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 doesnโt have to be. Trust me, itโs a breeze if you have a food processor. And even if you donโt, you only have to sacrifice a few more minutes.
Whatโs not to love about Jamaican meat patties? Theyโre the real MVP of all meat pies because theyโre 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: Itโs spicy, mouthwatering, and highly addicting! ๐
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Contentโฆ 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 youโre 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 โ Place the dough on a well-floured surface. Divide it evenly into two parts and roll them out. (Photos 5-6)
- Shape โ Using a 4-5โณ 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 theyโve all been cut. (Photos 7-8)
- Chill โ Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.
Make the Filling
- Saute โ 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 โ Add Meat and Breadcrumbs and continue cooking for 10 or more minutes, frequently stirring, to prevent burning. Then add about ยฝ cup of water. (Photo 12)
- Adjust Flavor โ Finally, add green onions and parsley and adjust for salt and pepper seasoning. (Photos 13-14)
- Cool โ Remove from the heat and let it cool.
Assemble
- Fill โ 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 โ 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 โ Add a sweet and tangy flavor base to the meat filling.
- Add Veggies โ You canโt go wrong with diced bell pepper, carrots, potatoes, green beans, and corn.
- Meaty Swap โ 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 โ 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 wonโt 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 375โ/190โ oven for about 30 minutes. Another reason to make them ahead.๐
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 350โ/177โ oven, air fryer, or toaster oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through. The microwave works, but the crust wonโt 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=โRbin77mlโ upload-date=โMon Aug 06 2018 19:57:54 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)โ name=โJamaican Meat Pie (Jamaican Beef Patty)โ description=โJamaican Beef Patty โ Spicy flavorful beef stuffed in an amazing super easy buttery dough.Comes together quickly and flies off the table. Simply Delicious!!!โ]
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
- ยฝ tablespoon (9g) salt
- ยฝ-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
- ยฝ 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
- ยผ cup (30g) bread crumbs
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons (7-8g) parsley, chopped (optional)
- ยฝ 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 ยฝ 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 375โ/190โ.
- 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 wonโt 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.
Steve T says
Hi, I am used to using suet in my pastry for these patties but suet is not always easy finding in the supermarkets so I am coming here for your recipe! I have made these patties once before and everyone loved them! Now I am making more so I can freeze some for a special occasion :-))
Thanks again Imma for keeping this recipe up! I printed a copy just so I donโt lose such a great recipe!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Steve! Happy to know that you liked this recipe!
Stef says
One of the best tasting things Iโve ever made! I omitted the parsley and bread crumbs because I didnโt have them and added a bit of Jamaican jerk seasoning, and it turned out amazing. Ate with a little dab of tart and tangy pomegranate molasses and the flavor combo was divine but the meat pie was perfect without it! Thank you, this is a keeper!
ImmaculateBites says
You are welcome Stef! I am so happy you liked it! ๐
J Kwan says
Question about the step 14 -โFreeze to bake later.โ Would it be best to bake completely and then freeze for later use, or freeze with raw dough and go from there? Thinking about making ahead to bring for Thanksgiving where oven time is a hot commodity.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi J, either way will work. Since itโs not a yeast dough, it doesnโt have to rise. So you can freeze it before.
Julia Tausch says
I veganized these yesterday using lentils and some โbeefyโ seasonings in place of ground beef, and they were SO good!! The spicing of the filling was so delicious, thank you so much!
Immaculate Bites says
Yum! Thank you, Julia! ๐
Estellita mejia says
I tried it but crust was not flaky
Need help.with crust prep
Immaculate Bites says
Hello Estellita! In making the dough, first make sure that the butter and shortening are well incorporated with the flour then add vinegar and ice cold water and continue mixing until it forms into a ball. Second, Also make sure to not over-work the dough (prevent the butter and shortening to melt). Lastly, make sure that youโve refrigerated the dough for 30 minutes before filling and baking them. The secret is to make the butter and shortening do their work during baking, this is when the fat melts away creating air pockets which will result to a flaky crust. Let me know how it goes ๐ Enjoy!
Kate Faries says
Freeze short and make sure water is very cold!!!
Immaculate Bites says
Thanks for sharing, Kate!
CHERYL CHIN says
Thank you for this recipe I will definitely make your Jamaican Patties again
Immaculate Bites says
Woohoo! Thank you, Cheryl! ๐
Sabrina says
Easy to follow recipe! And big flavour! The pastry was amazing. I may have added more scotch bonnet! Canโt wait to make it again!
Immaculate Bites says
Yay! Thank you for trying this recipe, Sabrina ๐
Brenna says
Just a question. I noticed in your comments above the recipe, it says cumin. But the recipe itself doesnโt have it listed. How much should I use?
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Brenna! One of the ingredients in curry powder (which is listed in the ingredients) is cumin, I meant to say that if you want more cumin, you can add up to 1/3 teaspoon, more than that and it might overpower the other ingredients.
Also, you may try my Jamaican Curry Powder in this recipe, itโs awesome! Hope this helps. ๐
Chittakookar says
I tried this and it was great however I had a question about the crust. I followed the recipe but for some reason my crust didnt come out as flaky so just wondering if I did something wrong? any help would be appreciated.
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Chittakookar! I canโt say if you did anything wrong, but it may be the measurement or the ingredients itself? Check your cider vinegar as well, next time. ๐
Jenn says
I made this recipe for dinner tonight, along with your pineapple, cucumber, and avocado salad and they were both so tasty! My 18 month old LOVED every bite and both dishes will definitely be keepers in our house. Thanks so much for your great recipes!
Immaculate Bites says
Yay! Thank you, Jenn!
Liz says
Can I omit the all spice?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you can.
Tiana says
Transcendent! Made these as directed and I was worried I was messing up the dough but it was very forgiving. My entire family, including kids ages 1 and 4, loved them. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Sharon says
Delicious! I added in a little diced green pepper and a shake of ghost pepper flakes in lieu of scotch bonnet pepper. I was a little unsure as to the amount of turmeric, and went with 2 1/2 tsp. Mine were much more yellow than those in the pics above, but they resemble the ones I used to buy at Jamaican restaurants on the East Coast.
Tess says
I use this recipe and it always turns out great!
Linda says
This is so good. The beef mixture alone, I could eat with a spoon. Thank you for sharing!