Jamaican Beef Patty

Name: Jamaican Beef Patty
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 500g all-purpose flour; 1 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp salt; 200g cold butter, cubed; 1 egg yolk; 100ml ice water; 500g ground beef; 1 onion, finely diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, minced; 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked; 1 tsp allspice; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 100g breadcrumbs; Salt and black pepper

Patty (PAT-ee)

Spiced Beef-Filled Pastry

⏱ Prep Time 1 hour 30 min

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 380 kcal

Flaky golden turmeric-tinted pastry filled with seasoned ground beef, Scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, and allspice, a beloved street food icon.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 16.0g

Carbs 34.0g

Fat 20.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

nut-free

Allergen Warnings

⚠ gluten ⚠ eggs

Equipment Needed

food processor rolling pin baking sheet

Presentation Guide

Vessel: paper bag or plate

Garnishes: none traditional

Accompaniments: coco bread, ginger beer

Ingredients

500g all-purpose flour
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
200g cold butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
100ml ice water
500g ground beef
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 tsp allspice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
100g breadcrumbs
Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1
Make pastry by pulsing flour, turmeric, salt, and cold butter in a food processor until it resembles coarse crumbs.
2
Add egg yolk and ice water, pulse until dough just comes together. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for thirty minutes.
3
Cook ground beef with onion, garlic, Scotch bonnet, thyme, and allspice until browned. Add breadcrumbs to absorb moisture. Cool.
4
Roll pastry to three millimeters thick. Cut circles about fifteen centimeters wide. Place filling on one half of each circle.
5
Fold pastry over filling to create a half-moon shape. Press edges firmly with a fork to seal. Brush tops with egg wash.
6
Bake at 190C for twenty-five minutes until pastry is deeply golden and flaky. Serve hot from the oven or at room temperature.

💡

Did You Know?

Jamaicans eat over 25 million patties per year, and the golden color comes from turmeric in the pastry dough, not curry powder.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

food processor
rolling pin
baking sheet

Garnishing

none traditional

Accompaniments

coco bread, ginger beer

The Story Behind Jamaican Beef Patty

The Jamaican patty traces its ancestry to the Cornish pasty brought by British colonizers, adapted brilliantly with Caribbean spices and techniques. The addition of turmeric to the pastry and Scotch bonnet to the filling transformed a British mining lunch into something entirely Jamaican. Patty shops became social institutions in Jamaica, and the patty itself became an internationally recognized symbol of Jamaican cuisine, rivaling even jerk chicken in global popularity.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed lunch, snack, anytime 📜 Origins: British-Jamaican colonial fusion

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