Whether you are a seasoned baker, or a beginner, learning how to make meat pie is a fun and delicious way to work with different flavours and ingredients.
Meat Pie is a classic comfort food that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, or mall chops. It’s a savoury pastry filled with a variety of meat, vegetables, and spices. All encased in a flaky, buttery dough.
This guide will walk you through the process of making a fulfilling meat pie, from preparing the filling to rolling out the dough. Let’s get started!
How to Make Meat Pie
How to Make Meat Pie
Ingredients for the Meatpie Filling
1 cup chopped potato
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 tbs. margarine or butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp dried thyme or sage, crushed
1 1/4 cup beef broth
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots and peas
2 cups ground beef
Making the Dough for the pies
Mix flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir 1 1/4 cups flour and 1/4 tsp salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Cut the butter into the flour. To effectively have the butter mixture into the flour, ensure to put them in small chunks and knead thoroughly.
Add cold water to the flour mixture. Pouring cold water one tablespoon at a time into your flour will help you integrate the water gently, allowing the dough to form loosely. The mixture should just barely come together and form a loose ball, and it shouldn’t be damp or wet looking. Be very gentle.
The key to a flaky dough is to make sure you don’t overwork the dough. If you overwork the dough, the dough will become tough and difficult to handle.
Use your hands to form the dough into a ball. Very gently, pull the flour into a ball and then split the ball into two equal portions. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to bake.
Roll the dough. On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough with your hands and roll it from the centre to the edges with a rolling pin dusted with flour. Aim to form a circle.
How to Make Meat Pie Filling
Cook your meat. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 cups ground beef and 1/2 cup chopped onions.
Season with thyme, cloves, chopped garlic (if desired) and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring to crumble the meat and mix in the spices until the meat is evenly cooked. Make sure to drain the grease from the meat.
Add the vegetables and beef now. Cut one potato into small pieces; the beef broth will keep your filling moist. Saute for a few minutes until they start to soften.
Thicken your filling(if desired). If the filling seems a little watery, you can thicken it in two ways. Thicken with flour. Add flour slowly and stir with each addition to avoid lumps. You can also thicken your filling using cornstarch with the same method but ensure to add more cooking time for cornstarch.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Let the mixture cool before using it to fill a pie crust.
Making the Meat Pie
Cut your dough. Roll out your dough and cut it into 6 even pieces, then roll the pieces into 6 different balls. Rub flour on your workstation to prevent dough from sticking on it.
Roll out your dough. Roll your pieces into about 8-inch flat circles. If your dough is warm, it may be difficult to handle. Cool it in the refrigerator for about 5-10 minutes for better results.
Fill your individual pies. Evenly divide your filling into pies. Evenly divide your filling into pies and scoop it onto half of each dough circle. Carefully fold the dough over to cover the filling, and use a fork to press the edges together to give it a smooth finish.
Give slits into the tops of each pie. Use a sharp knife to cut a few slits into the top of your pies. This allows steam to escape when baking and helps to prevent the pie from bursting in the oven.
Brush the top of each pie with egg or melted butter to keep the top moist.
Bake your pies. Bake your pies on a lightly oiled or non-stick baking sheet in the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the crust is golden brown and flakey.
How to Make Nigerian Meat Pie
4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
200g cold Butter, cubed
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup (60ml) cold water
Ingredients for the filling:
For the filling:
3/4 pound (350g) Ground beef
1 Potato, peeled and diced into small cubes
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 Large Carrot, peeled and diced
1 cup (240ml) Water/beef broth
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Thyme
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons Oil
Make the pastry: in a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add cubed butter and rub it with the flour until you get a crumbly texture.
Beat 2 eggs with cold water and add it to the flour mixture. Mix until dough is formed. Do not over-mix! Wrap the dough with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Make the filling: in a large pan, heat oil. Add onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes, until translucent. Add diced carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the meat and cook, breaking it apart, for 4-5 minutes, until no longer pink. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and flour. Stir and cook for 2 minutes more.
Add in cubed potatoes and stir well. Pour in the water/broth. Stir.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until it thickens. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 F (175C).
Divide the dough into 2-4 pieces (you can also roll the whole dough, dividing it to make it easier to work). Roll out the dough into 1/8-inch (1/4 cm) thickness. Cut out a round shape with your desired size. Combine all the leftover dough and roll it again to make more circles.
Place about 1-2 tablespoons of the meat mixture in the centre, brush the edges with water and fold over the dough. Seal it with your fingers or with a fork. Poke the pies with a fork to create a steam outlet while baking, and brush the pies with a beaten egg.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden. Cool slightly before serving.
How to Make Meat Pie Without Oven
If you feel like eating some tasty meat pie, but sapa won’t let you spend that money on a whim and PHCN is their usual self on this great day, then don’t worry. We will show you how to make meat pie without an oven in two different ways.
Get a big pot and pour sand into that big pot (Salt can also be used if sand is too messy for you)
Preheat your pot containing sand or salt for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
Then, get a stand like the one below or something more convenient that can hold your baking pan.
Smear your baking pan with butter all through, and place your already-made meat pies in your pan.
Place the pan on top of your stand and adjust heat as needed but ensure to maintain medium heat.
Heat for about 40 mins to 1 hour, depending on how you want your meat pie to turn out.
Frying Meat Pie
When it comes to frying meat pies, no special ingredients are required. You need to follow the Nigerian meat pie recipe step by step.
Heat oil in a frying pot or air fryer.
Fry in batches till it’s brown to your taste.
Viola! it is ready for eating.
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup shortening or butter
4 tbsp. cold water
Ingredients for Meat Pie Filling
1 cup chopped potato
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 tbs. margarine or butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp dried thyme or sage, crushed
1 1/4 cup beef broth
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots and peas
2 cups ground beef
SEE: How to Make Shawarma at Home
Making the Dough for the Pies
Mix flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir 1 1/4 cups flour and 1/4 tsp salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Cut the butter into the flour. To effectively have the butter mixture into the flour, ensure to put them in small chunks and knead thoroughly.
Add cold water to the flour mixture. Pouring cold water one tablespoon at a time into your flour will help you integrate the water gently, allowing the dough to form loosely. The mixture should just barely come together and form a loose ball, and it shouldn’t be damp or wet looking. Be very gentle.
The key to a flaky dough is to make sure you don’t overwork the dough. If you overwork the dough, the dough will become tough and difficult to handle.
Use your hands to form the dough into a ball. Very gently, pull the flour into a ball and then split the ball into two equal portions. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to bake.
Roll the dough. On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough with your hands and roll it from the centre to the edges with a rolling pin dusted with flour. Aim to form a circle.
SEE: Best Belgian Waffles Recipes You Should Try Out
How to Make Meat Pie Filling
Cook your meat. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 cups ground beef and 1/2 cup chopped onions.
Season with thyme, cloves, chopped garlic (if desired) and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring to crumble the meat and mix in the spices until the meat is evenly cooked. Make sure to drain the grease from the meat.
Add the vegetables and beef now. Cut one potato into small pieces; the beef broth will keep your filling moist. Saute for a few minutes until they start to soften.
Thicken your filling(if desired). If the filling seems a little watery, you can thicken it in two ways. Thicken with flour. Add flour slowly and stir with each addition to avoid lumps. You can also thicken your filling using cornstarch with the same method but ensure to add more cooking time for cornstarch.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Let the mixture cool before using it to fill a pie crust.
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Making the Meat Pie
Cut your dough. Roll out your dough and cut it into 6 even pieces, then roll the pieces into 6 different balls. Rub flour on your workstation to prevent dough from sticking on it.
Roll out your dough. Roll your pieces into about 8-inch flat circles. If your dough is warm, it may be difficult to handle. Cool it in the refrigerator for about 5-10 minutes for better results.
Fill your individual pies. Evenly divide your filling into pies. Evenly divide your filling into pies and scoop it onto half of each dough circle. Carefully fold the dough over to cover the filling, and use a fork to press the edges together to give it a smooth finish.
Give slits into the tops of each pie. Use a sharp knife to cut a few slits into the top of your pies. This allows steam to escape when baking and helps to prevent the pie from bursting in the oven.
Brush the top of each pie with egg or melted butter to keep the top moist.
Bake your pies. Bake your pies on a lightly oiled or non-stick baking sheet in the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the crust is golden brown and flakey.
READ ALSO: Best Vegetarian Recipes Just for You
How to Make Nigerian Meat Pie
We are going to show you how to prepare one of Nigeria’s most beloved delicacies – the Nigerian meat pie. This tasty snack is perfect for parties, as a grab-and-go breakfast option or even an afternoon snack on. The combination of the flaky crust and the savoury meat filling is simply irresistible. With this recipe, you will be able to make meat pie like a pro.
You are probably wondering what’s the difference between a Nigerian meat pie and the usual one. We thought so too, but why not pay attention to the recipe and then make one yourself to discover that the “difference is in the taste.”
SEE ALSO:
Ingredients for Nigerian Meat Pie
4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
200g cold Butter, cubed
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup (60ml) cold water
For the filling:
3/4 pound (350g) Ground beef
1 Potato, peeled and diced into small cubes
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 Large Carrot, peeled and diced
1 cup (240ml) Water/beef broth
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Thyme
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons Oil
1 egg for brushing
READ ALSO: How to cook catfish pepper soup
Nigerian Meat Pie Recipe
1. Make the pastry: in a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add cubed butter and rub it with the flour until you get a crumbly texture.
2. Beat 2 eggs with cold water and add it to the flour mixture. Mix until dough is formed. Do not over-mix! Wrap the dough with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Make the filling: in a large pan, heat oil. Add onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes, until translucent. Add diced carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the meat and cook, breaking it apart, for 4-5 minutes, until no longer pink. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and flour. Stir and cook for 2 minutes more.
4. Add in cubed potatoes and stir well. Pour in the water/broth. Stir.
5. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until it thickens. Set aside to cool.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 F (175C).
7. Divide the dough into 2-4 pieces (you can also roll the whole dough, dividing it to make it easier to work). Roll out the dough into 1/8-inch (1/4 cm) thickness. Cut out a round shape with your desired size. Combine all the leftover dough and roll it again to make more circles.
8. Place about 1-2 tablespoons of the meat mixture in the centre, brush the edges with water and fold over the dough. Seal it with your fingers or with a fork. Poke the pies with a fork to create a steam outlet while baking, and brush the pies with a beaten egg.
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden. Cool slightly before serving.
How to Make Meat Pie Without Oven
If you feel like eating some tasty meat pie, but sapa won’t let you spend that money on a whim and PHCN is their usual self on this great day, then don’t worry. We will show you how to make meat pie without an oven in two different ways.
The first step is to use a big old pot: Before that, follow any of the meat pie recipes above until the baking process.
Get a big pot and pour sand into that big pot (Salt can also be used if sand is too messy for you)
Preheat your pot containing sand or salt for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
Then, get a stand like the one below or something more convenient that can hold your baking pan.
Smear your baking pan with butter all through, and place your already-made meat pies in your pan.
Place the pan on top of your stand and adjust heat as needed but ensure to maintain medium heat.
Heat for about 40 mins to 1 hour, depending on how you want your meat pie to turn out.
Frying Meat Pie
When it comes to frying meat pies, no special ingredients are required. You need to follow the Nigerian meat pie recipe step by step.
Heat oil in a frying pot or air fryer
Fry in batches till it’s brown to your taste.
Viola! it is ready for eating.
CHECK THIS: Eggy Bread Recipe: 4 Best Recipes to Try Out
Nutrition Gained from Meat Pies
The fillings of meat pie contain a high amount of protein, which is important for building and repairing the body’s tissues. The pastry dough can also be high in carbohydrates and may contain added sugar.
Meat pies can also be high in sodium, particularly if store-bought or frozen varieties are consumed. A high-sodium diet can lead to high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
It’s important to remember that meat pies can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet, but they should not be consumed excessively. To make it more balanced, you can add vegetables to the filling, use lean meats, and make your own pastry dough with whole wheat flour and less butter.
READ ALSO: Best Spaghetti Bolognese Recipes you should try (Quick and Easy)
