Jamaican Meatloaf

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This Jamaican meatloaf has savory beef filling tucked into soft, slightly sweet coconut bread and baked until golden. They’re cozy, handheld, and so satisfying.

You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!

I grew up on Jamaican beef patties, the flaky kind you grab two of at the bakery. Then I tried a meatloaf from a Jamaican bakery, and I was so impressed. It's the same Jamaican seasoned beef, baked into a soft pillow of bread rather than a crisp pastry.

It is less intimidating than making patties from scratch. The bread dough is far more hands-off than the pastry dough, so there is no fussing with cold butter or flaky layers. You season and simmer the beef, let a simple dough rise, then wrap and bake. I make a batch on a slow weekend, along with my other favorite Jamaican recipes for a bigger spread.

Happy Baking,

Tanya

Jamaican Meatloaf at a Glance

Best for a handheld lunch, weekend baking, or a make-ahead batch

• Prep: 30 minutes active, Rise 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours
• Bake: about 20 minutes
• Servings: 8 meatloaves
• Good to know: Filling can be made a day ahead, and the heat is yours to control with the Scotch bonnet

Ingredient Notes

Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For the filling

• Onion, green onions, garlic, Scotch bonnet, and thyme. Your fresh seasoning, blitzed into a rough paste so it melts into the beef. Use habanero peppers if you can't find scotch bonnet peppers, or use a little scotch bonnet pepper sauce.
• Lean ground beef. Go lean, around 90/10, since the fat has nowhere to drain once it is sealed in.
• All-purpose seasoning, sugar, salt, allspice, and nutmeg. 
• Beef broth and ketchup. They simmer the beef down into a thick, saucy filling.
• Browning: A few drops give that deep brown color.
• Plain dry breadcrumbs. Stirred in at the end to bind the filling so it holds together when you wrap it.

For the bread

• All-purpose flour. Spoon and level it, or weigh it, so the bread does not bake up dense.
• Instant dry yeast, salt, and sugar.
• Unsweetened canned coconut milk. Full-fat from a can.
• Unsalted butter, divided. Half goes in the dough, half gets rubbed over the loaves hot for a soft, glossy top.

How to Make Jamaican Meatloaf

Make the filling

Blitz the onion, green onions, garlic, and Scotch bonnet until almost a paste. Add the ground beef to a medium-sized saucepan, and stir in the processed vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until the beef turns brown. Add thyme, all-purpose seasoning, sugar, salt, allspice, and nutmeg. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Most of your liquid will have evaporated, but some will remain. Stir in the browning.

Add breadcrumbs and water to a bowl and stir. Add this to the beef mixture and quickly stir. Allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the beef mixture from the heat and cool completely before using. Tip: Allow it to cool for 10 minutes on the counter before transferring it to the refrigerator to cool completely.

Make the dough

Stir together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Pour in the water and coconut milk to form a shaggy dough, work in 2 tablespoons of softened butter, then knead until smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky. Let it rise in a greased bowl until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.

Shape and fill

Punch down the risen dough to release the air, then divide it into 8 pieces and roll each into a circle about 7 inches (18 cm) in diameter. Place about ¼ cup of cold filling on one half, leaving a clean border, then fold over into a half-moon and press the edges firmly to seal.

Bake and finish

Place the shaped loaves on a baking sheet and let them rise for about 30 minutes, then bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven. While still hot, rub the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of softened butter for that soft, glossy bakery finish. Serve and enjoy.

Variations

• Adjust the Scotch bonnet from one to two peppers, or seed them for a milder bite.
• Lay a slice of cheese over the filling before folding. The cheese-and-beef combo is a patty shop classic.
• Use seasoned ground chicken or turkey, or lean the filling toward curry.
• The same soft bread can also be filled with callaloo, ackee, or a seasoned vegetable mix.

Storage, Reheating, and Freezing

• Make ahead: The filling can be made up to 1 day in advance. Cover and refrigerate until fully chilled and firm enough to portion.
• Fridge: Keep baked Jamaican meatloaves in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let them cool completely before covering, so excess steam doesn’t make the bread soggy. When ready to eat, reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven until warmed through, about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on size.
• Freeze: Cool the baked meatloaves completely, then place them on a baking sheet and freeze just until firm, 1 to 2 hours. Wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then place in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Reheat straight from frozen on a baking sheet in a 350°F (175°C) oven until hot in the center, about 30-40 minutes, or thaw overnight in the fridge first for slightly faster, more even reheating.

I hope you enjoy these meatloaves as much as we do.

Tanya Harris

Jamaican Meatloaf Recipe

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Soft coconut bread wrapped around a well-seasoned, saucy ground beef filling and baked until lightly golden.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Rising Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Caribbean, Jamaican

Calories: 415

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x?

For the filling

• ½ medium yellow onion roughly chopped
• 2 green onions roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves roughly chopped
• 1 to 2 Scotch bonnet peppers roughly chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon browning optional
• ⅓ cup plain fine dry breadcrumbs
• ⅓ cup water

For the coco bread

• 3 cups all-purpose flour 390 grams
• 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast 1 packet
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup warm water
• 1 cup canned unsweetned coconut milk well shaken and stirred
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, divided

Instructions

 

Make the filling

1. Add the onion, green onions, garlic, and Scotch bonnet to a food processor and process until almost a paste. Set aside.
2. Add the ground beef to a medium-sized saucepan, and stir in the vegetable paste, stirring to break up any clumps. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until the beef turns brown. Add thyme, all-purpose seasoning, sugar, salt, allspice, and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Most of your liquid will have evaporated, but some will remain. Stir in the browning.
3. Add breadcrumbs and water to a bowl and stir. Add this to the beef mixture and quickly stir. Allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust salt if needed, then cool to room temperature and refrigerate until completely cold. The filling should be thick, moist, and hold together when scooped.

Make the bread and assemble

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar and stir to blend. Pour in the water and coconut milk and stir until a shaggy dough forms, then add 2 tablespoons of the softened butter and mix until incorporated.
2. To knead with a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky. To knead by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently press out the air, and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, then roll each one into a 7-inch circle.
5. Place about ¼ cup of cold beef filling on one half of each circle, leaving a clean border. Fold the empty half over the filling to form a half-moon and press the edges firmly to seal.
6. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and let rise for about 30 minutes, until slightly puffed.
7. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden on top and lightly browned on the bottom. Remove from the oven and, while still hot, rub the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons softened butter. Let cool slightly before serving warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 19gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 870mgPotassium: 430mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 300IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 5mg

Notes

Make ahead: The filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until cold and firm enough to portion.
Storage: Refrigerate leftover meatloaves in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven until warmed through.

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