Tourtière, the classic Canadian meat pie, is a comforting dish deeply rooted in French Canadian tradition. Often served during holidays and family gatherings, this savory pie represents warmth, heritage, and the joy of sharing a hearty meal around the table.
Traditionally prepared with finely ground pork, beef, or veal, tourtière is gently seasoned with onion, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, and pepper. These subtle spices give the filling its distinctive aroma and rich, cozy flavor without overpowering the meat. Everything is simmered slowly until tender and perfectly blended, creating a filling that is both juicy and deeply satisfying.
The meat mixture is then wrapped in a flaky, buttery pie crust that bakes to a beautiful golden color. When sliced, the contrast between the crisp pastry and the soft, savory filling makes every bite irresistible. Tourtière is not a heavy pie, but it is filling, comforting, and wonderfully balanced.
What makes this dish especially special is how many variations exist. Some families add potatoes for extra texture, others include game meat, and many have their own secret spice blend passed down through generations. No two tourtières are exactly the same, yet all of them carry the same spirit of tradition and home cooking.
Tourtière is usually served with simple sides that allow the pie to shine. Pickles, mustard, cranberry sauce, or a light green salad with lemon provide a fresh contrast to the rich filling. It is just as delicious hot from the oven as it is the next day, making leftovers something to look forward to.
Beyond its taste, tourtière tells a story of Canadian winters, long evenings, and family recipes preserved through time. It is a dish that connects generations, bringing together history and comfort in one beautiful pie.
Whether you are discovering tourtière for the first time or returning to a familiar favorite, this Canadian meat pie always delivers warmth, tradition, and unforgettable flavor in every slice.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 pastry crusts pie crust prepared
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground pork and beef until browned. Drain any excess fat.
- Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until the onion is translucent.
- Stir in salt, pepper, ground cloves, cinnamon, and water. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Place one pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Fill with the meat mixture and cover with the second pie crust.
- Seal and flute the edges. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
- Brush the top crust with melted butter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
- Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Yum! I’m not even Canadian and this was so good! Definitely making it again.
I don’t know how to make a crust, can I use store-bought? Help!
Easiest recipe ever!!! My family devoured it in one sitting! Will make again for sure!
This is my favorite pie! It’s so hearty and comforting. Glad to hear your family loved it too!
I tried it but it was a bit too salty for my taste. Maybe I used too much salt?
This meat pie is just ground meat and spices? Sounds bland. I’ll pass.
Absolutely loved this recipe! Tastes just like my grandma’s tourtiere! 😍
I tried this recipe and it was amazing too! Perfect for holidays! 🥧
Not sure if I agree. My grandma’s recipe is totally different, no cloves in hers.
What’s with the cloves and cinnamon? Isn’t that for cookies? 🤔
It was kinda okay but not what I expected. Too much cinnamon for me.
It took forever to cook, but at least it tasted good in the end, right?
Yeah, sometimes good things take time! Glad it was worth the wait. 😋
Don’t forget to drain the fat! I made that mistake and it got soggy. 😬
Easy to make! I used leftover turkey instead of beef and it still turned out great!
This was amazing! Tastes just like my grandma’s recipe! 😍
Two types of meat is what makes it special 🍖. My family loved it!
Yum, perfect for winter dinners! Will definitely make again! ❄️
But what if I add potatoes? Is that allowed? LOL. Asking for a friend.
I dunno… Isn’t this like a pizza? Why pie? Too confus… 🤔
I found the spices a bit weird together, especially cloves with meat? Really?
This was amazing! I could smell it cooking all night. My whole family loved it!
So glad to hear that! Tourtière is such a comforting dish, perfect for family gatherings. 🎉
I made this but with chicken instead of pork and beef. Still came out good, I think!
Yum! I ate three slices before I realized! 😂 Definitely making this again!
Looks good, but isn’t it kinda heavy? Just curious.
Haha, I know that feeling! This pie is irresistible! 😂
Pretty good! But I might try lamb next time instead of pork. Just a thought. 👍
Made this for a family dinner—so comforting. The cloves + cinnamon combo is exactly the cozy, slightly “holiday” vibe I love in tourtière. Crust came out golden and it smelled amazing while baking. 10/10 would do again.
Tourtiere? What’s that? Never heard, but it look good tho. Gonna try it.
I’m not sure about the cloves and cinnamon… don’t they belong in dessert? It was kinda weird.
The pie crust was too hard for my taste. Next time, I’ll try leavin it out.
I dunno, I followed the recipe but it didn’t puff up like I expected. 🤔 Disappointed.
Maybe your oven temp was off? That can mess things up. Better luck next time!
Took a while to make but worth it! Even my picky kids loved it!
Yuck! Didn’t turn out at all! My friend said I should’ve added potatoes or something. Never again!
Not gonna lie, 1/4 tsp cloves sounds tiny, but it’s enough! The aroma while baking was amazing. 10/10 comfort food.
My oven runs hot, so I checked early. If you don’t watch it, the crust could overbrown before the filling sets.
How can you call this a meat pie if there’s no meatloaf in it??? So confused!
“Flute the edges” is such a weird phrase lol—mine looked more like crimped and stressed than fancy, but it still tasted good.
Right?? “Flute the edges” makes me picture some fancy French bakery situation, but mine was definitely more “panicked pinch and hope.” Still came out yummy though.
I’ve always just crimped with a fork—fluting sounds like extra steps. Also I think I overbrowned mine at 350 once and it was dry… so I stick to 400 now. Yours looks good!
This is just like my grandma used to make! Tastes like home!
This is delicious, but I wish it had instructions for thicker filling. I ended up simmering a bit longer to reduce the liquid.
Mine turned out thick enough, honestly. 10 minutes might be short depending on how much liquid the meat releases. I drained well and it set up while cooling, so maybe your pan was just wetter?
Totally get that—my first attempt was a little soupy too. Next time I’d try simmering a bit longer or maybe add a spoonful of flour/cornstarch slurry to thicken the filling before filling the pie.
Pretty straightforward and honestly tastes way better than I expected for a homemade pie. I added a tiny bit more pepper and it was great.
The spices are spot on—cloves + cinnamon give it that classic tourtiere vibe. Mine browned perfectly in 32 minutes. Will make again!
Good flavor, but mine was a bit dry. I think I either simmered a little too long or didn’t drain enough fat—next time I’ll keep an eye on it. Still tastes like classic meat pie though.
Totally agree—tourtière can go dry if it simmers too long or if the moisture boils off. I’ve found 10 minutes is about right, and I don’t over-drain the meat either—just enough to avoid greasiness. Also letting it rest helps it set without drying out. Glad it still tastes classic!
Delicious! I added some hot sauce on top and it was fire! 🔥
I never thought of adding hot sauce! I bet it gives it a nice kick! 🌶️
Hot sauce? Really? I just think it ruins the traditional flavor, but whatever floats your boat.
It was alright, but I think it could use more spices. Felt a bit bland.
Oops I forgot to drain fat… still edible but greasy. Also I used 2 teaspoons salt instead of 1, so yeah. Recipe seems fine if you follow it correctly though.
I’m skeptical about cinnamon in meat pies, but I tried it and… wow. It doesn’t taste like dessert, it just makes the filling warmer.
I’m still side-eyeing it 😅 Cinnamon feels like it belongs in apple stuff, not meat pie. But if you only used a tiny 1/4 tsp maybe that’s why it’s not sweet at all. I might try it—once.
Okay but yeah—cinnamon in savory can be magic. The “warmer” vibe makes sense with cloves already in there. Glad it worked for you!
400°F for 30-35 min didn’t seem enough for my oven. I had to bake closer to 45 to get the top really golden and cooked through. Other than that, pretty straightforward.
Good to know! My oven runs hot/cold depending on the day, so I’ve been wondering if 30–35 is too short. I’ll start checking closer to 40 and look for more browning.
Honestly I’ve always needed closer to 45 too. I think the filling has more moisture than people expect, so it takes longer to heat through. Thanks for confirming!
Four words: gonna steal this recipe 😅
I followed it pretty closely, but I think my meat mixture was too dry after draining. Next time I’ll use a little more water or cook it slightly less.
I’m not sure about the cinnamon and cloves in meat. Like… why are we putting sweet spices in a savory pie? I tried it anyway and it’s actually decent, but I’d maybe cut the spices in half next time.