Name: Irish Meat Pies Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 2 tablespoon olive oil; 1/4 head green cabbage, shredded; 1/4 lb red potatoes, diced; 1/2 lb lean ground sirloin; 1.5 tablespoon tomato paste; 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 prepared pie crust

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This easy semi-homemade Irish meat pies recipe is a perfect choice for serving around the St. Patrick's Day holiday! It's a delicious traditional dish that is often served this time of year and can be made in advance to save time. A tender crust stuffed meat, potatoes, cabbage, and a delicious seasoning blend is sure to be a hit with everyone at your dinner table.

Irish Meat Pies

If you like a pot pie or a pasty, then you will surely love this meat pie. This to me is a classic working man's dish that is filled with hearty ingredients and is easy to serve.

While it is traditional to Irish families as a dish for the St. Patrick's Day holiday, it's also a fun meal any time of year. Here in Michigan, we serve up pasties regularly and they are a very similar choice that is just as delicious.

If you like the idea of meat and vegetables with a simple crust, then you are going to absolutely love this mini chicken pot pies recipe. So easy to make and a great alternative for those who prefer chicken over beef.

Another unique option that is a different flavor profile but still similar style are these baked chicken samosas. If vegetarian is needed you could whip up some of these Greek spinach and cheese parcels instead!

What Cut of Beef is Best for Pies?

This particular recipe uses ground sirloin. It is a lean cut of ground beef that works well with these flavors. You can use any ground meat you prefer, but leaner options work better, in my opinion, to keep the crust flaky and the filling tasty but not overly greasy.

You can even chop your own beef, use shredded pot roast, or swap out the beef for ground chicken or ground turkey if you need to watch the calories or red meat in your diet. In this recipe, ground sirloin is my favorite, but I have seen versions with sausages and even shredded chicken, and while non-traditional, they are all tasty!

What Should I Use For the Crust?

My favorite option is the ready-made pie crust as it is affordable, easy, and always delicious. You can roll it out, cut, roll again, and never have waste. Other options that are great for this recipe are to use biscuits or even puff pastry sheets.

If you want to make a homemade pie crust, I like the one shown in this chicken pot pie recipe with homemade flaky crust. Just use the crust recipe portion on the printable recipe card in place of the pie crust mentioned below.

Can I Freeze Meat Pies for Later?

Yes! I love freezer meals and one of my favorite things about making Irish meat pies or pasties is that I can do all of the prep work ahead of time, follow the steps, then freeze them for future meals. You have two options with this recipe. Bake as directed and then cool and freeze to reheat later, or assemble to the point of baking, flash freeze raw, and then pull from the freezer to bake when desired.

I like to freeze them stacked with wax paper between each pie and then label and date them for future meals. To heat from frozen, I recommend just watching them and adding 3-5 minutes to the cooking time only if needed.

What is a Meat Pie Made Of?

Olive oil
Green cabbage
Red potatoes
Ground beef
Tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce
Thyme
Pie crust
Salt
Black pepper
Water

Handy Kitchen Tools

How to make an Irish Meat Pie

Shred the cabbage and dice your potatoes and set aside.

In a large cast-iron skillet, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.

Add the diced potatoes and shredded cabbage to the skillet and saute.

Stir regularly, for 5-7 minutes or until the mixture is beginning to brown.

Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set them aside.

To the same skillet, add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, stirring regularly and breaking up the meat as it cooks.

Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and black pepper along with the potatoes and cabbage back into the skillet.

Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in ½ cup water and bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 10-minutes until the potatoes are softened. Stir every few minutes to make sure nothing burns.

Taste and add additional seasoning if desired then set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Roll out the pie crust onto a clean surface, and use a cookie cutter to cut circles that are 4-5" in diameter.

Add a spoon of the meat mixture onto the center of the circle, then fold it over into a half-moon shape and crimp the edges.

You can also use strips of crust and fold them over into a rectangle.

If using biscuits, pull apart and fill the center then seal with the second half on top.

Cut 2-3 slits on top of the crust to vent.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the crust is cooked through and golden brown on top.

Serve alone or with your favorite vegetable sides.

More Delicious Recipes

If you are a fan of this, then we have tons of other amazing recipes that are sure to please your taste buds. Below are a few favorites of our family. Make sure to bookmark these or print the recipes to use on your next meal plan!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 6

Irish Meat Pies Recipe

Use pre-mde crust and traditional fillings to make these delicious Irish meat pies! A perfect weeknight dinner or easy lunchbox meal that is hearty, delciious, and easy to prepare.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
¼ head green cabbage, shredded
¼ lb red potatoes, diced
½ lb lean ground sirloin
1.5 tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 prepared pie crust

Instructions

Shred the cabbage and dice your potatoes and set aside.
In a large cast iron skillet, heat two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
Add the diced potatoes and shredded cabbage to the skillet and saute, stirring regularly, for 5-7 minutes or until the mixture is beginning to brown.
Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
To the same skillet, add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, stirring regularly and breaking up the meat as it cooks.
Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and black pepper along with the potatoes and cabbage back into the skillet.
Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in ½ cup water and bring to a boil.
Cover and reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 10-minutes until the potatoes are softened. Stir every few minutes to make sure nothing burns.
Taste and add additional seasoning if desired then set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Roll out the pie crust onto a clean surface, and use a cookie cutter to cut circles that are 4-5" in diameter.
Add a spoon of the meat mixture onto the center of the circle, then fold it over into a half moon shape and crimp the edges. If using smaller circles, you can fill the center and place a second circle of dough on top and crimp around the edges for a round pie.
Cut 2-3 slits on top of the crust to vent.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the crust is cooked through and golden brown on top.

Notes

Substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for a lighter version of this meat pie.

Delicious Irish Meat Pies Recipe