Last year, while on holiday in Jamaica, I fell in love with these patties. Jamaican patties look a lot like empanadas, but with a carribean twist. It's the tumeric and scotch bennet pepper that really give them the carribean look and flavour.

The patties have a flaky yellow crust, and are filled with a spicy, moist beef curry. The patties take some time to make, but I do think they are fun to make. And once you get to eat these flavourfull delicous snacks, you immediately forget about all the hard work.

Jamaican Beef Patties

• Preparation time: 40 min preparing, 30 min waiting, 20 minutes baking.
• Serves: 12-15 patties

Jamaican patties have it all. They are savoury, comforting and spicy. Patties are often made with either shrimp, chicken or beef. Here I will share how to make super tasty Jamaican beef patties!

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 500 grams ground beef
• 1 onion
• 3 scallions
• 2 cloves garlic
• Scotch bonnet pepper to taste (or as I use Scotch Bonnet Pepper sauce)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 50 grams butter
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 0,5 teaspoon dried black pepper
• 425 ml water
• 50 grams panko
• vegetable oil

For the pastry:

• 350 grams flour
• 0,5 teaspoon salt
• 0,25 teaspoon baking powder
• 0,5 teaspoon turmeric
• 120 grams butter
• 150 ml cold water
• one beaten egg for wash

How to make Jamaican Beef Patties?

To make the beef filling:

1. Heat vegetable oil in a pot.
2. Chop the onion, scallions and garlic and add to the pot. Also add the herbs (if you are using fresh Scotch Bonnet peppers you also add those here). Stir it to mix the vegetables and herbs. FYI, I always like to use a food process for this step, because it makes the meat and vegetables mix together better. You cut the scallions and onions in large pieces, add the garlic and herbs together in the food processor for 30 seconds and then add the mixture to the pot.
3. Heat the mixture to really get all the flavour
4. After 4 min, add the meat. Stir it together and add the butter.
5. If you are using the Scotch Bonnet Sauce like I’m doing, you add it here. Add it in small portions to taste, be careful not to add too much, because you taste even more of the spice after a while. Try the filling and adjust to your own taste with salt and pepper.
6. Add panko and water and let simmer for about 15 minutes. The consistency should resemble a stew. If still too watery, let it simmer for a little longer.
7. Let the filling cool.

To make the pastry:

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, turmeric and salt in a large bowl.
2. Cut the butter and add it to the bowl. Mix the flour and butter by hand to make a crumbly dough.
3. Form a ball and let dough rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Finishing your homemade Jamaican patties:

1. Preheat the oven at 220 °C. Make sure to also preheat the baking tray for a crunchie bottom of the patties.
2. Take the dough from the fridge and place on a floured surface.
3. Cut the dough in 12 pieces.
4. Take one of the pieces and make a ball. Roll out into a round shape. Place filling in the middle and close the pattie into a half moon shape. Use a fork to close the outline.
5. Place on another baking tray covered with baking paper.
6. Repeat for the other pieces.
7. Beat the egg and cover patties with the egg wash.
8. Transfer the baking paper from the baking tray to the preheated one in the oven.
9. Bake patties for 15-20 minutes on 210 °C.

Tips & Trivia

• Leftover dough can be stored in the fridge for about a week.
• Patties freeze well. Frozen patties provide a ready-made snack that only needs to be heated! You can prepare the patties, but don’t egg wash and bake them yet. Wrap the patties individually in cling foil and store in a box to preserve their shape. When ready to eat the patties, just take them out of the freezer and finish the last steps. You can store the frozen patties up to three months.
• Did you know that you can easily regrow your store-bought scallions at home? Read more about regrowing store-bought vegetables here.