The great Australian Meat Pie!! Shortcrust pastry filled with slow cooked chunky pieces of beef in a rich gravy topped with golden puff pastry, this meat pie recipe requires patience but you will be regarded as a bloody legend by everybody fortunate enough to try one!
It’s way better than your everyday bakery and will rival some of the best meat pie makers in town – Bourke Street Bakery included! Bonus: old school beef mince meat pie recipe included. For a Family Size Meat Pie – see here!
Australian meat pie recipe!!
From midnight post-pub feasting to footy games, quick lunches on the run to essential road trip pit stops, Aussies never need an excuse to get stuck into meat pies!
That moment when you bite through the buttery, flaky golden puff pastry and the molten filling comes oozing out, and you frantically fan your mouth while mumbling “hot, hot, hot!!!”, cursing yourself for not letting it cool down but on the other hand you just don’t bloody care about third degree mouth burns because the pie is SO SO SO GOOD…..
That moment is something that every (non-vegetarian) Aussie is very familiar with.
And it’s a moment that Aussies who have moved abroad miss so much.
So today’s meat pie recipe is dedicated to all Aussies living overseas. Your hunt for a meat pie fix is officially over!!
How to make meat pies
It’s not the fastest recipe in the world – truthfully, it’s quite fiddly – but I absolutely promise it’s worth it. Here’s an overview – and the video below is quite helpful. 🙂
Pie crust base – shortcrust pastry (homemade or store bought) fitted into pie tins then blind baked so they don’t go soggy once filled. Don’t have pie tins? Use large muffin tins or ramekins, or make one giant pie! I got mine from Woolies.
Meat Pie Filling – just like making a beef stew, it’s cooked long and slow so the beef becomes ultra tender and the sauce develops incredible deep, rich flavours; and
Puff pastry pie topping – the crowning glory of the Aussie meat pie experience is that flaky golden puff pastry topping! Store bought, all the way for me. 🙂
Why two types of pastry?
I use shortcrust for the base because it won’t go soggy and has the strength so you can pick the pie up with your hands. Then puff pastry for that classic flaky meat pie lid we love and know so well!
Meat Pie Filling
Here’s what goes in the meat pie filling. This is for a chunky meat pie – pieces of beef slow cooked until fall apart tender which makes an intensely deep, rich flavoured gravy.
The old school version is made with beef mince (ground beef) but the flavour of chunky beef pies is better because you can brown the pieces beautifully which forms the flavour base for the sauce.
After an old school beef mince version?
For a beef mince version, just swap the chuck beef for beef mince and read the recipe notes for how to tweak the recipe. The sauce needs a flavour bump because it will be missing the flavour boost you get from browning cubes of beef – this step is key to a really great meat pie sauce!
Meat Pie pastry
The base of meat pies is made with shortcrust pastry and the lids are made with puff pastry. For convenience, use store bought for both if you wish. In Australia, shortcrust pastry comes frozen in square sheets. If you’re in the US or Canada, use refrigerated pie crusts (the rolled up type).
I like to make the shortcrust pastry because I feel like there’s high returns for small effort (using a food processor, it’s a 5 minute job).
But I always use store bought puff pastry – I’ve made it once, and it’s probably the only time I ever will in my life!
Meat Pie recipe tips
Brown the beef VERY well – this is key to ensure your filling has a rich complex flavour and is a deep dark brown colour. Brown in small batches – don’t crowd the pot otherwise the beef will stew in its own juices and will never brown! If this happens, just take some out.
Beef mince version – use recipe tweaks in the notes to give the sauce a flavour boost (because mince doesn’t brown like using cubes of beef)
Chunky vs beef mince – no question, chunky is superior in flavour and overall eating experience! Just can’t achieve the same sauce flavour using mince (but still so SO tasty!)
Start the day before – if you can. Firstly, it’s best for the filling to be fridge cold to ensure the meat pie base doesn’t go soggy. Secondly, as with all stews, the filling is even better the next day!
Don’t reduce the sauce too much. Some liquid evaporates while the filling is cooling and liquid gets absorbed by the pie crust. When you cut open the pie, you want the filling to ooze out and be nice and saucy, not dry.
Don’t make the pie crust too thin – if making your own shortcrust pastry, don’t make the base too thin otherwise it will break when the pie is picked up. Still tasty – but very messy!
To smear or not to smear?? To this day, I cannot believe there are people who eat meat pies without tomato sauce. I really try to respect personal preferences….. but I will never understand! 😂
Hands – or knife and fork? Knife and fork?? Shame on you! The Aussie meat pie is made for eating with your hands!!!🤣
Worth the effort!
It will take you the better part of a day to make homemade meat pies. It’s quite involved and they’re especially fiddly because we’re making individual pies rather than one large pie.
But you will be regarded as a bloody legend by everybody fortunate enough to put one of these pies in their pie-hole!
Are they as good as what you can buy? YES. Better than your everyday bakery by a long shot, even using store bought pastry. Way WAY better than the average frozen meat pies from the supermarket.
That moment when you pull these golden beauties out of the oven – you’ll feel both excited AND smug (as you should……)
But then, you smear the still-hot-from-the-oven meat pie with some tomato sauce, and take a huge bite….
O.M.G.
There are no words. (But I shall try)
You’ve got a mouthful of buttery shortcrust pastry that literally melts in your mouth, juicy fall apart beef smothered in a rich gravy with flavour money can’t buy, and the flaky crispy puff pastry…..
Be still my beating heart.
There is simply no question. It’s one of the best food experiences in the world! – Nagi x
🇦🇺More Aussie fare🇦🇺
Family Size Aussie Meat Pie – The giant form of these hand held meat pies!
Party Pies (Aussie Mini Beef Pies) – Mini meat pies!
Sausage Rolls – Seasoned pork mixture rolled up in puff pastry. We believe this rivals Bourke St Bakery too!😂
Lamingtons – Vanilla sponge cubes dipped in chocolate and coated with coconut
Anzac biscuits – Crispy, buttery, toffee flavoured oatmeal cookies
Pavlova!! – Crispy meringue on the outside, marshmallow on the inside, piled high with cream and fruit
Scones – Plus magic 3 ingredient Lemonade Scones (3 ingredients)
Watch how to make it
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Aussie Meat Pie recipe
Ingredients
Pie Base – Choose ONE (Note 1):
- 1 1/2 batches homemade shortcrust pastry
- 3 frozen shortcrust pastry sheets, thawed (300g/10oz)
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts (US/Can)
Pie Lid:
- 3 frozen puff pastry sheets, just thawed (300g/10oz) (Note 2)
- 1 egg , lightly whisked
Filling:
- 1.25 kg / 2.5lb beef chuck , 2.5cm/1″ cubes (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
- 2 – 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion , diced
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 5 tbsp flour , plain/all purpose
- 1 1/4 cups (315 ml) beef stock, low sodium (Note 4)
- 3 cups (750 ml) red wine , dry full bodied (Note 5)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp black pepper , coarsely ground
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
Filling:
- Sprinkle beef with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add 1/3 of the beef and brown aggressively all over, then remove. Repeat with remaining beef, adding more oil if needed.
- Turn stove down to medium high. Add garlic and onion, cook 3 minutes.
- Add flour, stir through.
- Slowly add beef stock while stirring constantly. Once flour is dissolved, add wine, tomato paste, Worcestershire, pepper and bay leaves.
- Return beef into pot, cover with lid, adjust heat so it’s simmering gently.
- Simmer 1 hr 45 minutes. Remove lid, increase heat slightly and simmer 30 – 45 minutes, stirring regularly, or until beef is fork tender and liquid reduces down to a thickish gravy, just about covering beef (see video). Do not reduce liquid too much – thickens more as it cools & in pie.
- Remove from stove, cover and cool filling (I usually leave overnight).
Pastry:
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Cut out 6 rounds from the shortcrust pastry, then drape pastry into pie tins – don’t stretch and pull pastry, causes shrinkage. (Notes 1 & 6)
- Place pies on tray. Top each pie with large sheets of parchment / baking paper and fill with pie weights (Note 7).
- Bake 20 minutes, remove, then use paper overhang to carefully remove pie weights.
- Return crusts into oven for 5 minutes or until base is light golden and dry (can skip, Note 8). Remove from oven.
Assemble pies:
- Fill pies with cooled filling, push down to fill. Should be slightly mounded.
- Cut rounds from partially thawed puff pastry – cut them slightly larger than the edge of the cooked pastry bases.
- Brush edge of pie crusts with egg, then place lid on filling, pressing edges to seal puff pastry to the shortcrust pastry.
- Brush lids with egg, then cut a 1cm / 0.5″ incision in the middle using a small knife.
- Bake 30 minutes or until deep golden and puffed.
- Devour hot and fresh, topped with tomato sauce or ketchup if desired!
Recipe Notes:
- Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, cut sticks/shapes bake until golden. Try garlic butter, sprinkle with parmesan and pepper, or dukkdah or zaatar. Or just bake sticks plain and use as dippers with soups or stews.
- Cook onion and garlic, then add 1.3 kg / 2.6lb beef mince (ground beef) and brown
- Add flour and remaining ingredients per recipe including pepper but DO NOT ADD SALT
- Add 1 beef cube, crumbled
- Simmer gently, covered, for 1 hr 20 minutes
- Uncover and reduce for 20 minutes
- Add up to 1 tsp dark soy sauce to make the sauce colour a nice brown and add flavour (soy has more flavour than plain salt), simmer for 5 min. Add normal salt if you want it saltier.
- Cool then use as filling per recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Ironclad grip on both Dozer and coffee (equally important at early morning beach sessions)
Esther says
Quick query Nagi, do you use a 15ml or 20ml tablespoon for all your recipes? In the shops I see more 15ml spoons these days. Just wondered, thanks.
Nagi says
Hi Esther! That’s such a good question – and I agree, 15 ml is more common nowadays. I use 15 ml, but I’m very mindful that some Aussies will still use 20 ml and in most recipes it won’t matter. Where it does matter, I’m always careful to specify or I say to use 3 tsp instead of 1 tbsp (which eliminates the discrepancy!). I’m extra careful when I do baking recipes, like the Anzac cookies I shared on Wednesday (which works fine with either 15 ml or 20 ml tbsp 🙂 ) N x
Esther says
Thanks so much for your comments. It”s the baking recipes I like to be sure about. 🤔
Kerry says
Oh Nagi, I am shaking in anticipation. The best darn roast meat recipes ever and now a mouthwatering meat pie! I’m off to the butcher now. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Nagi says
🤞🏼 Hope you love it!! Worked so hard on this one, takes so long to make and had to make it multiple times to get the photos and video and refining the recipe!! N x
Annette Welstead says
Hi Mark Packham
I live in Byron – hope you enjoy this pie recipe and it brings back good memories of your time here. Cheers from the Land Downunder
Nagi says
❤️ Home of the famous cookies! N x
Kaye says
Could I use my pressure cooker to cook the beef braising steak or Beef Skirt here in the UK and if so for how long?
Nagi says
PS Braising steak will be great! Skirt is a bit too lean I’m afraid 🙂
Nagi says
HI Kaye! I think 50 minutes in the pressure cooker would be ideal, then transfer to a pot or if your pressure cooker is multi cfunction you can use that. Simmer for 30 – 45 minutes to reduce the sauce 🙂 N x
Gail says
Just have to try these pies they look delicious I’ll be trying them very soon. My one problem is finding a chuck roast? Unsure why
or maybe it is referred to differently?
PSGlad to see that Dozer had his girlfriend Jarrah for a visit……..they look very very happy together.
Nagi says
Hi Gail! Where are you? I thought beef chuck was a pretty universal cut all around the world! Basically just use the cut of beef used for stews, nicely marbled with fat so the pieces of beef are really juicy. Otherwise boneless beef ribs is also ideal! N x
Jenane says
you must be psychic, i was just searching yesterday for a meat pie crust recipe! thanks!
Nagi says
Love being psychic…. 🔮
Myron says
Sorry i don’t aggree with you about tomatoe sauce and beef pies it has got to be HP Brown sauce every time
Ketchup is too sweet.
Nagi says
🙊 HP Sauce??!!😂
Ewa says
This pie recipe sounds sooo delicious! I have to do it!
Nagi says
You must you must you must!!
Nancy C says
Ugh, I knew I was meant to be Australian in another life! This looks beyond amazing!
Nagi says
😂😂😂 one of our greatest contributions to the culinary world!!
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Nagi! I agree that beef chuck is much better and way more flavorful than mince. I can’t wait to make and stuff my face with these!! They won’t last long here!
Nagi says
😘 N xx
mark packham says
making them for my wife this weekend to remind us of where we met, Byron bay, 20 years ago.
Thoughts on making a batch and then freezing?
Thanks. Mark. BC, Canada.
Nagi says
Aww I love hearing that Mark! So you married an Aussie, eh?? Excellent taste in ladies! 😜
mark packham says
LOL. Actually a Canadian, just had to go to the other side of the planet to find her.
Pies we’re a hit this weekend, and my wife made me put cheese on top also.!!!
Annette Welstead says
Hi Mark Packham
I live in Byron – hope you enjoy this pie recipe and it brings back good memories of your time here. Cheers from the Land Downunder
AL cooper says
Can the Aussie Meat Pie be frozen and for how long?
I will make it next week. Thanks, Al Cooper
Nagi says
Yes! I would happily keep it in the freezer for 3 months, cooked, wrapped in cling wrap then also in an airtight container. Thaw then reheat in oven to crisp pastry – about 20 minutes at 320F/160C. 🙂 N x PS Will add this to the notes
Theresa says
These look delicious!!! I love your recipes and the additional notes that you add. If I use dry beans for the pastry crusts can I reuse them again. Thanks!
Nagi says
Hi Teresa! I have to confess I have never tried to cook them after using as pie weights in the oven, I just kept reusing them as pie weights until they died 🙂 N x
Theresa says
Thanks Nagi. I wouldn’t use them again to eat but would use them again for my pie crusts. Keep them on hand. Those pies look sooooo delicious!!
Jim says
Hi from sunny Spain! Loved every one of your recipes that I’ve tried thus far, thank you. These pies look just what I need but there’s only me in the house who will eat them so could you tell me if they could be frozen and at what stage of their preparation I should do that, if it’s feasible?
Thanks!
Jim
Nagi says
Hello Jim! I can’t wait to visit Spain, it’s on the agenda for next year! Yes they are terrific frozen (3 months), best to freeze after baking. I will pop notes in the recipe! N xx
Bob says
Being a true blue, dinky die aussie who is a connoisseur of meat pies and has been eating them for nearly 60 years, I’ve always reckoned that only bad pies need tomato sauce….just saying.
Nagi says
🙊 No no no… *she wails*.. 😂
Lisa Cupp says
I’m American. Is the tomato sauce what we would call ketchup or just a plain tomato sauce? The pie looks amazing. I’m going to have to buy individual pie pans. Thank you.
Nagi says
Hi Lisa! Ketchup 🙂 Tomato sauce is basically the same, ketchup has slightly more flavour! N x
Nikki says
Same as ketchup
Ron says
All I’ve got to say about your Aussie pie is, I want one or three. They look so yummy.
Dozer dog looks like he needs a cup of coffee as well.
Nagi says
I always want three but my eyes are bigger than my stomache…. 😂
Susan says
Hi Nagi. These look fabulous. You mentioned road trips. Can these be eaten cold then? Thanks for the recipe.
Susan from the UK
Nagi says
Hi Susan! I should have clarified – there are meat pie shops on major highways where we always stop to get our meat pie fix!! They are best eaten hot! N x
Tina says
Hi Nagi,
Love your blog and your recipes. I’m going to attempt the Aussie meat pie recipe and wondered if its possible to sub the flour in the beef for something else? Xanthan Gum maybe? Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Tina
Nagi says
Hi Tina! Cornflour is an easy sub 🙂 Just leave out the flour then right at the end after the meat is “fall apart” and sauce has mostly reduced, mix together 3.5 tbsp of cornflour with a splash of water. Then while stirring, slowly pour the cornflour mixture in. As the sauce reduces a bit more it will thicken to the same consistency. Only tip – don’t freeze. Things thickened with cornflour tend to thin out once frozen and thawed. 🙂 N x