South African Burger Pies

Ingredients

• 800 g puff pastry (thawed if frozen)
• 8 burger patties (mutton or beef patties of your choice)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (for frying)
• 1 large onion (sliced)
• sauce of choice (e.g., BBQ, ketchup, or burger sauce)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
• 3 chillies (chopped (optional))
• 1 egg (beaten for egg wash)
• sesame seeds (black and white, for topping (optional))

Steps

1. 1

   Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat.

2. 2

   Add the 8 burger patties to the pan and fry according to your preference until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool completely.

3. 3

   In the same oil used for the burgers, add the large sliced onion. Fry until the onions are soft and have changed color (caramelized). Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

4. 4

   Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

5. 5

   Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Using a round cutter or a lid roughly the same size as your burger patties, cut out 8 circles. These will be the bases.

6. 6

   On another sheet of pastry, cut out 8 circles that are slightly larger than the bases. These will be the lids. Use a knife to lightly score a pattern on the top of these lid circles.

7. 7

   Place the 8 base circles on a baking sheet. Place one cooled burger patty in the center of each base.

8. 8

   Spoon a generous amount of your chosen sauce over each patty, then top with the fried onions, grated mozzarella cheese, and chopped chillies if using.

9. 9

   Brush the edges of the base pastry with the beaten egg wash.

10. 10

    Place the larger lid circles over the filling. Press down the edges with your fingers to seal, then use the tip of a fork to crimp the edges firmly.

11. 11

    Pierce a small hole in the top of each pie to allow steam to escape during baking.

12. 12

    Brush the tops of the pies with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds.

13. 13

    Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is puffed and deep golden brown, approximately 15-20 minutes.

14. 14

    Allow the pies to cool for a few minutes before serving to let the cheese set slightly.

Notes

It is crucial to let the burger patties and fried onions cool completely before assembling the pies, otherwise the heat will melt the pastry fat and result in a soggy crust. For a traditional South African flavor, try using mutton patties.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• snack
• baked
• meat pie
• South African
• comfort food