If you've ever tasted a well-made Naija meat pie, you've probably wanted to have them available at any given time and now you can! Tender and juicy spiced beef filling wrapped in buttery pastry is one of my all-time favorite West African recipes. Follow this guide on how to make Nigerian meat pies perfectly at home with easy ingredients and from scratch.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my baked suya shrimp, too!
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History of Nigerian Meat Pie
The meat pie in Nigeria is a product of British colonization (1884 - 1960). The British cornish pastry was introduced during this time and evolved into the savory, flaky, and flavorful treat we know and love today. There are several steps so it's not a quick recipe but it is, in fact, easy so don't be intimidated by making homemade meat pies!
While the traditional cornish pastry typically uses steak cuts, rutabaga, and just salt and pepper to season, an authentic Nigerian meat pie recipe is moist and juicy with a well-seasoned mixture of ground beef and vegetables. Both are sealed inside of rough puff pastry, which differs from what is used for other diaspora hand pies like empanadas and patties.
❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Super Flaky Crust is made with simple ingredients and a touch of spice that cooks of any skill level can create plus I have tons of technique and tool tips for you below to make it as easy as possible.
Flavorful Filling - Layers of flavor from aromatics and spices make these beef pies super satisfying so it's hard to eat just one!
Perfect for Parties - You can enjoy meat pies with any meal and I personally love them for breakfast but they are also popular small bites at Nigerian weddings, birthdays, and gatherings of any sort.
We love Naija appetizers, aka small chops, around here like chin chin, dodo, plantain puff puff, and scotch eggs--all served with ice cold Chapman drink!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Ground Beef makes up the bulk of the filling and you can grab whichever kind you would typically use in a meat sauce, meatballs, etc.
Spices like curry powder, nutmeg, and thyme are mainstays in Nigerian cooking, largely due to British influence. Use good quality ground versions of these spices for the best results.
Beef Broth and Maggi Cube boost the beefy flavor here and add moisture for the best texture. You can also use chicken or other flavors of broth as well as bouillon powder or liquid instead, if needed.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Meat Choice - Ground beef is the traditional protein choice for meat pies but you can substitute with ground lamb, chicken or turkey if your diet or access necessitates. With ground poultry, I recommend using a higher fat content blend (like 85/15) to avoid dryness.
Peas & Carrots - The most authentic Nigerian meat pies use diced carrots but I like to use peas and carrots for little extra fiber. Either way both canned and frozen versions of these work just as well as fresh. Just note that canned cooks much faster!
How to Prepare Nigerian Meat Pies
Meat Pie Dough Recipe
Step One: Cut butter into small squares and place in freezer. Meanwhile, add flour, sea salt, sugar, and nutmeg to food processor and pulse to combine. (Photos 1 and 2)
Step Two: Add the cold butter and pulse until a coarse, sandy meal. (Photos 3 and 4)
Step Three: Add in cold water and mix just until a dough forms then press into a disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill. (Photos 5 and 6)
Pro Tip #1: You can combine the crust ingredients using a food processor, pastry blender, or even your two hands! I recommend working very quickly when using your hands as your body heat will warm up the ingredients, which can make the crust less flaky.
Meat Pie Filling
Step Four: Dice up the onion, potato, and garlic then cook with ground beef, spices, peas and carrots. Add beef broth and cornstarch to thicken up the filling and make it juicier. (Photos 7 and 8)
Pro Tip #2: Make sure to break up the ground meat very well so that it seasons and cooks evenly so you wind up with consistent texture throughout the meat pies.
Assembling the Pies
Step Five: Divide the pie dough into 10 equal balls and roll them out then fill with meat mixture and dab a bit of beaten egg along one edge. (Photos 9 and 10)
Step Six: Fold the other edge of over then crimp the edges together with a fork for a good seal, which prevents the filling from bursting out. (Photos 11 and 12)
Step Seven: Prick each pie a few times with a fork then brush with the beaten egg. These steps allow steam to escape from the filling as the pies bake and add a nice golden and glossy finish to the crust. (Photos 13 and 14)
Pro Tip #3: Alternatively, you can roll out all the dough as one then cut out 10 circles with a large round biscuit cutter. This gives a more polished and uniform look than the rustic pies show here.
Step Eight: Bake the pies until the crust is golden brown and cooked through.
Pro Tip #4: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the meat pies sticking to the pan while baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make meat pies up to three days ahead of time as long as they are stored properly. They will have the best freshest taste within the first two days.
Store baked meat pies in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate. Keeps up to five days.
To freeze, space the meat pies out on a sheet pan and place in freezer for about four hours to freeze them through. Then transfer the frozen pies to an airtight container or zipper seal freezer bag. Consume within two months for the best taste and texture.
More Favorite Nigerian Recipes
Now that you're up on game, I hope you'll enjoy as many meat pies are your heart desires soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this Nigerian meat pies recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Nigerian Meat Pies
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor or pastry blender
- 1 knife
Ingredients
For the Meat Pie Crust
- ¾ cup cold butter
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup cold water
- 1 egg
For the Meat Pie Filling
- ½ pound ground beef
- 1 potato
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ onion
- ½ cup peas and carrots or just carrots
- 1 maggi cube crushed into powder
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground thyme or one fresh thyme sprig
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup beef stock or broth
- ¾ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoon water
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
To Make the Crust
- Cut butter into small cubes and place in freezer. Meanwhile, add flour, sugar, sea salt, and nutmeg to food processor and pulse to combine. (See notes for alternative dough instructions.)
- Add in cold butter and pulse until a coarse, sandy meal.
- Remove the food processor blade then pour in cold water.
- Mix by hand or with a kitchen spoon just until a dough forms then press the dough into a disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
To Make the Filling
- Add ground beef to a large skillet over medium high heat. Break up the ground beef and cook for about three minutes, making sure to break up the meat very well so that it will season evenly and have consistent texture throughout the meat pies.
- Meanwhile, dice potato into ½ inch pieces, mince garlic, and chop onion.
- Stir the onion, garlic, potato, peas and carrots, maggi cube, curry powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, and ginger into cooking meat and cook until meat is fully browned (about 6 minutes).
- Add in beef broth and cover pot. Then mix cornstarch and water to create a slurry then stir into beef mixture.
- Cover pot again, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender and any remaining liquid in the pot is thickened. Taste and add salt, as needed. Remove from heat.
To Assemble and Bake Meat Pies
- Preheat oven temperature to 350 degrees. Line sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Beat egg and set aside.
- Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. (See recipe notes for alternative crust instructions.)
- Flatten out each ball to about ¼ inch thickness and scoop about two tablespoons of the filling into the middle of the dough, leaving about two inches space between the meat and edges of dough.
- Brush or rub a bit of beaten egg along one edge of the dough circle then fold the other side over and press down on edges with a fork for a good seal.
- Place meat pie onto parchment lined baking sheet and prick it two or three times with a fork to create holes in the dough, which will allow steam to escape while baking.
- Repeat previous steps with the remaining pieces of dough and meat filling until all ingredients are used then brush each meat pie with remaining egg.
- Place pan into oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve warm.
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