Savory Irish Beef & Sweet Potato Mini Pies

Warm your heart and kitchen with these delightful Savory Irish Beef & Sweet Potato Mini Pies. These charming little pies cradle tender, slow-simmered beef chuck stew nestled beneath a creamy, honey-sweetened sweet potato mash, all encased in flaky, buttery pastry. From the first bite, you’re greeted with comforting layers of rich, hearty flavors balanced with subtle sweetness.

This recipe is a culinary journey that takes time and love, combining traditional Irish beef stew ingredients with a twist of bittersweet chocolate and brewed coffee to deepen the flavor profile. Packed into individual hand-held pies, they are perfect for sharing at family dinners or special gatherings. Once you master the rough puff pastry and pie dough, these mini pies make for a truly memorable meal.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Used for both rough puff pastry and pie dough, providing structure and a tender crumb.
• Cold butter, cubed: Adds flakiness and richness in the pastry through layers of fat creating a tender texture.
• Ice cold water: Helps bind pastry dough while maintaining the butter cold for optimal flakiness.
• Beef chuck, cubed: The core of the filling, slow-cooked until tender for deep savory flavor.
• Olive oil: Used for searing beef and sautéing aromatics, enriching the stew’s base.
• Onion and carrots: Essential aromatics that add sweetness and texture to the beef stew.
• Garlic cloves: Provide savory depth and enhance the flavor aroma in the filling.
• Fresh thyme, parsley, bay leaf: Herbs to infuse fragrant earthy notes during the stew’s cooking.
• Beef broth: The main cooking liquid that tenderizes meat and develops the stew’s rich taste.
• Brewed dark coffee: Adds a subtle robust bitterness that deepens the meat flavors.
• Bittersweet chocolate: Provides complexity and richness to the stew’s flavor.
• Soy sauce, Worcestershire, steak sauce: Umami boosters that enhance the savory depth.
• Cornstarch and flour: Used to thicken the beef filling for perfect pie consistency.
• Green peas: Added at the end for color and bursts of fresh sweetness in the filling.
• Egg, separated: Egg white seals pie crusts, yolk used to glaze pastry for golden color.
• Sweet potatoes: Mashed with butter and honey to create a creamy, lightly sweet layering.
• Butter and honey: Added to sweet potatoes for smoothness and natural sweetness balance.
• Salt and black pepper: Essential seasonings to enhance each component’s flavor.

Instructions

Prepare the Rough Puff Pastry

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, then cut in cold butter until small chunks remain. Slowly add ice water, mixing gently to form a rough dough. Roll into a rectangle and fold like a book, repeating rolling and folding to create flaky layers essential for texture.

Make the Pie Dough

Mix all-purpose flour and salt, cut in cold butter until crumbly. Gradually add cold water until dough forms a smooth disc. This dough forms the sturdier base of mini pies for holding the filling securely.

Cook the Beef Stew Filling

Season beef chunks and brown in batches for caramelized flavor. Sauté onion, carrots, and garlic to soften and build aroma. Simmer with herbs, beef broth, coffee, bittersweet chocolate, and sauces for 2½ hours until beef is tender and flavors meld.

Thicken and Finish Filling

Remove herbs, then stir cornstarch mixed with broth into the stew to thicken. Add peas for sweet pop, season with salt and pepper, and cool completely so filling sets perfectly for assembly.

Prepare the Sweet Potato Mash

Boil peeled sweet potato cubes until very tender. Drain and mash with butter, honey, salt, and pepper until creamy, offering a naturally sweet contrast serving as the pie’s bottom layer.

Prebake Pie Crusts

Roll out pie dough and line muffin tins with rounds, pricking bottoms to prevent bubbling. Use pie weights during blind baking for crisp, dry bases. Brush with egg white and bake briefly to seal crust for a sturdy vessel.

Assemble Mini Pies

Spoon a layer of sweet potato mash into each prebaked crust to protect pastry from soggy filling. Top with rich beef stew filling, nearly to the edge, balancing sweetness and hearty savoriness.

Add Puff Pastry Lids

Roll rough puff pastry thin and cut lids to size. Brush pie crust edges with egg white for sealing, place lids on top, and trim. Brush tops with egg yolk wash for a shiny, golden finish. Cut slits to allow steam to escape while baking.

Bake Until Golden and Serve

Bake mini pies at 375°F (190°C) until puffed and golden brown, about 20–25 minutes. Let them rest slightly to set filling before serving warm, ensuring the best texture and flavor experience.

Storage Tips

Store mini pies airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap individually and keep in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven to restore crispness before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these mini pies warm with a crisp green salad or steamed vegetables for a balanced meal. They also pair well with a pint of Irish stout or a robust red wine to complement the rich beef flavors.

FAQs

Can I make the pies ahead of time?

Yes, assemble and freeze the pies raw or fully baked, then bake or reheat directly from frozen for easy meals.

How do I make this recipe gluten free?

Substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend suitable for pastry in equal amounts and proceed as usual.

Can I use other cuts of beef?

Beef chuck is ideal for slow cooking due to its marbling; other stewing cuts like brisket work but may vary in tenderness.

What can I substitute for bittersweet chocolate?

Dark cocoa powder or good quality dark chocolate works well to maintain rich depth in the beef stew.

Can I prepare the sweet potato layer in advance?

Yes, mash and refrigerate the sweet potato up to one day beforehand for convenience during assembly.

Are mini pies freezer friendly?

Absolutely, they freeze wonderfully either baked or unbaked, making them an excellent meal prep choice.

How do I reheat without soggy crust?

Reheat in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through, avoiding microwaves which soften pastry.

Irish Beef Sweet Potato Pies

Flaky mini pies filled with rich Irish beef stew and creamy sweet potato mash, featuring tender crusts and savory fillings perfect for a hearty appetizer or snack.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 hours hrs

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine british

Servings 12 people

Calories 350 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Dutch oven for simmering beef stew
• 1 muffin tin for baking mini pies
• 1 mixing bowls for dough and filling preparation
• 1 Rolling Pin for rolling dough
• 1 pot for boiling sweet potatoes

Ingredients

  

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour rough puff pastry
• 1/2 teaspoon salt rough puff pastry
• 1 1/2 cups cold butter cubed (rough puff pastry)
• 2/3 cup ice water rough puff pastry
• 5 cups all-purpose flour pie dough
• 1 teaspoon salt pie dough
• 1 cup cold butter cubed (pie dough)
• 3/4 cup cold water pie dough
• 2 1/4 pounds beef chuck cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 1 large onion chopped
• 4 carrots peeled and diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups beef broth divided
• 1/2 cup brewed dark coffee
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate chopped
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons steak sauce
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup green peas fresh or frozen
• 1 large egg separated (white and yolk)
• 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt sweet potato layer
• Black pepper to taste (sweet potato layer)

Instructions

 

• Prepare rough puff pastry by combining flour and salt, cutting in cold butter until small chunks remain, then gradually adding ice water to form a shaggy dough.
• Shape dough into a rectangle, roll, and fold like a book, repeat rolling and folding twice more. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Make pie dough by mixing flour and salt, cutting in cold butter until coarse crumbs form, adding cold water gradually and forming a disc. Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
• Tie thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sear beef batches until browned, about 8 minutes each. Set aside.
• Add remaining olive oil to pot, sauté onion, carrots, and garlic until fragrant and lightly browned.
• Return beef to pot, add 2 1/2 cups beef broth, coffee, chocolate, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, and the tied herbs.
• Simmer covered on low heat for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove herbs.
• Mix cornstarch with remaining 1/2 cup broth, stir into stew to thicken for 5 minutes. Stir in peas, adjust seasoning, and cool completely.
• Boil sweet potatoes in salted water until tender, drain and mash with butter, honey, salt, and pepper. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat oven to 400°F and grease muffin tin. Roll pie dough to 1/4-inch thickness, cut 4-inch rounds, and line muffin cups with overhang.
• Prick crust bottoms, line with foil and weights. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights, bake 5 more minutes.
• Brush crusts with egg white and bake 2 to 3 minutes to seal. Cool completely.
• Fill each crust with a tablespoon of sweet potato mash then beef stew almost to the top.
• Roll rough puff pastry to 1/4-inch thickness, cut rounds to fit mini pies. Brush crust edges with egg white, place lids on top, and seal.
• Brush tops with egg yolk mixed with water and cut small slits for steam.
• Reduce oven to 375°F and bake pies for 20 to 25 minutes until puffed and golden.
• Let pies rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving warm.

Notes

• Allow pastries to cool completely after baking for easier handling.
• Mini pies can be frozen and baked from frozen when needed.
• Substitute beef with mushrooms or lentils for a vegetarian option.