian version instead? Zha Jiang Mian is often dubbed 'Chinese Bolognese', thanks to its rich, savoury sauce of pork mince seasoned with dark soy and chilli bean paste, served over tender wheat noodles. Or, for a speedy Japanese “spaghetti”, stir fry some mince pork with soba noodles and sweet soy sauce.

Works well with: Beef or pork mince

Here's our Chinese recipe for Zha Jiang Mian.

Okay, some people might consider wontons as a type of dumpling. Fair enough. But we thought they deserved their own entry on our list of affordable Asian recipes using mince. A little bit of mince goes a long way with wontons, which is great for stretching your money. They're awesome with noodles, in a soup or fried, and freeze really well too.

Works well with: Pork or chicken mince.

Works well with: Pork or chicken mince.

Get our homemade Pork and Prawn Wonton recipe.

Who doesn't love a crispy spring roll? They're super easy to make, and are a fantastic wallet-friendly family dinner. Spring rolls are also an excellent finger food option for parties that don't cost a fortune! You can roll up a big batch, then put any leftovers in the freezer for another time.

Works well with: Pork or chicken mince.

Try making our awesome Vietnamese recipe for Spring Rolls.

Thai Larb is one of our favourite budget meals. The zingy Thai dressing packs plenty of punch, and you're getting plenty of freshness from the herbs and veggies. Mince never tasted so good. Also try whipping up a Pad Kra Pao for a filling Thai meal that's kind to your hip pocket. 

Works well with: Pork and chicken mince.

You'll larb (we'll see ourselves out) this Thai larb recipe!

Perfect with steamed rice, noodles or in a soup, these bite-sized delights are sure to be a crowd pleaser. Meatballs are super kid-friendly, making them the perfect meal for the whole family. Plus, adults will definitely enjoy them too. 

Works well with: Pork or chicken mince.

You'll be ballin' with our Sticky Hoisin Meatballs. Also try out our Lion's Head Meatballs recipe too!

Mince is a super versatile ingredient featuring in recipes for so many of our Asian favourites. This cheap meat carries flavour really well, and makes for the juiciest fillings in your Vietnamese Banh Xeo, Chinese Baozi and Malaysian Curry Cuffs.

Works well with: Beef, chicken or pork mince.