Do you have a favorite tourtiere recipe? Growing up as a french person in Canada during Christmas, Tourtiere is one of the things you dream about as Christmas approaches. I still remember my mom making dozens of tourtieres weeks before Christmas and spending night after night baking up other pies like turkey pies and of course, Christmas cookies and desserts. Our freezer was filled to capacity every holiday season!
If you’re not familiar with tourtiere, it is a savory meat pie usually made with seasoned beef, veal, or pork. It’s a traditional dish of French-Canadian culture, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to any Christmas feast (or réveillon). My mom’s tourtiere recipe has a 50% ratio of beef and pork and includes spices like cinnamon, ground cloves, and savory. For me, savory is the star ingredient and when I smell it as the meat mixture is cooking on the stove, it makes me feel nostalgic and really reminds me of past Christmases. Isn’t it amazing how certain smells can trigger various memories from your past?
There are many variations of tourtiere recipes but my favorite tourtiere recipe includes only a pound of ground meat in total so it results in a pie that isn’t too thick. It has just the right amount of spices that complement instead of overpowering the delicious beef and pork flavors. My mother and my aunts would trade recipes for everything from meat pies to sugar pies during the holidays and this recipe is just a culmination of what for me is the perfect meat pie. I hope you enjoy it!
How to make tourtiere
Firstly, start by prepping your meat filling. You’ll need half a pound of ground pork and half a pound of ground beef. Cook meat in a skillet with 1/4 cup of water until browned. Then, add onion and seasonings such as salt, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and savory and cook on medium heat until most of the water has evaporated.
Once your meat mixture is cooked, it’s time to assemble the tourtiere. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and roll out two circles of pastry large enough to cover the bottom and top of the pie plate. Place one circle in the bottom of the pie plate and spoon in the cooked meat mixture. Cover with the second pastry circle, pressing down on the edges to seal. Prick a few holes in the top layer of pastry to allow steam to escape during baking and brush with an egg wash for a golden finish (this step is optional).
Bake your tourtiere for approximately 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve your tourtiere warm with a generous dab of ketchup and enjoy an authentic Canadian Christmas experience with family.
The Only Tourtiere Recipe You’ll Ever Need!
Course: Beef, Main Dish, Pork6
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
1/2 pound of lean ground beef
1/2 pound of ground pork
1 medium onion, minced
1/4 cup of water
3/4 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. savory
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- In a large skillet, brown ground beef, pork, onions, and water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. I don’t recommend draining the fat as this is what will help bind the meat together in the pie.
- Then, add salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and savory and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated and the mixture holds together and is not too dry.
- Line a 9-inch pie plate with one of the crusts; spoon in the meat mixture and top with the remaining crust. Crimp edges to seal and cut several steam vents in the top.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Recipe Video
I hope you enjoy this tourtiere recipe!
There you have it, the only tourtiere recipe you’ll ever need! This classic French-Canadian dish is sure to be a crowd-pleaser and bring up some wonderful memories of Christmases past.
This classic recipe has been around for years in my family and it’s easy to make. Newcomers to tourtiere may be intimidated by making a pastry from scratch, but this simple version can be made with store-bought dough. I generally prefer making it from scratch because when I make tourtiere, I generally do one large batch consisting of dozens of pies and it would be too expensive with store-bought dough!
No matter how you make it, this Classic Tourtiere recipe will surely bring joy to any Christmas table. Bon Appetit!
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