Jamaican Beef Patties (2024)

These Jamaican Beef Patties feature a delicious and flavorful beef filling covered with a perfectly flaky pastry with that classic yellow color! Not only are they incredibly tasty in every bite, but they’re also super easy to make and always look impressive!

Jamaican Beef Patties are flaky patties filled with Jamaican-flavored beef filling with the perfect Caribbean flavor. What’s best is that these little snacks are baked not fried, making this the ideal comfort food that you can enjoy without any guilt!

The spices in the filling have a kick to them without being overwhelming, making them perfect for the family. The dough has a classic yellow color thanks to the turmeric powder that’s used in it. The flavors are delicious, and you’re going to absolutely love it!

🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED

These Jamaican Beef Patties are incredibly easy to make, and you only need some simple ingredients to whip them right up.

You can scroll down to the recipe card for further details and instructions.

Curry powder: We’ll use curry powder for the dough to get that classic yellow color. Curry powder is a spice blend. See if you can get your hands on the Jamaican version. Otherwise, the Indian curry powder will also work well for this recipe. The yellow color comes from turmeric in the blend.

Butter: You’ll use chilled butter cubes in the dough, making the patties buttery and perfectly flaky! Make sure it’s chilled, so the butter doesn’t melt immediately.

Beef: We’ll also need some ground beef to make our Jamaican Beef Patties! I’ve used lean ground beef here, and it gave me perfectly juicy patties that weren’t too greasy, either.

Peppers: We’ll use scotch bonnet chiles in this recipe for the filling to get that quintessential Jamaican flavor. In case you can’t find these anywhere, check the variation section down below for some ideas on what else you can use.

🔪 HOW TO MAKE

Not only are these Jamaican patties easy to make, but they’re really rewarding too.

The full instructions are in the recipe card below, but let's look at the main steps to making this treat.

Step 1:

Let’s start by cooking our filling. Brown meat in a pan without oil and set it aside. Then sauté onions in olive oil, add garlic, spring onion, and chilis.

Step 2:

Add the browned meat to the pan and add the spices and ketchup. Pour broth on top and cook until around two tablespoons of liquid are left. Set it aside.

Step 3:

Time to make the pastry crust! Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and butter and rub them together until they look like coarse crumbs. Then add water to it and let the dough come together but don’t knead it. Form a disc and refrigerate for 40 minutes.

Step 4:

Roll out the dough to 12 by 14 inches. Fold the right and left corners of the dough to the center, then fold the top and bottom parts to the center; you should have a square dough. Roll out the dough again and trim the edges to make a 12” by 14” rectangle. Keep the trimmed edges.

Step 5:

Cut the rectangle into six smaller ones. Form a seventh patty from the previously trimmed edges. Fill each pastry with beef filling and fold the crust in half. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal and bake them in the oven at 350F/180C for 25 to 30 minutes.

Your delicious Jamaican Beef Patties are ready to be served!

💭 COOKING TIPS

• For less heat, deseed the peppers.
• Do not knead the dough. If you knead, it will not come out flaky.
• Also, ensure the butter is nicely chilled to get the best texture in your pastry crust.
• Try to find Jamaican curry powder for the perfect flavor, but in case you can’t, Indian curry powder will work as well.
• Egg wash is made of one beaten egg mixed with one to two tablespoons of water.

📖 DELICIOUS VARIATIONS

These Jamaican Beef Patties are absolutely perfect and classic as is, but if you’re looking to add some variation to them, here are some great ideas to try:

Filling variation: Although beef filling is the most common and popular for Jamaican Patties, you can also make chicken or curry vegetables instead for some filling variation.

Pepper variation: If you can’t find Scotch Bonnet chilies anywhere, you can go for some habanero peppers instead.

Shape variation: These Jamaican Beef Pattie pockets are classic and easy to make, but if you want to change things up, you can also shape them into half-moon crescents.

💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

🍲 MORE BEEF RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE

🌡️ STORING AND REHEATING

Fridge: You can store leftover patties in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freezer: To freeze these patties, layer them in a single layer divided by parchment paper if you’re stacking them, and freeze them for up to 3 months.

Reheat: Let the patties thaw in the fridge overnight, and then reheat them in the oven or toaster oven before serving them.

📖 Recipe