Jamaican Beef Patties are very popular in Jamaica and the Caribbean islands.
A famous local street food snack or a delicious food that can be served on the table of your friendly Jamaican neighbor.
They are a must taste – food for anyone that is traveling trough. Also for anyone period.
However for those that never had the chance to pass through Jamaica, there is some good news, you can make recipe yourself, and it is not very hard.
It will take you roughly one hour, half an hour to prepare and half to bake.
Also, you won’t need any special equipment and all the ingredients can be found at the closest supermarket.
They are the perfect choice if you enjoy spicy food and you also want to try something new.
Great for lunch and dinner, and the perfect snack at a house party.
Your friends will be fighting over who gets to eat the last one and asking desperately for more.
They are also constantly reviewed 5 stars by multiple people across multiple websites for one simple reason… they are simply delicious!
Jamaican Beef Patties Recipe in 3 steps
These take roughly 70 minutes to make, 40 minutes preparation to make and 30 minutes to bake.
By following these ingredient dosages you will get 10 to 12 servings. Each serving will net around 425 calories and out of those 33g are fat, only 9g carbohydrates and 23g protein.
Naturally these are estimates and depending on the size of the patties the actual calorie count can differ slightly.
Ingredients you will need:

Jamaican Beef Patties Recipe
Ingredients
- #For the Pastry Dough:
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp curry
- 9 ounces / 255 gr. Vegetable shortening
- 1 cup
cold water
- 4 cup flour (all purpose)
- #For the Filling:
- 1 tbsp ground allspice (Jamaica pepper / pimenta)
- 1 tbsp black pepper (can add more based on your preference)
- 2 tbsp
minced garlic
- ¼ tbsp salt (can add more based on your preference)
- 1 cup onions (already diced)
- 2 cups
water
- ½ cup
green onions (diced, sliced, all parts)
- 2 tbsp
vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp
thyme (fresh and minced)
- 1 tbsp ketchup (tomato sauce)
#Extra:
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Oven and preheat to 370 F or 190 C
Video
Preparation
The preparation of the Jamaican beef patties recipe will be in 3 steps.
First we will make the Dough, then the filling and lastly we will assemble the patties and let them bake.
And don't worry, you won't need a food processor!
Step 1: How to make the Dough
Get all the ingredients from the first list and one big bowl. Next you need to add the salt, curry and flour and start mixing.
Now add shortening in the bowl and keep mixing until the small pieces of it get fully covered with flour.
The next step is to add half a cup of the cold water and start mixing, after a while introduce the remaining ½ cup cold water bit by bit while mixing until you get a homogeneous dough.
Tip: Now is your chance to freeze some of the dough for latter.
You can keep it in the freezer for around 4 weeks.
Also, it might be smart to make some extra dough for the freezer along with the dough you will use right now.
Now, the only thing left to do is cut the dough in 12 slices and let them rest for around 30 minutes while preparing the filling.
Step 2: How to make the Filling
Once you have all the ingredients prepared, get a large bowl and add the ground beef and spice it up with black pepper and allspice.
Now put the oil in a skillet and wait until it is hot, next add the onions and fry until they become almost transparent.
Next step is to add the hot pepper, thyme, salt and garlic while continuing to fry for 45-75 seconds.
After this add the previously prepared ground beef and mix it up well while cooking, you will know the meat is ready when it changes color.
Now add the ketchup, salt (if you prefer more) and 2 cups of water and keep string while the liquids boil and slowly evaporate.
Do so until you are left with a thick sauce.
Lastly throw in the green onions, mix and remove from heat and let the filling cool down for few minutes.
Step 3: How to Assemble and Bake the Patties
Filing the patties is pretty straightforward. Get one of the 12 pieces and roll it into a circle, put 2-3 table spoons of filling in the middle, fold in half and press down with a fork to seal the edge of the dough.
Lastly cut away any excesses to make it look nice and symmetrical.
Repeat 11 more times and after you are done, arrange on a pan with baking paper and make sure that you have at least an inch of space in between them to prevent sticking.
Baking:
Turn on the oven and preheat to 370 F or 190 C.
Tip: You can keep the pan with patties in the fridge while waiting for the oven to reach the desired temperature, the cold will keep them sealed better.
Also, while waiting, make egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 15ml of water, creme or milk.
Use it to brush over the filled dough right before you pop them into the oven, this will make them shine and also help with keeping them sealed better.
Now let them bake for ~30 minutes and wait for them to turn golden brown.
Take them out of the oven, let them cool down for about 5-10 minutes.
They are now ready to serve, we recommend rice, salad and a cold beer on the side.
Some people recommended to double down on the spicy sauces to get a “more authentic vibe”, but it all depends on what your taste buds can tolerate and enjoy.
Feel free to let us know how your Jamaican beef patties recipe turned out and how much did you enjoy making them by using the comment section below or contact us directly via email.
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