• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Foodle Club

  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes (date order)
  • Convert grams to cups
  • How to guides
  • Collections
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes (date order)
  • Convert grams to cups
  • How to guides
  • Collections
  • About
  • Mobile Menu

    • Facebook
  • ×
    • A dark blue serving dish filled with mushroom chicken in mustard sauce. There is a dish of peas in the background.
      Lightly battered chicken with mushroom mustard sauce
    • Overhead shot of a creamy crab and roasted pepper pasta salad. The salad is in a white bowl and is surrounded by dishes of other salads and a platter of cold meat.
      Creamy crab and roasted pepper pasta salad
    • A spoonful of cheesy bacon and onion potato bake being lifted from a serving dish.
      Cheesy bacon and onion potato bake
    • A piece of slow cooker beef short rib on a dinner plate with vegetables. The beef is being pulled apart with a fork. There is a helping of thick gravy over the beef.
      Slow cooker beef short ribs with rich gravy
    • A dish of leftover shepherd's pie topped with potato and sweet potato mash, with a dish of green salad in the foreground.
      Leftover chicken shepherd's pie
    • A glass serving dish filled with fruity Eton mess.
      Fruity Eton mess with microwave meringue
    • A lemon and herb chicken flattie on a serving plate surrounded by dishes of salad.
      Air fryer lemon and herb chicken flattie
    • An easy meat pie in a baking dish with a corner of the pastry removed to show the filling.
      Easy meat pie
    • A boerewors puff pastry spiral on a wooden board surrounded by a selection of salads.
      Boerewors puff pastry spiral
    • A slice of raspberry meringue pie on a blue-patterned plate.
      Raspberry Meringue Pie
    • A black serving dish of Thai prawn and monkfish curry.
      Thai prawn and monkfish curry
    • Lamb ribs on a wooden serving dish.
      Lemon and herb lamb ribs
    Home » Recipes » Savoury tart recipes

    Beef and onion hand pies with mushrooms

    Published: Apr 15, 2019 · Modified: May 30, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Jump to recipe

    I just love a good pie, and these little beauties are no exception. Succulent ground beef mixed with onions and mushrooms encased in buttery homemade shortcrust pastry, these beef and onion hand pies with mushrooms are absolutely delicious and it's hard to stop at eating just one!

    Three beef, onion and mushroom hand pies in the foreground with a plate of pies and a dish of tomato sauce at the back.

    I've been making these little beef and onion hand pies for years, and they never fail to impress. Back in the day, in my corporate life, it was expected that when it was your birthday you took a batch of homemade goodies into the office for everyone to feast on!

    Of course, some people cheated and just went out to the nearest shop (yes, you know who you are - don't worry, I'm not going to name and shame 🙂 )!

    There were a few of us who always took homemade treats. My friend Liz made the most amazing vegetable tart. I've tried to replicate it with this crustless vegetable quiche which I think comes close to her masterpiece. Even the men had a go! Chris made the most amazingly buttery scones and no matter how hard I tried with my recipe for homemade scones, I think I came a poor second.

    But I have to admit that these mini beef and onion pies with mushrooms were always gobbled up first!

    They've got a deliciously buttery pastry, and are filled with tasty beef mince, caramelised onions and savoury mushrooms. It might have something to do with the fact that when 10 am came around everyone was ready for something to eat, but I like to think it was because these beef and onion pies taste so good!

    And I'll be perfectly honest - when it came time to go home and clean up all the mess, it was always the homemade goodies that had been completely demolished, while you could guarantee that there would be leftovers from the store-bought bounty.

    Just goes to prove - homemade IS better!

    Three beef and onion hand pies on a white plate with a dish of tomato sauce, with other pies on a cooling tray in the background.
    Jump to:
    • Versatile
    • What you will need
    • What to do
    • Your questions answered
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    Versatile

    These mini beef and onion hand pies are so versatile.  You can serve them hot with mashed potatoes, peas and lashings of gravy.  They are just as good served cold as part of a ploughman's platter with cherry tomatoes, pickled onions, a hunk of cheese and a dish of chutney.  In the unlikely event that you have any leftovers, you can even pop them into your lunch box for a delicious mid-day snack (or take them to work as a birthday treat for everyone 🙂 ).

    My original recipe for these beef hand pies does not contain chilli, but once when I was making this recipe I reached into the fridge and grabbed what I thought was a tube of sun-dried tomatoes.  I added a good squirt and to my horror found that I had added chilli paste instead.  To be honest, the results were amazing – the heat from the chilli really intensified the flavour of the beef and onion.  I've added chilli as an optional ingredient - you can leave it out if you prefer.

    Top tip - gather all your ingredients before you start making these pies and you won't make the mistake that I did!

    Close up of a beef, onion and mushroom pie cut in half.

    And this is how you make them:

    What you will need

    Equipment

    For making the beef and onion filling you will need a frying pan with a lid. You will also need a sharp knife and a chopping board for cutting up the vegetables.

    For the pastry you will need a large mixing bowl, and for rolling it out you will need a rolling pin.

    To cut the pastry to shape you will need a set of pastry cutters. If you don't have those you could use a small bowl to place on the pastry to cut around.

    And for baking the pies you will need a 12-hole muffin pan.

    Ingredients

    You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions on how to make these beef and onion hand pies on the printable recipe card below.

    The recipe as written will make 12 beef hand pies.

    Ingredients for beef and onions pies with mushrooms.
    • Minced beef (or ground beef) - I like to use beef with a 5% fat content. You can use a higher fat-content mince, but you may find you have to pour some of the excess fat away when you brown the meat.
    • Onions, carrots and celery - this is the traditional French mirepoix or 'holy trinity' of vegetables, often used as a base in cooking. The onions and celery should be finely chopped and the carrot grated on the largest holes of a box grater.
    • Mushrooms - I've added finely chopped mushrooms to the pies because firstly I love mushrooms, and secondly they add an extra dimension of flavour. If you are not a lover of mushrooms, I would suggest that you substitute them with frozen peas or corn to ensure there is sufficient filling for the pies.
    • Stock - there is not a lot of stock in this recipe because we want the filling to be quite thick and hold together. However, we do need some stock to ensure the vegetables and meat are cooked through. The stock will be thickened with flour. I tend to use a stock cube dissolved in boiling water.
    • Tomato puree - you may know this as tomato paste.
    • Worcestershire sauce - adds a salty umami taste to the pies. If you don't have Worcestershire sauce you could substitute with soy sauce, or if you are from the north of England you could use Henderson's relish instead.
    • Chutney - when I first made this recipe I was living in South Africa, and of course I reached for my bottle of Mrs Balls chutney which is found in EVERY South African pantry. You can substitute this with your favourite fruity chutney. Perhaps you'd like to try my recipe for homemade Mrs Balls or I can thoroughly recommend this green tomato chutney.
    • Chilli paste - this is absolutely optional but it gives a nice kick of heat if you do decide to use it.
    • Salt and pepper - for seasoning.
    • Oil - for frying. I would suggest a neutral-flavoured vegetable oil rather than olive oil.

    Pastry

    I haven't included a picture of the pastry ingredients, but they are simply:

    • Plain flour - don't use self-raising flour - we don't want the pastry to rise.
    • Unsalted butter (I prefer to control the amount of salt I add). If you don't have butter you can use a brick of margarine cut into cubes.
    • Salt and ice-cold water.

    Whether you buy pastry or make your own, you will also need an egg which will be used to eggwash the pastry so that it browns nicely in the oven.

    What to do

    Make the pastry

    Skip these steps if you have bought shortcrust pastry.

    If you decide to make your pastry rather than buying it, this is how you do it. It only takes 5 minutes.

    Flour and cubed butter in a mixing bowl.

    Measure the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and add.

    Flour and butter rubbed together to form fine breadcrumbs in a large white mixing bowl.

    Use your fingertips, and rub the flour into the pastry until you get a mixture resembling fine breadcrumbs.

    Water mixed into flour and butter to form a shaggy dough.

    Add just enough water to make the pastry start to come together in a shaggy dough.

    A ball of dough in a large white mixing bowl.

    Press the mixture together until it forms a soft ball. Handle the dough as little as possible and do not knead.

    Put the dough into a plastic bag or wrap it in plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator to rest while you get on with making the filling.

    You could use a food processor to mix the butter into the flour if you prefer.

    Beef, onion and mushroom filling

    While the dough is resting you can turn your attention to the filling.

    Minced beef browning in a frying pan,

    Fry the mince over moderate to high heat until it is brown and crumbly. Stir as you brown it, and break the mince up with a spatula so that it separates. Transfer the mince to a plate.

    Diced onions, celery and carrots softening in a frying pan.

    Discard all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan and stir-fry the finely diced onions, celery and grated carrots until they start to soften. If you used low-fat beef you may need to add an additional tablespoon of oil.

    Mushrooms cooking with a mirepoix of carrots, onions and celery.

    Add the diced mushrooms and continue to stir-fry for another 2 to 3 minutes until the mushrooms are starting to soften.

    Browned minced beef mixed into carrots, onions and celery.

    Stir the browned meat back into the pan,

    Flour sprinkled on top of the filling for the beef and onion pies.

    Sprinkle the flour over the meat and vegetables and stir it in, making sure to remove any lumps.

    A frying pan containing filling for beef and onion hand pies.

    Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, chutney, salt and pepper and stir over moderate heat until the mixture boils and thickens. If you are using chilli paste, this is the time to add that too.

    A spoon being drawn through meat filling, showing the consistency.

    This is the consistency you are looking for. The gravy should leave a trail which fills up very slowly when you draw a spoon through the mixture.

    Leave the mixture to cool while you get on with preparing the pastry cases.

    Prepare the pastry cases

    Circles of pastry being cut from a rolled sheet of dough.

    Take one-third of the pastry and roll it out thinly. Use a 5-inch cutter to cut 6 circles from the dough. Repeat with a second third of the pastry. You should end up with 12 rounds of pastry.

    A 12-hole muffin tin lined with 12 circles of pastry.

    Press the pastry circles into a lightly greased 12-hole muffin pan, easing the pastry in carefully.

    12 beef and onion pies in a muffin tray without pastry lids.

    Divide the filling equally between the 12 pastry cases, leaving a small amount of pastry uncovered so that you can stick the lids on.

    Close up of a pastry lid being brushed with beaten egg.

    Roll the remaining one-third pastry out thinly, and using a 3-inch cutter, cut 12 circles. Brush the edge of each circle with lightly beaten egg and place it egg-side down on top of each pie.

    12 unbaked pies in a muffin tin.

    Use a fork to seal the lids of the base. Prick each lid with the fork to make holes for the steam to escape and brush the pies with the remaining beaten egg.

    12 baked beef and onion pies in a muffin tin.

    Bake the pies in a preheated oven (180C / 360F) for 30 to 35 minutes until they are golden brown.

    Top Tip 1 - Any leftover filling can be toasted in a frying pan between two slices of bread (butter-side on the outside) - it makes a delicious sandwich. (I had enough leftover filling for one sandwich - hubby wasn't impressed when I devoured it myself - but that's the chef's privilege 🙂 )

    Top Tip 2 - If you don't have a set of pastry cutters, a small bowl will be fine for cutting out the bases, and a drinking glass should be the right size for the lids.

    Remove the pies from the oven and either serve hot with mashed potatoes, peas and gravy or allow to cool and serve cold. (I prefer them cold for lunch - but that's just my preference).

    If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

    Your questions answered

    Can I freeze beef hand pies?

    Yes - these hand pies freeze very well.  Let them cool and then pack them in a suitable container and freeze them for up to 3 months. 
    To reheat, let them defrost at room temperature and then pop them in a hot oven for 10 minutes.  This way the pastry crisps up again. 
    I wouldn't heat them in a microwave because the pastry will go soggy. 
    I haven't tried freezing them uncooked, because that would mean freezing them in the muffin pan.

    Can I use margarine instead of butter in the pastry?

    Yes - you can substitute the butter for hard margarine, but you will get a less buttery-tasting pastry.

    Can I make these pies with other meat?

    Yes, you could use pork mince instead of beef mince, or a mixture of the two.
    Minced chicken would also work well, or a mixture of chicken and finely chopped mushrooms.

    Can I make this into one large pie?

    Yes - you could do that. Line a suitable pie dish with the pastry, add the filling and make a pastry lid large enough to fit.
    The baking time should be the same (around 30 minutes). Just keep your eye on it. The pie will be cooked when the pastry is golden brown.
    Note - if you do this you may find you have pastry left over.

    Save for later

    Why not save this recipe for beef and onion hand pies to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    Get embed code

    Related recipes

    There are lots of similar recipes on my savoury tart recipes page. Here are a few you may like:

    • A wooden serving plate piled with stilton, pear and walnut sausage rolls alongside dishes of chutney and pickled onions.
      Stilton, pear and walnut sausage rolls
    • Close up of the inside of a chicken and mushroom bake.
      Chicken and mushroom bakes with puff pastry
    • Two slices of sausage and egg picnic roll on a plate showing the egg on the inside.
      Sausage and egg picnic slice
    • A slice of South African savoury tart on a plate.
      South African savoury tart (sout tert)

    📋The recipe

    Side on view of a beef, onion and mushroom hand pie on a plate with a dish of tomato sauce in the background.

    Beef and Onion Hand Pies

    I just love a good pie, and these little beauties are no exception. Succulent ground beef mixed with onions and mushrooms encased in buttery homemade shortcrust pastry, these beef and onion hand pies with mushrooms are absolutely delicious and it's hard to stop at eating just one!
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Lunch, Main Course
    Any
    Calories 293
    Prep 45 minutes minutes
    Cook 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 pies
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    4.60 from 5 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Food processor OR
    • Mixing bowl
    • Saucepan or
    • Frying Pan
    • Rolling Pin
    • 12-hole muffin tin

    Ingredients

    Filling

    • 8½ ounces / 250 grams beef mince / ground beef
    • 2 medium onions finely chopped
    • 1 large carrot coarsely grated
    • 2 stalks celery finely chopped
    • 2 cups mushrooms finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 tablespoons tomato puree
    • 1 teaspoon chilli paste optional
    • 1 beef stock cube dissolved in 1 cup of boiling water
    • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil or other vegetable oil
    • 1½ tablespoons flour
    • 1 teaspoon salt to taste
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 small beaten egg to eggwash the pies

    Pastry

    • 2⅓ cups / 320 grams plain flour
    • 7½ ounces / 210 grams unsalted butter cut into cubes
    • ½ teaspoon salt optional
    • 6 tablespoons Ice cold water approximately

    Instructions

    Pastry

    • Measure the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and add.
      2⅓ cups / 320 grams plain flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 7½ ounces / 210 grams unsalted butter
    • Use your fingertips, and rub the flour into the pastry until you get a mixture resembling fine breadcrumbs.
    • Add just enough water to make the pastry start to come together in a shaggy dough.
      6 tablespoons Ice cold water
    • Press the mixture together until it forms a soft ball. Handle the dough as little as possible and do not knead.
    • Wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge to chill

    Filling

    • Fry the mince in sunflower oil over moderate to high heat until it is brown and crumbly. Stir as you brown it, and break the mince up with a spatula so that it separates. Transfer the mince to a plate.
      8½ ounces / 250 grams beef mince / ground beef, 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
    • Discard all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan and stir-fry the finely diced onions, celery and grated carrots until they start to soften. If you used low-fat beef you may need to add an additional tablespoon of oil.
      2 medium onions, 2 stalks celery, 1 large carrot
    • Add the diced mushrooms and continue to stir-fry for another 2 to 3 minutes until the mushrooms are starting to soften.
      2 cups mushrooms
    • Stir the browned meat back into the pan,
    • Sprinkle the flour over the meat and vegetables and stir it in, making sure to remove any lumps.
      1½ tablespoons flour
    • Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, chutney, salt and pepper and stir over moderate heat until the mixture boils and thickens. If you are using chilli paste, this is the time to add that too.
      2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons tomato puree, 1 teaspoon chilli paste, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 beef stock cube
    • You are looking for a consistency that will leave a trail which fills up very slowly when you draw a spoon through the mixture.
    • Leave the filling to cool while you roll the pastry.

    Assemble and bake

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C / 360°F
    • Take one-third of the pastry and roll it out thinly. Use a 5-inch cutter to cut 6 circles from the dough. Repeat with a second third of the pastry. You should end up with 12 rounds of pastry.
    • Press the pastry circles into a lightly greased 12-hole muffin pan, easing the pastry in carefully.
    • Divide the filling equally between the 12 pastry cases, leaving a small amount of pastry uncovered so that you can stick the lids on.
    • Roll the remaining one-third pastry out thinly, and using a 3-inch cutter, cut 12 circles for the lids. Brush the edge of each circle with lightly beaten egg and place it egg-side down on top of each pie.
      1 small beaten egg
    • Use a fork to seal the lids onto the base. Prick each lid with the fork to make holes for the steam to escape and brush the pies with the remaining beaten egg.
    • Bake the pies in a preheated oven (180C / 360F) for 30 to 35 minutes until they are golden brown.

    Notes

    You can use 2 packets of shop-bought shortcrust pastry for this if you prefer.
    The vegetables should be cut into small pieces so that they will fit into the mini pies.  Large chunks of vegetables will be too big to fit into the muffin tins.
    If you don't have a set of pastry cutters, a small bowl will be fine for cutting out the bases, and a drinking glass should be the right size for the lids.

    Nutrition

    Calories - 293kcal | Carbohydrates - 23.9g | Protein - 10.2g | Fat - 17.5g | Saturated Fat - 9.8g | Cholesterol - 68mg | Sodium - 352mg | Potassium - 205mg | Fiber - 1.5g | Sugar - 2g | Vitamin D - 32µg | Calcium - 18mg | Iron - 6mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

    If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love it if you could give me a star rating in the comments below. And if you'd like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you can grab yourself a copy of my FREE COOKBOOK!

    If you'd like to continue browsing, just click on this link to all my recipes.

    More Savoury tart recipes

    • A slice of potato crust bacon and mushroom quiche being lifted from the dish on a cake lifter.
      Potato crust mushroom and bacon quiche
    • A pile of sausage and onion pinwheels on a bed of lettuce leaves.
      Sausage and onion pinwheels
    • A pile of chicken empanadas on a round white plate alongside a small dish of dipping sauce.
      Oven-baked chicken empanadas
    • Side-on slices of cheese and broccoli quiche on a glass serving dish, showing the inside of the quiche.
      Cheese and broccoli quiche (with mushrooms)
    474 shares
    • Share on Facebook45
    • Tweet

    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.60 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

      Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Dee

      January 17, 2024 at 12:29 pm

      5 stars
      Fantastic recipe. Easy to follow. Im UK based. Family loved it. Look forward to using more of your recipes

      Reply
      • VJ

        January 17, 2024 at 1:51 pm

        5 stars
        Hi Dee, thank you for the positive feedback. Hope you enjoy my other recipes too! VJ x

        Reply
    2. Christine Waters

      September 27, 2022 at 3:15 pm

      4 stars
      I am in process of making this. Pastry in fridge and just finishing off sauce. Whilst waiting I looked at your page again and I am slightly confused. The recipe says self raising flour for pastry but your notes say don't use and use plain flour. If that is the case the recipe should state plain flour

      Reply
      • VJ

        September 27, 2022 at 3:44 pm

        Aargh! I'm so sorry - you are absolutely correct. It should be plain flour in the pastry. I've updated the recipe to reflect this. I don't think it will spoil the pastry if you used self-raising flour, it just means the pastry will be a bit puffier than it should be.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    A picture of Veronica in the garden in front of a pink-flowering shrub.

    Hi, I'm Veronica! Welcome to my little kitchen. Step inside and browse my collection of recipes collected over the years.

    More about me →

    Readers favourites

    These are my most viewed recipes:

    • Sliced silverside on a plate with carrots and potatoes.
      Slow-cooker beef silverside
    • Slices of oven-baked gammon on a serving dish.
      Easy oven-baked gammon
    • Overhead shot of a white serving bowl filled with beef and kidney stew. There is a large wooden spoon at the side of the bowl.
      Slow-cooker beef and kidney stew
    • A slice of bacon and egg pie on a plate
      Proper bacon and egg pie
    • A pile of crusty German bread rolls.
      Crusty German bread rolls (Brotchen)
    • A dish of twice-cooked pork belly garnished with sesame seeds and spring onions.
      Twice cooked pork belly - with a sticky glaze

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Subscribe

    • Subscribe to my newsletter and get a free recipe ebook.

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 www.foodleclub.com

    Copyright © 2025 Foodleclub.com

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.