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
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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.
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 don’t 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 I’ve ever made! I omitted the parsley and bread crumbs because I didn’t 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! 🙂
J Kwan says
Question about the step 14 -“Freeze to bake later.” 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 it’s not a yeast dough, it doesn’t have to rise. So you can freeze it before.
Julia Tausch says
I veganized these yesterday using lentils and some “beefy” 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! 🙂
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 you’ve 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 🙂 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! 🙂
Sabrina says
Easy to follow recipe! And big flavour! The pastry was amazing. I may have added more scotch bonnet! Can’t wait to make it again!
Immaculate Bites says
Yay! Thank you for trying this recipe, Sabrina 🙂
Brenna says
Just a question. I noticed in your comments above the recipe, it says cumin. But the recipe itself doesn’t 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, it’s awesome! Hope this helps. 🙂
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 can’t say if you did anything wrong, but it may be the measurement or the ingredients itself? Check your cider vinegar as well, next time. 🙂
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!