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Overhead shot of Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties on parchment paper
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4.85 from 20 votes

Spicy Jamaican Beef Patties

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 Time45 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Chill Time:1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Keyword: appetizer, baked, beef, caribbean, classic, easy, food, healthy, homemade, indulge, Jamaican, lunch, recipe, savory, spicy, traditional
Servings: 6 Beef Patties
Calories: 698kcal
Author: Shanika

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!

Notes

  • 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