Guyanese Beef Patties

Guyanese Beef Patties are delicious short crust pastry meat pies. They are part of the trinity of Guyanese pastries, which includes cheese rolls, pine tarts, and of course these beef patties. They are most often sold by snackettes and bakeries in Guyana and by some street vendors as lunch or a snack.

Guyanese Beef Patties

When I was growing up in Guyana my really good friend’s mom made the best beef patties. Hi Mrs. Alexander! They were saucy. You bit into them and juicy, tender, minced beef and flaky pastry fell into your mouth! I LOVED those beef patties.

The secret to juicy patties is in the filling. That’s what I’ve created here with these beef patties, a saucy filling, and flaky crust. Get ready to devour the best beef patties!

Why You’ll Love This Guyanese Beef Patties Recipe

• Great for Parties: Serve a platter of these at your next gathering, and watch how quickly they disappear!
• Portable Snack: Make these handheld meat pies ahead of time and enjoy them as a snack or light meal on the go.
• Absolutely Delicious: With a buttery crust and a savory spiced beef filling, these patties are so satisfyingly tasty.

Ingredients for Guyanese Beef Patties

To make beef patties, you need a short crust dough and a tender, savory beef filling.

Guyanese Patties Dough

• All Purpose flour: The base of the dough.
• Butter: Chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
• Vegetable shortening: For a tender crumb.
• Ice cold water: This keeps the dough cold in order to slow the fermenting process.
• Egg Wash: Use 2 egg yolks +1 tablespoon water beaten and applied to the assembled patties for a golden brown crust.

For the Beef Filling

• Ground beef: The choice protein in these Guyanese patties.
• Seasoning: I use garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
• Wiri wiri pepper: Seeds and veins removed.
• Cassareep: This enriches the beef and enhances its flavor.
• Ketchup: This adds a bit of sweetness and tomato taste.
• Thyme: Use fresh or dried, either way you will have an herby flavor.
• Frozen Veggies: Use frozen peas and carrots.
• Broth: Use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water for a moist filling.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Guyanese Beef Patties

Making the pastry dough

The dough for beef patty is the same short crust pastry dough used for cheese rolls, pine tarts and cheese pies.  To make the dough I grate cold butter and cut shortening into the flour to make a really crumbly texture.

Then, I add ice cold water and press the mixture together to form a ball.

Next, place the dough in a ziplock bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Making the Filling

Guyanese beef patty filling is made with ground beef and most often the addition of mixed vegetables like carrots, green peas (sometimes bora / Chinese long bean) and corn. Use whatever veggies you would like to add or skip them all together.

Assemble Beef Patties

First, divide the dough into two. Place half back into the refrigerator while you work on the other half. Roll the dough out until it is about 1/8th to 1/4 inch thick. Then cut into discs using biscuit cutter, or you can even use the rim of a glass. I used a medium and a large biscuit cutter to get a top and bottom pastry layer.

Then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling to the bottom layer and top with the larger disc.

Then press down to seal

You can create a crimped edge by pressing the edge with a fork.

Then use the smaller biscuit cutter to neaten the edges.

Next, poke a few holes in the top to release hot air during baking.

Then place on a greased baking sheet. You can also place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Finally, brush with an egg wash and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes

After baking allow to cool completely before eating. The filling inside the patty may be extremely hot, so be careful.

Substitutions & Variations

You can use this recipe to make other versions of Guyanese patties:

• Chicken: Use ground chicken or steamed and shredded chicken breast
• Turkey: Looking for a leaner meat option, ground turkey also works
• Vegetarian: You can use ground meat alternatives here too, or I love to make these with chopped up mushrooms and all the same seasoning.
• Gluten Free Beef Patties: To make these patties gluten free, simply use my gluten free short crust pastry dough recipe found here. I promise you it tastes exactly the same, without the tummy ache.

Equipment

• Grater: To grate the cold butter.
• Pastry Blender/Fork: To blend the butter into the flour.
• Skillet/Sauté pan: For cooking the ground beef.
• Hand Pie/Biscuit Cutter: The biscuit cutter I used to make my dough disks inches in diameter, but you can use anything that is about that size. 

Storage

These freeze and reheat well. Once they have cooled down, store leftover beef patties in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze them in a Ziplock bag for up to 3 months.

To reheat, warm them up in the oven or air fryer set to 350°F until warmed through. Avoid the microwave because the patties will soften and become soggy. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge first.

Tips for the Best Guyanese Beef Patties

• Use chilled butter in the pastry dough for a flaky crust.
• When blending the butter, do not overmix. Leaving small chunks of butter dispersed throughout the dough creates layers in the dough.
• Do not knead the dough or you will undo all the work we previously did to ensure the dough was perfectly flaky.
• Don’t forget to pierce the top of each beef patty so air can escape as they cook. Otherwise, they could burst.

Frequently Asked Questions