Crispy Irish Beef Guinness Hand Pies (Print View)

Golden pastry envelopes tender beef and vegetables in rich Guinness gravy

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Filling

01 - 1 lb beef chuck or stewing beef, cut into small cubes
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 1 medium parsnip, diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 1 cup Guinness stout
09 - 1 cup beef broth
10 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 tsp salt
13 - ½ tsp black pepper
14 - 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
15 - ½ cup frozen peas

→ For the Pastry

16 - 2 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed if frozen
17 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
02 - In the same skillet, add onions, carrots, and parsnip. Sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in garlic and tomato paste, cooking for 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour and mix well.
04 - Return beef to the skillet. Pour in Guinness, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Add thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 50–60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender and sauce thickens. Uncover for the last 10 minutes to reduce further if needed.
05 - Stir in frozen peas. Remove from heat and let the filling cool completely.
06 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
07 - Roll out puff pastry if needed. Cut each sheet into 4 equal rectangles (8 total).
08 - Spoon cooled filling onto one half of each rectangle, leaving a border. Brush edges with beaten egg. Fold pastry over filling to form a pocket and crimp edges with a fork to seal. Cut a small slit on top for steam.
09 - Place hand pies on the baking sheet. Brush tops with egg wash.
10 - Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until pastry is golden and crisp. Cool slightly before serving.

# Insider Tips:

01 -
  • The pastry turns impossibly flaky while staying sturdy enough to hold all that rich filling
  • These freeze beautifully so you can always have homemade comfort food ready
  • The Guinness creates this deep velvety sauce that feels like a warm hug
02 -
  • The filling must be completely cold before assembling or your pastry will turn soggy and leak
  • Do not skip chilling time even if you are impatient like I usually am
  • That steam vent on top is not optional unless you want filling explosions in your oven
03 -
  • Work quickly with cold pastry and keep everything chilled until baking
  • Use a sharp knife to cut the steam vents not a fork which crushes the layers
  • Brush off excess flour before sealing to help the egg wash really grip

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