Jamaican Beef Patty – Spicy, flavorful beef stuffed in an amazing, super easy buttery dough. They come together quickly and fly off the table even faster. Simply delicious comfort food!
Making your own pastry can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Trust me, it’s a breeze if you have a food processor. And even if you don’t, you only have to sacrifice a few more minutes.
What’s not to love about Jamaican meat patties? They’re the real MVP of all pies because they’re super snackable anytime. Besides, saying no to these goodies is impossible, especially with a flaky, buttery crust and a tasty meaty filling. Just talking about it makes me drool. Yum!
Spoiler alert: It’s spicy, mouthwatering, and highly addicting! 😋
Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties
Jamaican meat patties are distinctive from others, like this African meat pie, because they boast a yellowish color from tasty turmeric and creamy butter. The beef filling is heavily spiced with cumin, garlic, onions, hot pepper, allspice, thyme, paprika, and curry, differentiating itself from the rest.
The beef filling is Immaculately spiced. If you can tolerate the heat, then by all means, add some to the filling. I added ½ a teaspoon of chili pepper to make it spicy but not overly hot.
Also, you can replace the shortening in the crust and use butter only for a more flavorful dough. However, vegetable shortening is easier to work with.
Recipe Ingredients
Pie Crust
- Flour – All-purpose flour is the key element for the crust.
- Flavoring – Salt, sugar, and turmeric (with its almost gingery taste) enhance the flavor and give your patties a gorgeous yellow color.
- Fat – Super cold shortening and butter (frozen is even better) creates a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Liquids – Ice-cold water and vinegar keeps the dough tender for an airy texture, moist crumb, and incredible flavor.
Beef Filling
- Ground Beef – The star ingredient for the meat pie filling. But you can use ground pork or chicken for a switch out.
- Seasonings – Curry, onion, garlic, paprika, allspice, dried thyme, white pepper, chili powder, parsley, and green onion spice the meat up. Scotch bonnet pepper is optional for that beautiful heat.
- Chicken Bouillon Powder – For additional meat essence and rich umami flavor.
- Bread Crumbs – This ingredient acts as a binder and keeps the meat from packing together in a hard lump. Yes, you can use gluten-free bread crumbs if you prefer.
How to Make Jamaican Beef Patties
Make the Crust
- Combine – Mix flour, salt, sugar, and turmeric in a food processor or by hand, and blend well. Add the butter, and shortening, followed by vinegar and water in small amounts, pulse until combined, and the dough holds together in a ball. (Photos 1-4)
- Roll – Place the dough on a well-floured surface. Divide it evenly into two parts and roll them out. (Photos 5-6)
- Shape – Using a large-mouth glass or bowl, about 4-5″, cut out circles by gently pressing the dough and releasing it, shaping the meat patty dough. Continue cutting out circles until they’ve all been cut. (Photos 7-8)
- Chill – Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.
Make the Filling
- Saute – Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a saucepan, followed by onions, garlic, paprika, thyme curry, chili powder, white pepper, allspice, and chicken bouillon. Saute it for about 2 minutes.(Photos 9-11)
- Add Meat and Breadcrumbs and continue cooking for 10 or more minutes, frequently stirring, to prevent burning. Then add about ½ cup of water. (Photo 12)
- Adjust Flavor – Finally, add green onions and parsley and adjust for salt and pepper seasoning. (Photos 13-14)
- Cool – Remove from the heat and let it cool.
Assemble
- Fill – Scoop a heaping tablespoon of filling into each circle, and brush with egg white around half of the circle. Fold over and twist with fingers gently to seal the edges of the meat pie. (Another way of sealing is by pressing the tines of a fork along the edges of the dough.) (Photos 15-16)
- Bake – Carefully arrange the patties on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes.
- Serve warm, and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Tomato Sauce – Add a sweet and tangy flavor base to the meat filling.
- Add Veggies – You can’t go wrong with diced bell pepper, carrots, potatoes, green beans, and corn.
- Meaty Swap – You can also use any ground meat you prefer, such as ground chicken or pork, for a savory patty with a lighter flavor. If you want a healthier option, try an all-veggie filling with carrots, peas, potatoes, and more.
- Cheesy Beef Patties – Enjoy an enticing cheese pull by adding your favorite cheeses, such as cheddar, mozzarella, or Gruyere, to your filling.
Tips and Tricks
- Keep your dough as cold as possible for easy shaping and a tender-flaky-buttery dough.
- Avoid overworking the dough, so the butter won’t completely blend into the dough.
- Freeze any leftover meat mixture to use for another time.
Make-Ahead Instructions
These addictive pastries are great for any celebration because you can make them ahead of time and freeze them until the day of the event. Place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer, freeze for about an hour, then remove and place them in a freezer ziplock bag or container. And you can take them straight from the freezer to the oven.
Serving and Storage Instructions
If you have leftover meat patties (highly doubtful), you can refrigerate them for 3 days in an airtight container. You can also wrap it with plastic or aluminum foil and freeze them for up to 2 months.
Reheat meat patties in a 350℉/177℃ oven, air fryer, or toaster oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through. The microwave works, but the crust won’t crisp up.
FAQs
A Jamaican beef patty and an empanada have different cooking processes, filling, and crusts. Empanadas are usually fried, while Jamaican beef patties are baked and is more yellow because of turmeric.
Yes, you can! Preheat your oven to 375℉/190℃ and bake them for about 30 minutes. Another reason to make them ahead.😉
Turmeric gives the golden color to these meat pies, and it gives off a mild fragrance slightly suggestive of orange and ginger and is a key player in curry powder. So if you do not have turmeric, you may replace it with mild curry powder. Or leave it out altogether—no big deal.
What to Serve With Jamaican Beef Patties
Enjoy them on their own for snacks, or turn them into meals by adding simple yet delightful side dishes such as those below.
More Savory Pie Recipes to Try
Conclusion
Making your own pastry can be super easy, and the beef filling is spicy and satisfying. Have you tried this deliciousness yet? Please comment below on how it went.
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in August 2016 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Jamaican Beef Patty
Ingredients
Patty Crust
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ½-2 teaspoon turmeric
- 5 ounces shortening
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 cup ice water
- 5 ounces unsalted butter
Beef Filling
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt, or more
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- ½ scotch bonnet pepper, chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, optional replace with salt
Instructions
Make the Patty Crust
- Mix flour, salt, sugar, and turmeric in a food processor or by hand, and blend well. Add the butter, and shortening, followed by vinegar and water in small amounts, pulse until combined, and the dough holds together in a ball.
- Place the dough on a well-floured surface. Divide it evenly into two parts and roll them out.
- Using a large-mouth glass or bowl, about 4-5", cut out circles by gently pressing the dough and releasing it, shaping the meat patty dough. Continue cutting out circles until they've all been cut.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.
Make the Meat Pie Filling
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a saucepan, followed by onions, garlic, paprika, thyme curry, chili powder, white pepper, allspice, and chicken bouillon. Let it saute for about 2 minutes.
- Add meat and breadcrumbs and continue cooking for 10 or more minutes, frequently stirring, to prevent burning. Then add about ½ cup of water.
- Finally, add green onions and parsley and adjust for salt and pepper seasoning.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 375℉/190℃.
- Scoop a heaping tablespoon of filling into each circle, and brush with egg white around half of the circle. Fold over and twist with fingers gently to seal the edges of the meat pie. (Another way of sealing is by pressing the tines of a fork along the edges of the dough.)
- Carefully arrange the patties on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes.
- Serve warm, and enjoy!
Tips & Notes:
- You can freeze the assembled beef patties and bake them later.
- Keep your dough as cold as possible for easy shaping and a tender-flaky-buttery dough.
- Avoid overworking the dough, so the butter won’t completely blend into the dough.
- Freeze any leftover meat mixture to use for another time.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
San says
Great recipe as always..I do know that people put breadcrumbs in the patties.
There are many recipes for diabetics so there is no need to feel slighted.If people would watch their diet & eat smaller portions the risk of diabetes would decrease. Patties are certainly a welcome addition to be eaten as a treat. Keep up the great work with your blog & continued success 🙂
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you so much San!
Joanna says
Thus recipe has made me so happy!!! My husband is from Zimbabwe and lives for years in the Cayman Islands where we met. I made these last night and we devoured them! Even my kids love them! They taste so authentic and are so easy to make. Making dough is my Achilles heel, I’ve never been successful. This is the first and only time I’ve nailed it. Thank you! I look forward to making more of your recipes!
ImmaculateBites says
High Five!!! So happy to hear when the whole family enjoys it . Thanks for taking the time to share this with me.
Happy Cooking!!!
Tara says
Hello, I am a little confused, I used to live in NYC and ate many Jamaican patties. I never heard of putting BREAD CRUMBS in it. Another thing why would you use shortening to cook the onions etc. when the hamburger meat makes it’s own grease.??? There are people who are diabetic and may feel a little slighted since the recipe has things in it that would make their sugar go up. Why not invest in recipes for them since the number of them are increasing in this country!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Tara!
The shortening is not for the onions, it’s for the dough. You can sub with butter.
Lynn says
As a diabetic I don’t get slighted regarding a recipe that uses ingredients I am not supposed to eat. I either make substitutions or I simply move on and find a different recipe. If someone can’t eat breadcrumbs then they certainly shouldn’t be eating something wrapped in dough.
Shannon Chin says
It always bothers me when people come to someones page, and instead of commenting on the pros or cons of a recipe, or even worse, when they haven’t even tried the recipe, they are critical, and complain about things that have nothing to do with the recipe at all. Tara should at least try the recipe, or if it is not what she is looking for, at least keep her negative feelings to herself. I think your page is wonderful. I have not tried to make these yet, but I am going to since your other recipes are so good, for example, the Braised Chicken in Coconut Milk. Delicious.
Lizzy says
Awesome recipe!!! I tried an actual Jamaican beef patty recipe from my Jamaican friend and let me tell you how your recipe by far is more authentic, delicious and easy to prepare! if I could give you any advice its to please keep up the fabulous work! I already gave your recipe to 10 co-workers and 3 of them are Jamaican.
ImmaculateBites says
WooHoo! Thank you so much Lizzy. You are too kind!
Harriett says
Shortening
Harriett says
How much is 5 oz of shorting
5 oz of butter
Delca says
Can you potatoes in the meat filling?
ImmaculateBites says
You sure can.
Harriett says
Hi when I was 20 years old I was living with my aunt in phillidafia was my first time trying it. Very good. I don’t have a food processor. Is there another way I can make my dough.
ImmaculateBites says
You can use a Cake mixer, or do it by hand.
Tina says
Just finished eating these amazing patties!! Thankyou so much they are lush!!
Merita says
How and I make my meat not too spicy I’m not a spicy fan but my boyfriend is he Jamaican so he will be okay but maybe I’ll add a little spicy kick in it I won’t mine I have try beef patty and most of them there very spicy my eyes cryies and my mouth burn very bad and I start coughing which what’s not good so I end up didn’t eat anything but I love meat with pie not the spicy part lol please let me know what can I do so it will be even for both of us
ImmaculateBites says
Just omit the cayenne pepper and DO NOT include scotch bonnet pepper. This what I do sometimes. Cook the beef and divide in half. In one half I add cayenne pepper to make it spicy hot , maybe scotch bonnet depending on preference. Cayenne pepper gives it enough heat . So it’s ok to use cayenne pepper only. Then I assemble . Make sure you are able to differentiate between the two after baking . This way everyone can eat to their hearts desire. Happy Cooking!!!
Nancy Blue says
It was my birthday on 8/24 and I decided to do all Jamaican cuisine I prepared brown stewed chicken, rice and beans along with cabbage it was my intent to purchase beef patties but I couldn’t find the mini patties so I made these beef patties and they were a hit, my whole dinner was awesome now all my friends are asking me to make them for them. Thank you so much Imma I’m on your site daily trying something delicious.
ImmaculateBites says
Happy Belated Birthday Nancy! So happy everything worked out well for you. Thank you so much for giving my recipes a try and for the feedback.
Hilda says
Please can i use margarine in place of butter?
They look yummy and thanks for the recipe.
ImmaculateBites says
You sure can.
Melanie says
Hi just wanted to know if I leave out the shortning can I substitute with something else eg more butter ? As I am Struggling to find any shortning in the uk? Any suggestions, or maybe there could be a alternative shortning in the uk which I haven’t heard of.
Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
Just replace with butter.
Cheryl says
Shortening is any other solid fat. E.g. lard, margarine, etc., A lard/butter mix makes beautiful, very light and crumbly pastry! Lard has been used in pastry since time immemorial and tends to produce a lighter pastry than all-butter.
Janet says
Can you use store dough (Pillsbury) ?
I do not have a food processor or mixer.
ImmaculateBites says
The texture would be different but it’s still going to do the Job. Try not to stuff it too much.
Michele says
I mixed the dough by hand (using a spoon, then fork, then my hands) with no problems. Don’t use store-bought dough, it will spoil the authentic taste!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Michele!!!
Vicky says
Thank you for this recipe! Been making or for a year for my family and it’s my husbands favorite dish! I use 1/2 hamburger and 1/2 ground sausage ( that’s what we had on hand the second time and everyone raved about it!). Thank you for making me a culinary star in my family! 🙂
ImmaculateBites says
My pleasure!!! Nothing makes me smile more.
Caroline Wipff says
Looking forward to making this this weekend! Thank you! Lovely blog.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Caroline. Do let me know how it works out for you.
Sylvia says
Imma, these look so good. Curious, can these patties be made with seafood filling? I was thinking about shrimp . I’m trying ground turkey filling tonight.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks girl. I have never tried it with shrimp. So cannot say with certainty. Might just have to create another version with shrimp. Ground turkey sounds great!!!