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Dinner • French Canadian

French Meat Pie Recipe

Savory flavors and creamy potatoes woven together and baked from the heart in this non-traditional version of a family favorite French Meat Pie (Tourtiere).

4.5 from 142 votes
110 mins
Total Time
8
servings
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French Meat Pie

How to Make the Best French Meat Pie

French Meat Pie, or Tourtiere, is a beloved French Canadian classic that brings comfort and warmth to any dinner table. This non-traditional version swaps out the traditional spices for creamy mashed potatoes mixed with savory ground beef, creating a rich and satisfying filling that’s layered between two golden pie crusts.

The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity and the way the flavors come together. The ground beef is cooked just until mostly done, then combined with tender Yukon gold potatoes that are mashed into the mixture, creating a thick, creamy, savory filling. The result is a pie that’s hearty, filling, and absolutely delicious.

Perfect for family dinners or special occasions, this French Meat Pie serves eight and makes for wonderful leftovers. The crispy, golden pie crust seals in all those wonderful savory flavors, making each bite a perfect balance of tender crust and creamy meat and potato filling.

French Meat Pie

French Meat Pie

Savory flavors and creamy potatoes woven together and baked from the heart in this non-traditional version of a family favorite French Meat Pie (Tourtiere).

4.5 from 142 votes
CourseDinner
CuisineFrench Canadian
Keywordmeat pie, tourtiere, french canadian, savory pie
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time80 mins
Total Time110 mins
Servings8 servings
Calories362kcal
AuthorAlex Raeburn
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Ingredients

Filling

Assembly

Instructions

Prepare Potatoes

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. In a large sauce pan or small stock pot, boil water and potatoes until very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Drain well in a colander and set aside.

Cook Filling

  1. In a large sauté pan, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add ground beef and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spatula or spoon.
  4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  5. Cook beef about 4 to 5 minutes or until beef is 3/4 of the way cooked, some of the meat will have trace amounts of pink.
  6. Turn off heat.

Combine Ingredients

  1. Add potatoes to the ground beef.
  2. Using a fork, finely mash the cubed potatoes into the mixture, stopping occasionally to stir with spatula.
  3. Once potatoes and ground beef are fully incorporated, the mixture will be thick but creamy.

Assemble and Bake

  1. Line a pie pan with a bottom layer pie crust and add meat and potato filling.
  2. Top with second pie crust, seal the edges, and crimp with your preferred style.
  3. Cut a few slits on the top of the pie crust to vent the steam and brush with milk.
  4. Wrap the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil to prevent over browning.
  5. Bake at 375°F for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
  6. After 50 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and cook until pie crust is golden brown.

Notes

  • The key to this pie is mashing the potatoes into the beef mixture to create a creamy texture while maintaining the savory flavors.
  • Be careful not to fully cook the beef—stopping at 3/4 cooked ensures it won't dry out during baking.
  • This is a non-traditional version of tourtiere with creamy potatoes instead of spices.
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