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Jamaican Beef Patties
4.8 from 189 votes

Jamaican Beef Patties

Jamaican beef patties feature a spiced ground beef filling encased in a flaky, curry-flavored pastry dough. The filling is cooked with aromatic ingredients including Scotch bonnet chile, curry powder, allspice, and thyme, delivering a savory and warmly spiced taste. The dough is enriched with cold butter and curry powder, rolled out, filled with the cooled beef mixture, then folded and baked to a golden crisp. These handheld pastries are intended to be eaten plain, showcasing the bold and comforting flavors of Jamaican cuisine.

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 45 mins
Servings: 16 patties
Calories: 270 kcal
Course: Appetizer, Snacks
Cuisine: Jamaican, Caribbean

Ingredients

Filling:
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion chopped, medium
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Scotch bonnet chile stemmed, seeded, and minced (wear gloves!, or habanero chile
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder (preferably Jamaican)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons thyme dried
  • ¾ teaspoon ground allspice (preferably Jamaican)
  • 1 ½ pounds ground beef 680 grams
  • ¾ cup breadcrumbs dried, 100 grams
  • ¾ cup beef broth or water
Dough:
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder (preferably Jamaican)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 ounces butter cut into small pieces, cold, unsalted, 1 ½ sticks / 170 grams
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons water or as needed, cold
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. To make the filling: heat the oil in a large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, chile, curry powder, salt, thyme, and allspice, and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
  2. Add the ground beef and use the edge of a wooden spoon to break it into pieces. Continue to cook until all the beef is cooked through, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn or stick, another 5 minutes or so.
  3. Add the breadcrumbs, stirring to combine, then add the broth or water and mix until absorbed. Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool completely.
  4. To make the dough: stir together the flour, curry powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the cold butter pieces and coat with the flour mixture. Using your fingers, or a pastry blender if you have one, cut the butter into the flour mixture, working quickly until mostly pea-size pieces of butter remain (a few larger pieces are okay; be careful not to overblend). If using your fingers, just rub the mixture together, but don’t overwork the mixture or the butter will get too warm and soften too much.
  5. Sprinkle in about ½ cup of the cold water and gently mix it into the flour with your fingers or a plastic bowl scraper or spatula. Do not overwork the dough. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of water, or more as needed until the dough just comes together into a ball, but isn't too wet or sticky.
  6. Divide the dough into 16 pieces, each weighing approximately 1 ½ ounces or 43 grams. Roll each ball between your palms to smooth it out. Arrange the balls on a small tray or large plate and refrigerate for about 10 to 15 minutes so they aren't too soft for rolling out.
  7. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
  8. One at a time, place a ball of dough on a lightly floured surface, press your palm into a ball of dough to begin to flatten it, then use a rolling pin to roll it out evenly into circle about 5-inches in diameter. They may not be perfect circles, but that’s ok.
  9. Add a packed ¼ cup of filling to the dough circle, offset so it covers about one half of the circle with about ½ inch border around the edge. It will seem like a lot of filling, but you can press and compact the filling a bit to make sure you fill it generously. Fold over the dough and pinch the edges to enclose the filling. Use the tines of a fork to press along the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
  10. Place the sealed beef patties onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, then chill the sheets in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to help set the dough (it will bake up flakier if you don’t skip this step).
  11. Evenly brush the tops of the patties with the egg wash, and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom partway through baking, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Store leftover patties in an airtight container refrigerated up to 5 days, reheating in an oven or toaster oven to refresh texture.
  • Freeze patties individually before transferring to freezer bags; keep up to 3 months and thaw overnight in refrigerator before baking to crisp.
  • Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric to dough for a brighter yellow color alongside the curry powder.
  • Roll out few dough balls at a time to keep dough cold and workable, especially on warm days.
  • Jamaican beef patties are traditionally served plain without sauces or dips.
  • To make mini patties, divide dough and filling into small portions and bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating pans halfway.
  • Recipe uses kosher salt; reduce quantity if substituting with saltier table salt.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1patty Calories 270kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 25g (8%) Protein 12g (24%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 49mg (16%) Sodium 204mg (9%) Potassium 69mg (1%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 1g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16 patties

Amount Per Serving

Calories 270

% Daily Value*

Serving 1patty
Calories 270kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 25g 8%
Protein 12g 24%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 49mg 16%
Sodium 204mg 9%
Potassium 69mg 1%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 1g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.