This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Living on the East Coast my entire life, I know what good Jamaican beef patties look and taste like. It starts with a rich, flavorful beef filling that’s smooth, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. Then there’s the crust—flaky, buttery, and golden, practically melting in your mouth. Together, it’s an irresistible handheld masterpiece that hits every time.
If you like other Jamacian classics, try my Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken, Homemade Browning.
Jamaican Beef Patties 🤤
Jamaican beef patties are the ultimate comfort snack 🇯🇲 —flaky, golden pastry packed with a juicy, spiced beef filling that’s bursting with flavor. The crust, with its buttery layers and signature yellow hue, is pure perfection, while the filling hits you with bold seasonings like curry, turmeric, and just the right amount of heat. Whether you grab one as a snack, a meal, or straight from your favorite corner spot, they’re a cultural staple that always delivers big flavor in every bite.
Tips to making Flaky Beef Patties
- Keep all of your ingredients cold- A key tip for perfect patties is to keep everything cold—your hands, the butter, and the dough. I even turn on the air conditioner while making this recipe to maintain a cool environment. Warm hands or a hot kitchen can melt the butter too quickly, preventing it from being properly worked into the dough. Ensuring the butter is ice-cold is essential for creating those flaky, buttery layers that make the patties irresistible.
- Work Quickly with the Dough: Keep the dough cold and work swiftly to prevent the butter from melting. If it starts to get soft, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
- BE PATIENT- Patience is everything when making Jamaican beef patties. Take your time with each step—chilling the dough, folding it, and letting the patties rest before baking. Rushing can lead to tough dough, uneven layers, or filling that leaks out. Trust the process, and you’ll be rewarded with buttery, flaky crusts and perfectly seasoned, juicy fillings. Good food takes time, and these patties are worth every minute.
What You’ll need to Make the Perfect Beef Patties (Full Recipe Below)
- Ground Beef- I like to use lean ground beef for this recipe. 90/10 is best.
- Vegetables (Scallions, Peppers, Onions, Garlic)– The vegetables are blended together to add flavor and texture to the filling mix
- Flour– I use all purpose flour, but any flour is best.
- Spices– Tumeric, Curry powder, all spice, garlic powder, onion powder are used in this recipe
- Unsalted Butter– Buy the best you can afford. The butter is what makes the beef patties flaky!
- Shortening– This will also help with the flakiness of the patties
- Ice Cold Water- The water is used to form the dough and make the parade
- Bread- We use bread to make the beef patty filling emuslified.
- Condiments- We use browing sauce, ketchup, oyster sauce, and soy sauce
How To make Jamacian Beef Patties Step by Step with Photos (Full Recipe Below)
1. Make the Filling
Cook the meat in a skillet until browned, then blend scallions, bell peppers, onions, ginger, and garlic with water and stir the mixture into the beef. Add ketchup, browning sauce, oyster sauce, and soy sauce, letting it simmer before mixing in a panade made from blended bread and water to create a thick, flavorful filling.
2. Make the dough
Whisk together the flour, curry powder, and salt, then grate cold butter into the mixture and add shortening. Work the fats into the flour until crumbly, gradually mix in ice-cold water to begin making a dough
Use your hands to gently shape the dough into a smooth ball, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and begin laminating by folding and rolling it out several times to create layers. Once laminated, add the filling to each patty, fold over the dough, and seal the edges tightly to ensure they stay closed while baking.
Refrigerate and Bake
Refrigerate your assembled patties for at least 1 hour, or freeze them for 15 minutes to firm up the dough. Once chilled, brush the tops with egg wash and bake until golden brown and perfectly flaky
FAQ for this recipe
Yes! You can make them, assemble them and freeze them. Bake them when you are ready to serve.
While these two handheld snacks share similarities, they are different. Patties are made with curry and tumeric to produce a golden brown pastry like dough which is flaky.
Jamacian Beef Patty
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ cup diced yellow onion
- ¼ cup red bell pepper
- ¼ cup red bell pepper
- ¼ cup green onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon all spice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablesooon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon browning
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 peices white bread
- ½ cup water
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper chopped
For the dough
- 3 cups all purpose flour sifted
- 1 tablspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2½ sticks cold unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup shortening
- 1 large egg whisked
- 15-17 tablespoons icecold water
Instructions
Make the filling
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the meat, breaking it up as it browns. Once fully cooked, blend the scallions, bell peppers, onions, ginger, and garlic with 1/4 cup of water until smooth, then pour the blended mixture into the skillet with the meat. Stir everything together until fragrant and well combined. Mix in the ketchup, browning sauce, oyster sauce, and soy sauce, ensuring the meat is evenly coated, and let it simmer gently. While the meat cooks, prepare the panade by blending the bread pieces and water in a blender until a thick paste forms. Once ready, stir the panade into the seasoned meat mixture, mixing thoroughly until the texture becomes thick and emulsified. Set the mixture aside.
Make the dough
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, curry powder, and salt until well combined. Take 1/2 stick of butter and, using the small side of a box grater, grate it directly into the flour mixture. Add the shortening to the bowl as well. Using a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips, work the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, similar to the texture of wet sand. Gradually add ice-cold water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing with your hands to bring the dough together. I used 16 tablespoons. But se only as much water as needed to form a soft, smooth, and non-sticky dough. Once the dough comes together, shape it into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow it to rest and chill.
Work the dough
- Lightly flour your countertop. Place the chilled dough on the floured surface and roll it out into a large rectangular shape, about 1/4 inch thick. Take the remaining 1 stick of butter, cut it into small pieces, and evenly distribute the butter across the surface of the rolled-out dough.To laminate the dough and create buttery layers, fold one side of the dough toward the center, then fold the other side over it, creating three stacked layers. Sprinkle a little flour as needed to prevent sticking, and roll the dough back out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.Once you’ve finished laminating, roll the dough into a final rectangular shape, about 1/4 inch thick, and use a sharp knife or pastry cutter to divide it into 10 equal pieces.
Assemble the patties
- Place approx 1/4 cup, of the beef filling onto the center of each dough square, leaving a border around the edges. Carefully fold the dough over the filling to form a square or triangle shape. Press the edges firmly to seal, then use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges. If needed, use a knife to trim the edges.
Refridgerate and Bake
- Transfer the patties to a parchment-lined baking sheet, ensuring they’re evenly spaced. Place the tray in the freezer for 15 minutes to help the dough firm up. Once chilled, brush the tops of the patties with egg wash to give them a golden, glossy finish. Bake in a preheated oven at 370°F for 35-40 minutes, or until the patties are golden brown and flaky.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just made these last weekend and they were so goood <3