French Canadian tourtière meat pie with a golden crust and a slice served on a platter

Canada • Regional Dish • Main Course

Québec Tourtière

Spiced meat pie baked in a flaky pastry crust and served warm in winter. Hearty, savory and central to Québec holiday tables.

Servings8
Prep Time25 min
Cook Time50 min
DifficultyModerate
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Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook pork, beef and onion until meat is browned and no longer pink. Break up lumps as it cooks.
  3. Drain excess fat if needed.
  4. Stir in salt, pepper, thyme, savory, cinnamon and cloves.
  5. Add beef broth and breadcrumbs. Simmer 5–8 minutes until mixture thickens and liquid reduces. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
  6. Line a 23 cm pie dish with one crust. Press gently into edges.
  7. Spoon meat mixture evenly into crust.
  8. Place second crust on top. Trim excess and crimp edges to seal. Cut small slits in top for steam.
  9. Brush top with beaten egg.
  10. Bake 40–50 minutes until crust is golden brown.
  11. Let rest 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Cultural Context

Tourtière shows up in Quebec and immediately announces that dinner has plans. It’s especially popular at Christmas and New Year’s, when tables fill with food built to comfort, fortify and keep people lingering. A good meat pie has that kind of authority.

There’s no single version everyone agrees on, which is very on-brand for beloved family dishes. Some use pork and beef; others bring in game, and textures range from finely ground to rustic and chunky. Thyme, cloves and a little cinnamon give it that unmistakable French Canadian warmth. Pass the pickles, and winter starts behaving properly.

Fun Fact

The first published recipe for Tourtière appeared in La cuisinière canadienne in 1840.

Cook’s Tip

All pork may be used instead of pork and beef. Ground turkey can replace beef for a lighter version.

Trivia

The name is often linked to the shallow dish it was baked in, though food history enjoys making everything slightly more complicated.

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