Savory Hand Pies

These Savory Taco Hand Pies turn a Southwestern taco filling into an easy handheld meal wrapped in flaky pie crust. Seasoned ground beef is combined with black beans, corn, tomatoes, and cheese, while a splash of red wine vinegar is reduced into the filling for extra flavor. Draining the vegetables well and portioning the filling carefully helps keep the pastry crisp and prevents overfilled pies from leaking as they bake. If you enjoy these Southwestern flavors, try my Chicken Skillet Enchiladas for another easy dinner.

Ingredients

For the Savory Hand Pie Filling

• Vegetable oil – 1–2 tablespoons. Used for browning the ground beef. Start with the smaller amount and add more only if needed.
• Ground beef – 1 pound. This forms the hearty taco-style base of the filling. If you have extra ground beef to use, try my Instant Pot Ground Beef for another easy meal.
• Taco seasoning mix – 1 ounce. Use original taco seasoning. Cooking it briefly with the browned beef helps the spices coat the meat and develop more flavor.
• Red wine vinegar – 3–4 tablespoons. This is an important part of this particular filling. It adds acidity to balance the rich beef and cheese and is cooked down for about 2 minutes so you get the flavor without leaving the filling overly wet.
• Red onion – ½ small onion, chopped. It stays uncooked before filling the pies, adding a little freshness and texture.
• Corn – ¼ cup canned corn, drained.
• Black beans – ¼ cup canned black beans, drained.
• Diced tomatoes – ¼ cup canned diced tomatoes, drained. Drain the corn, beans, and tomatoes well—limiting excess moisture is especially important when the filling will be enclosed in pastry.
• Fresh cilantro or parsley – 2 tablespoons, chopped. Either herb works, so use whichever flavor you prefer.
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper – 4 pinches each. These season the corn, bean, tomato, onion, and herb mixture separately from the taco-seasoned beef.

For the Hand Pies

• Refrigerated pie dough – 4 (9-inch) store-bought crusts. You'll cut and reroll the dough to make 20 rectangles, which become the tops and bottoms of 10 hand pies.
• Shredded cheddar cheese – 10 tablespoons. Each hand pie gets cheese along with the beef and vegetable filling.
• Egg wash – 1 lightly beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water. Brush it around the pastry edges to help seal the pies and over the tops to encourage even browning.

For Serving

• Guacamole – optional, for another creamy taco-style accompaniment.
• Sour cream – optional, for dipping or serving alongside.

How to Make Savory Hand Pies

1. Brown the ground beef: Heat 1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 4–5 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it browns.
2. Season the beef: Stir in the taco seasoning and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring so the spices evenly coat the meat and become fragrant. Add the red wine vinegar and cook for another 2 minutes, or until it has reduced and there is no excess liquid pooling in the skillet. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Combine the vegetables: In a separate bowl, mix the chopped red onion, drained corn, drained black beans, drained diced tomatoes, and cilantro or parsley. Season with the kosher salt and black pepper. Keep this mixture separate from the beef until you assemble the hand pies.
4. Prepare the pie crust: Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) and line a large baking sheet. Unroll the four 9-inch refrigerated pie crusts and cut them into rectangles. Gather and reroll the scraps as needed to make 20 rectangles total—10 bottoms and 10 tops.
5. Portion the filling: Place 10 pastry rectangles on the prepared baking sheet. Use your original ¼-cup measuring method to portion the filling consistently: add the seasoned beef, vegetable mixture, and 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar to each pie. Keep the filling centered and leave about a ½-inch border around the edges.
6. Seal the hand pies: Brush the exposed ½-inch pastry border with egg wash. Place a second pastry rectangle over each filling, gently pressing around the mound to remove excess air. Press the edges together, then crimp firmly with a fork to create a secure seal.
7. Brush and bake: Brush the tops of the hand pies with the remaining egg wash. Bake until the pastry begins to puff and turn golden. After 10–12 minutes, rotate the baking sheet so the pies brown more evenly, then bake for another 2–3 minutes, or until the tops and crimped edges are golden brown.
8. Cool and serve: Remove the hand pies from the oven and let them cool for 5–10 minutes before serving. This gives the hot filling time to settle and makes the pies easier to pick up without spilling. Serve warm with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or your favorite taco-style dip.
9. Don't Waste Extra Filling: If you have any beef or vegetable mixture left after assembling the 10 hand pies, save it rather than discarding it. Use the leftovers for tacos, quesadillas, nachos, a salad, or a quick rice bowl.

FAQ About Savory Hand Pies

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5 from 2 votes

Savory Hand Pies

These takeout Southwestern Savory Hand Pies are easily prepared at home and can be carried out wherever you go. They make a great comforting meal and a fun alternative to tacos.

Course:Main dish

Cuisine:American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 42 minutes minutes

Servings 10 hand pies

Calories139.6 kcal

Author Valentina Dimitrova

Cost $ 0.50 per person

Equipment

• 1 baking sheet
• 1 nonstick skillet
• 1 oven

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tablespoon(s) vegetable oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 ounce taco seasoning mix (original)
• 3-4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ small red onion, chopped
• ¼ cup canned corn, drained
• ¼ cup canned black beans, drained
• ¼ cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
• 2-3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
• 4 (9-inch) store-bought refrigerated pie dough
• 10 Tablespoons Shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 lightly beaten egg mixed with 1 Tablespoon of water (egg wash)
• sour cream (accompaniment), optional
• guacamole (accompaniment), optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Heat a large non stick skillet over medium high heat, add the oil, and then cook the ground beef, stirring occasionally, for about 4-5 minutes.
• Stir in the taco seasoning mix until combined. Let cook for 2 minutes and stir in the vinegar.
• Let cook for about 2 minutes or until vinegar has almost evaporated. Reserve.
• In a medium bowl, combine the onion, corn, black beans, tomatoes, and cilantro . Season with a pinch of salt and pepper if desired. Reserve.
• Unroll all pie crusts on a lightly floured surface according to the directions on the package. Equally divide each crust into fourths.
• Next, trim all edges to form rectangles. Use all the trimmings to make a ball of dough, roll out on a floured surface, and cut into 4 rectangles.
• You will end up with a total of 20 rectangles. Reserve.
• Using ¼ cup as measure, fill the measuring cup a third of the way full each with the following three components: cooked ground beef, vegetable mixture, and cheese, respectively.
• Place contents of the filled ¼ cup measure onto the center of one rectangle. Repeat the process for the other 9 rectangles.
• Make sure that there is at least a ½-inch margin from the edges of the rectangle. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of the mixture if desired.
• Brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash, then fold the empty side of the crust over the top of the filling.
• Pinch your fingers along the edges to seal and then use a fork to make marks all the way around.
• Transfer the 10 hand pies to the lined baking sheet and brush the top of each tart with more egg wash. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on top if desired.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet 180˚.
• Bake another 2-3 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden brown.
• Let cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking pan, then remove hand pies with a large spatula and serve by themselves or with sour cream and guacamole.

Recipe Notes

• Pie dough temperature: Keep the refrigerated crust cool while working with it. If it becomes very soft or sticky while cutting and assembling, refrigerate it briefly before continuing.
• Rerolling scraps: Gather the dough scraps gently and reroll only as much as necessary to reach the 20 rectangles. Excessive handling can make the pastry tougher.
• Even rectangles: Try to keep the pastry pieces similar in size so the hand pies bake at roughly the same rate.
• Venting: If your pies tend to puff significantly, cut a small slit in the top crust to allow steam to escape without creating a large opening for the filling.
• Baking sheet: Leave some space between the hand pies so hot air can circulate and the pastry can brown more evenly.
• Serving temperature: These are best served warm rather than piping hot, when the pastry is crisp and the filling has had time to settle.
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Nutrition

Calories: 139.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 12.1g | Fat: 8.1g | Saturated Fat: 3.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 54.4mg | Sodium: 354mg | Potassium: 197.7mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 387.6IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 73.1mg | Iron: 1.5mg

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