Easy Cornish Pasties Recipe

🌟 About This Recipe

• Cornish pasties are easy to make and does not require any precooking, because the meat and vegetables are encased in the pastry raw and are cooked as the pastry is baked.
• The pastry is easy to make but, can be replaced with ready-made shortcrust pastry if you are short on time.

Where Do Cornish Pasties Come From?

According to history-uk.com Cornish pasties originated in ancient England in the Cornwall region. 

These hand pies were a popular food for families, fishermen, and even more so for the miners in that region. 

The reason for this is because the pasty was a convenient and easy way to eat when down in the mine.

🥘 Ingredients

Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.

To make this Cornish pasties recipe just a few basic ingredients are needed and you may already have most of these on hand.

For the pastry - you will need chilled butter cut into cubes, all purpose flour (plain flour), water, and salt.

For the filling -  you will need onion, swede, potato, steak, beef stock, salt, and pepper. 

• Note: At the time of making this recipe for this post, we were unable to get swede (which is a traditional ingredient) so we substituted it with carrot.

When choosing meat for the filling choose rump, round, beef skirt steak, or fillet steak. These are cuts that you would normally eat pan-fried and are soft. 

Avoid using stewing steak like gravy beef or chuck steak these are tough and require long slow cooking.

🍳 Instructions

Step 1 – Make the Pastry Dough: Place the flour into a large mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and add the chilled butter cubes. You want to make sure that the butter is fridge-cold this will help to make a firm dough.

Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Gradually add enough of the cold water to the flour and butter mixture and work it until the dough comes together. The dough should be firm and just a little sticky.

Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes before rolling. 

Chilling the dough will make it easier to roll, especially in very hot weather.

While the dough is chilling prepare the filling.

Step 2 – Make the Filling: Trim away any fat from the meat and cut tiny pieces, about ½ cm (2 inch) cubes. 

Peel onions, swede (or carrot), and potatoes and cut these into fine dice.

Put the meat and vegetables into a large bowl add the beef stock, season very well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and mix well.

Step 3 – Roll and Shape the Pastry: Divide the dough into eight even pieces. Use your kitchen scales for accuracy, if you want.

On a lightly floured work surface roll each ball into a large circle about 5 mm (¼-inch-thick) and about 18 cm (7 inches) in diameter.

Don’t roll it any thinner because it could tear when you close it over the filling.

The pastry circle does not have to be perfect, but if you like a nice neat circle, find something that is about 18 cm in diameter (a plate or saucepan lid might work). Place it on the pastry and use a small sharp knife to cut out a circle.

Step 4 – Making The Cornish Pasties: Divide the filling into eight even portions, use your kitchen scales for accuracy.

Take one pastry round and place some filling into the center. Bring the opposite sides of the pastry above the filling and pinch the pastry edges together (use the picture above for reference).

Step 5- Brush With Egg Wash and Bake: Place the Cornish pasties onto a lined baking sheet, with the seam side up. Using a pastry brush brush the pastry with a beaten egg.

Place in pre-heated 200°C (400°F) oven and bake for 20 min then reduce oven temp to 180°C (360°F) bake for 40 more minutes.

Step 6 - Bake and Serve: Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. These can be eaten hot or at room temperature.

✏️ Recipe Notes

I have to admit these cornish pasties are quite large because they are supposed to be a meal in themselves for adults.

However, you can easily adjust the size and make small Cornish pasties and even mini Cornish pasties.

These sizes would be great as a kid’s lunch idea and can even be included as an easy cold picnic food or served at a tailgate party.

👪 Serving Size

This recipe makes 8 large pasties, one pasty is a serving.

🍬 Calories Per Serve

These Cornish pasties are about 664 calories each.

🍲 Meal Prepping

Can You Make Cornish Pasties In Advance?

Yes, they can be made in advance either cooked or uncooked. If they are to be used in a day or two after preparing keep them in the fridge, or they can be frozen for eating at a later date.

🌡️ Storage

Can you freeze Cornish pasties? Yes, pasties can be frozen either cooked or uncooked.

How to freeze cooked pasties: Allow the cooked pasties to cool completely, individually wrap each pasty in plastic food wrap, place into a freezer bag, label then freeze. Pasties can be frozen for up to 4 months.

How to freeze uncooked pasties: Uncooked pasties without egg wash, should be placed onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Fit as many as you can on the tray but, don’t have them touching.

Place the tray with the pasties into the freezer and freeze until solid. Once frozen, individually wrap each pasty in plastic food wrap, place into a freezer bag, label then freeze. Uncooked pasties can be frozen for up to 4 months.

How to cook uncooked frozen Cornish Pasties? When ready to bake, take the required number of pasties from the freezer and remove the plastic. 

Place the frozen pasties onto a tray lined with baking paper, brush with egg wash, then bake as directed in the recipe.

Note: Cooking frozen pasties will take a little longer.

🔥 Reheating

Can Cornish Pasties be eaten cold? You can eat Cornish pasties cold straight from the fridge but, they do taste better hot or at room temperature.

Can Cornish pasties be reheated? To reheat pasties, preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Place the cold pasty on a baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes or until heated. If the pasties are frozen allow them to thaw before reheating.

Can you microwave a Cornish pasty? Yes, a cooked Cornish pasty can be placed into a microwave for quick reheating but, the texture of the pastry does change slightly.

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