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Caribbean

Jamaican Beef Patties

Flaky Jamaican beef patties with turmeric pastry and a spiced beef filling.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 1 September 2026Updated

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Jamaican Beef Patties

1 hr 5 mintotal

55 min hands-on10 min hands-off

Prep 30 min · Cook 25 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Medium
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Oven, Stovetop.

The pastry rests for about 10 minutes while the beef filling cools enough to seal inside the patties.

Method

  1. Mix All-Purpose Flour, Ground Turmeric, and 0.25 tsp Salt in a bowl.

  2. Rub in the cold Butter until the mixture looks crumbly, then add cold Water little by little to form a firm pastry dough.

  3. Cover the dough and let it rest while you prepare the filling.

  4. Heat Cooking Oil in a pan and cook Onion, Garlic, and Scotch Bonnet Pepper for 2 minutes.

    2 min

  5. Add Ground Beef, Curry Powder, Thyme, Ground Black Pepper, and the remaining Salt, then cook until the beef browns.

  6. Stir in Beef Stock and Breadcrumbs, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the filling is moist but not wet.

    3–4 min

  7. Preheat the oven to 190°C and divide the pastry into four rounds.

  8. Fill each pastry round with beef filling, fold into a half-moon, and seal the edges.

  9. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the patties are golden and flaky.

    18–22 min

How to tell it's done

The pastry should be flaky and yellow-golden, with a moist, spiced beef filling inside.

Getting it right

Tip

Cool the beef filling slightly before sealing the patties so the pastry stays flaky.

What to serve it with

Serve warm as a snack or with a simple cabbage salad for a light meal.

Common mistakes

The patties leak or the pastry turns greasy.
Cool the filling until warm, not hot, and seal the edges firmly. Wet or hot filling melts the butter in the pastry before baking.

Substitutions

  • Scotch Bonnet Pepper — Use Habanero Pepper if needed, but use a small amount to control heat.
  • Ground Beef — Use minced mutton only as a practical substitute, noting it will not be a classic Jamaican beef patty.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate baked beef patties for up to 3 days and reheat in the oven until hot and crisp. They freeze well for up to 2 months; reheat from thawed or frozen in the oven.