These mini beef pies, or party pies as we call them in Australia, are filled with chunky, slow-cooked beef in a rich gravy, with a shortcrust base and a golden puff pastry top. These pies are so much better than anything you can pick up in the freezer aisle making them the perfect addition for your next party or get together.
There’s nothing more Australian than a classic meat pie, and party pies are the smaller, bite sized appetisers we all grew up with. When a plate of party pies comes out at a party, you ALWAYS grab one as soon as you get the chance as you can guarantee they won’t last long.
Party pies are one of the best dairy free appetisers, and are usually served right next to the tray of sausage rolls with both always a crowd favourite and appropriate for literally any event.
I really wanted to elevate these little pies to be something that adults enjoy just as much as the kids, so this variation doesn’t use mince, instead they have a rich chunky steak filling. The best kind of pie filling if you ask me.
They definitely take a little more time to make than just grabbing a box from the freezer aisle, but it’s so incredibly worth it.
Key Ingredients
This mini beef pie recipe uses just a handful of simple ingredients to build a rich, flavoursome filling that is wrapped in pastry.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chuck steak – a cut best suited to slow cooking, giving you nice big chunks of tender steak in the pies.
- Plain flour/all purpose flour – used to coat the steak, which helps thicken the gravy as it cooks.
- Onion and garlic – the flavour base for the gravy.
- Worcestershire sauce – just a little bit goes a long way to give extra flavour and richness to the gravy.
- Tomato paste – again adding a bit of richness.
- Beef stock – I like a salt-reduced stock so I can control the seasoning at the end, but use any good quality stock.
- Shortcrust pastry – used for the bases as it gives the pies structure and holds the filling.
- Puff pastry – used for the tops for that light, flaky, golden finish. Using both kinds of pastry is the secret to the best result.
👉 Tip! I know it feels annoying to use two types of pastry, but using shortcrust for the base and puff for the top really is 100% worth it for both texture and taste. I don’t use anything fancy, just the supermarket brand sheets as they are dairy free, and people always ask if the pastry is homemade!
Step-By-Step Instructions
For this recipe I recommend using an electric pressure cooker/Instant Pot if you have one to make the chunky steak filling. I just think it works the best as it makes the beef so incredibly tender. If you don’t have one however, I have included slow cooker instructions in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Toss the chuck steak with the flour in a large bowl or zip-lock bag. Heat the oil in your pressure cooker on sauté mode and brown the beef in batches, shaking off any excess flour.
Don’t overcrowd the pot, or the beef will stew instead of browning. Set each batch aside as you go.
Step 2: Add the onion and garlic to the same pot and sauté until soft.
Step 3: Return the beef, then stir in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, beef stock, salt and pepper.
Pop the lid on and pressure cook on manual for 45 minutes, then release the pressure manually once it’s done.
Step 4: Take off the lid, set the cooker back to sauté, and let the gravy reduce for about 10 minutes until it’s nice and thick. Season to taste, then turn it off and let the filling cool.
Step 5: Preheat the oven and lightly grease two muffin tins. Using the 90 mm cutter, cut circles of shortcrust pastry for the bases and press one into each hole.
Step 6: Spoon the cooled filling into each base until just full.
Step 7: Using the 60 mm cutter, cut circles of puff pastry for the tops. Press one over each pie, cut a small slit in the top to let the steam out, and brush with the beaten egg.
Step 8: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply golden. Let the pies cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes to firm up before turning them out. Repeat with any remaining pastry and filling.
👉 Tip! Make sure your filling has reduced to be nice and thick and then allow it to completely cool before you fill the pies otherwise your pastry will go soggy. If you’re prepping for a party you can make the filling the day before and store it in the fridge until you’re ready.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover pies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat the pies in the oven until piping hot all the way through. If heating from frozen, cover with foil for 20 minutes to prevent the pastry from burning.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Brown the beef and sauté the onion and garlic in a pan first, then transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the beef is tender. Once cooked, switch the slow cooker to high for 30 minutes to thicken the gravy.
Yes! I’ve kept this filling really simple and classic, but I would recommend adding mushrooms or any other vegetables (carrot, celery, maybe some peas at the end?) in as well.
You could also replace some of the stock with red wine! Play around with the flavours and see what you like the most.
For a vegetarian option, make my vegetable curry pie filling and use it here instead of the beef for veggie party pies!
Yes. Use this recipe to make regular sized pies or one large family pie. Just cut the pastry to fit your pie dish and adjust the baking time until the pastry is cooked through.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More dairy free party food:
Chicken Sausage Rolls
Vegetable Curry Puffs
Vegetarian Mini Quiches
Devilled Eggs
Mini Beef Pies (Party Pies)
Ingredients
For the chunky beef filling:
- 1 kg (2 lb) chuck steak cut into 3cm pieces
- 75 grams (½ cup) plain flour/all purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 brown onion/yellow onion roughly diced
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 375 ml (1 ½ cups) beef stock
For the pies:
- canola oil spray for greasing
- 6 sheets shortcrust pastry
- 4 sheets puff pastry
- 1 egg lightly beaten
Instructions
Make the filling:
- In a large bowl or zip-lock bag, toss together the 1 kg chuck steak, 75 grams plain flour/all purpose flour, and salt and pepper
- Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan, or in a pressure cooker set to sauté mode. Add the beef in batches, shaking off any excess flour and being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for a few minutes until browned on the outside, then remove and set aside. Repeat until all the beef is browned.
- In the same pan, add the 1 brown onion/yellow onion and 2 garlic cloves and sauté until soft. If you are using a frying pan, transfer everything into the pressure cooker now. Otherwise, add the beef back to the pressure cooker and turn off the heat.
- Add the 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce, and 375 ml beef stockand mix to combine.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on manual for 45 minutes, then release the pressure manually once complete.
- Take the lid off and set the pressure cooker back to sauté. Reduce the liquid for about 10 minutes, until the gravy is nice and thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Turn off the pressure cooker and let the filling cool before assembling. You can make the filling the day before and store it in the fridge until ready to use.
Make the pies:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and lightly spray two muffin tins with canola oil spray.
- Using a 90 mm/3½ inch round cutter, cut circles of 6 sheets shortcrust pastry for the bases. Press each round into the muffin tins.
- Spoon the filling into the bases until just full.
- Using a 60 mm/2½ inch round cutter, cut circles of 4 sheets puff pastry for the tops. Press each circle over the filling and gently cut a slit in the top of each.
- Brush the beaten 1 egg over the top of each pie. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until dark golden brown.
- Let cool in the tins for at least 10 minutes before turning out. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.
- Serve straight away, or let cool completely before storing in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published in January 2024 and has been updated in 2026 with new photos and more helpful information. The recipe remains the same.
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