If you are like most folks, you love going into your fave neighborhood spot to grab authentic Jamaican beef patties. I’m hoping to entice you to try making them at the crib. I love these seriously so much that I think they are worth the extra time and effort. The pastry is buttery and flaky. And that filling? Crazy flavorful. It’s a curry spiced beef potato filling that I sometimes just spoon onto a plate and call dinner. It slaps so hard. Thank you to my boo April of Whisk it Real Gud for sharing this with me.
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How to Make Jamaican Beef Patties
Step 1: In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, ketchup, beef base, and water; set aside. Lightly smash the potatoes and season with salt and pepper; set aside. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. (For a finer texture, pulse cooled beef in a food processor.) Drain, leaving 2–3 tbsp fat in the skillet. Sauté peppers and onions for 2–3 minutes, then add garlic. Increase heat to medium-high, return beef to the skillet, and stir in the sauce, seasonings, and panko. Cook for a few minutes, then set aside to cool.
Step 2: Add 1 tbsp smashed potatoes and 2–2.5 tbsp beef filling to the center of each dough circle (you will have already made your dough), leaving space around the edges. Brush edges with egg wash. Fold dough over, gently adjusting filling if needed, and seal with a fork. Brush tops and edges with egg wash. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or overnight.
Step 3: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the shell is hard and not soft. Serve once they’ve cooled off some.
Jamaican Beef Patties Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Pastry
- 2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp curry powder add less if you like
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter diced into cubes
- 1/4 cup cold shortening
- 1/3 cup iced cold water plus 2 extra tbsp
For the Beef Filling
- 1 3/4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp beef bouillon I used Better Than Bouillion
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp water
- 2 cups russet potatoes peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes then boiled until tender in salted water
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef 85% lean or less
- 1 scotch pepper sliced into a couple or few strips
- 3/4 cup red onions diced
- 1/4 cup green onions
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 3/4 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground thyme
- Tiny pinch of allspice very tiny pinch
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 cup panko unseasoned crumbs
- 1 large egg beaten
Instructions
For the Pastry
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, curry powder salt and sugar. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the diced cold butter and shortening, until the mixture resembles crumbles the size of peas. Add the iced cold water until the dough is no longer crumbly and the dough has formed. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes, up to an hour or preferably overnight.
- Cut the pastry into 8 equal parts. Flatten each part into a 6-inch circles. These patties do not have to look perfect but if you must, use a bowl to make a perfect circle. See note below.
For the Beef Filling
- In a small bowl, add the soy sauce, ketchup, beef base and water. Mix well. Set to the side.
- Smash the potatoes but not so much that it turns into mashed potatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Set to the side.
- In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add ground beef chopping the beef with spoon as it cooks. You don’t want big chunks of ground beef. Cook beef until it’s browned. To make the filling look more authentic you can put the cooked cooled beef in a food processor and process until the meat is finely minced.
- Drain most of the liquid and leave only 2-3 tablespoons of fat in the skillet. Remove the beef and set to the side. Add the peppers, green and red onions. Sauté until the onions have softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant. Set stove to medium-high heat. Return beef to the skillet. Add the liquid beef base mixture, seasonings and panko breadcrumbs. Mix well. Let it cook for a few minutes. Set to the side to cool.
- Add one tablespoon of the smashed potatoes to the center of the dough. Next, add 2-2.5 tablespoons of beef filling to the center of each circle of dough, leaving some room free around the edges. Brush a bit of egg wash around the edges of the dough.
- Take one side of the dough and carefully fold it over to the other side. You may need to gently pat the beef filling down and move it off center some. Using the tinges of a fork press down on the dough to seal it. Brush the top and the edges of each patty with egg. Place patties on a baking sheet and freeze for about 45 minutes to an hour, or overnight. See notes below.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the shell is hard and not soft. Serve once they’ve cooled off some.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Nailing the yellow dough: For the authentic yellow color patty dough, use turmeric power but I personally prefer the flavor of curry. Feel free to use either one or use a combination of the two.
- Quality curry powder: I strongly suggest you use authentic Jamaican curry powder. You can find it on Amazon or maybe at your local international supermarket. I like to use Betapac authentic Curry. You can find it on Amazon.
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Recipe Help
Okay, so depending on where you live, you may not have access to scotch bonnet peppers. If that’s the case, try an international market or check Amazon. You can also find fresh scotch bonnet peppers on Etsy. A habanero pepper works in a pinch, although it’s best to use the real thing.
As long as the beef is cooked, yes you can! If you want to make a big batch you can easily freeze them. Make room in your freezer, place each uncooked patty on a sheet pan. Pop it in the freezer, wrap each patty in aluminum foil and place them in a large Ziploc bag. When you’re ready to bake them, place them on a sheet pan and bake until golden.
More Jamaican Recipes
- Oxtails
- Rice and Peas
- Jerk Chicken
- Brown Stew Chicken
- Saltfish and Ackee
- Saltfish Fritters
- Curry Goat
- Jamaican Black Cake
- Rum Cake
Thank you so much to April from Whisk It Real Gud for sharing this incredible recipe with my audience!
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Steve don’t get upset with Maria but beef patties don’t have potatoes and Panko
These are delicious, I followed GrandBaby’s recipe, so easy and sooo good. Like the fact I can freeze them too. I think Steve was just pointing out that Marie could have shared her view without it being rude, I read her view as rude too. None the less, this is a great recipient, even with the non traditional adds.
Thank you so much for the kindness and for trying the recipe! I’m really glad you enjoyed them and yes, they freeze beautifully which is such a win. I appreciate you sharing your experience, and I agree, conversations about food can be passionate without being unkind. Thanks again for the love and for being here!
When baking the frozen patties – do you bake with foil closed or do you put pattie on a baking sheet without foil for the 25-30mins at 375* ?
thank you
Without foil
I am a Jamaican born, I should have paid attention when my mother and oldest sister was making BEEF PATTIES. That’s the only Jamaican dish I want to make on my own so badly. Since, I have the recipe now. I am going to rumble in the kitchen. Oh, I forgot one more Jamaican dish. RUM CAKE, and the Jamaican icing. Everything else, this RETIRED ARMY CHEF can make of my JAMAICAN FOODS.
So many flavors I can practically smell all those delicious aromas from my computer! Excited to give these a try for dinner; looks too good to pass up!
As someone from Toronto, Jamaican beef patties are a STAPLE! I have never even thought to venture into making them at home, but this recipe makes them accessible! Thank you so much!
All the spices add such delicious flavor to these beef patties! This is such a wonderful dinner and I love how I can make it in advance!
I am loving everything about these patties and that they are freezer friendly! So delicious!
I’ve bought these from the store before but I’m so excited to make them myself from scratch! I can already tell they’re going to be packed with flavor – excited!
Hello Jocelyn/ Grandbaby,
Thank you for all you do. However, as a Jamaican Born, not even our Cocktail Cocktail Jamaican Patties look like yours.
Some of your Ingredients Potatoes, Tumeric, etc are NEVER used. These are YOUR twists and ingredients.
With all due respect, PLEASE! Let OUR JAMAICAN ORIGINAL recipies stay how they have been from before My Birth to present.
These patties looks delicious
Then tell us how to do it right instead of just pointing out mistakes. Almost hard to believe you’re a true Jamaican.