Have you ever had a pasty before? If not, friend, let’s change that today. Unless you don’t like/eat beef, I dare you to try not to fall in love with these things. The shell is made from my favorite buttermilk pie crust, so it’s flaky and buttery and perfect. And the filling is so good you’ll want to eat it with a spoon before you can bake it into the pasties.
Beef Pasties Made Easy
Meat pies like these can be a little intimidating, but I think this recipe is pretty straightforward and simple. There’s always a degree of difficulty when it comes to making stuffed pastries from scratch, but this recipe does as much to eliminate that as possible. The buttermilk pie crust is made in a food processor and is really beginner-friendly when it comes to handling and rolling. And unlike a lot of pasty recipes I’ve seen, this stuffing is fully cooked before the pies go into the oven, so you don’t have to worry about whether your meat is cooked through or vegetables tender before they come out of the oven.
Ingredient Notes
Pie crust: If you have a favorite pie crust recipe, you can use it or store-bought crusts instead of the buttermilk pie crust in the recipe below, but I really love this particular crust. It’s extremely easy to work with and bakes up SO flakey and beautiful. If you’ve never made pie crust before or just want a more detailed tutorial, I wrote an entire post dedicated to this crust with step-by-step pictures. Diced carrots and potatoes: I like to keep the filling simple with just meat, carrots, potatoes, and onions, but feel free to throw in extra veggies like parsnips, peas, or rutabagas.
How to Make Pasties
Make the pie dough by pulsing together flour, butter, and buttermilk in a food processor until it forms crumbs that just begin to clump together. Turn half the crumbs out on a piece of plastic wrap and press them into a 1-inch thick disk. Repeat with the rest of the dough and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Make the filling by browning your beef and then adding vegetables and covering with water. Add spices and bring everything to a simmer until potatoes begin to soften. Once cooked, use 1 cup of the cooking liquid along with a little flour and butter to make a quick gravy. Stir gravy, meat and vegetables together and set aside to cool slightly.
Assemble the pasties. Divide each dough disk into 3 equal pieces, roll each out and fill with prepared filling. Fold the tops over and use a fork to crimp the edges closed before brushing with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, and enjoy!
Can you freeze pasties?
Yes! One of my favorite things about pasties is that they freeze and reheat amazingly. All you have to do is pull one out of the freezer, pop it right in the microwave, and one to two minutes later, you have a sizzling hot pasty that tastes like it just came out of the oven! To freeze: Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or freezer bag. To reheat: Unwrap pasty and place on a microwave-safe plate. Reheat from frozen in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until steaming and hot all the way through.
Can these be made ahead of time?
Sure. Beef pasties make great make-ahead lunches and dinners. You can bake the pasties in advance and simply reheat in the microwave when you’re ready to eat them. If you’d like to make the crust and the filling in advance and then assemble and bake them just before eating, you can do that too. Pie dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours and in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Filling can be made up to 48 hours in advance.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes. The recipe doubles just fine BUT you’ll probably need to make the crust in two batches. Not all food processors are large/powerful enough to handle a double batch of this dough. To double the recipe ingredients, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
More Freezer-friendly Recipes
Naan Pizza Freezer Burritos Freezer Meatballs Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Pie Crust Adapted From: B.Britnell This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using one of the links. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
