This Easy Nigerian Meat Pie (Fried Meat Pie) has an extra-crispy crust and a savory beef filling bursting with flavor. It is perfect for snacks and parties.
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Traditionally, African or Nigerian meat pies are baked. Still, I wanted something different, and many of my audience requested it because some of them do not own an oven but still want to enjoy meat pies. It is also called empanadas, and it is similar to Jamaican beef patties.
Frying gives it a delicious golden crunch, while baking gives it a flaky buttery crust. Plus, frying is quicker, with no preheating of the oven or waiting for bake trays to finish; once you wrap your pies, they go straight to the hot oil, just like puff puff recipe.
If you prefer the baked version, this African meat pie is a great option. Alternatively, if you'd like to switch up the filling, our fish pie or fish roll will become your favorite. Another option to try is the no-dough samosa or spring rolls.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
No need for oven preheating. Once the pies are wrapped, they are placed directly in the oil and cooked in just minutes.
They are ideal for events and lunch boxes, perfect for when you crave a quick and filling snack.
Frying gives it a perfectly crisp exterior that is satisfying in every bite.
Seasoned with fresh ingredients, this Nigerian meat pie filling is savory and full of flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour is the main ingredient for the crust and the thickener for the filling.
- Baking powder as a rising agent.
- Butter or Margarine: Must be at room temperature. It adds richness to the dough. Use unsalted butter.
- Ground beef: This is the traditional filling for meat pie. It brings a hearty flavor.
- Fresh ingredients and vegetables: Carrots, onion, garlic, and parsley are used to add earthy flavors to the filling.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, and bouillon powder or maggi cubes to taste.
Refer to the recipe card at the end of the post for a detailed list of ingredients.
How to make Nigerian Meat Pies (Fried Meat Pie)
- To make the filling, add oil to a pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic in vegetable oil until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, shred it with a cooking spoon, and cook until brown. Add the seasonings and carrot and stir. Add flour and a little water, stir, and let it simmer until thick.
- To make the meat pie crust, whisk flour, salt, and baking powder.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture, and use your hands to mix until the mixture is crumbly. Then, add the water in batches and mix until a smooth dough forms.
- Transfer the pastry to a floured work surface and roll it out to about half an inch thick. Use a cutter and cut it into circles.
- Fill in the meat filling, press, and seal. Then deep fry until golden brown.
Recipe Tips
- Since this recipe calls for deep-frying, follow these tips to ensure you don't end up with oil-soaked or bubble-crusted pies.
- My secret is to use room-temperature butter and lukewarm water. This is because we are deep frying. The baking version is good with cold butter and cold water to achieve a flaky crust.
- This can be a plan-ahead recipe. make the filling and keep it in the fridge the day before you make the peas. You don't need to reheat.
- Cook and cool the filling first, as the hot filling will soften the dough, making it difficult to seal.
- Don't overfill the pies; overfilling will cause them to burst inside the oil
- For flavor, you can add half a teaspoon of nutmeg, and for extra richness, add an egg.
- Add your favorite ingredients, such as curry powder, thyme, peas, and green beans.
- Do not overcrowd the pan when frying, and drain well after frying.
- The oil for deep-frying must be at approximately 350°F (175°C).
- If you don't have a shaper, cut the dough into golf ball-sized portions, flatten them out, add the filling, then fold and seal them properly with a fork so they don't open up in oil.
- Always add flour and water to the filling to thicken it and bind the ingredients together.
- You can choose to add diced potatoes.
Recipes FAQs
Nigerian meat pie dough is similar to shortcrust pastry, being crumbly and made with a combination of butter and margarine and filled with beef. In contrast, empanada dough is elastic and chewy, typically made with oil or lard and filled with meat, chicken, cheese, and eggs.
Jamaican patties are made with turmeric, which gives them a yellow color, and are spicier, while Nigerian meat pie has a pale golden color. They use almost the same ingredients for the dough and filling.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 350F for 10-12 minutes.
Beef, flour, and many spices. Refer to the recipe card below for the ingredients.
More Snacks To Try
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Easy Nigerian Meat Pie (Fried Meat Pie)
Ingredients
For the Beef Filling
- 1 lb Minced beef or ground beef
- ½ small Onion finely chopped
- 3 Garlic cloves minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 sprigs Parsley chopped or 1 teaspoon died parsley
- 1 cup Carrot diced
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon All purpose flour
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Bouillon powder
- Pinch of black pepper
- 2 tablespoon Vegetable oil
For the Dough
- 4 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Butter 2 sticks, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¾ - 1 cup Water room tempature
Instructions
For the Meat Filling
- Add the cooking oil to a pan over medium heat and saute the garlic and onion for 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and shred with a cooking spoon until it is brown for about 5 minutes.½ small Onion, 3 Garlic cloves, 2 tablespoon Vegetable oil, 1 lb Minced beef or ground beef
- Add the carrot, salt, parsley, black pepper, and boullion powder. Stir until the carrot is slightly soft. Add the flour and water and simmer till it thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.2 sprigs Parsley, 1 cup Carrot, ½ teaspoon Salt, 1 tablespoon All purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Bouillon powder, Pinch of black pepper, ¼ cup Water
To make the Dough
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.4 cups All-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Add the butter and use your hands to rub it into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Slowly add the water and knead. You can let it rest for 10 minutes. This is not to make it rise but for the gluten to make it stretchy.1 cup Butter, ¾ - 1 cup Water
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut into circles using a bowl or cutter. Place 1 - 2 tablespoon of the filling in the middle and fold to seal. You can use a fork to seal if you don't have a pie shaper.
- Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Fry pies in batches untill golden brown for about 5 minutes.
- Remove and place on an absorbent paper then serve warm.
Claudy
This Nigerian meat pie recipe came out amazing! Crispy, golden crust, juicy seasoned filling — everything worked perfectly. I’m so proud of this one and can’t wait for you all to try it! Let me know what you think!