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
[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 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.
Monica Jeffery says
I am a disabled Veteran, It’s impossible for me to roll out dough. Can I use puff pastry instead?
Imma says
You sure can. It won’t be exactly the same, but it will still be awesome. Please let me know how it goes.
Polly Spires says
Recipe looks great will try it out on a friend dinner party
Imma says
Amazing!!!!! That looks absolutely delicious!! Glad you loved it. Looking forward to you trying more of my recipes.
MS100 says
I’m planning on making this for my family this weekend. Is there a dipping sauce that you can suggest to go with it? It may not be traditional but I don’t mind mixing and matching recipes.
I’ve made several of your recipes over the past couple of years, particularly Caribbean and African ones. Every one turned out great.
Imma says
Thank you so much for your feedback, here are my popular sauce recipes you can try with this meat pie. Let me know how these turns out for you 🙂
https://www.africanbites.com/remoulade-sauce/
https://www.africanbites.com/african-pepper-sauce/#cls-video-container-iPEX1hQJ
https://www.africanbites.com/jerk-sauce/#cls-video-container-L1T7Pj5s
ms100 says
I didn’t make this then but did last night. Cooked one for a test. Awesome recipe. Used Impossible Meat instead of ground beef. I recommend for people using Impossible Meat to saute it first until it’s well browned so you get the Maillard reaction then remove it and then continue w the recipe, browning the onion, etc…
I made the African pepper sauce, too, used habaneros. Very hot, a little goes a long way, very tasty, my son will love it but will be too spicy for most of my guests. Might try your remoulade but swap the mayo with a blend of cashews and water, a change I’ve used in other sauces with great effect.
Imma says
You are more than welcome and thank you so much for your feedback. If there’s a recipe you’d love to see, please let me know. Thanks:)
Holly says
Making this recipe right now. Wondering why you add water AFTER cooking the onion and ground beef? Won’t they be very watery when adding to the crust?
Imma says
Wonderful! It’s just enough water to deglaze the pan for all that goodness stuck to the bottom. If you think the filling is too watery, let it simmer for a minute or two longer and that will take care of it.
Kim Ramsey says
I made these last night for my husband and I, absolutely fantastic! I followed the recipe with the exception of the Scotch bonnets (to much heat for me). Also I used my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook for the pie crust Just let me say that I will never buy the store bought frozen ones again. Thank you for such a delicious recipe.
Imma says
You are more than welcome. And if there’s a recipe you’d love to see, please let me know. Thanks:)
Victoria Frank says
This recipe is great! I only used the meat filling recipe and used a Tenderflake crust for the top and bottom. Also, I made it as an 8″ pie, not hand pies. It turned out fantastic! Delicious and not too spicy.
Imma says
Great to hear from your Victoria, thank you so much! Stay tuned to have more amazing recipe:)
Cas says
Hi. Your recipe looks great and I like the image of your end product. A little different from what I’m used to but like you said, evey grandma has her version of the story. I also want to say also that, the name of the item here is, properly, Jamaican Patty, not meat pie. No Jamaican will know what you’re talking about if you call it a meat pie without showing them a picture. I can say quite confidently that, meat pie term is never used in Jamaica to refer to this item.
Walk good.
Imma says
Thanks so much for your kind words. I agree about calling it a meat pie, but people from other parts of the world may have a different idea of what a patty is.
Mel says
This is fantastic! Just like in the islands.
Imma says
Great to hear that, Thank you for trying the recipe on a lighter note if you can add recipe ratings. It will help other readers to have confidence upon this recipe:)
Cheryl Clark says
I’m looking forward to making this for the longest!
Imma says
Thank you so much, sure go ahead and let me how it goes 🙂
Janaya says
So is there a difference between this and the square bright yellow ones you get from jamaican restaurants?
Imma says
Yes, they are. Everyone’s grandma has her own style, so they may taste slightly different. However, they’re all Jamaican meat pies.
Stony says
LOVED the meat pies, almost like the pasties from northern Michigan, one of my favs. with scotch bonnets
Imma says
Thank you for your feedback, I have a lot of other Pie recipes on the blog, you must try them. I am sure you would like them for sure:)
Joy V says
Can I bake them directly from the freezer?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes you sure can. You might have to add a few additional minutes
Tony says
Shortening is unknown here in france. Can I just use more butter?
Imma says
Lard is a better choice, but butter should work fine. Please let me know how it goes.❤️
Stony says
render some beef fat, clear and the best to use for pie dough, you won’t be sorry.
Malefu Mumba says
I appreciate you sharing my recipe for country rice because I live in South Africa, where Indian food is really excellent. I’ve also tried making a Jamaican mince pie for my grandson’s lunchbox, substituting chicken for the minced beef, and it turned out very well.
Imma says
That sounds good, Love your grandson 🙂 Explore our quick and easy recipes to have more collections on the go.
Bill says
How many pies does this recipe make? Can you freeze after baking?
ImmaculateBites says
So the servings say 10-12 but it could be more or less depending on how big you make the dough. It is delicious though, i promise you
Linda Potrykus says
I made this recipe for my husband and myself and gave some to three of my neighbours and my dad and got rave reviews from everyone. I’m using up the second batch of dough today. This time I’m freezing them for us to have whenever we get a craving. Delicious!
Imma says
Great to hear that, thank you for spreading love and care:)