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in New England Recipes· Recipes

Tourtière: A French-Canadian Meat Pie Recipe

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Tourtière, also known as pork pie or meat pie, is a traditional French-Canadian pie enjoyed throughout Canada and New England. It is made from a combination of ground meat, onions, savory seasonings, and baked in a traditional piecrust.

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slice of tourtiere meat pie on a white plate

Growing up in a Northern New England paper town provided an eclectic upbringing of various nationalities and traditions. Like most mill towns, employment opportunities summoned immigrants from all over the world including Russia, Scandinavia, and Ireland. However, the largest immigrant group by far was French-speaking Canadians.

Employment opportunities at the many saw mills and logging camps drew numerous French Canadians south in several waves during the 19th century. Eventually, many French Canadians seeking work and preservation of their customs, language, and way of life relocated to New England towns.

They settled, established Franco-American communities, and maintained their culture, language, and religion. My family is mostly of French-Canadian descent, and I grew up in a bilingual French and English speaking small town.

Among the customs passed down from generation to generation is the tradition of serving tourtière for special occasions such as Christmas Eve. This celebration meal was an adaptation of réveillon de Noël of rural Québec.

The Family Tradition of Tourtière (Meat Pie)

As our family Christmas traditions continue to evolve over the years, I often think about the old-fashioned customs and foods from my youth. I remember attending Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, then returning home to feast on meat pies smothered with a generous amount of ketchup before we were ushered to bed so Santa could deliver presents.

As the years went by, and family members got older, the tradition of Midnight Mass gave way to Christmas Eve Mass at an earlier hour but the ritual of serving tourtière after Mass continued for many years.

Tourtière, also known as pork pie or meat pie, is a combination of ground meat, onions, spices, and herbs baked in a traditional piecrust. There are many variations of tourtière throughout different regions of Franco-American communities and Canada and even among members of the same family.

Most recipes include a combination of ground pork and beef, but it is not unusual to include venison or other game meats in the pie. Almost every family had a Ma Tante or Mémère (aunt or grandmother) who had a meat pie recipe with a secret ingredient or two.

Some versions of tourtière are made from only ground or chopped pork, but we have always made it with a mix of pork and beef. Several accounts suggested that using potatoes was frowned upon because that meant you could not afford meat. In this recipe, I feel the potatoes are essential to help bind the ingredients together.

The poultry seasoning that is historically used by many families in New England is Bells Poultry Seasoning and is still made today. If you can’t find Bells, go ahead and substitute your favorite poultry seasoning.

Steps for Making Tourtière

The full and printable recipe can be found at the bottom of this article, but here are the illustrated steps for making tourtière:

Step 1: Make the Pie Pastry

In a large bowl, combine the flour with the salt. Cut in butter or lard until mixture is a rough crumbly texture. Add the ice water a little at a time and mix just until the dough comes together. Shape into a rough disc, wrap and chill in the refrigerator. While pastry is chilling, prepare filling.

pie pastry in a bowl

Step 2: Cook the Potatoes

Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling water until tender. Scoop out and reserve 1/2-cup of the starchy potato water and drain the rest. Mash potatoes and set aside.

peeled and cut potatoes in a pot

Step 3: Make the Tourtière Filling

Add onions and garlic to a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté until they have softened.

closeup of sautéing onions and garlic

Add the ground beef, ground pork, and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat.

browning the ground pork and beef

Add the poultry seasoning, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and reserved potato water. Mix well and simmer until the liquid has evaporated.

adding seasoning and potato water

Turn off the heat and stir in the mashed potatoes. Let the filling cool as you roll out your pie pastry.

stir in mashed potatoes

Step 4: Assemble the Meat Pie

Preheat your oven and remove the pie pastry from the refrigerator to let it warm up a little to make it easier to roll.

Split the pie dough in half and place one half on the lightly floured surface. Roll into a circle to fit your pie plate. Place the bottom pastry into the pie plate and add the meat filling. Brush around the outer edge with beaten egg. Roll out the top pastry and place on top of the filling. Crimp the edges, brush with egg wash, and cut vent holes.

meat pie ready for the oven

Step 5: Bake the Pie

Bake in a preheated oven until the pastry is golden brown. Let the pie cool for about 10 minutes before cutting. Refrigerate leftovers.

baked tourtiere on a table)

What to Serve with Meat Pie

Serve tourtière with something that has a nice tart flavor to balance the richness of the savory meat pie.

Our family enjoyed meat pie with ketchup, but that was probably a modern evolution from the homemade chutneys and catsups of our ancestors. I vaguely remember a green tomato chow chow or piccalilli on the table. Here are some suggested sides:

  • Pickled Foods: Anything pickled such as dill pickles, pickled string beans, pickled beets, relish, chow chow, or piccalilli.
  • Cranberry Sauce: The mildly sweet and tart flavor of cranberries goes well with the savory meat pie. Try this recipe for cranberry sauce.
  • Salads: Consider serving with a leafy green salad tossed with a tangy vinaigrette dressing.
  • Roasted Vegetables: A nice medley of roasted root vegetables drizzled with a little bit of apple vinegar will help balance the richness of the meat pie.

Make Ahead Tips

Yes, meat pies can be made ahead and frozen. In fact, it is common for families to gather and make up multiple meat pies at once and then freeze extra for later. After a visit to my family on Thanksgiving, it is not uncommon to bring home a frozen tourtière along with leftovers.

You can also make the meat filling and freeze it to fill pies later.

How to Freeze Unbaked Meat Pies

  1. Make the pie pastry and chill. Make the filling and let it cool.
  2. Assemble the meat pies into freezer-to-oven safe metal pie plates or the disposable aluminum pie plates.
  3. Place the pies on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Once frozen, slip the pies into freezer bags, label, date, and freeze for up to 4 months.
  4. To cook the frozen meat pie: Preheat the oven to oven to 400°F/205°C. Remove the pie from the freezer and unwrap. Brush the top of the piecrust with beaten egg wash, and place the frozen meat pie in a preheated oven. Bake until the pie is heated through and the pastry is golden brown, about 50 to 60 minutes.

How to Freeze Baked Pies

  1. Make and assemble the meat pies into freezer-to-oven safe metal pie plates or the disposable aluminum pie plates. Cook completely as directed.
  2. After baking, let the pie cool completely. Place the pies on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Once frozen, slip the pies into freezer bags, label, date, and freeze for up to 4 months.
  3. To reheat: Remove the pies from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator for about three hours and then bake in a preheated oven (400°F/205°C) until heated through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

How to Freeze Meat Pie Filling

  1. Make the meat pie filling and let it cool. Add the cooled filling to freezer bags, label, date, and freeze for up to 4 months.
  2. To use: Remove the pie filling from the freezer and let thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Assemble the pie and bake in a preheated oven (400°F/205°C) for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is hot.

 

slice of tourtiere meat pie on a white plate
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4.92 from 87 votes

Tourtière: A French-Canadian Meat Pie Recipe

Tourtière, also known as pork pie or meat pie, is a combination of ground meat, onions, spices, and herbs baked in a traditional piecrust.
Course Main Course
Cuisine French-Canadian
Keyword tourtiere
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 servings
Calories 520kcal
Author Grow a Good Life

Ingredients

Pie Pastry

  • 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup butter or lard chilled
  • 6-7 tablespoons ice cold water

Meat Filling

  • 2 large Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes about 1 pound
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic finely minced
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 teaspoon Bells poultry seasoning or your favorite poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 large egg scrambled for glazing

Instructions

Prepare the pastry:

  • Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.
  • Cut in butter or lard until mixture is a rough crumbly texture.
  • Add ice water one tablespoon at a time and mix just until the dough comes together.
  • Shape the dough into a ball, flatten, wrap, and chill in the refrigerator. While pastry is chilling, prepare the filling.

Make the Filling:

  • Peel and cut potatoes into 2-inch chunks, add them to a medium saucepan, and fill with water until it covers the potatoes by 2-inches.
  • Bring the saucepan to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium-high and boil until the potatoes are until tender, about 12 minutes.
  • Reserve 1/2-cup of potato water and drain the rest. Mash potatoes and set aside.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add olive oil, onions, and garlic, and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the ground beef and pork and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off excess fat.
  • Add the poultry seasoning, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and reserved potato water. Mix well and simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in mashed potatoes, and set the filling aside to cool slightly.

Assemble the Pie:

  • Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C
  • On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half and flatten one ball of dough with your hands. Roll dough to about 12-inches in diameter to fit a 9-inch pie pan.
  • Place the pastry into the pie plate and add the meat filling. Brush around the outer edge of the pastry with the beaten egg.
  • Roll out the top pastry and place on top of the filling. Fold the top crust under the bottom crust and pinch or flute the edges. Brush with egg wash and cut vent holes.

Bake the Meat Pie:

  • Bake the pie in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
  • Remove the tourtière from oven and let it cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
  • Yield: Makes 1 pie, about 8 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 520kcal

This recipe was originally published on December 14, 2015. It has been updated with additional information, new photos, and new video.

If you grew up near a French-Canadian community and enjoyed meat pie as part of your Christmas Eve and New Years Eve food celebration, you may also have had salmon pie. You can find a recipe for French-Canadian Salmon Pie here.

Does your family have traditions centered on food and meals?
What family traditions do you carry on?

More New England Recipes:

  • New England Hot Dog Buns
  • Old Fashioned Ginger Snaps
  • Creamy Fish Chowder
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Slow Cooker Baked Beans

10 Cookie Mix in a Jar Recipes eBook

Homemade gifts are always appreciated because they come from the heart. Even if you are not crafty, you can give DIY gifts to your family and friends with these easy recipes for making cookie mix in a reusable jar.

cookie mix in a jar ebook

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Comments

  1. Vonnie says

    December 30, 2022 at 10:13 am

    Hi Rachel! I have made your meat pie recipe for a couple of years now at the holidays. I made one for my extended family gathering a couple weeks ago, and am making one for a favorite Riff and his husband today ad we celebrate the New Year. Reading your account brought me right back to those snowy winter streets in that big mill town we shared. Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year ❤

    Reply
    • ©Rachel Arsenault says

      January 2, 2023 at 9:46 am

      Hi Vonnie! Nice to hear from you. I am so happy you enjoy the recipe. Your comment reminded me not only of the snowy streets flanked with tall snow banks, but also how cold it was walking to school in winter. The wind would tunnel through the street so fiercely that we had to walk backwards to make our way up the street. Brr! Warm wishes for a Happy New Year!

      Reply
  2. Ally - Ottawa Canada says

    December 28, 2022 at 8:17 am

    5 stars
    My freind and I have not made pies together for over 43 years.. this year we made 6 and they were fantastic.. nothing but compliments from the family. Thank you very much!

    Reply
  3. Suzanne says

    December 26, 2022 at 10:32 am

    5 stars
    Loved this post! Both sides of my husband’s and my family are from Canada. We both grew up with these wonderful pies! Reading the words tourtiere, pepere, reveillon, midnight mass..oh my, my head is swimming in memories of loved ones gone and family memories. I will be making this pie this week! Thanks for a wonderful post👏🏻😊

    Reply
  4. Daniel J.Germain says

    December 25, 2022 at 6:10 pm

    It’s Christmas day and I,m Looking at a reciept to make a old favorite . Your words made me very nostalgic I to grew up in a small French Canacian town in Vermont and like you ate meat pie after mid night mass. than was sent to bed so santa would come. I think i’ll make it for New Years. Thank you
    Dan

    Reply
  5. kevin sadowski says

    December 25, 2022 at 5:05 pm

    looks way 2 easy. I`m going to jump into making them, soon just for me TY

    Reply
  6. Louise Lague says

    December 21, 2022 at 2:47 pm

    5 stars
    I’m here in Portland Oregon making a tourtiere, as I do every year for our family and also friends who have never heard of it. I grew up in a bilingual community in Rhode Island and always looked forward to this after midnight mass. We also used the same recipe for turkey stuffing on Thanksgiving! I don’t think I’ve ever missed a year making pork pie. Love it. The cloves are the secret.!

    Reply
  7. Pat Foster says

    December 20, 2022 at 3:08 pm

    5 stars
    I grew up in the Rumford, Maine, area across from what was then known as Oxford Paper Mill. Like your Pépère, my Pépère Arsenault had worked as a cook in the logging camps. His recipe is the one we always made and that I still make all these many years later. The only major difference is that he did not use all these spices – instead, his recipe called for salt, pepper, and a healthy dose of caraway seeds. YUMMY! I can’t even imagine a meat pie without the caraway seed. I enjoyed reading your comments and felt as if we had grown up very similarly. Thank you for posting the recipe.

    Reply
  8. Jean-Paul Michaud says

    December 15, 2022 at 1:37 pm

    5 stars
    Hi. Also made this exactly as written. Wonderful. I grew up in northern Maine where we spoke French as children. Somehow most of my family has continued this tradition…but to be honest, my mother never made it. Even here in Brooklyn NY I make it when the Quebec restaurant (H wells) in Queens runs out. We serve it to friends and provide a history lesson at the same time.
    Joyeux Noël 🎄

    Reply
  9. Ted says

    December 11, 2022 at 8:13 pm

    How big a pie tin does this recipe call for?

    Reply
    • ©Rachel Arsenault says

      December 12, 2022 at 9:14 am

      Ted, the recipe is for a standard 9-inch pie.

      Reply
  10. Nick Vigeant says

    December 1, 2022 at 9:58 pm

    This is practically the exact recipe from my French Canadian Pépère’s recipe book handed down. You told the story of my childhood so closely I thought this might have been authored by one of my many sisters! Pépère Bolduc started out as a cooky in a lumber camp and eventually retired from his culinary career at a steak house in Hartford, CT. I grew up in Mass. We always paired the pie with his homemade green tomato piccalilli but now I buy Howard’s by the case so I always have it on hand. I amp up the spices and use 4 cups of mash potatoes and it makes enough for two pies which is necessary to feed the huge family that gathers on Christmas Eve. To me it wouldn’t be the same without the ground clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. And OF COURSE Bell’s Seasoning!
    We use the exact same recipes substituting the potatoes with Pepperidge Farm cornbread crumbs to stuff the Thanksgiving turkey. Bake the rest along side the bird in a casserole dish with a little chix/turkey broth. The leftovers make wonderful meat stuffing sandwiches. I’m making it now!

    Reply
    • ©Rachel Arsenault says

      December 5, 2022 at 9:00 am

      Your comment made my day, Nick! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
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