Michigan Pasty Recipe | Yummy Ground Beef Pasties with Vegetables + Easy Homemade Dough Recipe From A Yooper of MI's Upper Peninsula

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By Sherry Trautman

Michigan Pasty hot from the ovenMichigan Pasty Recipe: Fresh, Delicious, and Filling! Beef and Vegetable


Traditional Michigan Pasty Recipe | Beef Pasties with Vegetables + Easy Dough Recipe From A Yooper | Last updated: March 3, 2023 | By: Sherry Trautman | Travel-Mi.com

If you have ever crossed into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, you will see several small mom and pop stores/restaurants selling Upper Peninsula Pasties. It was a staple with the miners as this simple and filling meal could be easily transported and eaten in the copper mines.

So guys, I just wanted to clarify that these beef pasties with vegetables are seriously legit good. Speaking of legit, Chris is a born and raised Yooper (from Michigan's Upper Peninsula). His mom lives in the Houghton region and we love visiting as often as possible.  She and Larry love to make homemade pasties or pasty pie and so do we!  


See How I Make Pasties and Roll The Crust!

Michigan Pasty hot from the ovenMichigan Pasties: Fresh, Delicious, and Filling! Beef and Vegetable

Easy Upper Michigan Pasty Recipe: Beef and Vegetable Pasties

    This makes about 6 pasties. This delicious pasty recipe utilizes ground beef but you can leave it out to make a vegetable pasty.
  • 1 pound ground chuck
  • 2 russet potatoes, diced
  • 1 cup onion, diced (about 1 medium sized onion-I prefer sweet onions, by the way)
  • 1/2 cup rutabaga
  • 2-3 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 tsp garlic, diced
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • Optional: Egg for an egg wash


Michigan Pasty cut in half on a plateMichigan Pasties: Fresh, Delicious, and Filling! Beef and Vegetable

Super Easy Michigan Pasty Dough Recipe

    Yield: 6 dough balls
  • 3 cups of flour, sifted (I use King Arthur flour)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup Crisco (I use sticks)
  • 1/2 cup very cold water


Cutting an onion with a rutabaga in the backgroundDice your onions, potatoes, rutabaga!
Sliced RutabagaHuge Rutabaga for Pasties!


So, this is a rutabaga!  

If you are worried about not liking the taste of rutabagas, they are very mild with a bit of a spicy zing. Very potato-like. Just buy a small one-I bought a huge one and didn't need even half of it for this Michigan pasty recipe.

OH MAN...rutabagas are super hard to cut! You will need a good knife, like a heavy steel blade to cut a larger one. Be SUPER careful. It's not easy like a potato.  

Peel and chop it.


Diced onions, celery, rutabaga, carrots and spicesDiced onions, celery, rutabaga, carrots and spices: Ready for this pasty recipe!

Directions: Let's Make Michigan Beef Pasties! 

  1.  Wash, peel, chop or dice your vegetables to small bite sized pieces.
  2. Place vegetables in a large bowl.
  3. Add your spices
  4. Add your raw beef to the vegetables and mix by hand. 


Diced vegetables and beef in a bowl on the counterDiced onions, celery, rutabaga, carrots and spices plus the beef

Directions: Michigan Pasty Dough

Pasty dough in a bowlGet messy! Use your hands to mix the pasty dough!
  1. Mix your sifted flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. 
  2. Add the shortening (Crisco) and incorporate with a pastry blade (see my video above).  Once the shortening is cut into the flour and is the size of a tiny pea, it's time to get messy! 
  3. Add the ice cold water
  4. You will need to get in there with your hands (washed first!) to properly incorporate the Crisco into the flour and salt mixture.  Don't add more water until it is completely mixed. 
  5. Don't over mix, I try to do this as quickly as possible to keep the dough cold and not allow the shortening to begin to melt from the heat of my hands. We want flaky crusts!
  6. The dough for this pasty recipe makes 6 balls.


Let's Assemble Our Michigan Beef Pasties with Vegetables

We are almost there!  So, next take a rolling pin and roll out each of the six dough balls into as close to a circle as you can get. I made mine about 10 inches; you need it bigger than you think to allow room for the filling. 

At this point, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

  1. Place 1 cup of the raw meat/vegetable mixture on one half of the dough.
  2. Fold the other half of the dough over the meat mixture. 
  3. Tuck the bottom dough over the top and roll upward to seal in the meat mixture. 
  4. Optional: In a small bowl, beat one egg with a fork and brush the egg onto the finished pasties to create a golden color after baking. So pretty!
  5. Place your finished pasties on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 
  6. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour.

** See my video above! I attempt this one handed while videoing! 


Dough rolled out with filling in the middleAdd 1 cup of raw meat/vege mix onto the rolled dough
Finished pasty on a rolling matRoll the bottom layer of the dough over the top layer to seal to the mixture inside the dough

Let's Bake Our Beef Pasties! This Upper Michigan Pasty Recipe Looks so Delicious!

Pasties on a baking tray in the ovenBake the pasties in a preheated oven for about 1 hour!


Bake your beautiful Michigan beef pasties at 350 degrees for about 1 hour until they are golden brown!  We like to eat them with ketchup just like the Yoopers in Upper Michigan!  So delicious and filling! We hope you love this Michigan pasty recipe.


YouTube Video Below

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About the Lead Author | Sherry Trautman

Thanks for stopping by!

Our Words of Wisdom: “Never follow anyone else’s path. Unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path, then by all means follow that path.”

"Sherry & Chris"

We're Sherry and Chris the founders of one of Michigan's most comprehensive and Top Travel Blogs!

    Sherry Trautman is a seasoned business owner and a multifaceted content creator, deeply entrenched in the world of travel in Michigan. With her extensive background in writing, editing, photography, marketing, website design, web mastering, social media, and publishing, she is the driving force behind the acclaimed Michigan Travel site "Travel-mi.com." A lifelong Michigander, Sherry's journey began in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan led her to St. Joseph during her formative years, and further to Kalamazoo for her higher education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design and Fine Art from Western Michigan University. Her career initially blossomed in Battle Creek, where she contributed significantly to aviation, marketing, and the art industry.

    In 2018, Sherry, alongside her husband Chris, embarked on a passionate endeavor with the inception of Travel-MI.com. This venture was not just a business but a full-time commitment to exploring and celebrating the diverse landscapes and communities of Michigan. Together, they tirelessly traverse the state, curating unique experiences, capturing stunning visuals, and weaving engaging narratives that showcase Michigan's rich cultural tapestry and natural beauty. From her early experiences in different Michigander locales to her extensive professional background, Sherry's life and work epitomize a deep-rooted expertise in Michigan travel, making her an authoritative voice in this niche.

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