Mini Beef Tourtières Appetizer (Print Version)

Flaky cream cheese pastries filled with spiced ground beef, allspice, and warming Canadian flavors.

# 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 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

# 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 - Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. 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. Stir in allspice, cinnamon, cloves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour in beef broth and simmer until mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, fold in parsley, and allow to cool completely.
03 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
04 - Roll out pastry dough on a floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 2 3/4 inch round cutter, cut out rounds from the dough. Place half of the rounds on the prepared baking sheets.
05 - Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of cooled beef filling onto the center of each pastry round on the baking sheets. Brush the edges lightly with water. Top each with another pastry round and seal the edges firmly using a fork.
06 - Brush the top of each tourtière with beaten egg. Using a small knife, cut a small slit in the top of each pastry to allow steam to escape.
07 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cream cheese pastry melts in your mouth and stays tender even after cooling, unlike traditional pie dough.
  • Warm spices like cinnamon and allspice give the beef filling a cozy, unexpected sweetness that balances the savory perfectly.
  • They freeze beautifully, so you can make a big batch and bake them straight from frozen when guests arrive.
02 -
  • If your dough gets too soft while rolling, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes or it will stick to everything and tear when you try to move it.
  • Let the filling cool completely before assembling or the heat will soften the pastry and make sealing nearly impossible.
  • Do not skip the steam vent, I learned this the hard way when my first batch exploded in the oven and filling oozed everywhere.
03 -
  • Chill your dough twice if the kitchen is warm, once after mixing and again after rolling and cutting, so the butter stays cold and the pastry bakes up flaky.
  • Use a small ice cream scoop to portion the filling evenly, it keeps every tourtiere the same size and prevents overfilling.
  • Brush egg wash only on the tops, not the edges, or they will glue shut too tightly and crack instead of puffing.
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