These Brazilian beef hand pies with cream dough are a practical choice for anyone who loves crisp homemade savory snacks. The dough is soft and easy to work with because the table cream adds tenderness and flavor. The ground beef filling is juicy and well seasoned, while the dough fries quickly into an irresistible golden crust.
What are Brazilian cream dough hand pies?
This Brazilian-style fried hand pie is made with a simple dough of flour, table cream and water. Compared with a traditional crisp pastry dough, this version has a softer, slightly buttery texture that works beautifully with savory fillings.
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Why you will love this recipe
- Soft dough that is easy to roll.
- Juicy, well-seasoned filling.
- Budget-friendly and practical.
- Perfect for snacks, parties or game day.
- Crisp outside and tender inside.
Ingredients and substitutions
To make these Brazilian beef hand pies, you only need simple ingredients that work together to create flavor, texture and structure. Each ingredient helps keep the filling balanced and the dough soft and easy to shape. A few easy substitutions also let you adjust the recipe without losing the final result.
- Ground chuck: the base of the filling. You can also use lean ground beef or ground chicken.
- Onion and garlic: essential aromatics that deepen the flavor of the beef.
- Paprika: adds color and a mild flavor to the filling.
- Chopped olives: add a salty bite and a nice flavor contrast.
- Chopped parsley: adds freshness and aroma at the end.
- Hard-boiled eggs: make the filling more satisfying and add a creamy texture.
- All-purpose flour: gives the hand pie dough its structure.
- Table cream: makes the dough tender with a lightly buttery flavor.
- Water: helps bring the dough together.
- Salt and black pepper: essential seasonings that balance the flavor.
- Oil for frying: creates the crisp, golden finish.
See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact amounts.
How to make the ground beef filling
First, cook the onion and garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add the ground beef and stir often to break it up. This keeps the filling loose and even. Season with salt, black pepper and paprika, then mix in the chopped hard-boiled eggs, olives and parsley.
How to make it
- Cook the eggs: place the eggs in a saucepan with water and boil for about 10 minutes. Peel and set aside.
- Saute the aromatics: heat a little olive oil in a pan and cook the chopped onion, garlic and paprika.
- Cook the ground beef: add the ground beef to the pan and stir well to break it up as it cooks.
- Season the filling: season the beef with salt and black pepper. Stir well to distribute the seasoning.
- Finish the filling: transfer the beef to a bowl and add the chopped hard-boiled eggs, olives and parsley.
- Make the dough: in a bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, salt, table cream and water until a soft dough forms.
- Roll and cut the dough: roll the dough on a clean surface and cut rounds with a glass.
- Fill and seal: place the filling in the center of each dough round, fold into a half-moon and press the edges closed.
- Fry the hand pies: heat plenty of oil and fry until golden and crisp.
- Drain and serve: remove the hand pies from the oil, drain on paper towels and serve warm.
Serving idea: serve with hot sauce or a fresh tomato vinaigrette.
Variations
These Brazilian beef hand pies are very flexible, so you can change the filling in several ways. Small ingredient swaps create new flavors without changing the basic dough. That makes the recipe easy to adjust to your taste or to what you already have in the kitchen.
- With shredded chicken: replace the ground beef with seasoned shredded chicken for a lighter filling.
- With mozzarella: add shredded mozzarella to the warm filling so it melts and makes the hand pies creamier.
- With beef and cheese: mix small cubes of cheese into the beef filling for a juicier center.
- With corn and beef: add corn to the prepared filling for extra texture and a lightly sweet bite.
- With fresh herbs: add chopped scallions or cilantro to make the filling more aromatic and balanced.
Tools and equipment
A few basic kitchen tools make these Brazilian beef hand pies easier to prepare. Each item helps with an important step, from cooking the filling to shaping and frying the hand pies. With everything ready, the process is simpler and the results are more consistent.
- Medium saucepan: used to cook the aromatics and ground beef until loose and flavorful.
- Deep skillet or heavy pot: ideal for frying the hand pies in hot oil until golden and crisp.
- Large mixing bowl: useful for mixing the dough and holding the prepared filling.
- Rolling pin: helps roll the dough evenly so it is easier to cut and assemble.
- Fork: used to press and seal the edges so the filling stays inside during frying.
- Knife: helpful for chopping the onion, garlic, hard-boiled eggs and parsley.
- Slotted spoon: makes it easier to lift the hand pies safely from the hot oil and let excess oil drain.
In my shop, you can find kitchen tools and equipment I use at home.
Storage
Uncooked hand pies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months before frying. Fry them straight from frozen in hot oil.
Tips
A few simple tips help keep these beef hand pies crisp on the outside and juicy inside. Paying attention to the dough texture and frying step also helps avoid common issues, so the final result looks better and tastes more balanced.
- Cook the beef well: stir the meat as it cooks so it stays loose and cooks evenly. This prevents large clumps in the filling.
- Roll the dough thinly: dough that is too thick can feel heavy after frying, so roll it evenly.
- Do not overfill: use enough filling for good flavor, but not so much that the hand pies are hard to seal.
- Heat the oil well before frying: hot oil seals the dough quickly, helping the hand pies stay crisp and absorb less grease.
- Drain after frying: place the hand pies on paper towels as soon as they come out of the oil to remove excess grease.
- Serve warm: these hand pies are crispiest and tastiest right after frying.
Frequently asked questions
Sim. Asse em forno a 200 °C por cerca de 25 minutos, até dourar.
Sim. Guarde a massa na geladeira por até 12 horas bem embalada.
Patinho moído ou fraldinha também funcionam muito bem.
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Recipe
Brazilian Beef Hand Pies with Cream Dough
Equipment
- 1 Medium saucepan
- 1 Deep skillet or heavy pot for frying
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Fork
- 1 Knife
- 1 Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 10 oz ground chuck or lean ground beef
- 2 eggs
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- Green olives chopped, to taste
- Fresh parsley chopped, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Paprika to taste
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 oz table cream about ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp
- Water as needed to bring the dough together
- salt a pinch
For frying
- Vegetable oil enough for deep frying
Instructions
- Cook the eggs: place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with water. Boil for about 10 minutes, then peel and set aside. The cooked eggs go into the filling and make it richer and creamier.
- Saute the aromatics: heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the chopped onion, garlic and paprika. Stir until fragrant. This builds the flavor base for the filling.
- Cook the ground beef: add the ground beef to the pan and break it up well as it cooks. Keep stirring until the beef is loose and no excess liquid remains. This keeps the filling even and helps prevent the hand pies from getting soggy.
- Season the filling: season the beef with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir well so the seasoning is evenly distributed.
- Finish the filling: transfer the beef to a bowl and add the chopped hard-boiled eggs, olives and parsley. Mix until combined. This gives the filling more texture, freshness and flavor contrast.
- Make the dough: in a bowl, mix the flour, salt, table cream and water a little at a time until a soft, smooth dough forms. Add only enough water to bring it together. The cream helps make the dough tender and easy to roll.
- Roll and cut the dough: roll the dough on a clean, lightly floured surface until thin and even. Cut into rounds with a glass or round cutter. Thin, even dough helps the hand pies cook properly.
- Fill and seal: place a spoonful of filling in the center of each dough round. Fold into a half-moon and press the edges firmly. Crimp with a fork if desired to help seal the filling inside.
- Fry the hand pies: heat plenty of oil and fry the hand pies in small batches so the oil temperature stays steady. Cook until golden and crisp on both sides.
- Drain and serve: carefully remove the hand pies from the oil, drain on paper towels and serve warm. This keeps them less oily and helps preserve the crisp crust.
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