I grew up on Jamaican beef patties throughout high school and university. They were the ideal lunchtime or after-class snack: flaky pastry wrapped around spicy, flavorful ground beef. Now that I’m out of school I make them less often, so I started preparing them at home to get that familiar comfort whenever I want.
How to get proper filling consistency
A great beef patty depends on the filling’s texture. Keep the beef moist by adding beef stock while cooking. For a smoother, slightly “sludgy” texture that holds together well in the pastry, pulse the cooked ground beef briefly in a blender or use an immersion blender to combine the meat and liquids.
Tips for Jamaican beef patties pastry
- Keep ingredients cold — cold fat and cold water help create distinct layers and produce the flakiest pastry.
- Use lard in addition to butter. Lard helps eliminate any raw flour taste and contributes to a tender, flaky crumb.
- Don’t overwork the dough. Mix only until the dough holds together — over-kneading develops gluten and makes the pastry tough rather than flaky.
Jamaican Beef Patties
Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 1 hr 30 mins
Jamaican beef patties are one of my all-time favorite snacks.
Ingredients
- 450 g ground beef
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp sugar
Wet seasonings
- ½ cup beef stock
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp regular soy sauce
- 1 tbsp browning seasoning
- 1–2 scotch bonnets
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2–3 scallions
Pastry ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 100 g cold butter (plus more for folding)
- 50 g lard
- 125 ml cold water
Instructions
- Blend wet seasonings: In a blender, combine beef stock, dark soy, regular soy, browning seasoning, scotch bonnets, onion, and scallions. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Brown the beef: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add the ground beef and spread it out to brown.
- Season the beef: Add garlic powder, allspice, black pepper, salt, paprika, dried thyme, and sugar. Cook until the beef is mostly done.
- Combine and simmer: Pour in the blended wet seasonings and simmer about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens. For a smoother, slightly sludgy texture, pulse with a hand blender.
- Cool: Remove the beef mixture from the heat and let it cool while you prepare the pastry.
- Mix dry pastry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, curry powder, and turmeric powder.
- Add fats: Grate 100 g cold butter into the flour and add the lard cut into small pieces. Roughly mix so the fat is dispersed in the flour.
- Add water: Pour in 125 ml cold water and knead just until you form a single dough ball. It should hold together but not be perfectly smooth.
- Chill: Wrap the dough and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Layer butter and roll: Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick, grate on a layer of butter, fold, and roll again to about 1/8 inch. You should be able to cut 5–6 circles roughly 7 inches in diameter.
- Shape and fill: Roll each piece slightly oval, place about 1/3 cup filling in the center.
- Seal: Lightly egg-wash the edges, fold the dough over the filling, press to seal and optionally crimp with a fork. Trim edges with a bench scraper for a clean finish.
- Bake: Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp.
Additional Info
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Jamaican
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out some more here:
- Coconut shrimp curry
- Stir fry beef tongue