Flaky golden turmeric pastry filled with spiced ground beef — Jamaica's most iconic snack.
The Jamaican beef patty is one of the Caribbean's most beloved foods — a half-moon pastry with a flaky, turmeric-yellow crust encasing a fiery filling of seasoned ground beef with scotch bonnet, thyme and allspice. They are sold from patty shops across Jamaica and wherever Jamaican communities exist worldwide. Often eaten stuffed inside a coco bread, they are a complete, portable meal.
Serves 8
Mix flour, turmeric and salt. Rub in cold butter until breadcrumb texture. Add cold water and bring together. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Fry onion and scotch bonnet until soft. Add beef and cook until browned. Add thyme, allspice, paprika, pepper and breadcrumbs. Cook 10 minutes until filling is thick and well-seasoned. Cool.
Roll pastry to 3mm. Cut into circles using a large round cutter or plate, about 16 cm diameter.
Place 3 tbsp filling on one half of each circle. Fold over and press edges firmly. Crimp with a fork to seal.
Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 200°C for 20–25 minutes until deep golden. The pastry should be flaky and the turmeric crust intensely yellow.
Keep the pastry very cold until baking — warmth melts the butter and loses the flakiness.
The filling must be completely cooled before filling or it steams the pastry from inside.
Crimp firmly — any gap lets the filling escape.
Use chicken or vegetable (curry potato) filling for variations.
Eat with a coco bread (a sweet, slightly doughy bun) as a complete Jamaican snack.
Refrigerate for 3 days. Reheat in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes. Freeze baked patties for 2 months.
Jamaican beef patties evolved from British hand pies combined with Indian and West African spicing traditions. The turmeric crust reflects Indian-Jamaican cultural exchange during the colonial period. They became Jamaica's national snack in the 20th century.
Turmeric is added to the pastry to give it the signature bright yellow colour. This is one of the defining characteristics of a Jamaican beef patty.
Per serving · 8 servings total
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