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)
Simply a fantastic, perfect recipe when you follow it to a tee. So delicious with either chuck or minced beef method. Thank you
This is a great recipe! Question I have: could you make the filling in a pressure cooker to potential quicken the process?
Hi Rob – you could but you’d need to transfer it at step 6, then you’d need to transfer it back to a pan to simmer it so the sauce reduces otherwise it will be too watery. N x
Hi Nagi, can you use a slow cooker for this recipe?
Thanks!
Liz
Hi Liz, not really, you want it simmering so the sauce thickens and reduces (using a slow cooker would mean a watery mix not suitable for pies) N x
Any tips to double the recipe? Thanks for such great instructions and tips! LOVE your recipes. A fan from Anchorage, Alaska!
Hi Carol – you can simply double it and make twelve pies, that will work fine! N x
Australian “tomato sauce” = US Ketchup? Correct?
Hi Wesley, yes that’s correct 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi. I just made meat pies using leftover beef cheeks from your recipe and then making your pie gravy – best pies I have ever done! Used my Kogan Pie Maker and they worked out a treat. Thank you
Sounds fabulous David!! N x
Hi Nagi, thanks for the great recipe. I loved them! At first when I tasted just the filling I missed some sweetness. But the ketchup makes up for that. I’m from the Netherlands and i’ve been to australia 6 years ago where I had my first pie. I craved for them for so long. Unfortunately it is hard to find a pie tin here. They don’t sell them here. I’ve made them in a ramekin and unfortunately I could’nt get them out. They were not firm enough. Thanks again!
I also live in the Netherlands and bought my pie tins from Amazon.co.uk.
Hi Nagi, Messenging from across the pond in good old blighty, I’ve made a couple of your recipies before and they are fantastic, so thanks for that but wanted to cut this down to a 4 person pie, so was wondering what size dish I might need for 1 large pie? (btw your Soft No Knead Dinner Rolls have served us very well during the Covid outbreak), so many thanks and good wishes to you and Dozer.
Hi Andy, I’d say an 8″ pie dish would be suitable here! N x
Hi Nagi! I’m keen to make this on Sunday, just wondering can I use Chinese red cooking wine instead of regular red wine? Can’t wait to try some homemade meat pie 😍 thank u x
OMG these were amazing! I just used leftover slow cooked lamb and frozen pastries, but the sauce is the game-changer, great recipe, it’s a keeper!
Hi Nagi, my boyfriend is from Australia and I am a Texan, we live in the states. This was my first attempt at making an Australian meat pie and my boyfriend LOVED it. I made a whole pie, need to get some small tins to make individual pies. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
That’s great to hear Mary!! N x
Hi Nagi, thank you so much, my son & hubby love the, my 2 girls don’t eat meat pie usually, but guess what they ate for dinner then ask for take to school, 😃 😀, ( they r in primary), , you r awesome, made me a good cook 😀, pie can’t taste wine , great favor
Hi Nagi
Thanks for your recipes. I have made the meat pie and the sausage rolls and both were delicious. I like watching the videos at the same time as I am cooking. I will surprisw my wife with more of your receipes. Cheers
Would have been useful to have the proper temperature for the final bake!!
Hi Lyndon it’s noted there as “Preheat oven to 180C/350F” – N x
Hi,
I made this recipe on Saturday then made them up in the Kmart pie maker. My hubby liked them but I don’t like that I can taste the flavour of the red wine. Wondering what a replacement would be for the red wine and quantities would be of that replacement?
Hi Danielle. Can I ask how long you put them in the pie maker for? Did you blind bake the base first or just put everything in altogether?
Hi Monica, I have the same question you asked and was wondering how you used the pie maker? I just bought one from eBay specifically for this recipe! Any tips would be welcome!
Hi Leanne. I didn’t blind bake the pastry. I put them in for 12 mins & they turned out beautifully. Don’t over fill them otherwise the sauce goes everywhere!
Thank you so much, Monica! I really appreciate you replying 🙂
Hi Danielle, can I ask what type of wine you used? It shouldn’t be overpowering here – N x
Hi Nagi, made the filling and leaving it to cool completely overnight. That being said, is it necessary to blind bake the shortcrust bases? Could i just place the pies (Texan pie size) on a lower shelf in oven to make sure it cooks? Any workarounds to this? Thanks so much. Your recipes are a huge hit in our household, so can’t wait to try these pies on Saturday night!
Hi Rosita, if you don’t blind bake, you’ll end up with soggy bottoms. I find it much nice to blind bake. N x
Hey Nagi I love your recipes but was wondering if it would work if it work to sub some of the wine for more stock? Making it for my 8 year olds birthday who loves pies.
Hi there, id like to replace wine with stock also. Did you just use the same quantities of stock for wine?
Hi Nagi, I made this last night and it was a hit! Made all from scratch. Thanks so much for the recipe! 😊
Nagi, my wife and I have enjoyed making (and eating) a lot of recipes from your website. I have to admit I was a little intimidated by the Aussie Meat Pies, but they came out great. My family really enjoyed them. Thanks for another great recipe.
Hi Sarah, you definitely can 🙂 N x
Bloody delicious, we made these pies for our Sunday lunch and will definitely be giving them a regular run. Thanks for this recipe. M
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Mark! N x
I also mad these using your leftover Guinness Stew, which by the way is delicious. The pies were the best. Have used a few of your recipes and they all work perfectly, and have a few more earmarked to do yet. Great easy to follow recipes and helpful hints and comments. Really like your blog and appreciate all the hard work that must go into it.
I have only one word for the Meat Pie Recipe, magnificent.