Tourtiere
intro
A hearty, spiced French-Canadian meat pie with a buttery flaky crust, a beloved traditional centerpiece for cold-weather holiday feasts.
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare flaky pie crust
In a large mixing bowl, combine 360 grams all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of fine table salt. Cut 226 grams of cold cubed unsalted butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture forms coarse, pea-sized butter crumbs. Drizzle in 80ml ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork until the dough just holds together when squeezed. Split the dough into two equal-sized discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before rolling.
Cook spiced meat filling
Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium stovetop heat (175°C/350°F). Add 450 grams lean ground pork and 225 grams lean ground beef, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon, and cook for 5 minutes until fully browned with no pink remaining. Add 120 grams finely diced yellow onion, 150 grams finely diced yellow potato, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic, stirring to combine, and cook for 7 minutes until vegetables are slightly softened. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon dried summer savory, 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 120ml low-sodium chicken broth. Reduce heat to low, simmer for 10 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender, then stir in 30 grams dry plain breadcrumbs to absorb excess moisture. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Roll out bottom crust
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. Remove one chilled dough disc from the fridge, and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to a 30cm (12-inch) circle that is 3mm (1/8-inch) thick. Gently lift the rolled dough and lay it into a 23cm (9-inch) pie dish, pressing it firmly against the bottom and up the sides of the dish, leaving a 2.5cm (1-inch) dough overhang around the dish rim. Trim any excess dough longer than 1 inch with kitchen shears.
Assemble the tourtiere
Spoon the cooled meat filling evenly into the crust-lined pie dish, pressing gently with the back of a spoon to eliminate air pockets. Roll out the second chilled dough disc to a 28cm (11-inch) circle, 3mm (1/8-inch) thick, and drape it carefully over the top of the filling. Trim the top crust to match the bottom crust’s 1-inch overhang, then fold the overhanging dough from both crusts together and crimp tightly with your fingers or a fork to seal. Cut 4 small 2cm slits evenly spaced across the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.
Bake until golden brown
Brush the entire top crust and crimped edges evenly with the egg wash (1 beaten large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon whole milk). Place the pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips that bubble out during baking, then transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C/400°F, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and filling bubbles visibly through the top slits.
Rest and serve warm
Remove the baked tourtiere from the oven, transfer the pie dish to a wire cooling rack, and let it rest for 15 minutes at room temperature to allow the filling to set fully. Slice into 8 equal wedges and serve warm, with traditional sides like tomato ketchup or pickled beets if desired.
Tips
2.Let the cooked filling cool for 10 minutes before adding it to the bottom crust; hot filling will melt the bottom dough and cause a soggy, underbaked base.
3.Do not substitute or omit the ground cloves and dried summer savory; these warm, aromatic spices give tourtiere its signature traditional flavor, distinguishing it from generic meat pies.
OMG this tourtiere is SO good! I made it for our annual family Christmas Eve dinner and everyone went back for seconds—even my super picky 8 year old who turns his nose up at anything that isn’t chicken nuggets. The spice blend is perfect, not too heavy on the allspice like some other recipes I’ve tried. Total game changer for our holiday spread, will absolutely be making this every year from now on!
Really solid recipe! Cook time was pretty spot on for me, though I will say I wish I’d let the meat filling cool a little longer before pouring it into the crust—my bottom crust got a little soggy on the first bake. Flavor was chef’s kiss though, brought it to a work potluck and half the team asked for the link. Pro tip: brush a little egg wash on the bottom crust before adding the filling to create a barrier, worked like a charm when I made it a second time last weekend!
Obsessed! I prepped two of these on Sunday for the week and they reheat perfectly—slice and pop in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes and it tastes just as fresh as the day I baked it. My husband kept sneaking slices for late night snacks all week, I barely got any for my work lunches lol. Next time I’m adding a handful of diced mushrooms to the filling to sneak in extra veggies for the kids. 10/10, no notes!
Decent tourtiere, though I found the cook time listed a little short for my oven. I ended up needing an extra 15 minutes to get the top crust nice and golden, plus I added a bit more savory and a dash of clove to match the recipe my Quebecois grandma used to make. Not bad for a basic version, but I’d recommend keeping an eye on your oven temp since every appliance runs a little different. Might be good for first-timers who haven’t had the real thing before.
Wait, I’ve lived in the Midwest my whole life and somehow never had tourtiere before?? My neighbor brought a slice over last week and I knew I had to track down a recipe to make myself, and this one did not disappoint! The flaky crust paired with that savory, warm meat filling is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. My only question: can I freeze the assembled, unbaked pie to pull out for busy weeknights?