How Do I Break Up Mince in the Pan So It Doesn't Stay in Clumps?

Short answer: stop using a wooden spoon for it.

Mince comes out of the packet as a dense slab, and the moment it hits a hot pan the outside sets. A spoon pushes the slab around rather than through it, so you end up with a few big lumps that stay pink in the middle while the loose bits round the edge go dry. Chilli, bolognese and tacos all suffer for it. What you want is something with edges that cut down into the meat, and that’s exactly what a meat chopper is for.

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The one worth getting

The OXO Good Grips Nylon Ground Meat Chopper looks a bit odd at first: a long handle with three wide, flat blades fanned out at the end. You press it straight down into the mince and twist, and the blades cut it into small even pieces instead of shoving it about.

The main reason to pick it over a metal masher is that it’s nylon, so it’s safe on non-stick pans. Plenty of the metal ones will scratch a coating. Beyond that:

OXO rate it heat resistant up to 230°C (450°F), and it’s dishwasher safe and BPA free.
The blades are wide enough to stir with and they reach into the corners of a frying pan.
OXO say it’s tough enough to break up partly defrosted mince too, which is handy on nights when you forgot to take it out of the freezer early enough.

The handle has OXO’s usual soft, non-slip grip, which helps because you do lean on it a bit. It’s on Amazon here if you want a closer look.

Getting the best out of it

Let the mince brown for a minute or so before you start chopping. You get more colour and flavour if it isn’t broken up and stirred from the second it lands. Then press, twist, and keep going until it’s as fine as you like. For a ragu that clings to pasta, go small. For chilli, a bit chunkier is nicer.

One thing it won’t do is fix an overcrowded pan. If you cram a kilo of mince into a small frying pan, it’ll steam grey whatever tool you use. Do it in two batches.

Outside of mince, people use it for sausage meat, mashing avocado, crushing tinned tomatoes in the pan and stirring frozen juice concentrate. Honestly though, most people only ever use it for mince, and that’s fine. It does that one job far better than a spoon.