Vegan Jamaican Patties
These vegan Jamaican patties have all the big, bold flavour of the traditional version, with a few simple plant-based swaps. Inside a flaky, buttery crust is a tender vegan beef filling with lots of spice!
Jamaican patties, or Jamaican beef patties, are a popular food in Jamaica that evolved from the Cornish pasties brought over by the English in the 19th century. They’re handheld pastries filled with seasoned meat (usually beef)—the outside is golden, flaky, and buttery, while the inside is spicy and deeply savoury. As a vegan AND as a Jamaican, reimagining this traditional recipe was a bit of a challenge, but when I finally nailed it, I have to admit, I did a happy dance. And I can’t wait for you to try it!
Why These Are the Best Vegan Jamaican Patties
Here are all the reasons this recipe won’t let you down!
- Authentic Jamaican flavour. Aside from the vegan swaps, you can be assured that these Jamaican patties are the real deal because I’m the real deal! And if anyone’s picky about authentic Jamaican food, it’s me.
- Easy plant-based ingredients. Swapping in vegan butter and plant-based beef makes these Jamaican patties super easy. While I love making my own vegan “meats,” sometimes it’s nice to go the simpler route!
- Great for meal prep. These Jamaican patties freeze so well, which means you can make a big batch and stash them in the freezer for whenever you need a grab-and-go meal.
Notes on Ingredients
While the ingredient list may look long, a lot of these items are kitchen staples. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
Crust:
- All-purpose flour – Or gluten-free flour made with xanthan gum.
- Sea salt
- Cane sugar
- Ground turmeric – This gives the crust a lovely golden color.
- Vegan butter – You’ll need some that’s simply cold and some that’s frozen. I like to use my vegan butter recipe.
- Ice water
Filling:
- Garlic
- Sea salt and ground black pepper
- Scallion
- Onion – I typically use a yellow or white onion.
- Scotch bonnet peppers – You can scrape out the ribs and seeds to tame the flavour a bit, but they’ll still be quite spicy.
- Ground or crushed pimento – Or allspice.
- Fresh ginger – This has a more pungent flavour than dried ground ginger.
- Fresh thyme
- Garlic powder
- Oil – Any kind you like to cook with.
- Beyond Meat burgers – Or your favourite brand of vegan ground beef.
- Soy sauce – Tamari or coconut aminos work if you’re gluten-free.
- Browning – Browning sauce is a staple in Jamaican kitchens. You can purchase it online if you can’t find it locally.
Panade:
- Low-sodium vegetable stock – Or my homemade vegetable broth.
- Bread – Remove the crusts.
How to Make Vegan Jamaican Patties
If you’re getting ready to make these Jamaican patties, be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions. This is just an overview!
- Make the dough. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, then add the sugar and cold butter. Mix to form coarse crumbs, then slowly add the water a tablespoon at a time.
- Chill. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.
- Grate the frozen butter. Use a box grater to grate the frozen butter, then return it to the freezer.
- Laminate the dough. Roll the dough into a 1/4-inch rectangle on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle 1/4 of the butter over the middle of the dough, then fold the bottom third up over the butter. Add more butter over the folded section, then fold the top third of the dough over this.
- Repeat. Rotate the dough 90 degrees, roll it out again, and repeat with the remaining butter.
- Chill. Wrap the dough tightly and chill for another hour.
- Make the seasoning mixture. Blend the garlic, scallions, onion, Scotch bonnet, salt, herbs, and spices.
- Brown the vegan beef. Warm a skillet over medium heat and cook the beef for 5 minutes. Stir in the seasoning, soy sauce, and browning, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 5 minutes more.
- Prepare the panade. Combine the bread and vegetable stock in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Finish the filling. Stir the panade into the vegan beef, then simmer until the mixture thickens. Season to taste and cool completely.
- Assemble. Divide the dough into 6 portions. One at a time, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it forms a rectangle. Drop scoops of filling across the dough, then fold the dough over itself and cut into half moon shapes, as pictured. Dust with flour, then chill for 15 minutes.
- Bake. Brush the Jamaican patties with plant milk and turmeric, then bake at 425ºF for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they’re golden and flaky.
Tips and Variations
These simple tips will help you make sure your vegan Jamaican patties turn out perfect.
- Chill the butter and dough thoroughly. Keeping the butter and dough cold ensures a flaky, light crust. If at any point the dough becomes too soft, return it to the fridge to chill before continuing.
- Adjust the heat level to your taste. If you prefer a milder patty, reduce the amount of Scotch bonnet pepper or omit the seeds and ribs, as this is where most of the heat resides.
- Handle the dough gently. Overworking the dough can lead to a tough crust, so mix and roll it out just enough to reach the right shape and thickness.
- Switch up the filling. Swap out the Beyond Meat for cooked lentils or drained and rinsed canned chickpeas if you’d like. If you do this, you can skip the step of browning in the skillet.
Serving Suggestions
These vegan Jamaican patties are best served warm, on their own, or inside Jamaican cocoa bread. You can also add a little extra heat by serving them with my Scotch Bonnet Pepper Hot Sauce!
How to Store and Reheat
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Place the Jamaican patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the patties to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. (You can freeze the patties either before or after baking.)
- To reheat: To warm up the patties, place them in a preheated oven at 350°F until heated through. While the microwave also works, they won’t be as crisp or flaky on the outside.
More Authentic Jamaican Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make this Jamaican patties recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Vegan Jamaican Patties
These vegan Jamaican patties have all the big, bold flavour of the traditional beef version, with a few simple plant-based swaps!
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, 500 grams (for gluten-free flour, use 592 grams of Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour with xanthan gum in it. You also want to mix 2 Bob’s Red Mill egg replacers for the crust), plus more flour for the laminating process
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, 6 grams
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar, 26 grams
- 3 teaspoons ground turmeric, 3 grams
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter, 84 grams, cold and cubed
- 12 tablespoons vegan butter, 168 grams, frozen and shredded
- Ice-cold water, about ¾ cup to 1 cup
For the Filling
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, 3 grams
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 gram
- 4 scallion stalks, ½ cup, diced
- ½ large onion, 1 cup, diced
- 1-2 Scotch bonnet peppers, deseeded (or leave seeds for extra spice)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground or crushed pimento, or allspice, 3 grams
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 3 grams
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 4 grams
- 2 teaspoons oil, 10 milliliters
- 4 Beyond Meat burgers, 1 pound vegan ground beef, 450 grams
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce, plus more to taste, 10 milliliters
- 2 tablespoons browning, 30 milliliters
For the Panade (1 cup)
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock, 240 milliliters + ¼ cup if needed for the filling
- 2 slices of bread, about 60 grams, crusts removed
Instructions
Make the Dough (Lamination Process)
- Note: Chill all ingredients and equipment for the best results.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, turmeric, and salt. Add in the sugar and 6 tablespoons of cold, cubed butter. Mix until the butter is evenly distributed and resembles coarse crumbs. Be careful not to overwork to prevent melting the butter too much with your hands.
- Gradually add ice-cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough comes together. Do not overwork.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Grate or shred 12 tablespoons of vegan butter and place it in the freezer while the crust chills in the fridge.
- Lamination Process: Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface. Roll the chilled dough into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Remove the frozen shredded butter from the freezer. Sprinkle ¼ of the frozen butter evenly over the center third of the rectangle. Fold the bottom third of the dough over the frozen butter, then place another ¼ of the frozen butter over the folded section. Fold the top third of the dough over the butter to form a thick rectangle. Rotate the dough 90°, roll it out into a rectangle, and repeat the process until all the frozen butter is incorporated (about 4 turns). Divide the leftover butter evenly amongst the remaining folds. For extra flakiness, fold and roll the dough 2–3 more times without adding butter. Wrap the dough tightly and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Prepare the Filling
- In a food processor or with an immersion blender, combine garlic, scallions, onion, Scotch bonnet, salt, black pepper, pimento, ginger, thyme, and garlic powder. Blend until finely mixed. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the vegan beef and cook for 5 minutes, breaking it apart as it cooks.
- Add the garlic seasoning mix to the skillet and stir into the vegan beef to combine. Add the soy sauce and browning. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the panade: Add the bread slices and 1 cup of vegetable stock to the food processor or immersion blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the panade to the filling mixture and stir to incorporate. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture thickens. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Let the filling cool completely before assembling.
Assemble the Patties
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Cut the dough into 6 pieces. This allows you to make a few patties at a time without the dough melting too much.
- Place a piece of dough between two parchment papers and pat it out into a rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Begin rolling into a rectangle roughly 11 by 8 inches (or smaller if you prefer smaller patties).
- Place ¼ cup to ⅓ cup of the cooled filling at intervals across the dough, leaving adequate space for the edges of each patty. Fold the dough over onto itself.
- Use a ravioli cutter, pizza cutter, or knife to cut out half-moon shapes. If not using a ravioli cutter, use a fork to crimp the edges. Any leftover dough can be reused, but let it chill in the fridge while working on the next batch.
- Dust each batch lightly with extra flour. Chill the assembled patties in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking.
Bake the Patties
- Lightly brush the patties with a mixture of plant-based milk and turmeric for a golden crust.
- Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or at 425°F for 15–17 minutes, until the crust is golden and flaky.
Serve
- These patties are best served warm inside Jamaican cocoa bread or on their own. Enjoy the rich, spicy filling and buttery crust!
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- This recipe can be easily halved.
To make this recipe gluten-free:
- Flour Substitution: Replace the all-purpose flour with 596 grams (4 cups) of Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (contains xanthan gum).
- Binding: Add 2 Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacers to the dough mixture. The psyllium husk in the replacer will help with binding and structure.
- Panade: Use gluten-free bread for the panade.
- Soy Sauce: Use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari to ensure the filling is completely gluten-free.
- Working with Gluten-Free Dough:
- Gluten-free dough is more fragile but manageable with care.
- Avoid rolling it out on a silicone mat, as it sticks and tears easily. Instead, roll on a well-floured surface.
- Use plenty of flour while rolling to prevent sticking.
- Roll the dough to ¼ inch thick (instead of ⅛ inch) to avoid tearing.
- Work in small batches for better control and be gentle to keep the dough intact.
Calories: 358kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 649mg, Potassium: 193mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 957IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 3mg
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Absolutely delicious! A great vegan swap for a standard Jamaican recipe!