Ground Beef Curry
If you’re looking for an easy South African meal, ground beef curry, aka minced curry, delivers the earthy and aromatic flavors you want. Minced or ground beef, potatoes, and peas seasoned with curry spices guarantee a fabulous meal even on busy weeknights!
We love anything curry in our house, especially me! There’s something captivating about that aroma and the earthy, perfect balance of sweet and savory with a hint of heat.
My obsession led me to create my own curry powder recipe that tastes way better than the store-bought version. Trust me! You won’t buy it at the grocery store after you have your first meal using my homemade curry powder. My top-performing curry posts could attest to that.
The Power of Curry
There are so many ways you can enjoy curry spices. Jamaican curry shrimp for us and chickpea curry for my vegan friends are our favorite staples. Not only is it easy to prepare, but it’s now considered a superfood.
Aside from that, it uses readily available ingredients that are probably in your pantry right now. Even new home cooks can totally nail this minced curry recipe on a whim.
Seasoning minced meat, potatoes, and that beautiful pop of green from peas is still healthy-ish, right?!? Serve it over a plateful of steaming white rice (or brown rice) for a weeknight meal any time of year, whether it’s the coldest winter day or in the heat of summer.
How to Make Ground Beef Curry
- Sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, curry, paprika, and chili pepper for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. (Photo 1)
- Add the ground beef, break it up, and add the tomatoes, and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. (Photos 2-3)
- Stir in the potatoes, cayenne pepper, and white pepper until well combined. (Photo 4)
- Pour in half of the water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or more until potatoes are tender. Add more water as needed for the desired consistency. (Photo 5)
- Serve: Toss in the peas and optional green onions, cook for another minute or two, adjust the seasoning to taste, and garnish with fresh parsley. Remove from the heat and serve hot or let it cool if making in advance. Enjoy! (Photo 6)
Recipe Notes
- You can brown the beef if you want, but I haven’t noticed a difference in the flavor. Plus, not browning it eliminates an extra step.
- Feel free to replace the water with beef broth.
Make Ahead and Leftover Storage
This recipe is a perfect make-ahead for a crazy busy weeknight. Let it cool, then transfer it to an airtight container or freezer ziplock bag. It will last in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
When ready to enjoy, pop it in a saucepan and heat over low until bubbling. If frozen and you don’t have time to thaw it overnight in the fridge, the microwave will take care of it.
Menu Suggestions for Ground Beef Curry
Traditional pairings include basmati rice, flatbread, or roti. A refreshing cucumber tomato salad balances the warming curry spices, and a dollop of tzatziki on top is incredible.
More Economically Tasty Ground Beef Recipes
- Ground Beef and Cabbage
- Picadillo
- Cabbage Roll Casserole
- Ground Beef and Potato Casserole
- Stuffed Shells With Ground Beef
Watch How to Make It
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This recipe was originally published in July 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Ground Beef Curry
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (15g) minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon (5g) freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon (7-8g) curry powder
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) paprika
- 1-2 whole chili peppers
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef or minced beef
- 2-3 tomatoes, diced
- 2 cups (500g) diced potatoes
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) cayenne pepper (optional)
- ½ teaspoon (1-2g) white pepper
- 1 cup (260g) peas, thawed if frozen
- 2-3 tablespoons (8-12g) parsley, cilantro, or sliced green onions
- salt to taste
- 1½-2 cups (350-470ml) water (more or less for desired consistency)
Instructions
- In a medium-large skillet, heat the oil, then add the onions, garlic, ginger, curry, paprika, and chili pepper, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Follow with the ground beef, breaking it up, then adding the tomatoes. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, cayenne pepper, and white pepper, and mix until the ingredients are well combined.
- Pour in 1½ cups of water and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or more until potatoes are tender. Add water as needed to maintain the desired consistency.
- Finally, throw in peas, cook for another minute or two, add parsley, and adjust the seasoning to taste. Remove from the heat and serve hot or let it cool if making in advance.
Tips & Notes:
- Adjust the amount of paprika and cayenne pepper based on your family’s heat preference, especially when cooking for kids.
- Aside from beef, you can also use this recipe for ground pork, chicken, or turkey.
- Throw in some diced carrots along with peas for another pop of color.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Hi there! I was looking for a couple of clarifications in the recipe. Is the mince beef not browned before you add it to the pot or is this more of a boiled beef? And what kind of chili would you use making this? Thanks!
Hi Alisha. Browning is optional. It really doesn’t make that much difference in the flavor. Scotch bonnet, habanero, or any other hot pepper that you love works fine. Thanks for stopping by!
My ex south african girlfriend introduced me to SA curry.. i still like to make it and this is a great recipe.. tastes even better with some Mrs Balls Chutney..
This was so easy to make and it was absolutely beautiful made it a little spicy so just added some yogurt. I’m so glad I found this recipe
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the feedback Danielle :)!
So good and so easy! I tried it out last night with store bought curry powder and it was amazing – gonna do it with homemade curry powder next. I would also like to make it without the potatoes and water to make a dryer mix for stuffing squash!
Yay! I am glad you like it. Sure go ahead and adjust the recipe as per your preferences I am sure it will turned out good:)
Hi! I’m making this recipe and a few of your others for our family dinner and a movie night next week and am trying to “shop” our freezers and pantry. Could I use canned potatoes instead of raw, or do you think they’d turn to mush? Thanks!
Hey, I’m all about shortcuts and using what I have in the pantry. I think canned potatoes would work fine, but wouldn’t add them until about 5 minutes before adding the peas. You just want to heat them through, not overcook them. Let me know how it works out. ❤️