Jamaican Beef Patties
Jamaican Beef Patties. Spicy, flavorful beef stuffed in an amazing, 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 meat pies because they’re 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.
Spoiler alert: It’s spicy, mouthwatering, and highly addicting! 😋
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Content… Spicy Jamaican Beef Patty Recipe |
Spicy Jamaican Beef Patty Recipe
Jamaican meat patties are a beautiful yellow color from turmeric and creamy butter. The spicy beef filling enjoys curry powder, cumin, garlic, onions, hot pepper, allspice, thyme, paprika, and curry. If you’re a heat lover, add diced scotch bonnet pepper to the filling.
How to Make Jamaican Beef Patties
Make the 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. (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 4-5″ large-mouth glass or bowl, 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)
- Ground Beef – 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 and brushing with an egg wash.) (Photos 15-16)
- Bake – Carefully arrange the patties on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve hot or at room temperature, 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 Notes
- 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 and Storage Instructions
Frozen Jamaican beef patties make a quick and easy snack; assemble them and freeze them on a baking sheet in a single layer. After they freeze for about an hour, store them in a freezer ziplock bag until the craving hits. Bake the patties directly from frozen in a 375℉/190℃ oven for about 30 minutes. Another reason to make them ahead.😉
If you have leftover meat patties (highly doubtful), you can refrigerate them for 3 days in an airtight container. You can also wrap them 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.
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. Plantain chips and coleslaw are classics.
More Savory Pie Recipes to Try
- Tomato Pie
- Shepherds Pie
- Aloo (Potato) Pie
- Meat Pie (Tourtiere)
- Vegan Pot Pies
- Ground Beef and Potato Casserole
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”Rbin77ml” upload-date=”Mon Aug 06 2018 19:57:54 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Jamaican Meat Pie (Jamaican Beef Patty)” description=”Jamaican Beef Patty – Spicy flavorful beef stuffed in an amazing super easy buttery dough.Comes together quickly and flies off the table. Simply Delicious!!!”]
This blog post was originally published in August 2016 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Jamaican Beef Patties
Ingredients
Patty Crust
- 4 cups (480g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 tablespoons (24g) sugar
- ½ tablespoon (9g) salt
- ½-2 teaspoons (1-6g) turmeric
- 5 ounces (140g) unsalted butter
- 5 ounces (140g) shortening
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup (236ml) ice water
Beef Filling
- 1 tablespoons (15ml) cooking oil
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon (3-4g) granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon (3g) paprika
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) allspice
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) curry powder
- 1 teaspoon (2g) dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) white pepper
- 2 teaspoons (5g) chili powder
- 1 teaspoon (4g) chicken bouillon powder (optional, or replace with salt)
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef
- ¼ cup (30g) bread crumbs
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons (7-8g) parsley, chopped (optional)
- ½ scotch bonnet pepper, chopped (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Patty Crust
- Mix flour, sugar, salt, 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.
Meat Pie Filling
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, paprika, allspice, curry powder, thyme, white pepper, chili powder, and chicken bouillon. Saute for about 2 minutes.
- Add meat and breadcrumbs and continue cooking for 10 minutes or more, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Then add about ½ cup of water.
- Finally, add green onions and parsley and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- 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.
This is an amazing recipe. Will never buy the ones from the store ever. I’m so happy I found a recipe that is close to its authenticity. Thank you .
Hi Roma. Homemade is always better 🙂 ! I am glad you love the recipe.
I may never buy another meat patty again. These were so delicious. Made these last Sunday and my foodie (teenage son) loved them. I froze most of the patties; it was so easy for him to bake them for lunch this week. I’m making another batch tomorrow and have sent this link to my nephew (another foodie) and he’s going to make some next week too. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. The pie crust was amazing— will be using it for my chicken potpie.
So happy to hear how it turned out for you. Thanks for taking the time to let me know. =)
These are really good. It was my first time making Jamaican patties and I am a beginner with making pastry of any kind. The dough was easy to work with. My family loved them and they freeze and reheat very well for a quick supper.
Hi Jana. So happy it worked out well. Thanks so much for the feedback.
I would like to be connected with this kitchen
This is my first time making jamaican patties. Everyone gives them 6 stars (not just 5).
Aww… Thanks so much!!!!
I made these for my husband and he loves them. There is no more buying these frozen he wants them homemade. I enjoyed them as much as he did. We ate them in less than two days between the two of us. Thank you so much for a great recipe.
Please why the cider vinegar? I want to know the purpose of adding the vinegar. Thanks
Bc it tastes good
It helps set up the dough chemically for a flakier crust
cider vinegar adds taste and take the toughness out of the pastry making it flaky
If you make this with ground chicken, what spices would you substitute?
Here is the chicken patty version. https://www.africanbites.com/jamaican-chicken-patties/
My taste buds are doing a happy dance. I used to treat myself to a Jamaican beef patty from a small shop close to where I was working at the time. 15 years is way too long to go without one and now thanks to you I can make them at home. They blow the commercial ones out of the water. Easy to prepare, the pastry is perfect. I love a bit of bite from heat but can’t find scotch bonnet chilies here in Australia so I’ve used habanero instead. Is there a separate recipe using ground chicken instead of beef or can I just replace the beef with chicken? Thank you so much … I’ll be sharing this recipe.
Hi June! Thank you for joining me all the way from Australia. You can definitely use chicken, especially ground chicken since it will be closer to the same consistency. Please adjust spices accordingly since you’ll be using a different kind of meat. Habanero works great and so does Jalapenos just for that added kick 🙂
Can you make this meat filling and roll it in puff pastry like your sausage roll recipe?
Hi Terrell,
Yes you can. Try not to over-stuff it or fill it up too much.
These turned out so delicious! I did have to make a few substitutions (due to my celiac disease and garlic allergy). Despite that it was still amazing and my husband loves it too.
I made these gluten free also! I did 3 cups of Pamela’s bread mix, 1 cup of potato flour and a tsp of Xanthan gum. They came out amazing!!!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your gluten free option with us.
Imma.. you have made my week with this recipe!! I made these for a potluck at my mother’s house.. She loved these beef pies, as did many of the guests. Mom said they were delicious and that I was a wonderful cook. I love my mother, but one would not call her effusive… getting a compliment from her is a RARE occurrence.. ( presenting: my childhood baggage) Anyway… it really is a compliment for you.. because this recipe was delicious and foolproof!!! Thank you… next time I cook for her, I will be visiting this website… and probably before that too!
Also as a side note, you are right.. it a lot easier to work with a dough that is at least partially made with shortening… I would say it makes working with dough more fun!
Take Care,
Amy
Thank you, Amy for taking the time to let me know. And thanks to your mom for the compliment. Glad you guys enjoyed this. =)
These are amazing! I have made them several times now and have all my friends requesting them for every gathering or event! The dough has a fantastic flavor and is light and flaky (I use only butter, as a side note) and the beef mixture is outstanding. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
Hi Shelley! I am so glad these were a hit! Thanks for stopping by!
Imma,
I really want to try these out but want to make them as close to how you are making them. The video shows creole seasoning, the recipe doesn’t have that listed. If I should be using it, what brand do you prefer and how much should I be using? Also, should I use it in place of other ingredients in the recipe or in additional to? Also, what kind of curry powder are you using. Madras curry powder is what I use when I’m looking for a generic taste but I also have regular and spicy Indian curry as well as Japanese curry which is quite a bit different in flavor. Thank you for the recipe! I am looking forward to making this for some Jamaican friends of mine.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Craig,
Creole seasoning here is optional, a matter of preference – Not traditional. I like to use it in most of my recipes because it adds tons of flavor without a boat load of calories . I would leave it out if you want something more traditional. Homemade creole seasoning here https://www.africanbites.com/creole-seasoning/
Madras curry would work just fine here. The focus should not be the curry powder . I make my own curry powder recipe here .https://www.africanbites.com/jamaican-curry-powder/. Hope this help
Let me tell you how the creole seasoning SAVED my Beef Pattis
Bless you!!!
Can I use a pie crust that u have to roll out and cut circle myself instead of make the pastry dough
Hi Imma,
I used this recipe and and it turned out niceee though crunchy. I didn’t have butter so used margarine and shortening. Maybe that could explain the crunchiness or probably they overstayed in the oven. Baked for 30mins.
Would like to know how to get them very very soft.
Also, why do we use iced water instead of warm?
Thanks for the recipe.
I love the way you are meticulous with the recipes.
Regards,
Hellena