Pasties are hand pies filled with a savory filling. Sloppy Joe Hand Pies have a sweet, tangy, spicy meat filling wrapped in flaky pastry. These hand pasties are fun, filling, and great for dinner!
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Quick Recipe Summary ✨
Sloppy Joe Hand Pies: Sweet, tangy, slightly spicy homemade Sloppy Joe filling tucked inside flaky shortcrust pastry for a portable, mess-free dinner twist on the classic sandwich. 🥧🍅
From-scratch sauce = better flavor control: Skip the canned sauce and balance the sweetness, tang, and heat exactly how you like it. Includes tips for thickening the filling properly so your hand pies don't leak! 👍
Active Time: about 45 minutes • Chill Time: 30 minutes • Bake Time: 20 to 25 minutes • Total Time: about 1 hour 30 minutes ⏱️
Difficulty Level: ⭐⭐⭐ Medium. Simple stovetop filling + easy pastry assembly, with clear sealing and baking tips to ensure flaky, golden pasties.
Yield: 8 (6-inch) meal-sized hand pies or 12-14 appetizer-size 🥟
Freezer-Friendly: Up to 3 months (baked or unbaked!) ❄️
Make-Ahead: Filling and pastry can be prepared 1 to 2 days in advance for easy assembly later.
👉 Follow the step-by-step instructions below to make golden, flaky Sloppy Joe pasties with perfectly thick filling and no soggy bottoms. That's dinner solved!
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Why this recipe works
- Making your own sauce for Sloppy Joes allows you to control the sweetness, tanginess, and spiciness
- Homemade shortcrust pastry (with or without sourdough discard) is light and flaky, or use store bought pastry
- You can make the pastry and filling ahead of time, then assemble and bake just before serving
- Unbaked pasties can also be assembled and frozen for later baking
What do you get when you cross a messy sandwich filling with pie? Sloppy Joe Pie! Now take that pie and make it portable, and you've got Sloppy Joes hand pies! This easy Sloppy Joe recipe takes Sloppy Joe pie and encases the filling in shortcrust pastry, similar to a Cornish pasty.
It might take a few extra minutes to prepare the dough and bake hand pasties instead of just throwing the filling on a bun, but think about this...the components of Sloppy Joe hand pies can be made ahead and baked later, saving time!
And put away that canned Sloppy Joe sauce - you can make it better! The secret here is to make your own homemade sauce for Sloppy Joes. That way you can control the different flavor levels of sweetness, tanginess, and spiciness to your liking.
Sloppy Joe Pasties are sweet, tangy, spicy goodness wrapped in a flaky shell. Add a green salad (maybe make an Herb Vinaigrette or Blue Cheese Dressing while the pasties are baking), and you've got a fun and filling meal!
And if you have any leftover filling, you can serve it on a baked potato or spaghetti, fill bell peppers, or as a fun pizza topping.
For more easy dinner ideas featuring ground beef, check out Moroccan Beef Pie and Cincinnati Style Chili. Yum!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Absolutely delicious and throughout enjoyed! Great recipe and we can't wait to make it and eat it again!
- Lola
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this handheld Sloppy Joe pie recipe:
Ingredient Notes
Filling: You'll need ground beef, onions, bell peppers, and garlic for the filling. Since it's the sauce that really gives Sloppy Joes a distinctive flavor, use whatever loose meat or meat substitute in the filling that you prefer, and adjust the vegetables to your liking.
Seasonings and spices: Use more or less chili powder, brown sugar, mustard, and pepper flakes or hot pepper sauce to your preference.
Ghee (aka clarified butter): You'll need a cooking fat to cook the meat and vegetables. Ghee is clarified butter, meaning that butter has been melted and the water and milk solids have been removed, leaving just the butterfat. Ghee has a much higher smoke point than butter so it provides all the flavor of cooking with butter without the worry of burning. It's usually found with Indian cuisines in major supermarkets.
If you prefer, you can use a combination of butter and olive oil to replace the ghee.
Pastry: Here we're making a shortcrust pastry to enclose the filling. This allows the hand pies to be...uhm...held in your hand. It's sturdy enough to hold its shape, but still has the flaky texture of regular pie crust. Better yet, use your sourdough starter discard to make a sourdough shortcrust pastry, and you'll add another dimension of flavor. Or, store bought pie dough is fine, too.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Why hand pies work better than Sloppy Joe sandwiches
The benefits to overturning convention away from the traditional Sloppy Joe sandwich in favor of hand pies are numerous. Here's a few reasons to consider:
- No soggy buns
- Portable
- Kid-friendly
- Travel-friendly
- Lunchbox-friendly
- Better structural integrity
- Controlled portioning
How to make Sloppy Joe Hand Pies
Step 1: Prepare the meat and vegetables
Heat the ghee in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown the ground beef in the skillet, breaking up any clumps, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a colander and drain away the accumulated liquid (photo 1).
Add the onion and bell pepper to the same skillet. Sprinkle the salt over the onions and bell peppers and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds (photo 2).
Add the tomato paste and chili powder and cook for another minute until the vegetables are well coated and the tomato paste has darkened slightly (photo 3).
Step 2: Simmer the sauce
Return the ground beef to the skillet and stir it into the vegetable mixture. Add the ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes (if using), black pepper, and hot pepper sauce, if using (photo 4). Stir well to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture has thickened. If the mixture is getting too dry, add water in 1 tablespoon increments. Adjust the seasonings for sweetness and spice as desired.
Remove the pan from the heat and allow the filling to cool while you roll out the pastry.
Control the sauce texture
You can make the Sloppy Joe sauce as wet or dry as you prefer by adjust the simmering time. Just know that you don't want the filling too wet in the pasty or it will drip when you take that first bite.
Step 3: Assemble the pasties
Roll out the shortcrust pastry to less than ¼-inch thick, then cut out 6-inch circles (photo 5).
I use a 6-inch round cookie cutter (the same one used in Checkerboard Cake), but you can also use a paring knife and trace around a small dinner plate.
Spoon about three tablespoons of the filling onto the pastry. You want enough to fill the pastry, but not so much that you can't get a good seal on the edges. Crimp well so the filling won't leak during baking (photo 6).
Brush an egg wash on the edges of the dough to get a good seal using a pastry brush, then brush the tops of the chilled pasties again before baking to get a nice sheen.
Make appetizer-sized pasties
I find that 6-inch circles are great for meal-sized pasties. For a fun party-style appetizer pasty, use a 4-inch round cookie cutter instead. Reduce the filling to about two tablespoons.
Step 4: Bake the pasties
Chill the pasties for 30 minutes to firm up the pastry. While the pasties are chilling, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a half sheet baking pan with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.
Place the pasties on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown (photo 7).
Storage and make-ahead instructions
Storage instructions: Cooled hand pies can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container, for up to 7 days. You have 3 options to reheat baked hand pies:
- In the oven at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes (keeps the pastry crisp)
- In an air fryer at 350°F for 4 - 6 minutes
- In the microwave (quickest, but softens pastry)
For longer storage, freeze baked hand pies until firm on a cookie sheet, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in an airtight bag. Defrost overnight to thaw, then rewarm at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes or until hot.
And don't forget that you can freeze any leftover filling for later to make more pasties later!
Make-ahead instructions: You can make the filling and pastry ahead of time and assemble into pasties when you're ready to bake them. Here's a possible timeline:
- Make the filling up to 2 days in advance
- Prepare the pastry dough 1 to 2 days ahead
- Assemble the pasties and refrigerate before baking
Unbaked pasties freeze well. Allow them to freeze until firm on a cookie sheet, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in an airtight bag. When you're ready to bake, brush them with the egg wash and place on a baking pan. Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. No need to defrost! That's dinner sorted!
Troubleshooting Sloppy Joe hand pies
If something didn't go quite as planned, don't worry. Here's how to fix it next time:
The hand pies leaked
- Filling was too wet
- Edges weren't sealed well
- Pastry wasn't chilled
Fix: Simmer filling until thick, leave a ½-inch border, seal with egg wash, and chill 30 minutes before baking.
The hand pies have a soggy bottom
- Filling was too hot
- Filling too moist
- Overfilled
Fix: Cool filling completely and keep it thick and scoopable.
The pastry split
- Dough rolled too thin
- Overfilled
- No steam vent
Fix: Roll slightly thicker and cut a small vent on top before baking.
The hand pies aren't golden brown
- Skipped egg wash
- Oven too cool
Fix: Brush with egg wash and bake at 400°F until deeply golden (20-25 minutes).
The filling is dry
- Simmered too long
Fix: Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water during cooking to keep it moist but thick.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions that you might have...
Traditional Sloppy Joes are a sandwich made with loose meat (usually ground beef) cooked in a sweet and tangy tomato-based Sloppy Joe sauce and served on a soft hamburger bun.
The hand pie version are individual savory pastries of the sandwich. The filling is enclosed in shortcrust pastry and baked until golden and flaky, making them a portable version of the classic Sloppy Joe sandwich.
Sure! Store-bought pie dough works well and saves time. Roll slightly thinner if needed and cut into 6-inch circles. Seal and bake as directed.
Absolutely. You can use ground turkey for a leaner option, or plant-based crumbles for vegetarian version. Just be sure to adjust seasoning slightly, as lean meats may need more salt and spice.
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I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L'chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
More dinner recipes to try
Recipe
Sloppy Joe Hand Pies (Easy Freezer Dinner)
Equipment
- colander
- rolling pin
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 recipe sourdough shortcrust pastry, or plain shortcrust pastry, see Recipe Notes
For the filling
- 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter), or butter and olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef, ground turkey, or a meat substitute
- 1 cup onions, minced
- ½ cup bell peppers, minced, about 3 to 4 baby peppers or ⅓ large bell pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, either brown or yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- dash hot pepper sauce, optional
- 1 large egg white, for egg wash
- 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Prepare the sourdough shortcrust pastry dough and chill while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the filing: Heat 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown 1 pound ground beef in the skillet, breaking up any clumps, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a colander and drain away the accumulated liquid.
- Add 1 cup onions and ½ cup bell peppers to the same skillet. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon kosher salt over the onions and bell peppers and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Add t3 garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 1 teaspoon chili powder and cook for another minute until the vegetables are well coated and the tomato paste has darkened slightly.
- Return the ground beef to the skillet and stir it into the vegetable mixture. Add ⅔ cup ketchup, ⅓ cup water, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (if using), ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and a dash hot pepper sauce (if using). Stir well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture has thickened. If the mixture is getting too dry, add water in 1 tablespoon increments. Adjust the seasonings for sweetness and spice as desired.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow the filling to cool while you roll out the pastry.
- Assemble the pasties: On a lightly floured surface, roll the shortcrust pastry out to ¼-inch thickness (about the height of two stacked quarters). Turn the pastry as you roll to avoid it sticking to your surface.
- Use a 6-inch round cookie cutter to cut out six circles of dough, re-rolling the dough as needed.
- Whisk together 1 large egg white and 1 tablespoon water for the egg wash.
- Place about 3 tablespoons of dough onto half of a dough circle. Brush the edges of the circle with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Fold the other half of the dough circle over to seal in the filling, pressing the edges together well. Crimp the edges by pressing with the tines of a fork, or create a decorative rolled edge if you're feeling creative. Cut three slits in the top of the pasty to allow steam to escape while baking.
- Chill the pasties for 30 minutes to firm up the pastry. While the pasties are chilling, preheat the oven to 400 °F. Line a half sheet baking pan with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Brush the top of the pasties with the egg wash, then place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
- Storage instructions: Cooled hand pies can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container, for up to 7 days. See the Recipe Notes for reheating options.For longer storage, freeze baked hand pies until firm on a cookie sheet, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in an airtight bag. Defrost overnight to thaw, then rewarm at 350 °F for 5 to 10 minutes or until hot.
- Make-ahead instructions: You can make the filling and pastry ahead of time and assemble into pasties. Refrigerate until you're ready to bake them.Unbaked pasties also freeze well. Allow them to freeze until firm on a cookie sheet, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in an airtight bag. When you're ready to bake, brush them with the egg wash and place on a baking pan. Bake at 375 °F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. No need to defrost! That's dinner sorted!
Notes
- In the oven at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes (keeps the pastry crisp)
- In an air fryer at 350°F for 4 - 6 minutes
- In the microwave (quickest, but softens pastry)
Lola Katman says
Absolutely delicious and throughout enjoyed! Great recipe and we can’t wait to make it and eat it again!
Tammy Spencer says
So glad you enjoyed it!