We’ll see you in there.
Connect to customize your food & drink discovery.
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Jamaican Beef Patties
30 mins Prep Time
50 mins Cook Time
If you grew up in Toronto, beef patties might be commonplace to you. You may have tried them at your local convenient store, nearest subway station or at your favourite Jamaican restaurant. Several Jamaican beef patty suppliers around the city produce immaculate, flaky, savoury beef pies for Torontonians. Sure, you have tried a beef patty, but have you thought to make one? It is not as hard as it seems and though making any dish with pastry can be challenging, this is a challenge worth taking on because the end result is very rewarding. This recipe has been adapted from Gimmy Yummy and produces the most delicious tasting patties with a filling that is quite frankly out of this world. I have adjusted the filling slightly by adding ketchup and soy sauce based on research from recipes by several Jamaican chefs and home cooks.
The beef patty is made from a pie crust which is traditionally made from shortening and beef suet but can also be made with butter if that is all you have on hand. The filling is flavoured with typical Jamaican ingredients like allspice and Scotch bonnet and simmered to perfection. If you are in the mood to take on the challenge and try your hand at Jamaican beef patties, this is a great recipe to start with. They freeze very well and make for a great snack or meal throughout the week.
Directions
Beef Patty Filling
8 Steps
Step 1
Add in the chopped onions, minced garlic, Scotch bonnet, paprika, thyme and allspice and stir until well combined.
Step 2
Once onions begin to soften and change colour, add lean ground beef. There is no need to drain the beef.
Step 3
Sautée until cooked and break up into crumbled pieces with the back of a spoon.
Step 4
Add your soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of ketchup and mix well. Taste and season with salt and add more ketchup if necessary (1 tablespoon more to taste).
Step 5
Set stove to medium low setting and add 1-2 cups of water. Cook and simmer meat for approximately 20-30 minutes. Start with 1 cup and add more as necessary, you don’t want a dry filling, the filling should be moist.
Step 6
Add in the breadcrumbs and stir to combine mixture. Again just make sure there is enough liquid to absorb the breadcrumbs. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Step 7
Add in the butter and combine. Once butter is mixed in, remove beef from heat and set aside. The filling should not be dry but should be quite moist.
Step 8
Pour filling into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool to room temperature. You can also place in fridge as you make dough.
Pastry Dough
3 Steps
Step 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the all-purpose flour, salt, turmeric powder, suet and shortening and mix on low speed until a crumbly texture is developed. If using butter (instead of beef suet and shortening) add that instead. The mixture should resemble a breadcrumb consistency. Another method is to grate shortening and suet or butter into flour and mix by hand with a whisk until breadcrumb consistency is achieved. A food processor will also work to get breadcrumb consistency by combining all ingredients and pulsing 6-8 times.
Step 2
Add in the ice cold water and mix until ingredients are well combined and the pastry dough slightly developed.
Step 3
Remove dough from mixing bowl and wrap in plastic, place into refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Assembly
8 Steps
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 365°F.
Step 2
Remove dough from the refrigerator and divide it into 12 equal parts for large patties or 20 equal parts for small patties (I prefer larger sized patties). Use a pastry cutter or knife to assist you.
Step 3
Roll each dough piece into a ball and flatten using a rolling pin.
Step 4
For large pieces, fill each pastry disc with 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling around the centre of the pastry dough. For smaller patties, fill dough with 1-1/2 tablespoon of meat filling.
Step 5
Chilling the meat filling completely in the fridge makes filling the pies a lot easier as the filling sets a bit.
Step 6
Overlap the pastry dough to resemble a half moon crescent and pinch the outer end with a fork to seal the patties closed. You can use the edge of a knife to smooth out the edge of the patty purely for aesthetic reasons. No need to cut off excess dough, just press edge into perfect semi-circle.
Step 7
Place the patties onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the middle rack for 25-30 minutes or until beef patty is light golden brown. If making smaller patties you may need less time.
Step 8
Eat immediately or patties freeze very well and can be reheated in oven.
Recommended For You
