Mini Beef Tourtières (Printable)

Flaky pastries filled with savory spiced beef. A classic Canadian appetizer perfect for any celebration.

# What You’ll 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 pound 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

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, blend the softened cream cheese and cold diced butter until smooth. Add flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms. Divide dough in half, flatten each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
02 - In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon, about 5 minutes. 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 parsley, and allow to cool completely.
03 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
04 - Roll out chilled pastry dough on a floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out 2 3/4 inch rounds using a pastry cutter. Place half the rounds on prepared baking sheets.
05 - Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of cooled beef filling onto each round on the baking sheets. Brush edges lightly with water. Top each with another pastry round and seal edges firmly with a fork.
06 - Brush tops of all tourtières with beaten egg. Cut a small slit in the top of each pastry to allow steam to escape during baking.
07 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cream cheese pastry is tender and rich without any tricky chilling or rolling drama.
  • Ground beef becomes something elegant when you add allspice, cinnamon, and cloves.
  • These freeze beautifully, so you can pull out a dozen anytime guests appear unexpectedly.
  • Theyre small enough to eat standing up but fancy enough to serve at any gathering.
02 -
  • If the dough gets too soft while rolling, pop it back in the fridge for ten minutes or it tears and sticks.
  • Let the filling cool completely before assembling or the pastry turns greasy and won't seal properly.
  • Don't skip the steam vent, one batch puffed up like little balloons and half the filling oozed out.
  • Use a fork to really press the edges, a gentle pinch won't hold during baking.
03 -
  • Chill your pastry cutter in the freezer for a few minutes so it cuts cleaner circles without dragging.
  • If you don't have a round cutter, use a drinking glass with a thin rim, it works just as well.
  • Rotate your baking sheets halfway through so everything browns evenly, my oven always runs hotter in the back.
  • Let the tourtières rest for five minutes after baking, the filling sets just enough to avoid burning your tongue.
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