This Best Tourtiere Recipe also know as Tourtiere de Maman which is a French Canadian meat pie that is spiced to perfection. This recipe that has been passed down from several generations within my family and I would love to now share it with you.

Looking for another festive dish? Then your gonna want to try my Baked Holiday Ham dish or my Beef Mushroom Wellington or even my Recette Sheppard’s Pie.

Gather your friends and family to enjoy a stress-free comfort meal, with my French Canadian Tourtière. I have updated my older Tourtiere pie photos, with the addition of whole cloves added to the top of the pie shell prior to cooking! I will leave that addition up to you, I find it really adds a more intense smell to the kitchen that is so festive. But rest assured inside theTourtière pie is spiced just the same.

My Grandmother used to make this recipe for my mother and siblings growing up. She learned it from her Mother who was French Canadian and was the most amazing cook! I was luckily enough to watch her cooking often in my earlier years, my great grandmother that is.

We never really spoke as she only spoke French, but i sure remember the smells coming from the kitchen and that my grandmother kept with the tradition till she passed and made this pie for the family.

Times pass, and my mother isn’t that much of cook herself, but that is okay cause the gene skipped a generation and here I am sharing the same recipe with you all that has been passed down to me.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST TOURTIERE RECIPE

The trick is to allow the meat to cool down to room temperature before placing into the pie shell.

This ensures that the pie shell remains crisp after baking and not soggy on the bottom.

IS TOURTIERE FRENCH

Yes, French Canadian.

WHERE DID TOURTIERE ORIGINATE

Tourtiere originated from Quebec from as early as 1600.

And is traditional served during the Christmas holidays. 

WHEN IS TOURTIERE EATEN

Nothing beats this pie on the table on Christmas day, well next to some mashed potatoes and gravy of course. Or my popular Shredded Brussel Sprouts recipe!

Tourtiere spices

• 1 tbsp Savory
• 1 tsp Ground cloves
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Sage
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp Celery Salt
• 1 tsp Season with salt and pepper

Note: not everyone likes Cinnamon in there meat pies, so to each there own.

How To Make Canadian Tourtière 

• Start with a pyrex baking dish that is 9.5 x 1.6 deep.
• Then make the butter crust (see recipe card)
• And the pie filling
• Stuff the Tourtière and bake at 375 f for 45 minutes till golden brown.

CAN TOURTIERE BE FROZEN

Yes, as long as the meat that was used was fresh not frozen to begin with.

So how do I know how to make a traditional Tourtière you may be asking?

Well, I am Canadian, but not Acadian. And have strong French roots on one side of my family.

What is Acadian you may be asking? Acadian peoples originate from eastern Canada.

They actually are the ones who created this recipe to begin with. Then the French out there ran with it and it is now known as a French Canadian or Acadian dish.

This particular recipe for my best Tourtière Pie has been past down from my Great Grandma who was 100% French Canadian. And her ancestors are all from Newfoundland and Labrador territories.

I have been gifted with her original recipe which was hand written by her a few decades ago.

And, so I had to share it all with you here. 

Growing up Canadian, I was influenced by many cultural groups and thus foods so it wasn’t like I stuck to just one type of food then or now.

However I’ve appreciated all that was taught to me along the way.

One fond memory I do have is that of my great grandma and grandma both in the kitchen together making Tourtière right before Christmas.

I must have been somewhere from 5-10 years old then. And I never knew how precious that memory would be for me as my great grandmother past shortly after.

I also remember enjoying this dish during Christmas dinner over the years as my aunts always carried the tradition of making it.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES A TOURTIERE MEAT PIE SERVE

One pie typically serves 8-10.

Over the years this recipe has been changed across the generations and each family does prepare it somewhat differently. In eastern Canada, most people there use pork or even rabbit in this pie.

Oh and be sure to serve this CANADIAN TOURTIÈRE with a dollop of Ketchup. The kids will love that addition too.

PS: don’t skip on the potatoes they really help to hold the pie together. I hope you give it a try this holidays season and let me know what you think.

Could you serve a traditional French Canadian meat pie this Christmas? Could your family like it more than the more traditional Turkey? I would love to know.

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

WHICH WINE WITH TOURTIERE

Whites, sparkling or reds all go with them a tourtière pie.

Note: You can freeze this ahead of time, and bring it to any gathering to bake fresh.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH TOURTIERE

Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice

Beef and Mushroom Wellington

Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

 CRANBERRY STUFFING RECIPE!

Be sure to try these tasty recipes below!

1. Pork Chops with maple syrup and apples
2. Maple Bourbon Glaze Ham
3. Brussel Sprouts with bacon
4. Butter Herb & Parmesan Mushrooms
5. Turkey Pot Pies
6. Creamy Cheese Mashed Potatoes
7. Honey Mustard Brussel Sprouts
8. Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic
9. Canadian Maple Butter
10. Instant Pot Honey Glazed Carrots

I am so thrilled you are reading one of my recipes, if you made this, I want to see! Follow Canadian Cooking Adventures Instagram, snap a photo, and tag and hashtag it with @canadiancookingadventures and #canadiancookingadventures.

Stay connected and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of my latest recipes!

Best Tourtiere Recipe

Yield: 8

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

A Canadian Classic

Print

Ingredients

PASTRY

• 2 1/2 cups All purpose flour
• 1 cup Cold water
• 1 cup Butter
• 1 tsp Salt

SPICES

• 1 tbsp Savory
• 1 tsp Ground cloves
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Sage
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp Celery Salt
• 1 tsp Season with salt and pepper

FILLING

• 1 pd Organic Ground Beef
• 1 pd Organic Ground Pork
• 2 medium Potatoes
• 1 Onion
• 1 cup Beef stock
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 2 Eggs

Instructions

Butter Crust - 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 2/3 cup butter or lard, 6-7 tablespoons cold water.

1. Combine everything together in a large bowl. Then cut the butter or lard until the mixture is crumbly. Add water and blend just until dough comes together nicely.
2. Shape into a ball, wrap and chill in the refrigerator.
3. Once the filling has been made, roll out the dough and place into the baking dish.

NEXT MAKE THE FILLING:

1. In a large pot of boiling water, add 2 medium sized potatoes with the skin on and boil till fork tender, remove from heat and soak in cold water and remove the skin easily that way. Then in a large frying pan place a little bit of cooking oil then your onion, and garlic, saute till fragrant.
2. Add in your ground hamburger and pork along with seasonings and saute for 3 minutes. Then add in your beef stock and scrape down the sides to mix all the flavors together. Simmer on medium - low heat till the liquid has evaporated, roughly 30 minutes.
3. Using a grater, grate your potatoes into the mixture, remove from heat and set aside to cool down for one hour.
4. Meanwhile prepare your crust according to the above directions. Once it's been chilled for one hour remove the crust and place on a lightly floured surface and divide it in half.
5. Roll each half out to form a large circle shape, one will be for the bottom of the crust the other for the top.
6. Place your bottom half gently over your pie plate and ladle in your filling (be sure the filling has come to room temperature prior) this ensures the pie crust does not become soggy.
7. Then fill to the top of the pie shell and press down with a ladle till compact.
8. Now create your egg wash, simply beat two eggs in a bowl.
9. With some egg wash, brush the outside of the oval crust to ensure that the lid sticks together during cooking.
10. Next put the pie crust overtop and using kitchen scissors, cut around the outside edges to remove the excess dough and with your fingers pinch all around the crust to ensure its closed. Finish by brushing the entire top of the pie with remaining egg wash and with a knife make two cuts along the top to allow for ventilation while cooking.
11. Bake at 375 f for 45 minutes till golden brown.
12. Serve with Ketchup and enjoy!

Notes

The trick is to allow the meat to cool down to room temperature before placing into the pie shell. This ensures that the pie shell remains crisp after baking and not soggy on the bottom.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Kitchen Utensils Set Silicone Cooking Pioneer Utensil 16PCS with Holder Measuring Spoons Wooden Spatula Turner Tongs Heat Resistant BPA FREE for Nonstick Cookware Tool Gift for Women Mom Family
• 
  Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls (Set of 5), Non Slip Colorful Silicone Bottom Nesting Storage Bowls by Regiller, Polished Mirror Finish For Healthy Meal Mixing and Prepping 1.5-2 - 2.5-3.5 - 7QT
• 
  Pyrex Easy Grab Glass 9.5 Inch Pie Plate (2-Pack)

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 461Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 870mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 12g

These calculations are based off Nutritionix

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Join our Newsletter to receive our free eBook

Subscribe to have posts delivered straight to your inbox each month!! PLUS get our FREE ebook!

Sign Me Up