Jamaican Beef Patties

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Chill: 40 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Yield: 10 to 12 patties

Jamaican beef patties ​are a classic comfort food found in many varieties—everywhere on the island in food shacks, snackettes, and canteens—very similar in shape and color but with different fillings. Our recipe for these flavorful bites, comparable to an empanada, is the classic formula of a flaky pastry filled with fragrant seasoned beef.

These pastries arrived in the U.K and in the U.S with Jamaican immigrants and were quickly adapted to the ingredients at hand to the delight of locals. The traditional preparation survives, having been passed on from one generation to the next. While beef is the utmost classic, there are patties stuffed with chicken, cheese, pork, lamb, seafood, or ackee.

Make this delicious Jamaican treat and serve it as a snack or light dinner. Although a little spicy, you can adjust the flavors to suit your palate, adding more or less spice depending on your preference. To serve, try the Jamaican way, carb-loading your meal by sandwiching a patty in coco bread—a yeasted bun that contains no cocoa or coconut despite its name. Serve with hot sauce on the side and wash it down with an ice-cold beer or a cold fruit drink.

Jamaican Beef Patties

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

"As a kid I used to love having a beef patty as a snack, so this recipe brings back a lot of memories! I love how flaky the crust is in this recipe, and isn't that is the best part of any patty? Definitely worth the time to make this beautiful savory snack! " —Kiana Rollins

Jamaican Beef Patty/tester image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Pastry Dough:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, or curry powder

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 1/4 cups cold vegetable shortening

  • 1 cup ice water, more if needed

For the Filling:

  • 2 pounds ground beef

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 cup diced onions

  • Minced chili pepper, to taste, optional

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • 2 tablespoons ketchup

  • 2 cups water, or broth

  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts

For the Assembly:

  • All-purpose flour, for the work surface

  • 1 tablespoon water, more as needed

  • 1 large egg

Steps to Make It

Make the Pastry Dough

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    pattie dough ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a large bowl, add the flour, turmeric, salt, and vegetable shortening. Rub the shortening into the flour using your fingers until there are tiny pieces of shortening completely covered with flour and it has a sandy texture.

    flour, turmeric, salt, and vegetable shortening in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Pour in 1/2 cup of the ice water and mix with your hands to bring the dough together. Keep adding ice water 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time until the mixture forms a smooth dough.

    dough in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Cut the dough into 2 large pieces. Wrap each and refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes. Alternatively, before refrigerating, divide the dough into 10 to 12 individual pieces—use a food scale if you want them to be the same size.

    dough balls wrapped in plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Make the Filling

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    filling ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Place the beef in a large bowl. Add the pepper and allspice. Mix together and set aside.

    ground beef in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onions and sauté until translucent.

    onions cooking in a skillet

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Add the chili, if using, thyme, and garlic. Continue to sauté for another minute. Season with salt to taste.

    spices added to the onions in the pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Add the ground beef to the pan and stir to mix, breaking up any large clumps. Let cook until the meat is no longer pink.

    beef cooking in a skillet

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Add the ketchup. Adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Pour in the water or broth, stirring to combine.

    seasoned beef with water in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated and whatever is remaining has reduced to a thick sauce.

    beef cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Fold in the green onions. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

    add onions to the beef mixture in the pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Assemble the Patties

  1. Position 2 racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and heat to 350 F. Generously flour the work surface. Unwrap 1 of the pieces of dough and roll it out into a very large circle.

    rolled out patties dough

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Cut out 3 circles with a bowl or dish of approximately 5 inches in diameter. If you divided the dough into 10 to 12 small balls, roll them all out into a circle of approximately 5 inches in diameter.

    cut out round pieces of dough with a round form

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Place about 3 heaping tablespoons of the filling onto one half of each circle. Dip a finger into a bit of water and moisten the edges of the pastry.

    filling on top of dough, edges of dough brushed with water

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Fold over the other half and press to seal. With a fork, crimp the edges to close. Cut off any extra to give the patties a uniform look.

    patties sealed with a fork

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Place the finished patties on two parchment-lined baking sheets and continue to work until you have rolled out all of the dough and used all of the beef. Place in the fridge until ready to bake.

    beef patties on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Just before baking, beat the egg and the remaining 1 tablespoon of water together to make an egg wash. Brush the assembled patties with egg wash.

    beef patties brushed with egg wash

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Bake patties until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes, flipping baking sheets in the oven halfway through cooking. Cool on wire racks. Enjoy warm.

    baked Jamaican Beef Patties on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

How to Seal Pastry

Here are two ways of sealing the patties to make them look beautiful:

  • To create an edge using a fork, simply press down on the edge, using the tines of a fork. This seals the dough together and adds a homey decorative pattern around the edges. This is a great method if you are looking to get kids involved.
  • To create a ropelike crimp when closing up the patties, pinch the pie crust gently between your thumb and index finger, doing so at an angle and gently pulling up the outer edge of the dough with each pinch. The effect should look like the edges of a rope running all the way around the crust.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
597 Calories
38g Fat
37g Carbs
26g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 597
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g 48%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Cholesterol 95mg 32%
Sodium 288mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 26g
Vitamin C 8mg 39%
Calcium 44mg 3%
Iron 5mg 25%
Potassium 415mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)