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)
How do you stop your family from eating the beef while it is cooking !
😂 I have this problem myself!
I bet Dozer spent the day dreaming about meat pies. Now I want one!
Do it, you won’t regret it!!
Has anyone tried doing this in a pie maker? I have made the filling but feeling lazy! haha!
Hi I’m just wondering if there is a substitute for the wine as I don’t use alcohol thanks
These look so tasty I went out and bought double batch of meat and going to smash a batch for dinner and freezer today. LOVE a good homemade pie. I want to add mushrooms to the recipe just to up the veg for the kids, would you reduce the liquid amount added because mushrooms can be watery or just throw them into the meat mix? Also because I LOVE mustrooms haha
I’d just add them in, I love love LOVE mushroom!!
Where in the recipe would you add the mushrooms? I want to make this tomorrow.
Tasted really nice and all the family loved them, I used a kmart piemaker to make cute little pies but I found the gravy really strong. Maybe I did something wrong or added too much wine (is there such a thing really? haha). What would be the best way to tame it down?
hit here its diana from toronto ii am soo excited to try to make this recipe I have a vegetarian dr, son can you help me with a recipe for this , love your cite love the videos you are amazing love diana
Hi Nagi, I Always use Gravy Beef in my pies 🥧 I find it far superior to Chuck, it’s more gelatinous. What you say?
I love your recipes and having read this through I’ll rate it 5 even though I prefer & used Gravy Beef. Bewdy Bottler!
Nagi, I have to share this story of my coincidence this weekend. I ordered a shirt, and the seller by mistake sent me a shirt that says “This is how I am. I bake and I know things.” I thought I would never wear a shirt so smug. Then I decided to make this meat pie recipe. When the finished pies came out of the oven, they were perfectly flaky outside, and steaming delicious inside. As I brought a hot slice of pie to my hubby, I felt so smug I repeated the line. Good times thanks to your recipe! 🙂
Where oh where did you find the pie tins?
Woolworths stocks them here!
A little extra tip…
Put a couple of thick slices of cheddar cheese on top of the meat mixture before putting the puff pastry lid on and voilà, you’ve got the quintessential Kiwi Steak and Cheese pie 😉
Nice one Nagi, you can’t go wrong with a good pie!
OMG YES! That would be amazing, totally trying that!!
Yes please! The best pie ever….
🙌🏻
I love this meat pie. I know it doesn’t need any side but I did make some creamy potatoe mash.
Do you have a recipe for the best mashed potatoe ever?
Wow Gae you made it already?? I think you’re the first!!! I have shared a Paris Mash recipe which is the most luxurious of all mash!! Have you seen it?? It’s a recipe by Guiallaume a famous French chef!
Hey Nagi, I’m from pie country in the UK so I could jump in my car and drive 5 miles in any direction and get a superb pie (I’d be passing 2 dozen rubbish bakeries at though) but I’m definitely doing this recipe this weekend. Cheese & onion is my favourite pie but I’m very partial to a good beef pie! Thanks, I’ll report back 👍
Pie country! So true!! Poms do know a good pie….
Oh! Jason, Cheese and Onion Pie!!!!!
Nagi, how about a recipe for a really good Cheese and Onion Pie???????
I seriously don’t think I’ve ever tried it but I want to!
And you are a bloody legend for posting this! Not my usual fare but an essential passport to being dinky-di !:uvverly recipe but I am lucky . . . 2 kms down the road is one of Australia’s most famous pie shops run by a brilliant Vietnamese immigrant . . . people come from Sydney over a 100 kms away and at $A5 a pop I am not complaining . . Am just sipping at my morning black . . .
NO way! What’s the name of the place???
The very famous ‘Loop-line’ in Westbourne Ave near the old rail station in Thirlmere. Google ! Not open Mondays or sometimes Tuesdays. Marvellous French patisserie as well. Great coffee. Only cash 🙂 ! My faves are chicken/leek and steak with black pepper . . . fair curry ones also . . . all the truckies drive in from Hume Highway . . .
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.
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
Thanks so much for your comments. It”s the baking recipes I like to be sure about. 🤔
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.
🤞🏼 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
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
❤️ Home of the famous cookies! N x
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?
PS Braising steak will be great! Skirt is a bit too lean I’m afraid 🙂
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
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.
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
you must be psychic, i was just searching yesterday for a meat pie crust recipe! thanks!
Love being psychic…. 🔮
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.
🙊 HP Sauce??!!😂