Jamaican Patty
If you've got ground turmeric, ground beef and scallions, you're most of the way to this beef: about 70 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: contains meat, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Make the pastry by mixing the flour, turmeric and a pinch of salt, then rubbing in the cold lard until crumbly; add the cold water gradually and bring together into a firm dough, then wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Brown the ground beef in a hot pan over medium-high heat, breaking it up, until no pink remains and it is fully cooked through to at least 71 C, then add the finely chopped onion, scallions and deseeded scotch bonnet.
- Stir in the thyme leaves, paprika and salt, then pour in the beef stock and simmer for 10 minutes until the meat is well flavoured and saucy.
- Mix in the breadcrumbs to soak up excess liquid so the filling is moist but not wet, then remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
- Roll the chilled pastry out thinly and cut into rounds about 15 cm across, then spoon filling onto one half of each round.
- Fold the pastry over the filling, press the edges firmly and crimp with a fork to seal, then brush the tops with beaten egg.
- Bake the patties on a lined tray in an oven preheated to 200 C for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp, then cool slightly before eating.
You'll use: Oven · Pan · Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
Tips & common questions
How long does Jamaican Patty take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 14 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Jamaican Patty is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Jamaican patties and redstripe.jpg by ritcharnd moskow from Toshi Station, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.