These mini Jamaican beef patties are the perfect bite-sized take on the classic. They’re flaky, flavorful, and great for serving at gatherings or parties. I especially love them for events with lots of finger foods, like cocktail parties, game nights, or holiday get togethers!
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Grate your butter for flaky beef patties
A beef patty isn’t a true beef patty unless it’s super flaky and leaves a ton of crumbs on your shirt. If you know, you know. To get that perfect level of flakiness, grating cold butter into the dough helps create thin, even layers that melt into the pastry as it bakes. It makes all the difference, so don’t skip this step!
Use a food processor for the filling
A food processor is essential for getting the meat filling nice and smooth! Traditional beef patties have a finely textured filling, and this step helps achieve that classic consistency. It makes the filling easier to work with and gives you that perfect bite every time. Trust me, it’s worth it.
How to fold beef patties
- Take one of the four dough pieces and roll it out into a ¼-inch thick rectangle. Scoop three scoops of filling along one side, spacing them evenly lengthwise.
- Fold the dough over the filling and press down on the edges to seal everything in. Use a knife to trim and round the edges for that classic beef patty look, then press the edges with a fork to lock in all that goodness.
- Place the patties on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes (or 20 minutes if frozen). Let them cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!
Bake right away or from frozen
You can bake these patties right away for a fresh, flaky snack or freeze them for later. If baking immediately, pop them in the oven at 400°F for 15 minutes until golden and crisp. No need to thaw if you’re baking from frozen, just bake at 400°F for 20 minutes and they’ll come out just as fresh and delicious!
Mini Jamaican Beef Patties
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp annatto powder or turmeric
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) cold butter grated
- ¾ cup cold water
Filling
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 scallions chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 scotch bonnet peppers (deseeded) chopped
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- ¼ red onion chopped
- ¼ green bell pepper chopped
- 2 tsp ketchup
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- ¼ tsp curry powder
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
Dough
- In a large bowl, mix flour, curry powder, sugar, salt, and annatto until combined. Add ¼ cup (½ stick) of butter and mix it into the flour using your hands until fully incorporated. Slowly add cold water while mixing, then knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour.
- Roll the dough out into a large rectangle on a floured surface and spread ¼ cup (½ stick) of butter evenly over the center of the dough. Fold one side of the dough over the butter so that it covers the center, then take the opposite side and fold it over the first fold, like folding a letter into thirds.
- Roll the dough out again into a large rectangle and add another ¼ cup (½ stick) of butter over the center. Repeat the same folding process by bringing one side over the butter, then folding the other side on top.
- Roll it out into a rectangle one last time, then cut the dough into four equal pieces, wrap, and refrigerate while preparing the filling.
Filling
- Cook the ground beef in a pan over medium heat until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add olive oil, scallions, garlic, thyme, scotch bonnet peppers, ginger, red onion, and green bell pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the cooked beef back to the pan, then stir in ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, curry powder, and allspice. Cook for another 5 minutes until well combined and slightly caramelized.
- In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and water to create a slurry. Pour the slurry over the beef mixture, stirring continuously, and cook for about 2 minutes until the filling thickens.
- Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor and pulse a few times until smooth but still slightly textured. Set aside.
Assembly
- Take one of the four pieces of dough and roll it out into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Add three scoops of filling along one side of the dough, placing them lengthwise.
- Fold the dough over the filling, covering it completely, and press down on the edges to seal. Use a knife to trim the edges and round them out for the classic shape. Press the edges with a fork to fully seal the patties.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. If baking from frozen, bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Let cool before serving and enjoy!
2 Responses
They taste great but have concerning ingredients
f***** great