Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties

This isn’t your average hand pie or pastry ---- These Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties are wrapped in a buttery, flaky crust, filled with tender, moist beef, and packed with authentic Jamaican spices. Each bite delivers a burst of flavor and real heat! Freezer-friendly + Vegan Option.

Usually, my recipes are inspired by my Southern roots, which as you may know, come with a lot of flavor! However, this Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties recipe stems more closely from the other part of my heritage---Jamaica! Growing up, I had the best of both worlds---Southern food (living in Florida) and Jamaican food, which came naturally for the people in my family, since most of them were born and raised there! 

What’s not to love about Jamaican meat patties? They’re the ultimate snack, perfect for any time of day. With a flaky, buttery crust and a deliciously seasoned meaty filling, it's impossible to say no to these goodies. Just thinking about them makes my mouth water. Yum!

When it comes to making your own pastry, whether it be for a patty, pie, hand pie, turnover, etc.---it can feel intimidating for those who aren't natural bakers! But don't worry but it doesn’t have to be! This pastry is so easy I've used it again and again on other recipes like Flaky Jamaican Curry Chickpea Kale Veggie Patties and Vegan Jamaican Beef Patties!

What Are Jamaican Beef Patties?

Lots of cultures have their own version of a patty. It's basically a pastry shell stuffed with meat, veggies, or a mix of both.

To me, nothing beats a Jamaican beef patty. This go-to snack in Jamaica is packed with flavorful, juicy beef, authentic Jamaican spices, and a hint of scotch bonnet pepper. The deep yellow crust is unmistakable, and it's often enjoyed straight from a brown paper bag. It's the perfect on-the-go treat!

What You’ll Love Most About These Jamaican Beef Patties

• They're super easy to make.
• Ultra flaky, buttery, soft crust with an intensely flavorful beef filling.
• Only requires a handful of staple ingredients with the ability to substitute where necessary.
• Makes for a great weeknight meal---Plus comes with a Vegan option!
• Perfect as a fun baking activity for the entire family.
• Works great as a meal prep option and larger batching.

Spicy Jamaican Beef Patty Ingredients

When it comes to making this Spicy Jamaican Beef Patty recipe, the process comes in 3 easy steps:

• Begin by prepping your crust first! Getting your crust made using the handful of ingredients and having it chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour is super important for creating the most flakiest crust possible!
• Season + cook your beef filling (I love using a cast-iron skillet) and add in the spices and herbs.
• Finally, it's the assembly + bake step. You'll begin rolling out, cutting, and shaping your dough, then add the cooled filling, brushing with egg wash, bake, and wallah.

Ingredients

CRUST:

• All-purpose flour. I use organic flour from Bob’s Red Mill or King's Arthur. For a better flakier texture to your crust, you can add pastry flour to the mix.
• Baking powder. This acts as a leavener + helps to make the dough a bit more fluffy and soft.
• Curry powder. For authenticity, it's great to use Jamaican curry powder.
• Turmeric, parsley, + thyme. These add additional flavor and turmeric is a powerful ingredient with anti-inflammatory properties, etc.
• Butter. Make sure your butter is VERY COLD! This is the key to flaky layers.
• Almond milk. You can use water or other unsweetened dairy-free milk if you like. Try my homemade almond milk.
• Apple cider vinegar. This adds a tangy buttermilk-like flavor without actual buttermilk. You can use lemon juice instead.

BEEF FILLING:

• Ground beef. Organic grass-fed I find is the best in terms of quality + flavor.
• Extra virgin olive oil. You can also use avocado oil or grapeseed oil, if you prefer.
• Scallion. Chopped (aka "green onions")
• Scotch bonnet peppers. Minced ---- You can also use habanero peppers; reduce the amount to lessen spiciness.
• Garlic cloves. Minced.
• Organic beef stock. Reduce a bit for less gravy.
• Ginger powder. You can use freshly minced ginger root too.
• Thyme sprigs. I recommend fresh, but if you only have dried, use a half teaspoon.
• Herbs + spices. Sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder + smoked paprika.
• Flavo Riz. Optional. You can substitute with all-purpose seasoning!
• Soy sauce. Adds some extra umami flavor!
• Browning. I love using the Grace brand.
• Jamaican hot sauce. Optional (You can also use your favorite hot pepper sauce)
• Beef bouillon base. Optional.
• Pinch of red pepper flakes

OTHER:

• Egg wash. 1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk.

SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR COOKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS PATTY!

Here, I’ve curated a list of baking + cooking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite dishes, especially with these Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties. Everything from my fave skillet, spatula, mixing bowls, and more. SEE THEM HERE!

Tips For Making the Flakiest Crust

• The butter is SUPER important. When it comes to the butter sticks, ensuring that they are COLD and of course from a great brand is key!
• Adding shortening works too! Although I tend to use buttery sticks alone, adding shortening or lard adds great wonders as well. All you need is half shortening and half butter.
• Fridge time is an important time! Chilling your dough for an hour at a minimum is so imperative to a flaky crust. Even slightly longer makes for a great advantage.
• Your flours matter, big time! Again, while different brands of flour hydrate differently (causing a slightly different result), ensuring that you mix in all-purpose flour with pastry flour is also just as important. Believe it or not, pastry flour makes a difference and serves a greater purpose!
• SLOWLY pour in liquids, don’t dump it! Gently pouring in the milk-ACV mixture is so imperative. I pour ¼ cup at a time and work the dough with my hands to eyeball how wet or dry everything is.
• The dough can be made in advance, too. If making your crust ahead, you can always store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. No longer!
• Not too thick or thin. Ensuring that you roll out a good enough crust is of course a must. Most go by the rule of thumb being ⅛ or so of an inch thickness or even slightly thicker. This helps your crust to the perfect thickness to carry the weight of your filling without compromising flakiness.

The Secret to Super Flaky Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties

As you can see, I’m no stranger to homemade patties, pop-tarts, or pastries of any sort. Because I’ve made them so many times, I feel like I have completely perfected the recipe. Here's my secret to a super flaky Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties:

GRATE + CUBE THE BUTTER!

Yes---I know. You might be wondering why I've stated this but it works. Since we'll be using 2 sticks in this recipe, I simply grate 1 stick of butter and cube the other. Honestly, I think that the variation in the butter pieces helps some to melt faster and settle more in the dough, which creates a beautiful flakiness like no other.

To take it a step further, you can add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients and blend it into "peas-like" pieces--leaving out the grated butter for now. Then after the dough has chilled and you've begun rolling it out until a floured surface, simply add the grated butter in, fold a few times and then roll it out. This creates butter in more than one layer which creates a heavenly crust too.

Can I Freeze These Beef Patties?

For longer storage–the patties can be stored in the freezer. After they have baked and are completely cooled, simply place your patties onto a baking sheet (spaced apart) and freeze them for 2-3 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to a ziploc bag and reheat when ready to eat! 

Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties Q + A's

Other Jamaican Recipes That I Love

Love these Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties and want more Jamaican cuisine? Here are some of my faves!

• Vegan Jamaican Powder Bowl
• Creamy Jamaican Shrimp Pasta Skillet
• Creamy Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge
• Jerk Salmon Tacos 
• Vegan Rum-Raisin Bread
• Vegan Jamaican Irish Moss
• Jamaican Chicken Soup
• Baked Jamaican Jerk Chicken Salad

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you choose to make these Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties or any other recipe from us, be sure to tag us on Instagram at #Orchidsandsweettea so that we can share the love, rate, comment below, + share!

Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties

March 8, 2022 •

By Shanika

4.78 from 22 votes

There's nothing as delicious as homemade Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties---the authentic way! A true family favorite that is easy to make, comes with amazing tips for perfection, and makes for a fun baking experience for everyone who enjoys a spicy flavor.

Prep Time: 45 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Serves: 6 Beef Patties

Units:

US Customary|Metric

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Ingredients

CRUST:

• 2 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon curry powder (For authenticity, it's great to use Jamaican curry)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup salted butter, cubed + grated (See Notes!)
• 1 cup unsweetened Almond milk, VERY cold + 2 Tbsps! (You can use whole milk or your favorite plant-based milk!)

BEEF FILLING:

• 1 lb. organic grass-fed ground beef
• 2 Tbsps Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 scallion, chopped (aka "green onions")
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers, minced (You can also use habanero peppers; reduce amount to lessen spiciness)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup organic beef stock + ¼ cup (Reduce a bit for less gravy)
• ½ teaspoon ginger powder (You can use freshly minced ginger root also)
• 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon Flavo Riz, optional (You can substitute with all-purpose seasoning!)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon browning (I love using the Grace brand)
• 1 tablespoon Jamaican hot sauce, optional (You can also use your favorite hot pepper sauce)
• ½ teaspoon beef bouillon base (optional)
• Pinch of red pepper flakes

OTHER:

• Egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon milk)

Instructions

TO MAKE THE CRUST:

• In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, curry powder, turmeric, parsley, and thyme, whisking them all together until combined.
• Add the cubed + grated butter and using a pastry blender, blend butter into dry ingredients until the mixture becomes “peas-like” and crumbly.
• Pour the cold milk mixture and stir (working it together with one hand) until the dry ingredients are moistened. NOTE: If the ingredients feels a little too dry, add 1 tablespoon of cold milk at a time, until it’s moistened BUT not too wet!
• Now, shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap and flatten it slightly and chill for at least 1 hour. NOTE: The dough will look rather light yellow in color. It will darken and become golden once baked.

MAKE THE FILLING:

• In a bowl, add the ground beef along with the seasonings: salt, black pepper, onion powder, Flavo riz (or all-purpose seasoning), smoked paprika, garlic powder, ginger powder, and red pepper flakes, mixing everything together until meat is coated in seasonings.
• In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once heated, add the minced garlic and scotch bonnet pepper until fragrant and translucent. Add the seasoned ground beef and stir until the meat begins to change color a bit. Continue to stir (and breakdown the meat with a wooden spoon) to ensure that it cooke through well and becomes small pieces. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes.
• Add in the soy sauce, beef bouillon, hot sauce, browning, beef stock, and thyme sprigs, and let the meat continue to simmer for another 20-25 minutes or until the beef is cooked through fully and brown in color (both inside and out).
• NOTE: If the beef dries out quickly, add ¼ cup of additional beef stock and 1 tablespoon of flour to create a thick-like sauce for the filling.
• Remove beef from heat and let it cool completely.

ASSEMBLY:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Once chilled, remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface, rolling it out into a large rectangle (about 3 mm thick). Cut into medium circles (I use a small saucepan cover or a large biscuit cutter---for a smaller patties), until all dough it used.
• On one half of the circular dough, lightly brush egg wash to ensure that they close together best! On the other half of the dough, add 2 Tbsps of the beef filling and carefully bend the egg wash half over the side with the beef filling (creating a half moon shape). Gently press the edges down and using a fork, carefully “crimp” around the edges and place patty onto the baking sheet. Repeat until all patties are made.
• Lightly brush all the patties with remaining egg wash and bake in the oven 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and the crust looks crispy.
• Once done, remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes (10 minutes or so).
• Bon Appetit!

Tips & Tricks

• STORAGE: Leftover patties can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To serve warm, heat in the microwave, or flat in a toaster oven. 
• FREEZE: For longer storage–the patties can be stored in the freezer. After they have baked and are completely cooled, simply place your patties onto a baking sheet (spaced apart) and freeze them for 2-3 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to a zip loc bag and reheat when ready to eat! 
• TURMERIC: While adding turmeric is optional, it definitely has benefits: powerful medicinal properties, natural anti-inflammatory ingredient, increases antioxidant activity in the body, and more.
• FOOD PROCESSOR FOR CRUST: If using a food processor to incorporate milk to flour/butter mixture, ONLY ADD ¼ cup of milk AT A TIME to your dough, keeping it on “pulse” to avoid the dough from breaking down too much and it becoming “watery”. With this method, you may not need the entire 1 cup of almond milk.
• GRATED + CUBED BUTTER: To create a beautifully crumbly and flaky crust, I suggest grating 1 stick of butter and cutting the second stick into cubes. To grate your butter, add the 1 stick to a freezer for 15 minutes. Remove from freezer and using a grater, grate into pieces. 
• SALTED VS. UNSALTED BUTTER: You can always substitute the salted butter with unsalted butter. When doing so, just add ½ teaspoon salt to dry ingredients for crust.

Nutrition

Calories: 698kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 1260mg | Potassium: 418mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1258IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 6mg

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