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Home » Main Course » Savory Pies

Forfar Bridies

Published: Jan 27, 2023 by Emma · This post may contain affiliate links, which can earn us a commission.

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Want an easy dinner recipe that tastes delicious? Look no further than these simple Scottish meat pies called Forfar bridies. The filling is quick to make, and the pies taste delicious when served with chips, beans, and HP sauce!

Looking for more tasty Scottish recipes? Don't miss these recipes for Scottish steak pie and mince and tatties.

plate of Forfar bridies with Heinz beans and HP sauce
Jump to:
  • About
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Serve
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipe
  • Comments

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About

Forfar Bridies are traditional Scottish meat pies that look similar to the English pasty and taste similar to a sausage roll. They were invented by a travelling food seller named Maggie Bridie, who sold her bridies in the latter half of the nineteenth century at the Buttermarket in the Scottish town of Forfar.

Traditionally, bridies with no onion (plain) have one vent hole, while two vent holes indicates the bridie contains onion. Also, the most traditional choice is to use shortcrust pastry for the bridies, but nowadays puff pastry is a common option. These pies are being considered for European Union Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.

Ingredients

glass bowls of ingredients for Forfar bridies

Wondering what ingredients you need to make a batch of Forfar Bridies? Fortunately, there's nothing fancy in this simple Scottish recipe.

  • Meat: Use the leanest minced beef (ground beef) that you can find to prevent a lot of grease from leaking out of the pies. We used 96% lean, which worked very well for this photo shoot.
  • Fat: Traditionally, a small amount of suet was added to the filling to add extra flavor, but since that's hard to find for most people, use a couple tablespoons of butter instead.
  • Onion: Diced yellow onion is great in this recipe.
  • Spices: All you need is salt and pepper. Pretty simple.
  • Pastry: Traditionally, a sturdy shortcrust pastry was used, but we opted for the more popular modern variation of using puff pastry, which is also delicious.

How to Make

Gather all the ingredients for the Forfar bridies.

  1. Mix with your hand the ground beef with the onion, butter, and spices until well combined.
  2. Unfold the pastry sheets and cut them in half.

3. Trim off the corners to create an oval shape.

4. Divide the filling among the puff pastry. You will have extra filling that can be cooked in a skillet and served separately with brown sauce (HP sauce).

5. Brush half of the rim with beaten egg.

6. Fold the pastry over and crimp the edge with a fork. Brush with egg, then cut a few vent holes in each one.

7. Bake the bridies at 400°F for 25-30 minutes.

8. Enjoy the bridies with the baked beans and chips (French fries).

Recipe FAQs

What is a Scottish pasty?

A Scottish pasty is called a bridie, which is an individual savory pie baked in a pasty shape. The filling is made from minced beef, onion, suet or butter, and salt and pepper.

Why is a bridie called a bridie?

The exact reason why these savory pies have their distinctive name isn't known. The pies could have been named after Maggie Bridie, a travelling baker from Glamis who sold the pies at the Buttermarket in the Scottish town of Forfar.

What is the difference between a pasty and a bridie?

A pasty contains skirt steak, swede (rutabaga in the US), potato, onion, salt, and pepper, and is made with a sturdy shortcrust pastry. A bridie contains only minced beef, onion, suet or butter, and salt and pepper. Like pasties, bridies are traditionally made with shortcrust pastry, but can also be made with puff pastry.

What type of food is a bridie?

A bridie is a meat pie filled with ground beef and onion and cooked in a pasty shape. In the US, pasties are called hand pies.

Serve

It's traditional in Forfar to serve bridies with Heinz beans, HP sauce, and chips (French fries in the US). If you're looking for other ideas, you can try mashed potatoes, boiled peas, or mushy peas.

Expert Tips

  • Use lean ground beef (around 96% lean) for less grease.
  • For a more authentic result, use shortcrust pastry instead of puff pastry.
  • Seal the pies well, or you'll have leakage as they bake.
  • Place on parchment paper for easy clean up.

Other Savory Pies You'll Love

  • Scottish Steak Pie
  • Steak and Ale Pie with Mushrooms
  • Minced Beef Pie
  • Meat and Potato Pie Recipe

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Recipe

Forfar Bridies

Forfar Bridies are handheld Scottish savory pies filled with a tasty mixture of minced beef, onion, and spices baked inside puff pastry. You'll love each bite of these delicious, traditional bridies!
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Scottish
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 bridies
Calories: 852kcal
Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound ground beef, extra lean (96%)
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter, finely diced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ pounds puff pastry or shortcrust pastry

Equipment

  • pastry brushes
  • spatula

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line an 11x17-inch tray with parchment paper.
  • Mix together the ground beef, onion, butter, salt, and pepper until combined.
  • Cut each sheet of puff pastry in half so you have four rectangles of pastry. Trim off the corners to make each rectangle into an oval.
  • Divide the filling among the four ovals, then brush the rim with beaten egg and fold over the pastry. Seal with a fork, then brush the bridies with beaten egg and cut a couple vent holes in the top.
  • Bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, or until they have an internal temperature of at least 160°F and they're golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before eating.
  • Serve with generous amounts of HP sauce, chips (coarse-cut French fries), and Heinz beans for an authentic meal.

Notes

  • Use lean ground beef (around 96% lean) for less grease.
  • For a more authentic result, use shortcrust pastry instead of puff pastry.
  • Seal the pies well, or you'll have leakage as they bake.
  • Place on parchment paper for easy clean up.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pieCalories: 852kcal (43%)Carbohydrates: 51g (17%)Protein: 21g (42%)Fat: 62g (95%)Saturated Fat: 19g (119%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 32gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 64mg (21%)Sodium: 953mg (41%)Potassium: 279mg (8%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 121IU (2%)Vitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 28mg (3%)Iron: 4mg (22%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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This Forfar bridie recipe was originally published on January 27, 2023.

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Mince and Tatties »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Beth

    January 27, 2023 at 7:12 am

    5 stars
    These are delightful pies with flaky pastry and a homey beef filling. Excellent with chips and HP.

    Reply
    • Emma

      January 27, 2023 at 7:18 am

      Thank you, Beth! I'm glad you enjoyed the bridies!

      Reply
  2. Alex

    January 27, 2023 at 7:11 am

    5 stars
    The meat mixture has a lovely flavor, and the onions add a bit of crunch. The pastry is flaky and delicious. I would definitely have these again!

    Reply
    • Emma

      January 27, 2023 at 7:18 am

      I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed these so much, Alex!

      Reply

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Welcome to our kitchen! We're Brooke & Emma, the mother-daughter team behind Savor the Flavour. As self-taught cooks and bakers, we love to inspire you to cook from scratch with real food! Increase your kitchen confidence with our recipes, instructional photos, and helpful tips and facts.

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