Moroccan Beef Pie

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Moroccan Beef Pie is a delicious and comforting dinner for a chilly evening. It’s a family favorite of ours, and hopefully will be one of yours as well!

Food Hugs

Recently my family has had a few setbacks, both physically and financially. Being supportive can take on many forms, but as a mom who believes food = love, I immediately jump to what can I make that will bring comfort.

One of my family’s favorite dinners is Moroccan Beef Pie. For me, it’s like delivering a group food hug to my family, and boy have we all needed one lately.

I discovered this recipe card in a grocery store display in front of the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts many years ago. I thought it looked easy enough, so after purchasing all the ingredients (the refrigerated pie crust, hash browns, beef broth, etc), I went home and made it.

It was an immediate hit, and as our family grew, Moroccan Beef Pie became a frequently requested item. Anytime I asked my husband or my girls what they wanted as a special dinner, this was it. Isn’t that a definition of comfort food?

How to make a pie more homemade

Longtime readers know of my desire to replace processed foods with homemade items wherever I can, and after I went to culinary school I really upped that effort.

My Moroccan Beef Pie is now made with homemade all-butter pie crusts using the 3-2-1 ratio for pie crust for a double crust pie (i.e. 12 oz flour, 8 oz butter, and 4 oz ice water). Homemade beef stock replaced the canned beef broth. I still use store-bought hash browns, but I’ve made sure there aren’t any ingredients that don’t belong.

Let’s not get carried away, shall we?

How to make Moroccan Beef Pie

Making the pie filling is pretty straightforward, just brown the onions, garlic, and beef, then add hash browns, spices, and stock. Easy Peasy.

I do have a nifty way of draining the pan of fat. I shove the filling to one side and tilt the pan the other way. I then use a few paper towels to sop up the extra fat and liquid that drains down. Just use tongs to move the paper towels to the trash...remember that liquid is still hot!

You might notice that I don't have parsley and cilantro in the mixture, or sesame seeds on top. That's because I have a picky eater in the family. I can assure you it's tasty this way or as the recipe is written.

The hardest part of making pie is serving it

As good as I am at cooking, there is still one aspect that I haven't been able to master...getting out that first slice of pie from the pan without leaving half of it behind. I still don't know how to get a piece that's picture perfect (pssst...here's a secret...that slice in the picture above is the second piece!).

If someone has a foolproof way of getting out that first slice, please let me know!

We’ll get better soon

Moroccan Beef Pie is a comforting and filling dinner for what ails 'ya. The best part is that we share it as a family, and really it’s that coming together that makes the difference. We’re there for one another, supporting each person, comforting as we can.

For us this pie is the catalyst, a food hug to say it’ll be all right. Group hug!!

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5 from 2 votes

Moroccan Beef Pie

This flavorful meat pie is comforting on a chilly evening. It’s a family favorite of ours, and soon will be of yours as well!

Adapted from Pillsbury Spicy Moroccan Beef Pie, copyright 1992

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Cooling Time10 mins

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Beef, Ground Beef, Pie Crust, Pies, Savory Pie

Servings: 8 slices

Calories: 500kcal

Author: Tammy Spencer, Scotch & Scones

Special Equipment

• 9-inch pie pan
• pastry brush

Ingredients

• 1 double pie crust recipe, 12:8:4 flour:fat:water ratio (see Recipe Notes)

Filling

• 1 Tbsp ghee or canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onions, about 1/2 a medium onion (5 oz 142g)
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic cloves, minced, see Recipe Notes
• 1 lb ground beef, (16 oz 455g)
• 2 cups hash browns, defrosted (4 patties)
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped, see Recipe Notes, (1/2 oz, 15g)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, see Recipe Notes, (1/2 oz, 15g)
• 1 cup beef stock, preferably homemade, or low-sodium beef broth (8 oz 227g)

Spice Mix

• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Topping

• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, optional
• sour cream

Procedure

• Prepare a pie crust for a double crust pie. Ease one crust into a 9-inch pie pan and chill while you make the filling.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Whisk the ingredients for the spice mixture together in a small bowl.
• In a large skillet, heat the ghee on medium-high heat. Add the onions, sprinkled with 1/2 tsp salt, and sweat them until they start to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant. Add the ground beef to the onion minute and cook until brown, about 10 minutes. Drain the mixture well.
• Place the hash browns in the pan, chopping them up with your spoon if they’re in a patty form. Cook the mixture 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the parsley, cilantro, and the spice mixture until well blended. Gradually pour in the beef stock. Lower the heat and simmer the filling an additional 5 minutes or until it starts to look a little dry, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture cool for about 5 minutes.
• Spoon the filling into the pie crust-lined pan. Top with the second crust, trim and seal the edges. Cut silts in several places to allow for steam to escape. Crust mayonnaise over the top crust and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using.
• Bake on lower rack for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is dark golden brown (shield the edges if they’re browning too quickly).
• Let pie stand for 5 minutes before serving.
• Serve with sour cream if desired, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

You’ll find my pie crust recipe here. Remember to use the 12:8:4 ratio for a double crust pie.

The parsley and/or cilantro can be omitted if your family doesn't like either or both of them.

You can substitute 1/4 tsp garlic powder for the minced garlic. The same is true for the parsley and cilantro…substitute 2-1/2 Tbsp dry parsley and 1 tsp dry cilantro. Add these substitutions into the spice mixture.

I use paper towels to drain the fat away. Just push the filling to one side and tilt the pan so you can mop up the liquid with several paper towels. Use tongs to remove the soaked towels to the trash.

The filling can be made ahead up until step 6. Allow to cool to room temperature, then store, covered up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can assemble the whole pie, making sure filling comes to room temperature before adding the top crust. Refrigerate (wrapped) until ready to bake later. Allow the chilled pie to sit on the counter while the oven is pre-heating.

Nutrition Facts

Moroccan Beef Pie

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 500

* Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 cal per day diet.

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