Last updated on December 18th, 2022
Tourtiere is a traditional French-Canadian Christmas meat pie. If you haven’t yet tried it, you must. What’s not to love about holiday-spiced ground meats that are bound together with mashed potatoes and then enclosed in two lovely layers of all-butter pastry dough? I made this bit of heaven for the second time in my life the other day, and even filmed and wrote out the recipe for you:
Tourtiere (Christmas Meat Pie): The Video Recipe
Because I talked incessantly throughout the video, and because I showed you the snow in my yard, I won’t bore you with any further details text-wise. So let me just wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy Kwanzaa, and a Happy New Year’s Eve! Scroll down for the printable recipe.
Tourtiere (Christmas Meat Pie)
Ground meats seasoned with "holiday" spices and tucked between two layers of all-butter pastry dough. Delicious.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3 cups (400g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks; 226g) cold, diced, unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (118ml) cold water
For the filling:
- butter and olive oil - 1 tablespoon of each
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- "Holiday" spices: 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon rubbed, dried sage; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/4 teaspoon ground clove -- whisk together in a small bowl
- 1/2 cup (118ml) good quality beef stock
For glazing the crust:
- 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon of water
Instructions
Making the crust:
- Tip the flour, salt, and butter into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5-10 times just to break up the butter. Add the water and process just until the mixture holds together when pressed with the fingers -- 20-30 seconds. Gather the crumbly mass into a ball, press it with into a disk, and wrap with cling film. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Making the filling:
- Warm the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion, and toss with a spatula to coat. Reduce the heat to "low," cover the skillet, and let the onions sweat until soft -- 5-7 minutes.
- While the onions are cooking, cover the potatoes with water in a saucepan, and bring them to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer, and let cook until fork tender -- about 20 minutes. Drain off water and mash the potatoes thoroughly.
- When the onions are definitely soft (and while the potatoes are still boiling), add the ground meats to the skillet. Over medium-low heat, break up the meat with a stout spoon or flat spatula. Cover the skillet, and continue cooking the meat, breaking it up with the spoon or spatula from time to time, until done or almost done -- 10-15 minutes. Remove some of the fat if you wish. Then stir in the holiday spices and the beef stock, and let the mixture simmer, uncovered, until liquids in the pan have mostly evaporated -- about 30 minutes.
- Off heat, add the mashed potatoes to the meat mixture. Stir will to combine. Then let the mixture come to room temperature.
Filling and baking the pie:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll half of the dough into a 12-inch-diameter circle, and drape it into a pie pan (my pan is 9 inches wide, 2 inches deep). Add the filling mixture, packing it down well, and smoothing the top with a spatula. Roll out the remaining dough, and use it to cover the filling. Crimp dough edges to seal them. Brush with the egg wash, and cut 4 slits in the crust to vent.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is attractively colored -- about 1 hour. Let the pie cool to room temperature before slicing. Serve with ketchup, and, if you wish, a side of peas.
kathy says
Ummmm…..sounds yummy. Think I’ll do it for new year’s eve! Thank you for the recipe.
Glad to see you back. I missed your posting on Sun/Mon. Hope you are well….how’s the foot?
I hope you have a lovely Christmas. Take care. Stay safe.
Buon Natale! Kathy
Maraya says
Hi, Kevin!
What kind of pizza does King Wenceslas like to order?
Deep pan, crisp & even.
This is a lovely tourtière recipe – simple and hearty, just like the French-Canadians make it. Thank you.
I hope all six of you have a wonderful holiday! Stay safe and healthy.
Barbara says
Someday, sounds delicious..Merry Christmas ❤️
John A Root says
Sounds good, Kevin. Guess what my sweet heart wife and I are going to be having tonight. SMILE
Jan says
A happy Christmas to you and your entire household! This meat pie sounds wonderful and I will make it between now and New Year’s day. Thank you. Mayara’s pizza made me chuckle.
patrice says
Merry Christmas to you and yours Kevin. As a Canadian, it’s nice to see a traditional French Canadian recipe just like my dad used to make when I was a kid. Take care
Pamela Dempsey says
Oh, Kevin! I was afraid you would go out on your porch and find stray cats chowing down on your filling! This looks awesome and will have to try it soon. Merry Christmas to you and yours – love ya!
Angie says
Thank you Kevin for this interesting recipe. My neighbor is French Canadian and 102 yrs young. He told me about a meat pie that he ate year’s ago and asked if I ever made one. Well now I can make this for him for the New Year. So thank you again and have a
SAFE and WONDERFUL NEW YEAR.
Deonna Rae Bishopp says
This tourtière seems really easy and delicious! Thank you Kevin and Merry Christmas to you & Mr Fox and your furry family!!
Deborah Gorman says
I make this every year on Christmas. I use my French grandmother’s recipe. We serve it with good quality mustards. A must have to eat after Midnight mass in my family.
Pat D says
Merry Christmas to all of you. Thank you for all you do for us. May your new year be a good for you and Mr. Fox and all the creatures you take care of. If you have a magic potion to make rain….. please send it to West Texas. We would even take a big snow storm right now. ❄️
Ruth Meadows says
Hi, Kevin,
This may seem like a strange question. I would like to try this recipe, but I keep kosher.
Is it possible to modify this recipe to satisfy the milk-meat separation? And, of course, no pork.
I would appreciate your advice.
Regards,
Ruth Meadows
Fran says
My mother was Canadian so I have fond memories of this pie and it’s delicious smells throughout the house during the holidays. Although I have never made it myself I’m tempted to now that I have the recipe. Thanks Kevin Happy holidays to you and yours.
Chris says
I make something similar every Christmas Eve. We use Bell’s seasoning (a New England poultry seasoning mix) instead of the spices you mentioned and I give it a quick whir in the food processor so the meat portion is a little finer. We serve with ketsup on top.
Glenda says
Christmas Greetings from Canada to you Kevin and Mr. Fox and all the very best for 2021!
Thank you for all the effort you put into this wonderful website of yours.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Corrine Corry says
I am Canadian and have been at a loss as to what to make for Christmas dinner this year. My family usually had turkey but I am in the US now and we just had turkey for Thanksgiving. In desperation I bought a lamb roast but it just doesn’t seem right. What to do? I have been in Quebec for Christmas and Tourtiere was the traditional Christmas dinner. Your Tourtiere is the perfect solution. Thank you for the reminder and the recipe.
Merry Christmas to you and Fox and your sweet puppy.
Rosie S says
Kevin, this pie looks so delish, have a wonderful Holiday and a great 2021!
Lesley says
Up here in the Québec Laurentians, I’m making my tourtière soon and I’m glad to know how similar the recipes are. I serve mine with mango chutney. Yum! Love your site and your news – great recipes and much more. 🙂
Rosemary S. says
Kevin,
Mérci bien pour la recette. Il semble bien et le gout !!!!!
It’s a lovely recipe reminiscent of Mme. Jeanne Benoit and is tonight’s main dish for our Réveillon de Noël .
I wish you and the Silver Fox a wonderful holiday season full of enjoyment and peace and thank you for being here for all of us, week after week, on-line, on our mind and in our hearts. Thank you for being so kind. Bless you and Happy Holiday.
Joyeux Noel
Annie B says
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Kevin.
Norma Vande Kamp says
Kevin, I will be trying this recipe soon, looks delicious. You make everything look so easy–I have all kinds of trouble making pie crust. Maybe this crust will work for me!!
Norma from Iowa
Raine D. says
Oh my gosh, I swear I can smell it all the way out here on the west coast! Bonjour, Kevin. C’est bon! I’ve been making tourtière every Christmas (& sometimes for our Canadian Thanksgiving in October as well) ever since I lived in Montréal many years ago. I don’t put spuds in mine (you’d think I would as I’m Irish-Canadian, not French-Canadian) but my sister does & we argue over whose is best. Truth is, they’re both swoon-worthy! We eat ours with hot English mustard, my sister’s family likes theirs with horse-radish. It’s delicious hot or cold — try it cold with lime pickle or gerkins on the side. A Québécois friend uses beef, pork & veal, doesn’t add potatoes & doesn’t cook the meat before he bakes the pie — it has a much more dense texture as he packs the meat in tightly — so there are as many variations as there are people making it. Enjoy yours, and may you & all you love have a wonderful Christmas!
Wendy says
I believe James Beard recommends a dill pickle spear or two as an accompaniment to this seasonal delight!
Annie O'Malley says
Merry Christmas, Kevin and family!
I’ve been making Tourtiere for a few years now after reading a recipe in the New York Times. I thought the Times recipe was too fussy because a Tourtiere was originally a simple meal. I am so happy to see this recipe from you and I’ll be using your version New Year’s Eve.
Instead of ketchup, I make a tomato chutney. The tomato chutney lends a more rustic flavor than ketchup.
I wish you and your the very best in 2021!
Annie
Paula says
Kevin, here is my burning question that I have never asked but wondered about for decades. Why do you have to refrigerate the pastry just to bring it back to room temp?
post says
A great recipe, I usually make my mothers pasties recipe. I might use some of yours with her.
My kids love this type of food.
Merry Christmas and stay well and safe. Mary
Linda k says
MERRY CHTISTMAS KEVIN ANF MR FOX
Thank you for you wonderful gifts of recipes and garden ideas throughout the year. You have added light to a dark time
I hope your foot is healing and your next year is full of good health
Pat Crosby says
Merry Christmas and all the best to come in 2021 for the Clover Hill crew. Peace.
lmcgrath says
Dear Mr Jacobs, I was born in Saguenay-Lac St. Jean. Never call a Saguenay-Lac St.Jean Tourtière a meat pie. The potatoes in the Tourtière are never mashed, they are cubed. The meat can also include game meat (partriage or deer) and stringy beef. The Tourtière cooks overnight for several hours. This results in potatoes that become brown and tasty with meat juices.
Anne says
We LaFleurs thank you for the reminder. Haven’t had Tourtiere in awhile. However, I’ve never heard of the potatoes being mashed. Just finely cubed. And please…. leave the ketchup out!!!
Corrine says
My husband and I loved the Tourtière! We ate the leftovers tonight and will again tomorrow. Thank you again for the recipe.
Joanne says
I’m a little late in commenting as we have been, and still are, bogged down by a huge snowstorm last week, then Christmas. I married into French Canadian family (or they married into my Norwegian American family) and we lived in Montreal for many years. Never had mashed potatoes in tortiere. Just one small grated potato for a bit of thickening. Also, always 3 meats. An equal part ground veal was included. Most vegetables go with it but I would say we usually had carrots as they grow and store so well in Quebec. Ketchup was forbidden, mon dieu, but homemade chili sauce was usually on the table.
My in-laws gathered together in November and made 2 dozen or more meat pies, divided them up, and froze them. Then when unexpected company arrived they could always pull out a tortiere for dinner and have a feast. Along with a good red wine.
Joanne, now in Alberta
Sue says
I dear Kevin, loved reading joanne “now in alberta” memories if tourtierres, and using the 3 meat types… etc..
Having grown up on the ottawa side if the ontario / Quebec border, and having had a keen interest growing up about all domestic life is ” Upper and Lower Canada”… and pioneer farming, I loved seeing your tourtierre recipe. Have you heard of “Madame Benoit”?
She was around tge timer the “Gallopong Gourmet” and wrote numerous cookbooks on traditional french Canadian cooking. I believe she lived in the Eastern townships, similar to your area.
Her butter tarts turned out fantastic when I made them as a kid, raisins in treacle with crunchy bottoms, buttery crusts and foamy caramel tops . Madame Benoit also thought the microwave was a marvelous invention and made a cook book for it. She was to french canadian cooking what Gloria Child? Was to the Brits… have I got that right? May God bless you and your family in the New Year, thank you for your generous sharing of the simple Joy’s of cooking and gardening and your lovely home .
Sue
Michele says
Hi Kevin I love your videos and always get excited each time you out out a new one. I’ve made several of your recipes and they are always delicious. This meat pie looks so good and is going to be my next try. I have a question/ suggestion for you. With the holidays upon us I have found myself with lots of left over Turkey and then at Christmas lots of left over ham. I was wondering if you would ever consider doing a video of what we can do with our left overs. So far I’ve made split pea soup with the ham bone and now I’m looking to make a good potato and ham soup but I find so many versions on line. Some use cream, others don’t. Some use leeks, others use onion. Some use shallots for garnish others use bacon. I am very curious what your thoughts would be on a good potato soup and any other ideas you may have to make delicious meals with our leftover holiday meals… thanks. I hope your foot is healing up. Happy New Year.
JerseyShore Amy says
Looks yummy! I’m an empty-nester – think this would work cut in half and baked in a smaller pan, or maybe whole recipe split amongst large ramekins and then frozen??!
My mother only used lard in her pie crust – she used to say “just don’t tell people that’s why it’s so good and flakey”.
Jeane says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s very different from the meat pie my mother traditionally made (in which I use bay leaf and thyme as main herbs). I just made yours last night for our New Year’s Eve dinner, and it was wonderful. My husband LOVED it. It might become one of our new holiday traditions. I really like the unique flavor of the spices and sage together.
Meredith Hill says
Kevin, thank you for this special recipe and for showing us how you create it. It looks and I am sure it is delish!
Happy New Year to you and yours.
Janice says
Thank you, Kevin, for this terrific recipe! We are Southern California homebodies with a regular diet of Mexican food but we found this to be excellent paired with mustard (the leftovers from your latest sheet pan dinner) and/or some holiday cranberry sauce, not having some manner of chutney which I read about in several of the comments. We’ll save that for next time :-). Thank you for all of your great ideas and looking forward to your coming posts!
Dawn says
It’s Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas ☃️☃️
I am so happy to see the french-canadian tortier recipe that I was brought up having. I’ll be making this pie over this weekend, enjoying it early.
Thank you for the post Kevin, have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year
Acadian Queen says
Kevin, THANK YOU.
As an Acadian Queen myself, I truly am ecstatic at the thought of attempting this recipe.
Since losing connection with my heritage, it’s been difficult to continue observing Acadian traditions in our home. My hubby (who is not Acadian) is eagerly awaiting to try this delicious Tourtiere as he has not yet had the absolute pleasure of chewing on some wonderful Acadian cuisine.
God Bless on this holiday of holiday seasons. It is thanks to you that we will be well-fed as we enter into 2024.
SMILE/HEART
Acadian Queen
Jacqui says
Memories of my Ma and all the NYE she made these.
I made a few of these pies today and these taste just like hers and home. Absolutely delicious. This recipe is a keeper.
Happy 2024!
Adolph says
I tried this recipe yesterday and it turned out delicious. To keep it simple I used Tenderflake Deep Dish Pie Shells but followed the filling instructions to a T and had enough for two pies.
Highly recommended.