Minced beef is a staple in many dishes UK households love, from cottage pie and lasagne to spaghetti bolognese and chilli con carne. Traditionally, minced beef is browned in a frying pan - a method that works well, but can be messy and time-consuming as you have to stir it often and keep a close eye on it. As well as not being the most hands-off way to cook, the fat that renders out of the meat ends up lingering in the pan, making it tricky to drain away without losing any flavour.

Fortunately, a recipe developer has recommended a much better alternative for cooking minced beef. The method is not only quicker and involves less mess, but it will also leave you with perfectly browned mince without all the extra fat.

Christine Pittman revealed, on her website Cook the Story, that cooking minced beef in the air fryer is much better than cooking it on the stove for multiple reasons.

She wrote: "There are a few great reasons to cook ground beef in the air fryer. First, it's very hands-off. You put the ground beef into the air fryer basket, season it, close it up and let it be done. When you cook ground beef on the stove, you usually have to stir it much more often, and keep an eye on it."

Another reason cooking it in the air fryer also works great because the air fryer's basket is perfect for draining the fat off the meat and ensuring that the meat isn't cooking in it the entire time. Once the meat is cooked you can "lift out the basket and all the fat is left behind".

There is, however, one drawback when cooking mince in the air fryer. It can come out "a bit dry". Though it won't be an issue if you are using the mince in a sauce, like you would in most dishes.

Now to cook your mince in the air fryer, all you have to do is put the mince in the air fryer basket, season it, and then, using a wooden spoon, break it up and stir in the seasonings.

Then set the air fryer to 400F or 200C for five minutes, give the mince another stir, and cook it for three to five minutes more, or until it is fully cooked through.

Use a wooden spoon to break it all up. When you lift the basket, you'll find that all the fat and liquid has been drained off, leaving you with perfectly cooked and leaner mince.