Jamaican Beef Patties
Flaky, curry-spiced pastry folded around a savory ground beef filling and baked until deep golden. A Caribbean classic, equally good warm from the oven or packed for later.
- Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 dash salt
- 1/4 cup margarine
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1/3 cup water
- Meat Filling
- 2 tablespoons margarine
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, beaten, for brushing
- Whisk together the flour, curry powder, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Cut the cold margarine and shortening into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse, pebbly crumbs. Stir in the water just until the dough comes together into a ball — overworking it here is what makes a tough crust, so stop as soon as it holds.
- Shape the dough into a log and divide it into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece out on a lightly floured surface into a thin circle about six inches across and roughly 1/8 inch thick, then set the rounds aside while you make the filling.
- Melt the margarine in a skillet over medium heat and cook the diced onion until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks, and season with the curry powder, thyme, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the beef is fully browned.
- Stir the beef broth and dry breadcrumbs into the skillet and let everything simmer together until the liquid has been fully absorbed and the filling holds together when pressed with a spoon. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly before assembling — filling that's still hot can soften the pastry as you work.
- Spoon a portion of the filling onto one half of each dough circle, then fold the other half over to form a half-moon shape and press the edges together firmly. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork to seal, then brush the top of each patty with the beaten egg for a glossy, golden finish.
- Arrange the patties on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is a deep golden brown throughout. Let them cool for a few minutes on the pan before serving, since the filling stays quite hot right out of the oven.
Chef's Note: The signature golden-yellow crust of a Jamaican patty comes entirely from the curry powder worked into the dough, not from food coloring, so a good quality curry powder makes a real difference in both color and flavor. Keeping the fats cold when you cut them into the flour is what gives the finished pastry its short, flaky texture rather than a dense, bready one.
If you can plan ahead, cook the filling in advance and let it cool completely — even chill it — before filling the dough circles, since warm filling can start to soften and thin out the pastry before it ever hits the oven. These freeze beautifully both before and after baking, so it's worth doubling the batch and tucking half away for a quick reheat later.
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