These little hand pies are packed with flavor. Ground turkey is sauteed with onions, sweet potato, turmeric, cumin, and more. The filling has layers of flavor which are perfect when enveloped with a flaky crust. These are great to share when watching the big game or anytime. They can be made ahead, the crust is store-bought, and the pies are baked. Pretty awesome, right?
Ingredients for Curried Turkey Pies:
yields approximately 33 pies
1 1/2 boxes of rolled refrigerated pie crust, 3 crusts
1 pound ground turkey
4 teaspoons grapeseed oil
1 cup finely chopped onions, 1 medium
1 cup finely chopped sweet potato, 1/2 pound
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped celery, 1/2 stalk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons curry
2 teaspoons Madras curry
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, lightly beaten
Kosher salt
black pepper
3" pastry ring
Time-Saving Tips: The filling can be made up to two days in advance prior to making the pies. The pies can be made in advance and individually frozen prior to baking.
Let's see what we need.
Time to cook.
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the potato, onion, celery, and pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for about 8 minutes until vegetables are just starting to get tender. Stir in the garlic until fragrant. Add the turkey; season with salt and pepper. Cook until meat is cooked. Add the spices and broth. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Pour meat into a bowl and cool before filling pastry.
Roll out each pie crust to 12" in diameter. Cut each crust into 8 circles. Save the scraps from each crust. After cutting circles from each crust make a ball out of the scraps and roll it out to a 10" circle-cut out 7 additional circles.
Scoop a scant tablespoon of filling and place on half of a cutout disc. With your finger or a little spoon spread a little of the egg mixture along the edge of the opposite side of the filling. Gently fold the egg-side of the pastry over the filling; adjusting the filling as needed. Press down on edges of the pastry sealing the pie closed. Repeat until all of the pies are assembled.
If you are making the pies ahead individually freeze them by playing them on a sheet pan or whatever may fit in your freezer. If necessary use a few pans or dishes lined with parchment paper and then the pie on top. The pies should not overlap. The frozen pies can be placed in a baggie and put back in the freezer until ready to bake.
To bake, preheat the oven to 400-degrees. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Place the pies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and brush them with the egg mixture. Bake until a light golden brown. If baking frozen pies they will take about 40 minutes. If not about 20-25 minutes. Either way, rotate the pan for even baking and start checking for doneness 10 minutes ahead of time.
They're ready! These tasty pies are filled with so much flavor. I love that they can be prepared in advance and are baked in the oven. The turkey, curries, and aromatics really deliver in these pies. They are perfect for any occasion.
Enjoy!