Jamaican Chicken Patty

Jamaican Beef (or chicken) Patty Recipe

Jamaican beef patties are an enduringly popular lunch staples back home. These savory meat-filled hand-pies are traditionally made from seasoned ground meat (traditionally beef) baked inside a thin, flaky, turmeric-tinged crust. The crisp flaky yellow crust is a signature feature of Jamaican patties.Over the last couple decades the flavors have evolved to include chicken, curry goat, callaloo, and ackee & saltfish to name a few. Think of Jamaican style patties as a softer, more moist cousin of the Spanish empanada. Traditional Jamaican patties are made using ground meat that has been generously seasoned with a blend of herbs and spices. The filling is then cooked and cooled before it is folded inside a crust and baked. I used ground chicken to create the recipe shown below but the measurements and steps are identical for making Jamaican beef patties.

Jamaican style patties
Because my patties always seem to burst open as they bake, I like to fold the edges before crimping them with the fork. To get a nice evenly baked crust I prefer to use a pizza stone but a baking sheet in the center of the oven works just fine.
Jamaican Chicken Patty

Jamaican Patty Recipe

Sian
Spicy seasoned meat folded inside a flaky crust and baked to crisp golden perfection.
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling Time 4 hours
Course Cakes & pastries, Snack
Cuisine Jamaican
Servings 4
Calories 913 kcal

Equipment

  • mixer with dough hook
  • Large Skillet
  • Pizza stone

Ingredients
  

The Crust

  • 3 C all purpose flour
  • 2 TB turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 6 oz cold butter cubed
  • 3 oz ice water

The Filling

  • ½ lb ground chicken, or beef
  • ¼ C onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp thyme leaves
  • ½ C bell peppers, minced
  • 2 oz butter
  • ½ C seasoned breadcrumbs
  • ¾ C water

Instructions
 

To make the crust

  • Combine the flour, turmeric and salt. Mix well. Use a fork, mixer, or your hands to crumble the butter into the flour. Mix until flour is sandy. It is ok if a few bits of butter remain. slowly mix in the ice water to form a firm dough. Knead for a few minutes until a soft yellow ball remains. Cover the dough and refrigerate until ready to form the patties.

To make the filling

  • Heat a skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the meat. Crumble it with a fork as it heats through. One ingredient at a time, stir in the spices and the butter. Leave the breadcrumbs and water for last. Stir until the butter melts. When the butter is fully melted, reduce the meat to med-low. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir in the breadcrumbs and water. Stir well. Cover and let it simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour into a heatproof container and chill for 2 to 24 hours.

To make the patties

  • Preheat oven to 350°
    When you are ready to bake. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Divide the dough into 5 or 6 smaller pieces. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece into a 7 inch round. Trim the edges if necessary. Reserve any scraps. Repeat until dough is all used.
    Scoop about 2 TB of cooled filling into the center of each round. Use your finger or a pastry brush to brush the edges of the dough with water. Fold in half. Crimp edges with the tines of a fork to seal patties. Place patties in single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.
    20 minutes if you like your crust soft but flaky
    30 minutes if you like your crust crisp and flaky.

Video

Notes

 *Shape patties and freeze them until you are ready to bake. Bake frozen patties in a preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. 
**Freeze any excess filling. 
Keyword patty, empanada, Jamaican snack

2 thoughts on “Jamaican Beef (or chicken) Patty Recipe”

  1. So could you make beef patties using the same amount of beef. By the way, unreal wondrous Hard Dough Bread recipe- better than Kingston Tropical!

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