Mini Beef Tourtières (Printable Version)

Flaky pastries with savory spiced beef filling. A classic Canadian appetizer with warm holiday spices.

# What You Need:

→ Cream Cheese Pastry

01 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
02 - 8 oz unsalted butter, cold and diced
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Beef Filling

05 - 1 lb ground beef
06 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
07 - 1 clove garlic, minced
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 1/4 cup beef broth
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
16 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Assembly

17 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, blend softened cream cheese and cold diced butter until smooth. Add all-purpose flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms. Divide dough in half, flatten each portion into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and cook until translucent, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high, add ground beef, and cook until browned, breaking apart with a spoon. Stir in allspice, cinnamon, cloves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour in beef broth and simmer until mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in fresh parsley, and allow to cool completely.
03 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
04 - On a floured work surface, roll out chilled pastry dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 2 3/4 inch round pastry cutter, cut rounds from the dough. Place half of the rounds on prepared baking sheets.
05 - Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of cooled beef filling onto each pastry round on the baking sheets. Brush edges lightly with water. Top each filled round with a second pastry round and seal edges firmly using the tines of a fork.
06 - Brush the top surface of each pastry with beaten egg. Using a sharp knife, cut a small slit in the center of each tourtière to allow steam to escape during baking.
07 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Allow pastries to cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cream cheese pastry is absurdly tender and melts on your tongue without any fussy lamination.
  • They disappear from the plate faster than you can say appetizer, which makes you look like a kitchen genius.
  • The warm spice blend turns simple ground beef into something that feels festive and a little mysterious.
  • You can make them ahead and bake them straight from the freezer when guests arrive.
02 -
  • If your pastry cracks when you roll it, it's too cold, let it sit at room temperature for five minutes and it will become pliable again.
  • Don't overfill the rounds or the filling will leak out during baking and make a mess, one heaping teaspoon is the sweet spot.
  • The egg wash is what gives you that gorgeous shine, but if you skip the small slit in the top, steam will build up and the pastry might puff unevenly or crack.
03 -
  • Always taste your filling before you assemble, it should be well seasoned and a little bolder than you think because the pastry will mellow it.
  • If you don't have a round cutter, a drinking glass with a thin rim works perfectly, just dip the edge in flour between cuts.
  • Let the tourtières cool for at least five minutes before serving or the filling will be molten and burn tongues, patience pays off here.
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