Authentic Natchitoches Meat Pie Recipe
If you can’t get to Louisiana fast enough, make these authentic Natchitoches Meat Pies in your own kitchen- baked or fried! Once you make these savory French meat pies, you’ll understand why they’re so popular in Louisiana!
When developing this recipe, I consulted the owner of Lasyone’s, the famous meat-pie restaurant in Natchitoches, Louisiana and they confirmed that my Grandmother’s recipe was true to the original.
The town of Natchitoches is the original French colony, the oldest Parish in the Louisiana Purchase, home to the famous Natchitoches Hand Pies, and where the Southern classic movie “Steel Magnolias” was filmed!
Why you’ll love this meat pie recipe
Easy meat pie recipe with and easy homemade pastry, ground beef, pork and Cajun seasonings! Typically, Creole seasonings are spicier than Cajun seasonings, so keep this in mind and make these as mild or spicy as you like!
- Bake or fry these meat pies – either way, they’re delicious.
- Authentic recipe-if you can’t get to Louisiana, this is the next best thing
- All-natural-no additives, preservatives or fillers
- Easy to make ahead of time – cook the filling and make the pastry dough the day before!
- Easy to reheat and have as a snack
If you love New Orleans or any part of Louisiana, then you’ll love these meat pies! I like to serve them with smothered okra and tomatoes, or sometimes with collard greens, purple hull peas, sauteed yellow squash and onions or just by themselves as a snack!
Ingredients for Natchitoches meat pies
This savory Cajun meat pie recipe uses simple ingredients and offers great flavor! Make these as mild or spicy as you like!
- Filling ingredients: Ground beef, ground sausage, onion, green bell pepper, bay leaves, cayenne powder, ground sage, milk, flour, salt and pepper
- Pastry ingredients: flour, baking soda, butter, salt
How to make Natchitoches meat pies
At first glance, this meat pie recipe looks difficult, but it’s easy if you break it down into 4 -easy steps:
- Cook the beef/pork filling
- Make the pastry dough
- Assemble the pies; refrigerate for 15 minutes
- Bake or fry
Before you get started, read the recipe and notes 3 times.
How to fry meat pies
- Get a large, heavy-bottom stock pot and add 4 cups of oil
- Heat oil to 312ºF-325 °F; gently place pie in oil
- Cook 3-minutes; flip and cook other side 3-5 minutes
- Drain on paper towel; repeat
How to bake meat pies
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Lightly spray oil onto baking sheet
- In a small bowl, combine the egg and a little water for the egg wash; brush egg wash over formed meat pies
- Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes or until golden brown
Recipe Tips
- When you add the cold bits of butter to the pastry, you can combine it by hand or give it a quick pulse in the food processor.
- I always combine it by hand because the food processor isn’t big enough to mix the entire amount of flour and butter together at once and I’m afraid if I pulse it in batches, it won’t combine properly.
- The dough should be grainy, but after you knead it a few times, it begins to stick together. Do Not Overwork the Dough.
- Once the dough is rolled out, cut out circles ( I use a small salad plate as a template).
- Place about 1/3 cup of cold meat onto the cold pastry disc. Fold top over meat, forming a half-moon. Press edges together with a drop of water on your fingertip.
- Score edges with fork; trim with pizza cutter or knife and cook.
Authenticity
There’s a lot of recipes for meat pies out there, but I tried to stay true to the Official Natchitoches Meat Pie Recipe as possible; it turns out, my Grandmother’s handwritten recipes is the same as the published original! My recipe is an adaptation of the original (I added a few seasonings.)
Freezing and reheating meat pies
You can freeze the meat pies before OR after you cook them.
For pies that are uncooked: allow pies to come to room temperature, then fry or bake. (If baking, don’t forget the egg wash!)
For pies that you’ve already cooked, allow pies to come to room temperature, then preheat to 350ºF; place pies on lightly oiled baking sheet, uncovered, and bake until the center is warm (about 15-25 minutes)
Dipping sauce
Some folks in Louisiana like a dipping sauce with their meat pies. I make a sauce with mayonnaise, Louisiana Hot Sauce and a little salt. Just combine it together and season to your liking. Or you can just sprinkle a little of the sauce over the pie. Or, serve these meat pies with a remolaude sauce!
What to serve with savory meat pies
If you want to serve the meat pie as an entree, consider these classic Louisiana side dishes: rice and beans, creamed new potatoes, cabbage, collard greens, smothered okra and tomatoes or gumbo.
This vintage, authentic Natchitoches meat pie recipe is as authentic as it gets! If you can’t get to Natchitoches, Louisiana, this is definitely the next best thing!
Related recipes
- Shrimp Etouffee
- Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
- Shrimp Creole Pasta
- Creamy Creole Coleslaw
- Louisiana Crab Puff Appetizers
- Maque Choux Cajun Corn
♥ If you make this recipe, leave a comment and rating below! Thank you!
Authentic Natchitoches Meat Pie
Equipment
- Dutch oven or tall stock pot (for frying); baking sheet needed for baking
- Long handled slotted spoon (for frying)
- Skillet
- Meat thermometer
- Rolling pin
- Two mixing bowls: one large, one small
- Paper towels and plate to drain pies on (if frying)
- Baking sheet and parchment paper (if baking)
- Pastry brush (if baking)
Ingredients
Meat Filling Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. ground pork , with or without sage
- 1 cup finely chopped onion , yellow, sweet yellow or white onion
- 1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced, or 1 tablespoon prepared minced garlic
- 4 cups oil (See Recipe Notes) , canola or vegetable
- ¼ cup flour ,all-purpose
- 2 teaspoons ground sage , (if your pork doesn't contain sage); (See Recipe Notes)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon = mild; if you like spice, add more cayenne
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1¾ cups milk , 2% or whole
- salt & pepper to taste
Pastry Ingredients
- 8 cups flour ,plus a handful for rolling out dough; all-purpose
- 4 teaspoons salt , kosher
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 whole eggs , cold
- 2 sticks butter cold, unsalted, cut into tiny cubes,
- 1¾ cups milk , cold
Egg Wash (if baking)
- 1 whole egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
Meat Preparation
- In a heavy skillet, add beef and pork; cook thoroughly until no pink is visible; drain and return to skillet1 lb. ground beef, 1 lb. ground pork
- In same skillet, add onions, bell peppers; saute 3 minutes on medium high or until green bell peppers are tender; add garlic; stir1 cup finely chopped onion, 1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic
- Add cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and sage (if your pork doesn't already have sage in it); allow to cook for 15 minutes on medium; (See Recipe Notes)1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons ground sage
- While meat is simmering, make a slurry: In a two-cup measuring cup, add 4 tablespoons flour (¼cup) and fill the measuring cup with milk; mix with fork until smooth; pour this mixture (slurry) into the skillet with the beef; combine well. (The "slurry" will thicken the meat mixture.)¼ cup flour, 1¾ cups milk
- Allow this to cook for about 5-8 more minutes, or until the beef mixture begins to thicken; once the mixture thickens a little, turn off the heat; remove bay leaves; taste for salt & pepper; cover and refrigerate; now make the pastry doughsalt & pepper to taste
Pastry Instruction
- Get out two bowls: one large, one small
- In the large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder8 cups flour, 4 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoon baking powder
- In the small bowl, add cold eggs and cold milk; slightly beat together until combined4 whole eggs, 1¾ cups milk
- Slice cold butter into small (tiny) cubes2 sticks butter
- Add the tiny cubes of cold butter to the dry ingredients; "cut it in"using your fingers; (crumble the butter pieces and combine with the flour until butter until the mixture looks grainy)
- Once the flour mixture looks grainy, gradually fold in the cold egg/milk mixture; combine with a spatula; form into a ball; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes ( See Recipe Notes)
- Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface; place the dough on the counter and roll it out till it's about ¼" thick
- Cut dough circles out of the dough that are approximately 7" in diameter; use a saucer or the bottom of a 9" salad plate as a guide–doesn't have to be perfect! (see recipe notes)
Meat Pie Assembly
- Spoon ⅓ cup of the cold meat mixture onto the center of dough disc; fold one side of the dough over the meat so the edges of the circle form a half moon; press the edges together using your finger and a little water
- Use a fork to "cinch" the dough together; trim with a pizza cutter or sharp knife; repeat process for the remaining meat and dough rounds; set aside
- Refrigerate pies for 15-20 minutes
Frying Instructions
- Heat a heavy bottomed stock pot with oil; bring to 312-325ºF; if oil begins to smoke, remove pot from burner and reduce heat immediately4 cups oil (See Recipe Notes)
- Use a long handled, slotted spoon and place formed pies into hot oil; work in batches; usually 3 at a time; remove cooked pies and place on paper towel; repeat until all pies are done; each pie takes 2-4 minutes
Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF
- In a small bowl, make an egg wash. Add one whole egg and a teaspoon of water to the bowl; combine well1 whole egg, 1 teaspoon water
- Use a pastry brush and coat the top of each pie with the egg wash
- Place pies on a parchment covered baking sheet
- Bake pies for 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF
Notes
- Cook the beef, pork and onion mixture; refrigerate or allow to cool
- Make the pastry dough; cut out 7″ rounds (cut out 4″ inch rounds if you want a smaller meat pie); refrigerate covered in plastic wrap for about 20 minutes
- Assemble the meat pies; refrigerate for 15-20 minutes
- Bake or Fry until internal temperature reaches 160ºF
- It should be grainy after you’ve added and combined the cold butter
- Put it on a lightly floured surface and gently knead it gently until it begins to stick together. DO NOT OVER WORK THE DOUGH. (If you knead the pastry dough too much, gluten will develop and the pastry won’t be “fluffy”)
- If you make the dough ahead of time; cover and refrigerate it
- Use a small salad plate or saucer as a template to form the circles of dough
- If you’re in a hurry, cook the meat, sausage and onions all together in the same skillet; then drain
- After you form the meat pie, it may stick to the counter; just gently slide the back edge of a butcher knife under the pie to loosen it
- These can be baked or fried; frying is quicker
- Use a heavy duty stock pot for frying
- Expect to have about 6 pies and some leftover meat filling
- Use the leftover meat to make a faux Shepherd’s Pie later in the week!
- This recipe for Natchitoches Meat Pie yields about 6 pies that are 7″ wide.
- Make these any size you like
- I always have leftover meat. This recipe will yield more if you start out with a smaller diameter, but they will be more “bite size” than entree size.
Nutrition Estimate
Love!!! I made it with more seasoning (south central LA) we love it boudin hot! They exceeded my expectations. I will have to triple the recipe next time and freeze so that I have enough for my bunch for Sunday lunch.
Thank you for sharing!
I’ve been craving these since the last time I visited home(Louisiana). I couldn’t get anyone to mail me some, so I tried this recipe and HONEY IT WAS EVERYTHING! Thank you. I followed the directions even when I wasn’t sure I should trust them and they turned out amazing! I did add a little more spice. That’s the way I like it😊
Thank you very much, Latosha! Please let me know what part of the directions were not clear and I’m happy to correct them. And yes…more spice is good:) I try not to make foods too spicy, but I do enjoy a little more “heat” in my meat pies:)
One of the best meat pies I ever had was in Bunkie La, and it was a boudin pie. Could I substitute boudin for the meat? What else could I add to it?
Boudin has a pretty strong flavor; I think I would make the Natchitoches Meat Pies with 50% beef and either 50% boudin, or 25% pork, 25% boudin and 50% beef. Let me know what you decide! Thank you, Dorene!
What could you substitute for the pork? I live in Singapore and a lot of my friends are Muslims so they can’t eat pork. I want to show they Cajun cooking but almost all recipes calls for pork…
You could use ground chicken or ground turkey, or omit the pork portion altogether and just use ground beef. It’s really all about those Cajun seasonings!
5 star recipe! Very good, not overly spicy. Love it.
A meal for me!! Very easy and delicious to make!
I love these pies although the recipe in Cane River Cookbook is different than yours.
I will be trying your seasonings in next batch I make. I took these to ladies luncheon at my church today and they were a HIT. They asked me to bring them again.
Lived in Natchitoches and have had meat pies from many places. None of them used sage in the meat pies. Bay leaves are also new to the recipe… Yes, I’ve had meat pies at Lasyone’s…
Thanks for sharing that info! As I mentioned in the Natchitoches Meat Pie post, I took the liberty of adding some seasonings.