Jamaican Meat Pie (Jamaican Beef Patty) Recipe

Jamaican meat pie is stuffed with curried ground beef, onion, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper, plus a slew of aromatic herbs and spices.

Formed into half-moon shapes, the Jamaican beef patties are cooked until golden in the oven-eating them is virtually as good as an actual trip to Jamaica.

The meat pie is perfect for lunch, dinner, for parties or as a snack.

Beef patties Jamaican hand-held has a turmeric-loaded flaky crust and a filling loaded with flavor.

It is so spicy, to the extent that you will not mind eating it on the street. The pie has enough density to carry you through to the next meal.

Jamaican Meat Pie vs. Nigerian Meat Pie

The Jamaican beef patty pie crust has a yellow hue which the Nigerian meat pie and other African meat pie do not have. This is achieved by the addition of ground turmeric to the dough.

You can easily substitute with curry powder in case you do not have turmeric powder on hand for this recipe.

Another difference is in the filling. The Nigerian meat pie is filled with a mix of ground beef, potatoes, and mixed veggies while the Jamaican beef patty is filled with mainly ground beef.

These spicy patties beef can be found throughout Jamaica at roadside food shacks, in snackettes, canteens, etc.

You can also find it anywhere they sell authentic Jamaican beef patties near you. It is a must-have if you ever visit Jamaica.

Homemade Jamaican meat pies are easy to make and are much larger than traditional patties.

The Jamaican beef patty is served wrapped in beef patty cheese coco bread (which contains some coconut milk, starchy and slightly sweet.), which is like an oversize, slightly sweet hamburger bun.

It is called coco bread because you split it open like a coconut.

Although the combination first appears formidably starchy, the soft sweetness of the bread nicely balances the spicy filling and the crisp crust.

Recipe Note

In this recipe, the beef filling is heavily spiced with cumin, garlic, onions, hot pepper, all spice, thyme, paprika, and curry, separating itself from the rest.

Some Jamaican patties are spicy hot with the inclusion of scotch bonnet pepper.

If you can stand the heat then, by all means, add some in the beef patty filling to make your patties dough spicy but not overly hot.

For the crust, you may use butter only; butter, however is more flavorful than shortening.

Caribbean meat pie can be made ahead of time and frozen until the day of the event.

Place them on a cookie sheet – single layer, freeze for about an hour then remove and place in zipping lock bag or storage container.

Easy Jamaican Meat Pie Recipe

Ingredients for the pastry dough.

• 4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• ½ tablespoon salt
• 1/2 – 2- teaspoon turmeric
• 5 oz. Shortening
• Tablespoon cider vinegar.
• 1 cup iced water
• 5 – ounce unsalted butter

Step 1- Instructions for Making the Dough

1. Firstly, in a food processor or by hand, mix the flour, sugar, salt, and turmeric. Blend well.
2. Consecutively add the butter, shortening, followed by vinegar and water in small amounts, pulse until combined and the patty pastry holds together in a ball.
3. Thirdly, place the patties dough on a well -floured surface. Divide it into 2 and roll it out. Place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to increase its elasticity.
4. Fourthly and most importantly, add some flour to a smooth surface and use a rolling pin to shape and flatten the dough.
5. Cut the dough into big circles using a round bowl or shape it like a football to get your popular Jamaican meat pie footballs.
6. Remove the excess dough from around the circles and pit aside.

Jamaican Beef Patty Filling Ingredients

1. ½ medium onion chopped
2. 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
3. 1 teaspoon paprika
4. ½teaspoon all spice powder
5. 1 teaspoon curry
6. 3 green onion chopped
7. 1 teaspoon white pepper
8. 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
9. ½ teaspoon salt or more
10. 1 pound ground beef
11. ½ teaspoon chili pepper
12. 1 teaspoon dried thyme
13. 1/4 cup bread crumbs
14. ½ scotch bonnet pepper chopped optional
15. Teaspoon chicken bouillon powder optional replace with salt

Step 2: Meat Pie Filling- The Process

1. Start by adding 2 tablespoons of oil to a saucepan, followed by onions, garlic, paprika, thyme curry, chili powder, white pepper, all spice, and chicken bouillon. Allow simmering for about 2 minutes,
2. Then, add ground meat, bread crumbs and continue cooking for about 10 or more minutes. Stirring regularly to prevent burning, add about ½ cup of water.
3. Lastly add green onions and parsley, adjust for salt and pepper seasoning.
4. Remove from stove top and let it cool.

Step 3: Assembling Jamaican Meat Pie and Baking

1. Firstly, preheat the oven to 350 degrees f or 180 degrees c.
2. Secondly, put about 1 teaspoon and a half of filling into the middle of the circle be careful not to overfill the circles. Afterwards turn over the dough filling to enclose, forming a semi-circle.
3. Then, press down edges together to close using the back of a fork.
4. After that, put in a foil paper-lined baking sheet
5. Similarly repeat with the remaining filling and dough
6. Lastly, brush the pies generously with the egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Best served warm.

How to Adapt Jamaican Beef Patty Recipe to Fit Your Lifestyle

A lot of people are following various ways of eating in the bid to live a healthier life.

• For vegetarians: you can switch the filling with black beans or brown lentils.
• For low carbers / ketoers: trade the dough for fat-head dough. Swap the breadcrumbs for some xanthan gum.
• For vegans: changeover the filling with same counsels for vegetarians. Then swap the butter in the crust recipe for vegan butter.

Are Jamaican Beef Patties Healthy?

With 336 calories, 15 grams of fat and 432 milligrams of sodium, the beef patty is not on the same health plane as, say, a crisp green salad loaded with vegetables.

Can You Freeze Jamaican Beef Patties?

Best Jamaican patties freeze very well. Place them in an airtight container or zip lock bag and freeze for up to two months. To defrost place in the oven at 350* until warm

How Do You Heat Jamaican Patties?

Microwave for about 1½ to 2 minutes. For best results bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 f. remove wrapper before baking. Caution: contents of patty may become extremely hot, handle with care.

Where Did the Beef Patty Originate?

Origin of the Jamaican beef patty. The spicy Jamaican beef patty did not originate in the country of Jamaican.

Rather, it is a collaboration of various cultures. After the English colonized in Jamaica they introduced pasties to the Caribbean culture.