An Aussie icon, these bakery-style party pies are a must at any gathering! Encased in flaky, crispy pastry and filled with a rich and savoury beef mince gravy, they are the ultimate comfort food to make this season. Freeze them for a make-ahead party food or an easy heat-and-eat dinner.
Why you’ll love this recipe
In Australia, beef party pies are a staple party food, gathering and footy snack. They consist of a crispy pastry shell, filled with a thick savoury gravy and beef mince filling. With a crumbly shortcrust base and flaky puff pastry lid, this version is just like the pies you’ll find in bakeries, cafes and service stations all across Australia.
- Make ahead – ready to reheat and eat. Perfect for when you’re entertaining or short on time.
- Ideal for parties and family dinners – serve them at parties, gatherings or for a traditional game day snack with a generous squirt of tomato sauce on top.
- Homemade is better – with a buttery and flaky crust and a rich, savoury meat filling, they taste so much better than store-bought pies! Plus, making them yourself means you know exactly what’s going into them.
- Made in muffin tins – for easy assembly and removal.
- Easy to make – this recipe makes the most of store-bought pastry, to save time. And the pie filling is so easy to make. It can even be prepped ahead and stored in the fridge, ready to assemble later.
- Easily multiplied – need more pies to feed a crowd? This recipe can be easily multiplied.
If you love these pies, you’ll also love these vegetable pasties, chicken and bacon pies and pizza rolls.
Ingredients you will need
** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. This photo is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!
- Pastry – most savoury meat pies use a crumbly shortcrust pastry base, topped with a flaky puff pastry lid. To save time, I use sheets of frozen shortcrust and puff pastry from the supermarket. However, you can also make your own homemade pastry, if preferred. You will need 3 sheets of shortcrust pastry for the base of the pies and 2 sheets of puff pastry for the lids.
- Beef mince – for the pie filling. Use the best quality beef mince you can find. I recommend using regular, full-fat beef mince, as the fat adds richness to the meat sauce and is more tender when cooked.
- Beef stock cubes – stock cubes (also called bouillon cubes) are concentrated broth or stock, dehydrated and formed into a small cube. 2 stock cubes (I use OXO stock cubes) are crumbled into the sauce and dissolved in water and form the savoury, flavour base of the gravy.
- Flour – a little plain flour is used to thicken the sauce.
- Tomato sauce – provides acidity and sweetness to balance the gravy. Regular tomato sauce or tomato ketchup can be used. Start with 1 tablespoon, but add a little more to taste if needed.
- Ground sage – ground sage adds an earthy, herby flavour and helps to balance the richness of the sauce. I don’t recommend skipping it, but ground rosemary or dried thyme could be used in a pinch.
- HP sauce – a British brown sauce made with tomato and tamarind. Similar to a mix of Worcestershire sauce and BBQ sauce, with a hint of pepper and spices, HP sauce is used to balance the gravy and add depth and richness. Alternatively, Worcestershire sauce can be used.
Step by step instructions
Full ingredient notes and quantities can be found in the detailed recipe card below. But here is a brief overview of what you can expect;
Step 1 – Make the meat filling;
- Sauté the onion and garlic together with the olive oil, until soft and fragrant.
- Add the beef mince and cook, stirring, until browned, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon.
- Add the crumbled stock cubes, tomato paste, HP sauce, black pepper, tomato sauce and sage and stir to combine (plus a bay leaf – optional). Cook for 1-2 minutes over low heat.
- Add the water and flour and stir to combine.
- Bring to a low simmer and stir until the sauce has thickened to a gravy-like consistency.
Remove the filling from the heat and allow it to cool.
Step 2 – Prepare the pastry cases;
Place the pastry sheets onto a bench at room temperature to thaw while the meat filling cools. Make sure the pastry has thawed before cutting, or it can break.
- Cut the shortcrust pastry into 10 cm rounds to make 12 pie bases. You can use a pastry cutter, cookie ring or a 10 cm dish with a sharp knife.
- Cut the puff pastry into 7-8 cm rounds to make 12 lids.
- Gently shape the shortcrust pastry rounds into a muffin tin greased with oil spray.
- Divide the cooled meat filling into the 12 bases.
- Top the pies with the puff pastry lids and pinch the edges of the pastry to firmly seal the tops onto the bases.
- Brush the tops of the pies with a little beaten egg.
- Bake until the pastry is crispy and golden brown. Remove the pies from the muffin tins and allow to cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve hot, with tomato sauce.
Expert tips
- Allow the filling to cool completely before adding it to the pastry cases. Hot filling will make the pastry soggy and it won’t crisp properly. Make it ahead of time and allow to rest, where possible.
- The filling can be made the day before and kept in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.
- Be sure to seal the pastry lids properly, or the lids can detach and the filling will leak when baking. The edges of the lids can be brushed with a little egg wash before sealing. Pinch the sides to the pastry to seal, or use a fork to press along the edges.
- Make sure there are no holes in the pastry bases, or the filling will leak and make the bases soggy.
- Use a non-stick muffin tray or non-stick pie dishes for easy removal of the finished pies.
- Make sure the gravy is thick enough before removing from the heat. Add a little more flour, if needed.
- Taste as you go and add more pepper, tomato sauce, HP sauce or spices, if needed.
- For crispy pie bottoms, use metal muffin trays or metal pie tins. They produce the crispiest base. Silicone or ceramic trays can be used, but the pastry may not crisp as nicely.
- Poke a small hole in the top of the puff pastry lids before baking. This allows steam to escape while the pies are baking, making beautifully flaky tops.
- Need more for a party? This recipe can be easily multiplied to make more.
FAQs
If you have air fryer muffin tins, an air fryer can be used. Assemble as normal and cook the pies in the air fryer at 180°C/356 F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
You can freeze baked party pies for up to 3 months. Remove the baked pies from the muffin tins and allow them to cool completely. To freeze, wrap the pies in cling wrap and place into a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat straight from frozen.
You can reheat cooked party pies in an oven or air fryer, direct from the fridge or freezer. Cook at 160°C/320 F for 10-15 minutes, until crisped and completely heated through in the middle. If cooking from frozen, add an additional 5-10 minutes to the cooking time. They can also be reheated in a microwave, but the pastry won’t be as crisp.
Store leftover party pies in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
At parties, these pies can be served on their own with tomato sauce or your favourite dipping sauce. For lunch or dinner, they can be served with salad, steamed veggies, mashed potatoes, air fryer chips or sweet potato fries.
Related recipes
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Aussie Beef Party Pies
Equipment
- muffin tin 12 hole
- frying pan
- round pastry cutter or sharp knife
Ingredients
For the meat filling
- 1 medium brown onion very finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 500 grams beef mince use regular, full fat beef mince for best results.
- 2 beef stock cubes beef bouillon cubes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons HP sauce
- pinch ground black pepper or more, to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons tomato sauce or tomato ketchup
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- bay leaf optional
- 1 cup water
- 1-2 tablespoons plain flour
To assemble
- 3 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry thawed
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1 egg lightly beaten, to glaze
To serve
- tomato sauce
Instructions
For the meat filling
- In a large frying pan, sauté the onion and garlic together with the olive oil on low-medium heat, until soft and fragrant.
- Add the beef mince and stir with a wooden spoon until browned, breaking down any lumps with the spoon.
- Turn the heat to low and add the stock cubes, tomato paste, HP sauce, pepper, tomato sauce, sage and bay leaf (optional) and stir to combine.
- Stir over low heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the water and 1 tablespoon of flour and stir to combine.
- Bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is glossy and has reduced and thickened to a gravy-like consistency. Only add more flour to thicken further if needed. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
To assemble.
- Place the pastry sheets onto a bench to thaw while the meat filling cools.
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C/356 F. Lightly coat a metal muffin tin with oil spray.
- Use a circular pastry cutter or bowl and knife to cut the shortcrust pastry into 10cm circles, making 12 bases.
- Then, cut the puff pastry into 7-8 cm circles (sizes will vary, depending on your muffin tray).
- Gently press the shortcrust pastry circles into the muffin tin and use a spoon to fill the bases with meat filling.
- Place the puff pastry lids over the pies and press the edges to seal the lids to the shortcrust bases. A little beaten egg can be brushed over the inside edges of the puff pastry lids, to seal. Make sure the edges are completely sealed so that the pies don't leak while baking.
- Brush the tops of the pies with a little beaten egg and poke some holes in the top of the pies with a fork or skewer.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the pies are flaky and golden brown.
- Serve with tomato sauce or your favourite savoury dipping sauce.
Notes
- Pastry – most savoury meat pies use a crumbly shortcrust pastry base, topped with a flaky puff pastry lid. To save time, I use sheets of frozen shortcrust and puff pastry from the supermarket. However, you can also make your own homemade pastry, if preferred. You will need 3 sheets of shortcrust pastry for the base of the pies and 2 sheets of puff pastry for the lids.
- Beef stock cubes – stock cubes (also called bouillon cubes) are dehydrated broth or stock, formed into a small cube. 2 stock cubes (I use OXO stock cubes) are crumbled into the sauce and dissolved in water and form the savoury, flavour base of the gravy.
- Allow the filling to cool completely before adding it to the pastry cases. Hot filling will make the pastry soggy and it won’t crisp properly. Make it ahead of time and allow to rest, where possible.
- The filling can be made the day before and kept in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.
- Be sure to seal the pastry lids properly, or the lids can detach and the filling will leak when baking. The edges of the lids can be brushed with a little egg wash before sealing. Pinch the sides to the pastry to seal, or use a fork to press along the edges.
- Make sure there are no holes in the pastry bases, or the filling will leak and make the bases soggy.
- Use a non-stick muffin tray or non-stick pie dishes for easy removal of the finished pies.
- Make sure the gravy is thick enough before removing the filling from the heat. Add a little more flour, if needed.
- Taste as you go and add more pepper, tomato sauce, HP sauce or spices, if needed.
- For crispy pie bottoms, use metal muffin trays or metal pie tins. They produce the crispiest base. Silicone or ceramic trays can be used, but the pastry may not crisp as nicely.
- Poke a small hole in the top of the puff pastry lids before baking. This allows steam to escape while the pies are baking, making beautifully flaky tops.
- Store leftover party pies in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- You can freeze baked party pies for up to 3 months. Remove the baked pies from the muffin tins and allow them to cool completely. To freeze, wrap the pies in cling wrap and place into a freezer-sae container or freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat straight from frozen.
- The nutrition information is based on the recipe being made into 12 pies, with one pie being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the pies.
- This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.
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