Jamaican Beef Patty

About This Recipe

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.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 400 gplain flour
• 2 tspturmeric
• 1 tspsalt
• 150 gcold butter(cubed)
• 80 mlcold water
• 500 gground beef
• 1 largeonion(finely chopped)
• 1scotch bonnet(finely chopped, seeds optional)
• 3 sprigsfresh thyme
• 1 tspallspice
• 1 tsppaprika
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 1 tbspbreadcrumbs
• 1egg(beaten, for glaze)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make pastry

   Mix flour, turmeric and salt. Rub in cold butter until breadcrumb texture. Add cold water and bring together. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Make filling

   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.

3. 3

   Roll and cut

   Roll pastry to 3mm. Cut into circles using a large round cutter or plate, about 16 cm diameter.

4. 4

   Fill and seal

   Place 3 tbsp filling on one half of each circle. Fold over and press edges firmly. Crimp with a fork to seal.

5. 5

   Bake

   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.

Variations

• •

  Use chicken or vegetable (curry potato) filling for variations.

• •

  Eat with a coco bread (a sweet, slightly doughy bun) as a complete Jamaican snack.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate for 3 days. Reheat in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes. Freeze baked patties for 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions