Homemade crispy pancakes coated in breadcrumbs and filled with a delicious minced beef filling is a nostalgia-fueled trip back to the 1980’s!
They take around an hour to make in total but you can do most of the prep work a day or two in advance, and once they are stuffed they take around 10 minutes to cook.
Beef Mince Stuffed Pancakes
Quite a lot of my food is quite “serious” but I love playing around with childhood memories when cooking.
I’ve got dishes like corned beef hash and spam fritters and naturally toad in the hole makes an appearance too, bolt-on silly but delicious dishes like my fish finger pie it should be easy to tell roughly when I was growing up!
Growing up Findus pancakes were a real treat and I loved them, what can I say, the 80’s were a rough time for some. I even used to turn these things into a sandwich as a student, don’t judge, we’ve all made “those” decisions!
When we returned to the UK they were on the nostalgia list to revisit.
What can I say? They were awful! I’m not one to be beaten though, so I set out on a mission to create my own mince beef stuffed Krumpli crispy pancakes… they ain’t awful, they’m properly delicious!
Like so many homemade versions of “processed” foods, these are a little time-consuming. However, much of the work can be done in advance.
There is a rich and thick minced beef filling loaded with Worcestershire sauce and a smidgin of Marmite.
They are wrapped in old-school British pancakes before being breaded and then fried until golden and majestic.
A dish guaranteed to give you nostalgic thrills if you are of a certain age!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to fry these pancakes?
No, but I think that it is the best way to cook them, they become beautifully golden and properly crispy.
It is possible to cook them in an air-fryer and a fan oven and get close, but they do tend to “open” up. They also do not crisp up as well.
To air-fry, spray the basket with oil, give them a spritz with a little more spray oil and cook at 200°C or 390°F for 15-18 minutes.
To cook them in the oven, place them on a baking grid, give them a spritz with oil, then bake at 220°C or 430°F for 17-20 minutes.
Do I have to add the marmite?
No, but as I have mentioned in many of my recipes that feature a gravy, it adds a great deal. I pinky promise that it does not taste like marmite, it adds a depth of flavour and a rich umami back note.
Which part of this dish can I prepare in advance?
You can prepare both the filling and the pancakes in advance.
The gravy will be fine in the fridge for a couple of days, pancakes are reportedly fine in the fridge for up to a week.
Can I add different fillings?
Yes, knock yourself out, ham and cheese is old-school popular and they would be awesome with a little leftover keema matar!
If you have requests, feel free to shout up, if I get a few of the same I will likely take a punt at it.
Serving Suggestions
I’ve served my minced beef-filled crispy pancakes in these pictures with chips, peas and a simple gravy.
It’s exactly how my Mom would have served this, the chips are my air fryer chips. I would have made my chip shop style chips if my fryer had been filled and ready for action.
I even used a storebought gravy for the proper retro vibe. Although I did give it a bit more body with marmite and Worcestershire sauce and added some sheen with a little butter.
Mushy peas also make a great side for these stuffed pancakes, although I would probably go with ketchup rather than gravy if I were to serve them this way.
But you should knock yourself out, this is the retro food of your youth, if you want baked beans, add baked beans. You’d be wrong, but hey, who am I to judge?
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 28cm or 11″ frying pan (not nonstick if possible).
- 30cm or 12″ frying pan.
- Crepe pan.
- Mixing bowl and a mix of bowls and plates to breadcrumb the stuffed pancakes.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Forks and spoons.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring jug, cups and spoons.
- Pastry brush.
Crispy Pancakes Step-by-Step Photos.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the beef dripping and then the onions, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Toss in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Turn the heat to high, add the beef and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low add the flour and tomato puree cook for 60-90 seconds stirring continually.
- Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, and black pepper then stir in the Marmite. Cook for 10 minutes over low heat scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally. Once cooked remove the pan from the heat and cool completely.
- Heat a crepe pan over high heat, add a small amount of oil to the pan, drizzle in a little pancake mix until you have just covered the pan, allow to cook for 45- 60 seconds, then flip and cook for 30 seconds, repeat to create a second pancake then cool completely.
- Once the pancakes have cooled cut in to 8″ circles (I used a small plate), and brush the pancake edges with a beaten egg.
- Fill the pancake with half the meat mix.
- Fold the pancake in half, pushing as much air out as you can and seal well.
- Prepare the beaten eggs, flour and bread crumbs in individual containers. Dredge the pancake in flour.
- Dip it into the beaten eggs.
- Then into the bread crumbs. Do step 7 to 12 with both pancakes.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add 4-5mm of oil. When the oil is hot, fry the pancakes for 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve hot with your favourite side dish.

Minced Beef Filled Crispy Pancakes Recipe
These beef minced filled homemade crispy pancakes are an unabashed trip down memory lane to my childhood, I give you, not Findus, but Krumpli crispy pancakes, and they are marvellous!
Ingredients
For the Minced Beef Filling:
- 250g (9oz) Lean Minced Beef
- 1 Small (100g) Onion
- 15g (1 Tbsp) Beef Dripping (or cooking oil)
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- ½ Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Puree
- 1 Tbsp Plain Flour
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tsp Marmite
- 250ml (1 Cup) Beef Stock
- Salt if Required
For the Pancakes:
- 1 Egg
- 50g (5 Level Tablespoons) Flour
- 125ml (½ Cup) Milk
- Pinch of Salt
- Oil for Frying
And the Rest:
- 2 Eggs
- 2 Tbsp Flour
- 75g (½ Cup) Dried Fine Breadcrumbs
- Oil for Frying
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and then dice it as finely as you can.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan (not nonstick if possible) over a medium heat and add the beef dripping.
- Add the onion when the dripping has melted and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring regularly, you are looking for the onions to get a little colour and start to become golden, but be careful not to burn them.
- Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves and when the onions are golden, throw it into the pan and cook for 1 minute.
- Turn the heat up to high and when everything begins to sizzle a little louder, add the beef and cook until it is nicely coloured, this should take around 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the tomato puree and flour, then cook stirring constantly for 30-60 seconds.
- Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, and black pepper then stir in the Marmite. Stir, the filling making sure that you scrape the base of the pan, have a taste of the gravy and add salt if required (it probably won't be). Cook for 10 minutes over a low, heat, you want a nice thick beef filling. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the filling to cool completely, you can do this in advance if required.
- Crack the egg for the pancakes into a jug, add the salt and the flour, then mix with a fork until completely combined.
- Add the milk gradually (this avoids lumps) mixing with a fork as you go.
- Heat a 22cm or 9" crepe pan or frying pan over a high heat, add a drizzle of oil and enough of the pancake batter to form a thin pancake across the base of the pan. Cook for 45-60 seconds, flip and cook for a final 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining batter, you only need two pancakes for this recipe, and the batter will make 3-4. Allow the pancakes to cool completely before proceeding, again this can be done in advance.
- When the pancakes are cooked use a small plate (20cm or 8") to cut them into perfect circles, this will remove the frilly thinner bit at the edges and make it easier to seal the stuffed pancakes.
- Beat the eggs to coat the pancakes in a shallow bowl, sprinkle a plate with the flour and a second plate with the breadcrumbs.
- Take one of the pancakes and brush 1-2cm of the edge of the pancake with a little of the beaten egg.
- Pile on half of the beef mix in the centre of the pancake and then fold it over to form a half-circle shape pushing out as much of the air as you can.
- Carefully take this pancake, lightly dredge it in the flour then dip it into the eggs, and then coat it in the breadcrumbs, set aside and repeat with the other pancake.
- Heat a 30cm or 12" nonstick frying pan over a medium high heat with a 4-5mm (⅛-¼") of oil and when the oil is hot, add the pancakes and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve when hot.
If you like visual guides when you are cooking, I have step-by-step process photos just above this recipe and a video just below the recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 831Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 247mgSodium: 1025mgCarbohydrates: 66gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 46g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.