Mini Beef Tourtières (Printable)

Flaky pastries with savory spiced beef filling. Traditional Canadian appetizers perfect for any celebration.

# 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 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. 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 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. Using a 2 3/4 inch round pastry cutter, cut out rounds. 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 a remaining pastry round and seal edges firmly with a fork.
06 - Brush tops of tourtières with beaten egg. Cut a small slit in each pastry to allow steam to escape during baking.
07 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The cream cheese pastry melts in your mouth and stays tender even after cooling, making these perfect for party platters.
  • The spice blend of allspice, cinnamon, and cloves gives the beef filling a cozy, unexpected warmth that guests always ask about.
  • These freeze beautifully unbaked, so you can pull out exactly how many you need and bake them fresh anytime.
02 -
  • Do not skip chilling the dough, warm pastry is impossible to roll and will shrink and crack in the oven.
  • Let the filling cool completely before assembling or the heat will soften the butter in the dough and make sealing nearly impossible.
  • Press the edges firmly with a fork, any gaps will let the filling leak out during baking and create a mess.
03 -
  • Work quickly when rolling the dough, if it gets too soft, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes and it will behave perfectly again.
  • Use a fork dipped in flour to crimp the edges, it prevents sticking and creates a beautiful seal every time.
  • If you are making a large batch, keep the filled unbaked pastries in the fridge while the first tray bakes so the dough stays cold and flaky.
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