Great Britain isn’t a country best known for its cuisine but there are actually a ton of hidden recipes that are actual gems that originate from this country.
One of their best dishes are their meat pies – they are a staple of British cuisine and this has led to many different variants on this classic dish.
Here, we are going to be taking a look at 15 unique yet amazing meat pie recipes that originate from Great Britain. Check them out and perhaps find your new favorite meat pie recipe right here!
For a classic British pie that combines strange ingredients, this recipe for steak and ale pie is definitely one to try out.
It’s considered a must-have in a lot of British pubs and is filled to the brim with tons of rich, nutritious ingredients – onions, carrots, peas, and pieces of tender British steak.
The key ingredient in this pie is ale, an alcoholic drink that is sweet and fruity. It pairs amazingly well with the tender steak meat in this pie and the rich gravy that helps make the most of the filling.
All of these flavors are combined under a warm flaky crust to make a delicious, filling meal.
Another staple pie filling in Britain is a classic fish pie. This dish is a lot more moist than some others and is usually made to avoid wasting scraps and leftovers from other fish dishes.
In fact, families would often visit fishmongers and ask for any useless scraps the fishmonger could not sell and then turn it into an easy to make pie for dinner.
For this recipe, the fish (usually some kind of white fish like cod or haddock) is joined by plenty of creamy mashed potatoes, strong cheddar cheese, and crunchy leek to help bring some variety to the flavor of this pie.
Shepherd’s pie is one of the most popular British pies to make and is traditionally seen as a kind of comfort food during cold, wet days. The main meat of this pie is lamb, hence the clever name ‘shepherd’s’ pie.
The lamb is minced and served in the filling with plenty of other vegetables including carrots and peas, all baked in a rich gravy with a mashed potato top layer serving as its crust.
Although us Americans would probably view this dish as more of a casserole rather than a pie, this meal is definitely one of Britain’s most beloved pie dishes.
A close variant of shepherd’s pie is cottage pie which shares almost all the same ingredients and recipe steps – apart from one key difference.
In Britain, beef is one of the most commonly consumed meats and as a result, many people swap the lamb in shepherd’s pie for minced beef instead.
So – they’re basically the same thing, right? Well, if you said that to a British person they’d probably throw the pie right in your face.
These two dishes are considered two distinctively unique dishes although they share a lot of similarities. But, the key difference in the meat has led a lot of Brits to insist that these two dishes deserve their own names.
Another classic pie from Britain is a traditional chicken pie. It’s another classic food often associated with school dinners and pie vans (yes, they have vans that sell pies, that’s just how much the Brits love this dish!).
Due to its simplicity, it’s made its way onto many menus around the country and is often one of the first dishes a Brit will learn to make by scratch.
Corned beef is a pretty common ingredient in Britain and is often used in a range of dishes – and this includes the classic pie!
Corned beef pie is seen as another comfort food that uses a lot of tasty potatoes along with other nutritious ingredients like carrots and onions, all combined to make a really dense pie.
The filling can be served warm or cold and when chilled, it becomes almost solid and dry. Despite this, you can also serve corned beef pie with a delicious gravy and a side of even more veggies to help make a filling, balanced meal.
Britain and its neighbor Ireland have had a pretty rocky history but one of Ireland’s favorite recipes is now a classic favorite in Britain. This is the classic Irish Stew pie which takes one of Ireland’s best loved dishes and transforms it into a traditional pie.
Irish stew is known for its hearty recipe and so many of its amazing ingredients are carried over in this pie recipe. This recipe also adds tons of amazing additions to help enhance the flavors, including mint leaves, tomato paste, and a bay leaf.
So, if you want a pie that will fill everyone’s stomachs, this is the recipe to try!
Chicken and mushroom pie is often baked and eaten as solo mini pies in Britain, either during lunch or dinner, making it one of the most widely consumed pie flavors.
Its filling is exactly the same as its name (chicken and mushrooms) and this results in a creamy filling and served with a thin crust.
Like with a traditional chicken pie, it’s super quick and easy to make but the mushrooms bring variety in terms of flavor and texture.
Pork pies are popular snacks in Britain and can be made as either very small mini pies, or large dense pies cut up and served during meals.
They usually have very hard, thick crusts and the filling is almost entirely a dense, dry meat patty. This is what makes pork pies a super filling snack in Britain!
Whether you eat this pie hot or cold, it’s sure to serve as an amazing meal no matter the time of year!
This type of pie is a rarity now in Britain but it was one that was commonly eaten for centuries. Therefore, this is a recipe with a lot of history behind it – and now it’s considered a delicacy served for special occasions.
Game pie is unlike most other British pies because it contains so many different types of meat.
This includes pigeon, venison, rabbit and more. However, there’s also plenty of delicious ingredients like red currant jelly and red onions to help spice up the flavor and make this pie an absolute treasure in terms of texture and flavor.
From the area of Britain known as Wales comes the Welsh oggie pie. Wales has its own unique culture that is separate from areas like England and Scotland, and thus has its own version of the classic pie that uses some of its finest ingredients.
In this recipe, you can find some traditional welsh leeks and cheese from Caerphilly, all combined with amazing ingredients like white wine and tender chicken thighs to make a filling pie.
Just like Wales, Scotland also has its own version of the pie – Scotch pie!
Scotch pies are made with a dense filling of lamb mince and onion – and very little else. Sure, there’s plenty of seasoning with herbs and spices, but Scotch pies are beloved for their simplicity and make for a very filling main meal.
Like with pork pies, they also have a very thick crust that many cannot wait to sink their teeth into!
Britain is best known for its pasties, which are handheld pies made with a flaky pastry filled with all the classic ingredients of a meat pie.
One of the best known is the Cornish pasty, which is filled with cubed vegetables and plenty of minced beef. It makes for a filling lunch but is also loved for its crimped edges and stylized turn-over shape – making it a visual treat as well as a tasty one!
For a recipe that makes a super luxurious British pie, this recipe for a beef, stilton cheese, and onion pie is definitely one you should try.
You will be left with a pie that is crisp on the outside and filled with delicious ingredients such as tender British minced beef, gooey cheese, strong Spanish onions, and so much more.
It’s definitely the kind of pie you will want to serve at big events to fill everyone’s tummies and leave everyone’s palettes satisfied.
The final pie on our list is the famous steak and kidney pie.
This pie is super meaty and filling thanks to its dense filling made from hearty potatoes and tender minced meats. It’s a messy yet comforting dish that is perfect for cold winter nights – so check out the recipe above and give it a try!
Conclusion
And that’s it!
Those were 15 amazing and delicious recipes for different types of meat pies that originate from Great Britain and the United Kingdom.
Each one has its own unique filling and thus makes each dish a wonderful surprise, yet each one is definitely one to try out.
So, if you are looking for a new meat pie recipe to try out, then check out the options above. Find the right recipe for you and enjoy!
Have you ever made something so delicious that you wished you could savor it forever?
Only to find that the recipe has now mysteriously vanished from your phone and the entirety of the internet. Yep, there’s not much more painful than that.
Hi, my name is Mark Williams and I have been infatuated with cooking since I was young. I would beg my mother to pull a chair up to the counter so I could watch what she was doing.
