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Whether you are looking for a traditional Irish meal to serve on St. Patrick’s Day, or just looking for a fun new way to serve your family meat and potatoes, this recipe is for you. They are easy, delicious, and can even be frozen for a quick meal on a busy day.
Pasties in my neck of the woods are generally of the Cornish variety. Cornish pasties usually call for larger chunks of beef and rutabaga. Some people swap the beef for ground beef. In my opinion, they also tend to be a bit dry and require a large amount of ketchup to make them good.
I hope I don’t offend anyone, as this traditional meal is pretty deep in some family’s roots!
When I came across the Irish version of pasties, common in Northern Ireland, I knew this would be a better fit for our family. Minced meat gives it flavor without drying out. Veggies are ones that I actually have on hand.
It also seemed quite fitting with my Irish ancestry, but really it was probably the hand-held pie filled with a savory meat filling that got me.
While this is my take on the recipe according to all of the information I could find on traditional Irish pasties, know that the beauty in this meal is its versatility. There are so many different ways to make these pasties! Don’t have ground pork? Use all ground beef! Don’t like carrots? Leave them out.
If you are feeling really adventurous, there is a more modern Irish tradition of deep-frying the meat filling in a breading. I might try that next!
I hope this recipe gives you a solid basis for learning to make Irish pasties and then go ahead and let your imagination run wild and enjoy!
How are Irish pasties different from Cornish or the Midwest version?
✅ Quick comparison
| Feature | Irish | Cornish | Michigan UP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meat | Ground/minced beef | Chunked beef skirt | Usually ground beef |
| Vegetables | Potato, onion | Potato, onion, rutabaga | Potato, onion, rutabaga |
| Shape | Half-moon | Half-moon with side crimp | Half-moon |
| Sauce | None | None | Often gravy or ketchup |
| Origin | Farm workers | Tin miners | Mining communities |
What ingredients do you need to make traditional Irish pasties?
Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
For exact ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.
Tools or other supplies you may need:
How to Make Traditional Irish Pasties From Scratch
Don’t let this recipe intimidate you! It’s easy, versatile, and can be made ahead if that works better for you schedule!
I prefer to make the crust the night before so it is chilled and ready to make the next morning. I then prep the pasties up to the point of baking and refrigerate them (requires some fridge room). You may also prep the dough in the morning and assemble the pasties just before baking. Do what works for you!
Looking for a shortcut? You can use premade pie crusts. Even better, I like to keep homemade pie crust dough made and in the freezer for added meal-prepping convenience. The dough balls can then just be defrosted and rolled out!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One: Mix the pasty dough and chill.
Dice the butter and measure out the lard. Set aside. To a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer (my fave), add 2 cups of boiling water. Quickly add the diced butter and lard. Then whisk until they are both melted and mixed into the water.
Turn the mixer on low and slowly add 5 1/2 cups of flour. Add up to another 1/2 cup just until the dough comes together starts to pull away from the sides. It will NOT feel like bread dough or hold together like bread dough. It should be pillowy soft, but it shouldn’t stick to your fingers. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 45 min – 1 hour.
Step Two: Prepare the pasty filling.
Dice the onion. Add 1 T butter and the diced onion to a hot skillet. Sauté until the onion begins to soften and caramelize. Transfer the cooked onion to a large bowl to let cool slightly.
Dice the potatoes, carrots, and meat into 1/2″ cubes. I then like to let my diced potatoes soak in some cold water for a few minutes to get rid of some of the starch. If you are in a hurry and skip this step, it’s no big deal.
Add the diced veggies and meat to the bowl with the onions. Add parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Now is a good time to preheat the oven to 350 F if you will be baking these right away.
Step Three: Assemble the pasties.
Take the dough and divide it into 8 even balls. Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a 9-inch circle, or until the dough is about 1/4″ thick. To one side of the circle, add about 1 1/2 cups of the meat mixture. Add 1/2 T of butter, in chunks, along the top of the mixture.
Dip a pastry brush or your fingers in the cup of water and moisten the edges of the dough circle. Then fold over the empty side of the dough on top of the meat mixture to form a half circle. Roll the edges to seal. See the photos for how this should look.
Carefully move the pasty to a greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Then, repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
Step Four: Bake the pasties.
Use a knife to make a few slices in the top of each pasty to release steam.
Bake the pasties in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
While the pasties are baking, pour a little cream into a bowl and grab a pastry brush. Pull out the baking sheet of pasties and brush a little cream onto each one.
Return them to the oven and continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until the filling reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. The meat and veggies should be tender.
Remove from oven and serve hot. We love to serve with homemade ketchup. Enjoy!
Easy and Delicious Traditional Northern Irish Pasties
Equipment
- baking sheet
Ingredients
Pasty Filling
- 5 T butter divided
- 6 yellow potatoes 3 cups diced
- 1 large onion 1 cup diced
- 3 medium carrots 1 cup diced
- 1 1/2 lbs. stew meat defrosted
- 3 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. dried parsley
- 1/4 cup cream
Pasty Crust Dough
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup lard or shortening
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 cups boiling water
Instructions
Step One: Mix the pasty dough and chill.
- Dice the butter and measure out the lard. Set aside. To a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer, (my fave) add 2 cups of boiling water. Quickly add the diced butter and lard and whisk until they are both melted and mixed into the water.
- Turn the mixer on low and slowly add 5 1/2 cups of flour. Add up to another 1/2 cup just until the dough comes together and starts to pull away from the sides. It will NOT feel like bread dough. It should be pillowy soft, but it shouldn't stick to your fingers. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 45 min – 1 hour.
Step Two: Prepare the pasty filling.
- Dice the onion. Add 1 T butter and the diced onion to a hot skillet. Sauté until the onion begins to soften and caramelize. Transfer the cooked onion to a large bowl to let cool slightly.
- Dice the potatoes, carrots, and meat into 1/2" cubes.
- Add the diced veggies and meat to the bowl with the onions. Add parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Now is a good time to preheat the oven to 350 F if you will be baking these right away.
Step Three: Assemble the pasties.
- Take the dough and divide it into 8 even balls. Roll out one dough ball on a floured surface into a 9-inch circle, or until the dough is about 1/4" thick. To one side of the circle, add about 1 1/2 cups of the meat mixture. Add 1/2 T of butter, in several chunks, along the top of the mixture.
- Dip a pastry brush or your fingers in the cup of water and moisten the edges of the dough circle. Then fold over the empty side of the dough on top of the meat mixture to form a half circle. Roll the edges to seal. See the photos for how this should look.
- Carefully move the pasty to a greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Then, repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
Step Four: Bake the pasties.
- Use a knife to make a few slices in the top of each pasty to release steam.
- Bake the pasties in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- While the pasties are baking, pour a little cream into a bowl and grab a pastry brush. Pull out the baking sheet of pasties and brush a little cream onto each one.
- Return them to the oven and continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until the filling reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. The meat and veggies should be tender.
- Remove from oven and serve hot. We love to serve with homemade ketchup. Enjoy!
How to Store Cooked Pasties
Cooked pasties can be refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Just make sure they are wrapped well to prevent freezer burn.
How to Reheat
To reheat cooked pasties, place them on a baking sheet and set the temperature to 350 F (no need to preheat). Bake for about 10 minutes or until heated through. You can also reheat them in an air fryer or microwave.
FAQs
Can I use other meat in place of the beef?
Absolutely! You could substitute ground sausage or ground beef. You could also use pulled pork, diced sausage meat, skirt steak, leftover roast beef, or whatever you have on hand. This recipe is a great way to use up leftovers!
Can I make vegetarian or vegan Irish pasties?
Sure, I’m sure a vegetable pie would be great too! You can adjust the filling ingredients to serve your family’s preferences. Add more veggies to make sure you have plenty of filling.
What sides should I serve with Irish pasties?
The traditional side served alongside Irish pasties is chips, also known as french fries here in the United States.
What is the difference between a Cornish pasty and an Irish pasty?
Cornish pasties are traditionally made with rutabaga, cubed beef, and no carrots. Irish pasties often include pork, and potatoes, and are deep-fried. See the chart above.
Can I use mashed potatoes in my Irish pasties?
Yes, I have seen some variations that call for mashed potatoes in place of diced. You would simply boil the potatoes until fork tender. Then, mash the boiled potatoes and mix with a little milk and butter to make them smooth. I would recommend adding them as a layer when you are filling the pasties instead of mixing them with the meat and veggies. This is a personal preference, however!
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a 5-star review so that others can try it as well! Mention us @thefromscratchfarmhouse on Instagram so we can see your creations! You can also leave a comment below!
For even more delicious recipes, you may like these:
Easy Ground Beef or Venison Enchilada Pie Recipe
Simple Wild Rice Blend Recipe (Rice-a-Roni Copycat)
I’m very excited to try this recipe!
For step 6 in the cooking instructions, roughly how long should I fry the pasties in the oil “until golden brown on each side?”
Thank you 🙂
It will depend on the heat of your oil, but it usually takes about a minute on each side.
Thank you for the quick reply!
Northern Irish pasties do not have a pastry crush. They are shaped like a hockey puck, then placed in fridge so they form, and then dipped into the same batter used for the fish, and then deep fried
Thanks for the info! It’s always interesting to learn about different variations. I’ll have to try the Northern Irish style sometime!