Mg−3.18Al−1.00Zn−0.06Mn(wt.%) (AZ31) alloy was fabricated through a combination of hot die forging at 300℃ and extrusion processes (HFE). Results demonstrate that the HFE process can accelerate dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and refine grains effectively while weakening the basal texture intensity. The highly uniform fine grain structure of the HFE sample was attributed to hot die forging treatment prior to extrusion, which facilitates the nucleation of recrystallization and improves the microstructure. After 60 s of hot die forging, the HFE sample exhibited promising mechanical properties. In particular, yield asymmetry ratio (σCYS/σTYS) improved significantly by 30%. This work provides a new research strategy for obtaining Mg alloys with high economic benefit and satisfactory comprehensive performance.Graphical abstract: