Meat Pie: A Comprehensive Overview

Fact: The world’s most expensive meat pie was created in 2005 in the UK. Its cost was US$ 14,260 (without adjusting for inflation).

Meat Pie: Basic Information

Pronunciation

/miːt paɪ/

Alternative Name(s)

Dish Type

Cakes and pastries, snacks

Course

Appetizer, main course

Mealtime

Anytime

Meat Pie: Origin and Region

Origin

Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Italy (specifically Rome)

Continent’s Region

North Africa, Southern Europe

Country’s Region

Nationwide Origin

Associated Region

Unspecified

Popular Meat Pie Variations

Old-fashioned Meat Pie

Steak and Guinness Pie

Scotch Pie

Cornish Pasty

Steak Pie

Mince Pie

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie

Tourtière

Coulibiac

Kreatopita

Lihapiirakka

Empanada

Pirozhki

Australian and New Zealand Meat Pie

Flipper Pie

Rabbit Pie

Sea Pie

Pot Pie

Michigan Pasty

Natchitoches Meat Pie

Ghanaian Meat Pie

Nigerian Meat Pie

Bobotie

Pastilla

Jamaican Beef Patty

Xian Bing

Jinyun Shaobing

Salteña

Fatayer

Sfiha

Ichlekli

Samosa

Curry Puff

Meat Pie: Ingredients and Preparation

Main Ingredients

Meat, pastry, vegetables, and spices

Main Cooking Method

Baking or deep-frying

Preparation Process

Cooking the filling, encasing it in the pastry, baking the pie

Meat Pie: A Deep Dive

Cultural Significance

Traditional dish in many cultures with many variations

Taste

Savory

Texture

Flaky outside, soft inside

Aroma

Rich

Color

Golden brown

Serving Style

Whole or cut into portions

Serving Temperature

Hot or warm

Accompaniment

Vegetable dishes, sauces, gravies

Occasions

On any occasions

Seasons

Year-round

Special Diets

Non diet-specific

Calories

375 calories, according to data of Nutritionix for one piece (124 grams) of meat pie with ground beef, pork, and potatoes.

Popularity

Western Europe, Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Central Asia, West Asia East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Caribbean, North America, North Africa, South Africa, West Africa, Oceania.

Popular Similar Dishes

Empanada
Börek
Calzone
Chebureki

Popular Dining Area

Restaurants, bakeries, households

Meat pie is a type of savory pie consisting of a flaky crust and a filling of minced meat or similarly savory ingredients.

A popular dish in many cuisines worldwide, it dates back to the New Stone Age, with many subsequent recipes appearing in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

People usually bake meat pies in the oven, but frying in oil, air-frying, and microwaving are also popular techniques.

In addition, it is also possible to bake meat pies without an oven by brushing the bottom of a stainless steel pot with some butter or oil, placing a trivet or metal steaming rack in the pot, putting the pies on it, and cooking with the lid on.

Since meat pies are usually rich and savory, they go well with vegetable-based sides like mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, roasted vegetables, mushy peas, etc.

Certain sauces and gravies, like tomato sauce, mushroom gravy, and onion gravy, are also excellent accompaniments for meat pies.

There are many other interesting facts about meat pies, such as their origin, main ingredients, famous regional varieties, and pros and cons.

Read on, and you will learn about them, as well as what questions people usually ask about meat pies and dishes similar to them.

Key Points

Meat pies are a type of pie with a flaky crust and a meat-based filling.
Meat pies originated in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome and are a cornerstone of European cuisine.
Meat pies are usually baked or fried and contain pastry, meat, vegetables, and spices.
Many renowned meat pies exist in the UK, America, Australia, and Africa.
Meat pies are high-energy foods rich in carbs, protein, and fats.

What Is the Origin of Meat Pies?

Ancient Egyptians created some of the world’s first meat pies, which spread to Europe and played an important role in the old continent’s cuisine. Many modern meat pie recipes have European origins.

The medieval version of meat pie had a thick, bland, and almost inedible crust. The modern interpretation, with a flaky and delicious butter-enriched crust, only emerged in the 15th century thanks to bakers in France and Italy.

European-style meat pies were spread all over the world during the colonial period, developing into countless varieties in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Several types of non-European pastries are also considered meat pies, such as sfiha in the Middle East.

The evolution of meat pies has a noticeable effect on the many aspects of the dish, especially the main ingredients.

What Are Meat Pies Made of?

To make meat pies, people usually employ the following 4 ingredients:

Ingredients	Characteristics
Crust	Shortcrust pastry, flaky puff pastry, filo (phyllo) pastry, suet crust, American-style crust, cornmeal crust, bread dough, etc.
Meat	Ground beef, pork, lamb, chicken, rabbit meat, kidneys, etc.
Vegetables	Potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatoes, swede (rutabaga), peas, etc.
Spices	Cloves, cinnamon, allspice, etc.

Besides those ingredients, additional components like gravy, hard-boiled eggs, or bread are vital to the deliciousness of famous meat pie variations in many regions around the world.

What Are Well-known Regional Variations of Meat Pies?

Below are the 36 most famous types of meat pies worldwide:

Old-fashioned Meat Pie

Origin: Global

Key Ingredients: Pastry, ground meat, vegetables

Traditional pie with savory meat filling

Steak and Guinness Pie

Origin: Ireland

Key Ingredients: Puff pastry, steak, Guinness stout, vegetables

Rich pie with beef stewed in Guinness

Scotch Pie

Origin: Scotland

Key Ingredients: Hot water crust pastry, beef or lamb

Double-crust pie with spiced meat filling

Cornish Pasty

Origin: Cornwall, England

Key Ingredients: Shortcrust pastry, beef, potatoes, swedes, onions

Crimped pastry edge
Filled with at least 12.5% beef and 25% vegetables

Steak Pie

Origin: United Kingdom

Key Ingredients: Pastry, steak, beef gravy

Has a filling of steak stewed in beef gravy

Mince Pie

Origin: England

Key Ingredients: Pastry, mincemeat (a mixture of fruits, citrus, nuts, spices, and suet)

Sweet pie served during Christmas

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Origin: Great Britain

Key Ingredients: Puff pastry, chicken, mushrooms, cream of chicken

British pie with chicken and mushroom in creamy sauce

Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie

Origin: Britain and France

Key Ingredients: Minced lamb or beef, mashed potato

Savory dish of minced meat topped with mashed potato

Tourtière

Origin: Quebec, Canada

Key Ingredients: Pastry, minced meat, potatoes

French-Canadian meat pie
Usually served on Christmas and New Year’s Eve

Coulibiac

Origin: Russia

Key Ingredients: Brioche or puff pastry, salmon or sturgeon, rice or buckwheat, mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs, onions

Russian pie with layers of salmon, rice, and mushrooms

Kreatopita

Origin: Greece

Key Ingredients: Filo pastry, ground meat, feta cheese, onions

Greek meat pie served as a main dish, snack, and street food

Lihapiirakka

Origin: Finland

Key Ingredients: Doughnut dough, minced meat, rice or mashed potatoes

Finnish meat pie often served with ketchup, mustard, or sausage like a burger

Empanada

Origin: Spain

Key Ingredients: Various fillings (meat, cheese, vegetables), pastry

Turnover-style pie popular in Spain, Portugal, and many Latin American countries

Pirozhki

Origin: Russia

Key Ingredients: Yeast dough, various fillings (meat, vegetables, or fruits)

Small, baked or fried boat-shaped bun popular in Eastern Europe.

Australian and New Zealand Meat Pie

Origin: Australia and New Zealand

Key Ingredients: Pastry, minced meat, gravy

Hand-sized pie filled with minced meat and gravy
Served as a takeaway snack
Considered one of the national dishes of Australia and New Zealand

Flipper Pie

Origin: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Key Ingredients: Pastry, harp seal flippers, vegetables (such as onions)

Mainly available during the yearly sea hunt in April and May

Rabbit Pie

Origin: Great Britain, United States, Australia

Key Ingredients: Pastry, rabbit, vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, etc.), broth

Can be made with other types of meat (such as bacon and chicken)
Usually contain wild rabbit meat

Sea Pie

Origin: United States, Canada

Key Ingredients: Pastry, various types of meat or fish (pork, veal, beef, tuna, etc.), vegetables (especially onions)

A traditional pie dating back to the colonial period
Originally served to British sailors

Pot Pie

Origin: North America

Key Ingredients: Pastry, meat like chicken or beef, vegetables, gravy

Derived from English pies
Made with a top crust and a filling of meat and vegetables in gravy

Michigan Pasty

Origin: Michigan, USA

Key Ingredients: Pastry, beef, potatoes, onions, rutabaga

A side-crimped pie derived from Cornish pasties
Filled with meat and vegetables

Natchitoches Meat Pie

Origin: Louisiana, USA

Key Ingredients: Pie shell, ground beef or pork, peppers, garlic

Crescent-shaped savory pie
Deep-fried in peanut oil

Ghanaian Meat Pie

Origin: Ghana

Key Ingredients: Pastry, ground meat, onions

West African savory pie

Nigerian Meat Pie

Origin: Nigeria

Key Ingredients: Pastry, minced beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, beef broth

Popular West African pie with meat and vegetable filling.

Bobotie

Origin: South Africa

Key Ingredients: Bread, minced meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, dried fruits.

South African dish similar to meatloaf with an egg-based topping.

Pastilla

Origin: Morocco

Key Ingredients: Warqa pastry (brick pastry), chicken or seafood, eggs onions, almonds, dried fruits

Moroccan pie combining sweet and savory flavors
Has a crispy crust

Jamaican Beef Patty

Origin: Jamaica

Key Ingredients: Pastry, curry powder, ground beef, vegetables, broth

Spicy meat filling inside a golden pastry shell

Xian Bing

Origin: China

Key Ingredients: Pastry, ground meat, onions, Chinese condiments

Chinese meat pie with flavors from local condiments like Shaoxing wine and soy sauce

Jinyun Shaobing

Origin: Zhejiang, China

Key Ingredients: Yeast dough, pork, dried vegetables, maltose syrup

Barrel-shaped pie with a crispy crust and a flavorful filling.

Salteña

Origin: Bolivia

Key Ingredients: Pastry, minced meat, vegetables, gelatin, broth.

Latin American meat pie with a crispy shell encasing a rich, savory stew.

Fatayer

Origin: Middle East

Key Ingredients: Pastry, onions, and filling ingredients like spinach, meat or cheese.

Middle Eastern pie
Often shaped like a boat or triangle

Sfiha

Origin: Lebanon, Syria

Key Ingredients: Flatbread, minced lamb or beef, pine nuts

Open-faced meat pie
Made by topping flatbread with cooked minced meat

Ichlekli

Origin: Turkmenistan

Key Ingredients: Flour, butter, meat (beef or lamb), and vegetables

Turkmen shepherd’s pie
Considered the unofficial national dish of Turkmenistan

Samsa

in Kazakhstan

Origin: Central Asia

Key Ingredients: All-purpose flour, mince meat (commonly lamb)

Baked savory pastry with different fillings
Always served hot
Widely sold at kiosks as street food and fast food

Samosa

Origin: South Asia

Key Ingredients: Pastry and filling ingredients like ground meat, vegetables, or cheese

Fried pastry derived from neighboring cuisines
Served as an entree, snack, and side dish
Popular in India and Pakistan

Curry Puff

Origin: Southeast Asia

Key Ingredients: Puff pastry, curried meat, potatoes

Deep-fried or baked pastry puff with a curry-flavored filling
Popular in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Brunei

Bánh Pâté Chaud

#127

in Vietnam

Origin: Vietnam

Key Ingredients: Meat (pork, chicken, or beef), pâté, all-purpose flour

Vietnamese-French hot pastry pie.

These varieties contain many standard failings and strong points of regular meat pies.

Pros and Cons of Eating Meat Pies

Pros

Flavor Profile: Meat pies have the savoriness of meat, the sweetness of vegetables, the fragrance of spices, and extra goodness from other ingredients.
Convenience: Meat pies are often small and easy to eat on the go.
Varieties: The choices of meat and vegetables for meat pies are endless, creating many possibilities.
Nutrition: Depending on the ingredients, meat pies can be a source of carbs, protein, essential vitamins, and minerals.
Versatility: Meat pies can serve as a main dish, snack, dessert, or street food.

Cons

Imbalanced Nutrition: Some meat pies use rich fillings and buttery crusts, leading to a high content of calories and saturated fats.
Processed Ingredients: Commercially produced meat pies might contain preservatives, additives, and high sodium levels.
Dietary Restrictions: Ordinary meat pies are unsuitable for vegetarians, vegans, gluten-intolerant individuals, and certain religious dietary restrictions.

After learning about those pros and cons, let’s deepen your knowledge of meat pies by checking out common concerns about them.

Meat Pie FAQs

Empanadas are a type of meat pie popular in cuisines influenced by Spanish and Portuguese culinary traditions.

While meat pies are diverse in terms of shapes and ingredients, empanadas are usually crescent-shaped, have a relatively thin crust, and consist of beef, chicken, cheese, vegetables, or fruits.

Traditional meat pies are rich in carbs, protein, and saturated fats, so eating them regularly or in large amounts isn’t suitable for a healthy diet.

Middle Eastern meat pies like fatayer and sfiha are suitable for Islamic dietary laws. As for other types of meat pies, those without pork or related products like ham and bacon are very likely to be halal, but you may check with relevant authorities to be sure.

Yes, many meat pies are cooked by frying in oil or cooking in an air fryer.

If your pie crust keeps falling apart, your pie dough may be too dry. Fix this problem by mixing your dough with a little water, ideally a teaspoonful at a time, until the dough is pliable enough.

Yes, most meat pies are safe for dogs. However, certain ingredients, such as onions, artificial sweeteners, and processed sausage, are unsuitable for canine consumption. Don’t feed meat pies made with these ingredients to your dogs.

Pot pies are a type of meat pie only found in the US and Canada. Their preparation varies from place to place, but a pot pie is usually cooked in a deep dish, with a filling of meat and vegetables and a pastry crust on top. Chicken pot pies are the most well-known variety.

Similar Dishes of Meat Pie

Empanada

Empanada is a Spanish baked or fried turnover of pastry and filling.

Börek

Börek is a family of pies and pastries in many regions of Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Calzone

Calzones are a type of baked or fried turnover popular in Italy and America.

Chebureki

Chebureki is a deep-fried turnover with a meat filling crafted by the Crimean Tatars people.

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Adam Sam

Senior Food and Drink Editor

Expertise

Food Writer & Recipe Developer, Recipe Tester, Bartender, Cooking-video Maker, Editor In Chief

Education

University of Gastronomic Sciences – Pollenzo (Italy) (MA Food Culture, Communication & Marketing)
Johnson & Wales University (US) (Baking and Pastry Arts)
Professional Bartender at HNAAu School (Vietnam, International Joint Training Program)

Adam Sam, an experienced food writer and recipe developer, is passionate about blending diverse culinary traditions, national dishes, and innovative beverages, showcasing his proficiency in both traditional and modern recipe testing.

As the Editor-in-Chief, he elevates culinary content from street food to fine dining, focusing on Western cuisine and types of drinks at azcuisines.com, and is professional in creating engaging cooking videos that simplify complex dishes and ingredients.

His passion for food is evident in his writing, where he uniquely merges various cultures, traditions, and contemporary trends, skillfully combining classic recipes with modern cooking methods.