Try this Tourtière (French Canadian Meat Pie) recipe for a flaky crust and savory, spiced filling. A homemade meat pie worth gathering around the table for!

Cut through a golden, buttery crust and into a generous layer of tender pork, beef, sweet onion, and gently warming spices, and dinner suddenly deserves your nicest plates!

This Tourtière (French Canadian Meat Pie) recipe brings all those savory juices together inside flaky pastry, with just enough mashed potato to help each slice hold its shape!!

Why This Filling and Crust Work Together?

Pork brings richness, while beef gives each forkful a fuller, savory flavor.

A short simmer softens those little meat crumbles and carries onion and spices through every spoonful, while a modest amount of broth keeps everything moist without turning your pie into a gravy delivery service.

I would choose regular ground pork and beef around 85% lean, then spoon away any obvious excess grease before adding broth.

Ingredients

For the Buttery Double Crust

• 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for rolling; spoon flour into cups and level it, or use a kitchen scale
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine table or sea salt
• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 8 to 10 tablespoons (120 to 150 ml) ice-cold water, adding only as much as dough needs

For the Pork and Beef Filling

• 8 ounces (225 g) peeled russet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; buy one large potato and weigh after peeling
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced, about 1 cup (150 g)
• 1 pound (454 g) ground pork, plain and unseasoned

Choose plain ground pork rather than breakfast sausage, whose seasoning can overwhelm this spice mixture.

• 1 pound (454 g) ground beef, preferably about 85% lean
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine salt, plus a little more if needed after cooking
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) low-sodium beef broth, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons only if needed to adjust moisture
• 1 dried bay leaf

For the Golden Finish

• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon milk or water

Servings: 8 generous slices
Yield: One 9-inch deep-dish pie, using a pan about 2 inches deep

How to Make Tourtière Recipe for French Canadian Meat Pie

Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl, then scatter cold butter over flour and cut it in with a pastry blender, or rub it in quickly with your fingertips, until most pieces are pea-size with a few thin, slightly larger flakes remaining.

You want a loose, uneven mixture that still shows bits of butter, so stop before it resembles a smooth paste.

If butter starts feeling soft or greasy against your fingers, put your bowl in a refrigerator for 10 minutes before continuing; this little pause is much easier than wrestling with sticky dough later!

Sprinkle 8 tablespoons ice water over your flour mixture and toss gently with a fork, reaching underneath so dry flour gets a chance to join in.

Squeeze a small handful, and if it holds together with only a few cracks, you have enough water; if it falls apart, add another tablespoon, toss again, and repeat only as needed.

Press dough together without kneading, divide it into two disks with one slightly larger for your bottom crust, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. A few visible butter streaks are welcome, and dough should feel cool and supple rather than wet.

While dough chills, put potato cubes in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes after simmering begins, until a fork slides through several pieces without resistance.

Drain thoroughly, return potatoes to your warm pan off heat for 1 to 2 minutes so excess moisture can evaporate, then mash with a fork or potato masher until no large lumps remain.

Set aside without adding milk or butter; you should have roughly 1 cup of plain mash, although its weight matters more than an exact cup measurement.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, add onion, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent with just a little gold around its edges.

Add pork and beef, increase heat to medium-high, and cook for about 8 to 12 minutes, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon until meat looks evenly crumbled and has lost its raw color.

A little browning tastes good, but avoid frying everything until crisp, since tender crumbles make a better filling. Spoon away any pooled grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in your pan, then stir in garlic, thyme, sage, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, pepper, and salt for 30 seconds.

Pour in 3/4 cup broth, add your bay leaf, and scrape up any browned bits stuck underneath, because they belong in dinner!

Bring to a gentle simmer, lower heat to medium-low, and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes and breaking up any stubborn clumps.

Look for small, lazy bubbles and a moist mixture with almost no liquid pooling when pushed aside; if your pan dries out early, add a tablespoon of broth and lower heat slightly.

Check several places with an instant-read thermometer to confirm ground meat has reached at least 160°F (71°C), since color alone cannot establish safe doneness. [4]

Remove your bay leaf, stir in mashed potato, and cook gently for another 2 minutes so potato can take up remaining juices.

Pull a spoon across your pan and watch what happens: a visible trail should remain briefly, with no watery puddle rushing back into it, while a spoonful should hold together softly when pressed.

If filling is loose, cook a little longer; if it looks dry and crumbly, stir in broth 1 tablespoon at a time. Let a small spoonful cool before tasting, then adjust salt or pepper as needed.

Spread filling in a shallow layer, no more than 1 inch deep, on a clean tray, let heavy steam subside for about 10 minutes, and refrigerate for 35 to 50 minutes, or until cool throughout, before putting it inside pastry.

When filling is cool, position an oven rack in its lower third, place a heavy rimmed metal baking sheet on that rack, and preheat to 425°F (220°C), allowing at least 30 minutes for oven and sheet to heat.

Take out your larger dough disk and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes if it is too firm to roll without cracking, keeping your second disk refrigerated.

On a lightly floured counter, roll dough from its center outward into a circle about 13 inches wide and roughly 1/8 inch thick, turning it a little between rolls.

If it sticks, lift gently and dust underneath with a small amount of flour instead of burying everything in a flour snowstorm.

Ease rolled dough into your metal pie pan, lifting its edges so pastry settles into bottom corners without stretching, then refrigerate that lined pan while rolling your second disk into an 11- to 12-inch circle.

Spoon cooled filling into bottom crust, spread it evenly, and press very lightly to remove obvious gaps without packing it into a dense block.

Keep filling around rim level with a gentle mound in its center; if your pan is smaller than specified, reserve excess filling rather than forcing it in.

Moisten pastry rim lightly with water, lay your top crust over filling, trim overhang to about 1/2 inch, then fold edges together and crimp to seal.

Refrigerate your assembled pie for 20 minutes so pastry firms up again while your oven finishes heating.

Beat egg with milk or water, brush a thin, even coating over top crust and crimped edges, and cut four or five slits about 1 1/2 inches long near its center so steam can escape.

Keep those openings clear of thick egg wash. If you want a few pastry leaves on top, attach small cutouts with a dab of egg wash, but leave vents open; dinner still needs to breathe even when dressed for company!

Set your metal pie pan carefully onto that hot baking sheet and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375°F (190°C) without removing your pie and continue baking for 35 to 50 minutes.

Start checking color after about 40 minutes total, shielding crimped edges with foil if they are getting dark; loosely tent your whole pie if its top browns before its center is hot.

Finished pastry should look richly golden, with dry, set edges, and an instant-read thermometer inserted through a vent into center filling should register at least 165°F (74°C), appropriate for reheating that cooked, chilled mixture.

Treat timing as a guide, since pan thickness, filling temperature, and ovens all affect how quickly a pie heats.

Transfer your pie to a wire rack and let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting, even though its buttery aroma will be making a very persuasive argument!

This gives potato and juices time to settle so slices lift more neatly, although a few loose meat crumbles are perfectly normal.

Cut into 8 wedges with a sharp knife and use a broad pie server to support each slice underneath. I would save any pastry flakes left in your pan for whoever cooked, which feels like a reasonable kitchen policy.

Small Details That Make a Better Pie

• Measure cloves carefully. A level 1/8 teaspoon gives warmth without drowning out meat and onion, and you can always adjust seasoning in a fully cooked filling before assembly. A heavy hand here is much harder to fix than a light one.
• Correct moisture before adding pastry. A glossy, softly cohesive filling is what you want; visible broth pooling around meat needs more simmering, while a sandy-looking mixture needs a small splash of liquid. Adding extra potato to fix every problem can make filling heavy.
• Keep dough relaxed and cool. If it repeatedly springs back while rolling, give it 10 minutes in a refrigerator before trying again. Small cracks can be patched with a scrap of dough and a dab of water, so please do not let an imperfect crimp talk you out of homemade pie!

Serving Suggestions

Serve tourtière warm with tomato chutney, a spoonful of tangy ketchup, or a relish you enjoy with rich meat dishes.

Pickled beets, cornichons, and a cabbage slaw dressed with cider vinegar give each buttery bite a bright, sharp companion. I would put condiments in small bowls so everyone can decide how much sweetness or acidity belongs on their plate.

For a full dinner, add roasted carrots or green beans and a crisp salad with Dijon vinaigrette.

Since this pie already includes pastry and potato, vegetables make an especially useful side. If you enjoy gravy, offer a small pitcher separately so diners can spoon it alongside each slice and keep that lovely crust crisp!

Bring this Tourtière (French Canadian Meat Pie) recipe to your table while its crust is still crisp and filling is warm enough to release that lovely scent of onion, thyme, and gentle spice.

With a tangy spoonful of relish beside each generous wedge, you get tender meat, buttery flakes, and a delicious reason to linger over dinner.

Cut yourself a proper slice, collect those golden crumbs, and enjoy every forkful!