Minced Beef Pie

Minced Beef Pie is a delicious dish made of a simple pastry filled with Mediterranean flavours and then cooked until golden and crispy. This savoury mince pie is a great alternative to Steak and Mushroom Pie but much simpler and quicker.

This super easy savoury meat pie is as yummy as it looks and is packed with Mediterranean flavours. Perfect recipe if you are craving some delicious meat pie but don't have time for slow cooking.

This savoury mince pie is perfect for a weekday meal and a perfect crowd-pleaser. You can prepare the ground beef filling and the pastry a couple of days in advance. Keep them in the fridge separately and build the pie on the day you want to cook.

Ingredients List

This delicious recipe for minced beef pie needs:

• Ground beef - I prefer minced beef with %15 fat content. This pie would also taste great with any other minced meat such as lamb or turkey.

• Onions - I use brown onions but yellow, white or red onions are fine as well.

• Green peppers - Turkish green peppers are best for this recipe but you can use bell peppers or padron peppers if you prefer.

• Tomatoes - Use fresh tomatoes to add some tanginess and colour to the dish. You can use tinned tomatoes but you need to cook until the liquid evaporates and add a pinch of sugar.

• Parsley - Flat-leaf or curly parsley perfectly complement this pie but you can use thyme, chives or any other herbs you prefer.

• Seasoning - Adjust the salt to your taste, this amount works perfect for us but we all have different taste buds. You can add chillies to spice this dish up but the warmth from Turkish peppers is usually enough for this dish.

Ingredients for the pastry :

• Plain flour - It is also known as all-purpose flour and is best for pastries, cakes and biscuits.

• Butter - This recipe recalls less butter than usual pie crusts which makes it healthier yet still deliciously crispy! Gently melt the butter without letting it boil and let it cool down for 5 minutes before adding to the flour.

• Yoghurt - Use plain yoghurt with no sugar or flavour added. Yoghurt adds the pastry a tangy flavour and also make them fluffy and light.

• Milk - I generally use semi-skimmed milk but use full-fat milk if you prefer. I wouldn't recommend skimmed milk for this recipe. Milk is added for its fat content which makes the dough easier to roll out.

• Egg - You need a whole egg and an egg white for this recipe. The egg yolk is to be kept for the egg wash.

• Baking powder - Baking powder helps to increase the volume and lighten the texture of the pastry.

Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities.

How to Make Minced Beef Pie?

It is very easy to make this delicious pie and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

• Prepare the dough - Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the melted butter, yoghurt, milk and egg to the dry ingredients and mix until you form a dough. Knead the dough for a minute until it feels soft and smooth. Cover the dough and let it cool in the fridge for half an hour while preparing the meat filling.

• Prepare the meat filling - Place a pan on medium heat and brown the mince, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to break the mince down into small pieces. When the mince is browned, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onions. (Skip the olive oil if the mince released enough fat to sauté the onions). Add peppers and saute for another minute before adding the tomatoes. Cook for few minutes then add the parsley, salt, pepper and paprika. Give it a good stir and remove the pan from the heat. Let the filling cool down while lining the pastry.

• Assemble the pie and cook - Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Take the pastry out of the fridge and divide it into ⅔ and ⅓. Use the larger section ( the ⅔ ) of the pastry to line your 23 cm dia spring cake pan. Roll the pastry out the size of 30 cm dia and line the bottom and sides of your cake pan. Spoon the meat filling in the pastry. Fold the excess pastry onto the filling. Divide the rest of the pastry into 6 pieces and roll them into strips to decorate the top of the pie. Or alternatively, you can roll the dough into a circle and cover the filling entirely.

Egg wash the pastry with egg yolk and cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

Top Tip From the Chef

Always start with browning the mince before adding the other ingredients. The mince will release its fat and you might not need to add oil to brown your onions or sautée your vegetables depending on how much fat the mince contains. I always use mince with %15 fat and hardly need any extra olive oil for the entire dish.

Equipment You Might Find Handy

I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Turkish Meat Pie as much as you enjoy eating it🙂.

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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Did you make this recipe?

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