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.
This recipe was absolutely amazing thanks for sharing. As a South African I have to say it surpassed all expectations! And it was a hit with the household.
Awww. Thank you for the kind words, Elisma. I’m happy this was a hit. Can’t wait for you to try my other recipes here on the blog.
Can this be frozen please
Hi Errol, Yes, you should be able to freeze it. It should last in the freezer for up to three months. Stay tuned for more amazing recipes. Thanks
This is so good!!!
Yesterday I didn’t want to go to the market so I cooked out of my pantry and freezer and had all the ingredients. This dish is amazing! It’s my new comfort food! Ingredients I always have around the house and the dish is complex with a layers of spices.
Oh my, thank you! I’m sharing this!
This was so tasty! My son made it for his cooking project for school A+. We used a lot of your recipes as they cooked their way thru their Africa study this past year. What a taste explosion for us.
How can I substitute canned tomatoes for fresh? Would that work? And which kind & how much?
Thank you so much!
Hello Jenny! You can use the same amount required for the recipe and use any kind that is available to you. But, don’t be afraid to add more if you like, it’s alright because we have different preferences in cooking. 🙂
What a disappointment this was! I was brought up on Keema and I am now 60 yrs old therefore I know my stuff! I tried two different recipes for this today and I spent an hour on each, ‘tweeting’ them.
Sorry, but not for me but okay for those that want a quick fix.
I’m sorry it didn’t turn out okay for you, Jacqui. Thank you for your message and sharing still.
Perfect on a cold, wet winter’s day!! The whole family enjoyed the aromas as it was cooking and loved the warming and tasty result! Thank you for this great recipe!
Woohoo! Thank you, Karen! 🙂 I love that you loved this recipe, too.
I really enjoyed this recipe really delicious only thing I found was my potatoes were still a bit hard and took ages to cook
Hi Gillian! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 You may simmer longer until your potatoes are tender for next time.
This recipe NEVER fails. I tend to add more potatoes and fluid (red wine) because I prefer the potatoes rather than cook rice……its one of the only recipes that I don’t put my own twist on. It’s perfect as it is.
Thankyou
Aww thank you, Venessa!
I made this tonight . It was amazing . Reminded me of my Momma’s .
That’s the best compliment! I’m so glad the recipe brought back memories of your mom’s cooking. Nothing beats a dish that feels like home. Thanks for trying it and sharing your experience!
I was looking for an alternative to my native Latino picadillo dish, when I came across this recipe. We loved it. It has everything, spice, heat, vegetables. Just Wow! This will be added to my regular rotation.
Hi Bety!Thanks for the feedback.
I love this recipe and I will try it now
Outstanding! I followed the recipe as written, including the carrots, and the entire family loved it. It’s definitely a keeper, the spice combo really makes this stand out. Thank you!
I love this. We’re doing keto, so I substituted turnips for the potatoes for texture. The spice mixture is just right. Delicious. Thanks!
Glad to hear it worked out well.
One of the best mince recipes i have come across. I used extra garlic and ginger
Thanks so much!!
Just made this tonight and it was delicious! Thanks for a better way to cook mince. A great hearty, smells so good, very, very tasty so easy to make dish! I added 3 curry leaves (just because I had them) and a pinch of cumin.
Great Addition. Thanks for sharing!!!
Put an Alaskan spin on this and made it with ground moose – it was delicious! Thank you for a fantastic recipe! (And, yes, make the curry powder – it is so worth it.)
Thank you so much for the feedback, Bridget!
This recipe is great. You should know, I veganized it by using Beyond Meat ground “beef”. I actually searched for this recipe because I had an extra packet of it and no buns, so I thought, “I haven’t had curry in ages…is there such a thing as ground beef curry?” Well, yes there is! Again, tried it pretty much exactly as written and then a few more times with a couple of tiny adjustments for taste and it’s absolutely great. Thank you!
Thanks So much, Chris!!!
Thank you so much… when I copied your recipe… the whole house went crazy asking what smells good… told them I’m following this recipe… they ended up asking me to make it again
Glad they did. Thank you so much!
What you serve this with? I’m new to this type of cuisine. Thanks
Hi Suzanne! You can serve this with cooked rice and seemed veggies :). Enjoy!
Oh my goodness Imma, this was absolutely delicious. I used your homemade Jamaican Curry Powder and also added some of your fabulous homemade Creole Cajun Seasoning (I use this in most of my dishes).
I have tried quite a few of your recipes already and we have enjoyed each and every one of them.
Thank you for sharing your tasty recipes with us.
hello, I just wanted to thank you for your wonderfull recipes, this particular one boosted my business, God bless you.
High-Five to you Mirjam!! This is great news! I am glad your business is booming and more people get to enjoy this ground beef curry. Thank you for letting me know :).