Jamaican Beef Patties

From the kitchen of Carly

Caribbean handheld meat pies: a flaky, turmeric-yellow pastry wrapped around spicy curried beef. Snack, lunch, or dinner with rice and peas. The pastry takes the longest; the filling comes together in 20 minutes. Make the filling a day ahead. It tastes even better cold-set, and rolling out is faster when the filling is firm.

Jamaican Beef Patties

Golden turmeric pastry with a spiced beef filling that's deeply savory, a touch sweet, and cut with bright allspice. The trick is cold butter and ice water in the dough, then patience: let the filling cool before assembly so the pastry stays tender and doesn't tear. These hand pies are built to pack for lunch or a midday craving.

Prep
1 hr
Cook
50 min
Total
2 hr 10 min
Servings
12
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

12 servings

  • 4 cupsall-purpose flour (for pastry)
  • 1 tspkosher salt (for pastry)
  • 1 tspground turmeric (gives the iconic yellow color)
  • 1 tspcurry powder (for pastry)
  • 9 oz(250 g)cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 cupice water (1 cup, for pastry)
  • 1.98 lb(900 g)ground beef (for filling)
  • 1 tspground allspice
  • 1/2 tspblack pepper
  • 2 tbspvegetable oil
  • 1 largeyellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 smallscotch bonnet or red habanero, minced
  • 2 tspgarlic, minced
  • 1 tbspfresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tbsptomato ketchup
  • 2 cupswater (for filling)
  • 1/2 cupscallions, finely chopped
  • 1egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water (egg wash)

Instructions

  1. Make the pastry. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, turmeric, and curry powder.

  2. Cut the cold cubed butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, until the texture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

  3. Add ice water 2 to 3 tbsp at a time, mixing with a fork between each addition. Stop when the dough just comes together.

  4. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Flatten each into a small disc. Wrap in plastic and chill 30 minutes.

  5. While the dough chills, make the filling. Combine the ground beef in a bowl with the allspice and black pepper. Mix and set aside.

  6. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

  7. Add the chopped onion. Saute 4 minutes until translucent.

  8. Add the minced scotch bonnet, garlic, and fresh thyme. Cook 1 minute.

  9. Add the seasoned beef. Break it apart with a spoon and cook 6 to 8 minutes, until no pink remains.

  10. Stir in the ketchup and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

  11. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the filling is thick and saucy.

  12. Stir in the chopped scallions. Pull off the heat. Cool completely (rushed-warm filling tears the pastry).

  13. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

  14. Roll each chilled dough disc into a 5-inch circle on a floured surface.

  15. Place a heaping 3 tbsp of filling on one half of each circle. Brush the edges with water. Fold over and press to seal. Crimp with a fork.

  16. Place patties on the prepared sheets. Refrigerate 15 minutes (helps the pastry hold its shape).

  17. Brush each patty with the egg wash.

  18. Bake 30 minutes, until deeply golden brown.

  19. Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes before serving warm. Serve as a snack, lunch, or with rice and peas for dinner.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Keep your butter and water genuinely cold. Warm butter turns into a greasy dough instead of a flaky one. If your kitchen runs hot, chill your bowl and even your flour before mixing.
  • The beef filling needs to reduce almost completely. If liquid remains when you fold, it'll soak into the pastry and make it soggy. Simmer longer if needed, stirring to evaporate.
  • Let the filling cool all the way down before assembly. Hot or even warm filling will wilt and tear the delicate pastry. A sheet pan in the fridge speeds this up.
  • Brush only with the egg wash right before baking, not before. If you wash too early, it'll dry and crack, and you'll lose that glossy mahogany finish.

Variations

  • Skip the egg wash and brush with simple butter instead for a matte, more textured crust.
  • Swap half the beef for finely chopped potato for a lighter, vegetable-forward filling still savory and warm.
  • Use minced walnuts or even mushroom in place of some of the beef for a vegetarian version that keeps the umami punch.
  • Make the pastry without turmeric and curry powder for a plain dough, then dust the baked patties with a turmeric salt for a different flavor angle.

Make ahead and storage

Store cooled patties in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. They reheat beautifully in a 300F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Freezing is fine, unbaked or baked, up to 3 months. Thaw baked patties in the fridge overnight and warm in the oven.

Substitutions
  • scotch bonnet pepper to habanero, jalapeno + extra cayenne, or 1 tbsp hot sauce. Scotch bonnet has the signature fruity heat. Habanero is the closest sub. Adjust intensity to your tolerance.
  • ground beef to ground turkey or finely chopped jackfruit. Turkey works the same; cut simmer to 12 minutes. Jackfruit (drained, chopped) makes a vegan version.
  • homemade pastry to store-bought puff pastry. Skip steps 1 to 4. Cut puff pastry into 5-inch squares and proceed from filling assembly.

Pairs well with: Coco bread, white rice, or coconut rice and peas, A cold Red Stripe lager or homemade ginger beer, Hot pepper sauce on the side for the bold