Jamaican Beef Patties

As a Caribbean native, hot patties are the quintessential breakfast, lunch or dinner. A crisp flaky crust accompanied by a seasoned ground meat or vegetable, combined with aromatic herbs and spices. It's variation and versatility is what has allowed it to consistently gain attraction among locals and visitors alike.

a savoury curried ground beef filled pastry with as much heat as it does flavor.

Grab an Apron & Let's Get Started!

beef patties 101

Dough: A traditional hot patty tucks flavorful ground meat into a delicate pastry dough, known for its vibrant yellow hue. In order to achieve that signature flaky crust, it is super important that all ingredients for the crust are cold! From the butter to the water, make sure you are using cold ingredients. It is also crucial that you work very quickly.

Some patty doughs also feature margarine, shortening or "beef suet" as opposed to butter.

Filling: The savoury filling found inside of these "turnover-like" pastries is composed of the ground meat of your choice, fragrant aromatics and spices. Arguably the most ingredients to be found within our filling is the curry powder and the Scotch Bonnet or Goat Pepper (as it's known here in the Bahamas).

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How to Make:

Jamaican beef patties

Yield: 6 patties

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

For Dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tbsp Badia Amarillo Yellow Coloring Powder or turmeric powder

• 1 cup unsalted-butter *cold & cubed

• 1/3 cup cold water

For Filling:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 3 scallions

• 1/2 read bell pepper

• 2 cloves garlic

• 3 sprigs of thyme

• 1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp curry powder

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 onion powder

• 1/4 tsp Scotch Bonnet or Goat Pepper

• 1/4 cup beef broth or chicken broth

• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs *optional

Before the Oven:

• egg wash = 1 egg + 2 tbsp water

Quick Tip: If you are preparing ground turkey, utilize chicken broth. If you choose to prepare ground beef, feel free to use beef broth.

instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, granulated sugar, baking powder and Amarillo Powder or curry powder.

2. Cut in cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs using a dough cutter or fork. Your goal is to keep everything cold without overworking it.

3. Stir in cold water until mixture forms a ball. Shape dough into a ball, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place into the fridge for 20 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400º.

5. In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Saute scallions, red bell peppers, garlic and thyme until soft and translucent.

6. Stir in ground turkey or beef. Season with salt, black pepper, curry powder, garlic powder, onion powder and goat pepper. Cook until meat is evenly brown, about 5-7 minutes. *Don't forget to taste!

7. Stir in broth, simmer until liquid has reduced. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. *Quick Tip: If there is an excess of broth in your pan, add breadcrumbs until liquid is fully absorbed. If there isn't, feel free to omit them.

8. Pull dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough to 1/4" thick. Cut dough into 6 equal rectangles.

9. Spoon equal amounts of filling onto one side of each rectangle. Fold over and press edges together. Use a fork to press edges. To get those signature curved edges, run a pizza cutter along the ends of the patties. Continue until all of the patties are complete.

10. Brush the top of each patty with an egg wash and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, greased with non-stick spray.

11. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Cool & Enjoy!