--- title: "Mince: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "To mince is to cut food into the smallest pieces you can, finer than chopped, so garlic, ginger, shallots or herbs melt into a dish with no chunks." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mince" --- # Mince To mince is to cut food into the smallest pieces you can, finer than chopped, so garlic, ginger, shallots or herbs melt into a dish with no chunks. Also called Minced, Mincing, Very finely chopped. To mince means to cut food into very small pieces, about 1 to 2 mm (1/16 inch) or smaller. It is the finest knife cut, smaller than finely [chopped](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chop). The pieces do not need to be even cubes. Cooks mince garlic, ginger, shallots, chilies and fresh herbs so their flavor spreads through a dish. ## How to do it For a garlic [clove](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/clove): 1. Trim the hard root end and peel the clove. 2. Slice it thinly lengthwise, then cut the slices into thin strips. 3. Cut across the strips to make tiny pieces. 4. Rest your free hand flat on the spine of a [chef's knife](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chefs-knife), near the tip, and rock the blade over the pile. 5. Scrape the pile back together with the spine and rock again until the pieces are as fine as you want. For a paste, sprinkle a pinch of salt on the minced garlic and press and drag the flat of the blade across it a few times. ## Why it works Tiny pieces have a lot of surface area, so they give off their flavor fast and cook in seconds. Minced aromatics blend into a sauce or a dressing instead of sitting in it as lumps. ## Common mistakes * Mincing garlic in a hot pan for too long. Minced garlic burns in under a minute and turns bitter. Add it near the end or keep the heat moderate. * Mincing herbs with a dull knife. It bruises them and leaves a dark, wet paste. Use a sharp knife and dry leaves. * Mincing far ahead. Minced garlic and herbs lose their fresh flavor within a few hours. * Using a garlic press and calling it minced. Pressed garlic is closer to [crushed](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/crush) and tastes stronger. ## In recipes "Minced garlic" means very finely cut, not crushed to a paste. In British recipes, "mince" as a noun means [ground meat](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ground-meat), as in "beef mince". "Mincemeat" is a sweet mix of dried fruit, spices and fat used in pies. ## Recipes that use this technique 30 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Aji-Picante-1-2.jpg)Colombian Aji Picantewww.skinnytaste.com · 5 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/colombian-aji-picante/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Enchiladas-Verdes-14.jpg)Enchiladas Verdes (Green Enchiladas)www.skinnytaste.com · 60 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/enchiladas-verdes-green-enchiladas/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2021/09/southwestern-corn-chowder-1200x1500.jpg)Southwestern Corn Chowderwww.onceuponachef.com · 60 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/southwestern-corn-chowder.html) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2020/12/lasagna.jpg)Classic Lasagna Recipewww.onceuponachef.com · 135 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/classic-lasagna.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/skinny-spinach-and-bacon-stuffed-mushrooms.jpg)Spinach and Bacon Stuffed Mushroomswww.skinnytaste.com · 45 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-spinach-and-bacon-stuffed/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2025/04/Tapenade-1.jpg)Tapenadewww.onceuponachef.com · 20 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/tapenade.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/pork-dumplings-1-13.jpg)Zucchini Pork Dumplingswww.skinnytaste.com · 60 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/zucchini-pork-dumplings/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/garlicky-shrimp-stir-fry-with-shiitakes-and-bok-choy-7.jpg)Garlicky Shrimp Stir-fry with Shiitakes and Bok Choywww.skinnytaste.com · 20 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/garlicky-shrimp-stir-fry-with-shiitakes-and-bok-choy/) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/Garlic-Basil-Chicken-Recipe.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Garlic Basil Chicken with Tomato Butter Saucepinchofyum.com · 50 min](https://pinchofyum.com/garlic-basil-chicken-with-tomato-butter-sauce) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/baked-mini-sausage-and-spinach-arancini.jpg)Baked Mini Spinach and Sausage Aranciniwww.skinnytaste.com · 45 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/baked-mini-spinach-and-sausage-arancini/) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/Spring-Roll-Bowls-Recipe.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Spring Roll Bowls with Sweet Garlic Lime Saucepinchofyum.com · 45 min](https://pinchofyum.com/spring-roll-bowls) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/Vietnamese-Chicken-Salad-in-bowls-1.jpg?fit=225%2C225)Vietnamese-Inspired Chicken Salad with Rice Noodlespinchofyum.com · 60 min](https://pinchofyum.com/vietnamese-chicken-salad-with-rice-noodles) ## Related terms * [ChopTo chop is to cut food into small pieces of roughly the same size, without the exact shape of a dice. Recipes say roughly, coarsely or finely chopped.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chop) * [CrushTo crush is to break food apart with pressure instead of a clean cut, as with garlic under a knife blade or spices in a mortar, to release more flavor.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/crush) * [BrunoiseBrunoise is the smallest classic dice, with cubes about 3 mm on each side, cut from a julienne and used in sauces, garnishes and fine fillings.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/brunoise) * [CloveA clove is one segment of a garlic bulb. Here is how big a clove is, how much minced garlic it gives, and what to do when sizes vary.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/clove) * [Ground meatGround meat is meat put through a grinder, used in burgers, meatballs and sauces. In the UK it is mince, in Sweden köttfärs. Cook it to 71°C (160°F).](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/ground-meat) * [Chef's knifeA chef's knife is the all-purpose kitchen knife, with a wide 20 cm (8 in) blade for chopping, slicing and mincing. Here is how to hold it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chefs-knife) [More in knife skills and preparation](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/knife-skills)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)