Easy Beef Taco Hand Pies
Add to CollectionBeef Taco Hand Pies are mouth-watering seasoned pastries filled with delicious scoops of ground beef flavored with chili peppers, spices, and shredded cheese. Perfectly served with salsa, sour cream, beans, and cilantro rice.
Equipment
- Skillet, large
- Mixing Bowl, small
- Basting brush
Ingredients
- 2 9-inch pie crust pastry , store-bought or made from scratch *See Corey's Favorite Pie Crust recipe!
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion , diced
- ½ medium bell pepper , diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 lb ground beef , or substitute with lean meat like ground turkey
- salt , to your preferred taste
- pepper , to your preferred taste
- ½ 6-oz can tomato paste
- 1 4-oz can diced green chilis , liquid drained
- ½ cup beef broth
- 1 tbsp cumin , or your favorite taco seasoning mix
- 1 tbsp ground roasted chili peppers , or 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup Mexican cheddar cheese blend , shredded
Egg Wash
- 1 medium egg , including the egg yolk
- 1 tbsp water
Optional Topping
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 2 tbsp paprika
- Sour cream
Instructions
Beef Taco Mixture
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Heat the olive oil, onions, and bell peppers in a large nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, then add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the ground meat to the large skillet and cook beef using a spatula to break it up as it browns over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Drain the fat (grease) from the skillet.
- Add in the tomato paste, green chilis, beef broth, cumin, ground roasted chili pepper flakes (or red pepper flakes) to the beef mixture and combine well. Continue to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.Taste test the taco meat and add additional seasonings to your preferred taste. Once you're satisfied with the heat and flavor, remove from heat and set to the side while you prepare your pastry squares or dough circles.
Pie Pastry
- On a lightly floured surface and using a rolling pin, roll out the pie pastry. Cut into squares using a paring knife (or a square-shaped storage container, biscuit cutter, or cookie cutter) pressed down into the dough. You will need an equal number of squares to ensure a top and a bottom square for each pie. TIP: After you've cut out all your squares, roll out the remaining dough to cut out a few more pastry squares.
- Scoop a spoonful of the beef mixture onto one pastry square, sprinkle with a bit of shredded cheddar cheese, and top with another pastry square. Crimp together and press the edges of the squares using the bottom of a fork. Place a large piece of parchment paper (or foil) over a large baking sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the assembled pies to the baking sheet and cut a few small steam vents on the top of each pie.
Egg Wash
- In a small bowl, mix together the egg and water.Brush the egg wash over the top and edges of each completed hand pie with a basting brush. Sprinkle with paprika and dried parsley.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes on the middle rack or until the crust turns a beautiful golden brown color.
Notes
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