Ghanaian Meat Pies- Made with flaky pastry and filled with perfectly seasoned minced beef, onions and green peppers. The pastry literally melts in your mouth and the filling is simply delicious. This popular Ghanaian snack will have you coming back for more.
Growing up I looked forward to Sunday’s because it meant my mum would take us to go get meat pies after church. Every morsel, every crumb was eaten. When I was old to enough to buy them myself, I had meat pies at least twice a week. In Ghana meatpies are very popular, they are served at parties, restaurants. I don’t think a function will be complete if meatpie isn’t served. I think we should name meatpie a national dish of Ghana and West Africa as well.
There is no particular recipe for making the pastry for this meat pie. In Ghana we cook to taste, so no two meat pie recipes are the same. I learnt my recipe from an aunt who doesn’t measure her ingredients. When making these, I had to stop and measure as I went along. My pastry contains no butter, just margarine. The pastry is so delicious you won’t even miss butter.
Tips for making the Meat Pies Pastry
- Use cold butter or margarine
- Always use a light touch and handle pastry with care
- Knead dough just sufficiently to bind together, over-kneading will start to develop gluten in the flour and result in tough greasy pastry
How to making the filling
The filling is made up of minced beef, onions, seasoning and chopped green peppers. To a large frying pan, add a little oil and allow to it heat up. Add the mince and onions and allow to cook until brown. Mix in half a teaspoon of tomato puree, then seasoning and salt. Remove from heat and leave to cool. Stir in chopped green peppers. Then it time to assemble.
I found this really cool pasty maker on Amazon that makes assembling the meat pie so easy. It saves having to use a saucer to cut out round disks of pastry.
You can make your filling with tuna flakes or vegetables . So many alternative fillings and all delicious.
Enjoy!!!!
An affiliate link to the pasty maker I used to make these meat pies.
Ghanaian Meat Pie
Ingredients
Meat Pie Filling
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 300 minced beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon all purpose seasoning
- 1 small maggi stock cube
- salt to taste
- 1 large green pepper, chopped into small cubes
Pastry
- 400 grams (3⅓ cups) self raising flour
- 255 grams (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) cold margarine or butter
- pinch of salt
- 60 ml (¼ cup) cold water
- 1 egg, whisked
Instructions
Minced Beef Filling
- Add a little oil to a large frying pan and heat up. Add the mince and onions and cook on medium heat until it browns, stirring in between. this takes about 5 minutes.
- Mix in tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes. Add in all purpose seasoning stock cube and salt. Remove from heat and leave to cool, then stir in chopped green peppers.
Pastry
- Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.
- Add margarine to the flour and rub in using your fingertips. Add all the cold water at once and use your fingers to bring the pastry together.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead very lightly.
- Shape the dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least an hour or up to overnight.
To Assemble
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C fan/200°/400°F.
- Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Lightly dusk a work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Roll out chilled dough. This should be carried out in short, sharp stroked with light even pressure in a forward movement only. Turn the pastry as you roll.
- Using either a saucer or a large circle cutter, cut circles in the dough. Place a quarter cup of filling in the centre of the circle.
- Fold dough over making it into a semicircle. Take a pastry brush and dip in water and moisten edges of dough circle then pinch sides together with a fork. Use a fork and poke holes on the top of the meat pies.Place meat pies on the baking tray.
- Brush the tops of pies with egg wash and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until the pies are golden brown.
That pastry looks like heaven- so buttery (without any butter 😉 and flaky. I had no idea meat pies were a Ghanaian thing. Australia has claimed them as one of their traditional foods but they really are pretty average compared to yours.
Thank you Nicole :-). We sure love meat pie in Ghana and right across West Africa. Didn’t even know they are an Australia’s traditional food, we learn something new everyday. lol.
Can you make it with normal flour ? Like soft flour or pastry flour
Yes, you can make it with either flour.
I have two questions:
1. Under the instructions “For the filling”: When do you add the meat to cook?
2. Is the egg only used for the egg wash or should I put some egg in my dough?
Thank you for this recipe. It looks amazing. I hope mine comes out looking and tasting great.
Hi FoodieG
You add the minced meat to the onions and cook.
The egg is used only for the egg wash and not added to the pastry.
Thanks so much and all the best making these meat pies. Would love to know how it goes.
Hi ChiChi
The recipe was perfectly delicious. My hubbie is from Ghana and when he ate one he couldn’t stop eating them. He absolutely loved them. Thank you again for sharing your recipe. 🙂
FoodieG
Glad your hubby and you loved the recipe. Medase paa (thank you so much) for the wonderful feedback 🙂
I would like to make these to bring to a friend who just adopted two boys from Ghana. Once they are prepared, can they be refrigerated overnight and baked for dinner the next day? I work, and that would be the only way I could do it! Will the pastry degrade too much?
Very lovely of you to make this for your friend and her boys, Marge. Hope they enjoy it. The pastry will not degrade if made overnight and baked the next day. Will taste just fine, I do this sometime when I have the family or guests coming over. Would really love some feedback from you once you make the meat pies.
I was lucky enough to actually taste these meat pies; and they are mouthwateringly delicious. I took some to my students at school and they are dying for more ever since. I think I shall pass on the recipe to them.
Thank you Educate, glad you loved them
nice recipe! though yet to try it out. pls why is carrot and Irish not included in your recipe? @ should d minced meat be cooked before frying in d oil? and what quantity of oil is needed for d 300g of minced meat?
So Sorry for the late response Sonia. You can add carrot to the recipe 🙂 . Heat a tablespoon of oil for 30 seconds. Then add mince and onions and cook. Hope this helps
so chichi, you be really Ghanaian…. like ur meat pie. afenhyia pa.
Lol Lillie, thank you. Afe nko mbᴐto hԑn
Lol. I love this! Just as my mum used to do it.
Glad you do Sarah 🙂
Pls is use regular soft flour done need to add baking powder. Thanks. Trying this today
Hi Naana, you use soft flour. For every 120 grams of soft flour, add 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Hello,
Is the green pepper a bell pepper or a spicy pepper like a Serrano? Please advise!
Thank you
Hello Elle, it’s green bell pepper. Thanks for asking 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. It works and my family loved it.
You are most welcome Natasha. Really pleased to hear your family loved it 🙂
Can I use corned beef. If yes do I have to fry in oil too?
You can use corned beef, but as it already cooked you don’t have to fry it in oil. If using the corned beef you may want to omit the tomato puree and salt. Fry onions in a tiny bit of oil, then add in corned beef and peppers. Season to taste.
Chichi why didn’t you add nutmeg and baking powder.pls I also want to know if there any special magarine that makes pastries taste good
Nana Yaa, I use self raising flour which contains baking powder. I add spices to my filling, so prefer to make the shortcrust pastry without any spices. I would recommend stork margarine for pastries.
Hey chichi,please is there stork margarine in Ghana
Yes there is, Shoprite sell it. You can also use Cook Brand or Remia.
Can you add powered flavour or essence to your pie.will also try your recipe,hope it will look and taste just like yours and will be so excited if it does.
I use spices for my filling, that is about it. No powdered flavour or essence. Please do try my recipe and give me some feedback. Hope you like it 🙂
Thanks dear
Hiiiiii chichi, if I dnt get e self raisin flour ,what can I use ?hard or soft,, n I luv baking too
Hi Lucy, you can make your own self raising flour. For every 150 g plain flour, add 2 teaspoons of baking powder and a 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk or sift together until thoroughly combined.
Hello ChiChi, thanks for sharing your recipe. I’m a Ghanaian, but I had forgotten how the meat pies were made. Growing up in Ghana, I would always go to Circle on my way home from school to buy these. Now, I can make my own at home, since both my husband and daughter likes it. Thanks again.
P.S. Do you have the recipe for bofroot? 🙂
Hello Janet, you are very welcome. Circle meatpie is the best, lol. It’s always nice when you can bake at home for your family. I am still working on perfecting my bofrot recipe and once I do will share it here 🙂
Good afternoon, Chichi.
Can I know the type of flour refered to as “self raising flour”?
Is it the “hard” type of flour?
Hi Naomi, self raising flour is flour with raising agents added. Self raising flour is used for cakes and pastries. I don’t know what hard flour is as I haven’t come across it. Self raising can be made by adding 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt to 150 g plain flour. Whisk or sift together until thoroughly combined. Double or triple this recipe as is needed. Hope my explanation helps.
Good morning, Chichi.
Ur reply is well noted.
thanks
Chichi pls let me help a little here,the flour used for cakes and pastries is called soft flour and the one used for bread is hard flour.so wen raising agents like baking powder is been added to the flour that makes it a self raising flour
Thanks so much for your help Doris, very informative xx
Hard flour is bread flour in GHANA
Hello madam Chi Chi, please do you need to add baking powder to the pastry if you do not have self rising flour? Thanks.
Hello Maajay, if you haven’t got self raising flour you can make some by adding 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt to 150 g plain flour. Whisk or sift together until thoroughly combined. Double or triple this recipe as is needed.
hi Chichi
I’v seen your work, l like them.
thank you for sharing your knowledge.
is it a must to use self raising flour or make my, can I use plain flour for my meat pie?
Thank you Juliet :-). You can use plain flour for your meat pie. I personally like the texture and taste of the meat pie made with self raising.
Can i add vanilla essence?
Adding vanilla essence is down to what your taste buds like. I have never used it in a savoury pastry mix.
Hi Chichi, I tried out this pastry. I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong but the dough is a little on the soft side. Should I add more flour? Also once baked do they harden a little bit? It tastes delicious though
Lily
Imperialtreats
Hi Lily, the dough for this pastry is soft. If you find the soft dough hard to work with, it can be chilled in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling. The pastry does hardens up once cooled.
Hi chichi.
What type of butter or margarine do u use for the pastry .. Some butter makes it tough or flakey ..
Thanks
Hi Afia
I use stork for my pastries. I recommend using a light touch when kneading your dough. Over-kneading will result in a tough pastry.
Hi Chichi,
I make meat pie a lot and I always use all purpose flour with vegetable shortening. I just came across your recipe and wanted to try it. Thanks for sharing. Can I use vegetable shortening with the self rising flour? And could it be the same amount as margarine in your recipe? Thanks
Hi Ayisha
I haven’t used vegetable shortening for meat pie. Vegetable shortening can be used to make shortcrust pastry, so is ok for making meat pie with. The amount used can be the same as in my recipe. I would really like know how your meat pie turns out, so please drop by and leave feedback.
Hi chichi
How many grams of margarine or butter should I use for the pastry?
Hi Anabel,
The measurement for margarine can be found under ingredients.
Can they be frozen and baked later?
Yes it can
Hi Chichi,
I too have always loved meat pies but I started baking when I was in high school, experimenting over and over again with cakes. I find that I love to bake over the holidays especially and have recently started on another adventure. I am at a point in my life where anytime I visit the African store I want to fill it with my meat pies. There are none!!! So, I have decided to supply our local store with meat pies and sausage rolls. Unfortunately, at least for now, I cannot tell my family, because I have advanced degrees that do not qualify me to be “selling food” . I love to bake, period!
The one thing I am struggling with now is the measurement of flour to margarine. I have always mixed it my way, to get the dough flaky. This time, I actually want it to be a bit heavier, as it appears most people (in my family) love the heavy dough. For every pound of flour, I plan to use 8oz of butter. What do you think? I also noticed that your recipe called for self-rising flour? I have always found that self-rising flour too salty for pies (works great for cakes). Why would you use self-rising instead of All purpose flour?
Hi Arama, Thank you for stopping by.
Lol @ not being to tell your family because of advanced degrees. Seriously though, if your passion lies in baking I would encourage you to follow it.
The amount of fat I use is half that of the flour, so for every 400 g of flour, I will use 200-225 g butter/margarine. I think for a heavier dough, you would need to add a bit more flour. Add the flour a little at a time until you are happy with the texture. Be careful not to overwork the dough, or else you will end up with a hard meat pie.
I use self raising flour because it gives my pies a fluffy texture. Self raising flour contains salt, so I only add a pinch when making the pastry and filling. I have used plain flour in the past, it turned out okay. I guess it’s down preference and my taste buds. 🙂
Can you please tell me how many sticks of butter that will be equivalent to?
Thanks
255 g is 2 sticks of butter plus 1 tablespoon.
Can I use add oil and margarine to meat pie dough?
Hi Jike, You can use margarine. I have never made pastry with oil so I can’t offer any advise.
Why should the shaped dough be refrigerated and how unique is this procedure? What is the recommended time to keep the dough in freezer? How do you determine the temperature (180⁰c) of an oven made in Ghana
Thank you soooo much for this short recipe. I’ve been looking for a recipe like this to learn how to make my own pie since I’m learning how to make on. I hope they like it .
I’m making these today I have read the recipe and it looks good. I have made Jamaican patties and this recipe is very similar. Of course I know Caribbeans are originally from West Africa so a lot of our cuisine is the same.