These are individual hand pies filled with ground pork, diced Granny Smith apple, and fresh fennel, all baked in a buttery homemade shortcrust pastry. Each pie is a solid, self-contained meal — no sides required, no fuss at the table. Make a batch of six and you have lunch or dinner sorted for the whole family without anyone fighting over portions.
Before you start
Two things will make or break this recipe. First, keep your butter genuinely cold when making the pastry — warm butter melts into the flour instead of staying in small pieces, and those pieces are what create flakiness. Work fast, and if the dough starts feeling greasy, put it back in the fridge for ten minutes before continuing. Second, let the filling cool completely before you assemble the pies. Hot filling steams the raw pastry from the inside, making the base soggy before it ever hits the oven. Spread the cooked pork mixture on a plate or tray to speed up cooling — twenty minutes on the counter is usually enough.
Smart swaps
- Ground pork: Ground chicken or turkey works well here — just cook it to 165°F (74°C) internal temperature rather than the 160°F (71°C) required for pork. The filling will be slightly leaner, so don’t skip the olive oil.
- Fennel bulb: If you can’t find fresh fennel, use half a teaspoon of fennel seeds toasted in the pan before adding the onion. The flavor is more concentrated, so start with less.
- Granny Smith apple: Any firm, tart apple holds up to cooking without turning to mush. Avoid sweet, soft varieties like Fuji — they disappear into the filling and add little texture.
- Unsalted butter: Salted butter works in a pinch; just reduce the pastry salt to a pinch rather than a full teaspoon.
Troubleshooting
- Pastry shrinks away from the tin walls during baking: The dough was stretched rather than pressed into the tin. Always lift and ease the pastry in — don’t pull it to fit. Chilling the lined tins for 15 minutes before filling also helps.
- Filling leaks out the sides: You’ve overfilled the cups. Leave a clear 5mm border around the edge of the base circle so the top and bottom pastry can seal properly. Press the edges firmly with a fork.
- Bottom crust is pale and soft: Your oven may run cool, or the muffin tin is too thick. Move the tin to the lower third of the oven for the last 10 minutes of baking — direct bottom heat crisps the base.
- Pork filling is watery after cooking: The apple released too much liquid. Cook the filling an extra 2–3 minutes with the pan uncovered after adding the apple, stirring frequently, until any liquid has evaporated. A wet filling will make the pastry soggy.
- Pies won’t release from the tin: Greasing the tin is not optional even if it’s non-stick. Use butter or a neutral oil spray, and run a thin knife around each pie before trying to lift them out. Skip the garnish on top — not worth the extra dish — and focus on a clean release instead.
Leftovers and meal prep
Baked pies keep in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container. Reheat them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 12–15 minutes — this brings the pastry back to crisp rather than the soggy result you get from a microwave. For freezing, cool the pies completely, wrap each one individually in foil, and freeze for up to two months. Reheat from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 20–25 minutes. You can also freeze the uncooked assembled pies on a tray, then transfer to a bag once solid — bake from frozen adding about 10 extra minutes to the original cook time. The filling alone (without pastry) refrigerates well for two days and can be used as a quick pasta sauce or stuffed into a baked potato.
Minced Pork, Apple, and Fennel Pies
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pastry
2 ½ cups all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - unbleached and sifted
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter - cold, cut into small cubes
6 tbsp water - (ice water) ; more as needed
For the filling
1 tbsp olive oil - extra virgin
1 lb ground pork (minced pork) - free-range, ideally 80/20 lean/fat ratio
1 medium fennel bulb - finely chopped, include some fronds for extra flavor
1 small yellow onion - finely diced- 1 large Granny Smith apple - peeled, cored and finely diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 tsp dried sage
½ tsp black peppercorns - freshly cracked 
1 tsp sea salt - or to taste
To finish
1 large egg - beaten for egg wash
Instructions
- Prepare the pastry: In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ice water, mixing gently until the dough comes together. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Make the filling: Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and fennel and cook for 5–7 minutes until translucent and fragrant. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add pork and break it up as it browns, cooking for 5–6 minutes until no longer pink.
- Stir in the diced apples, sage, black pepper, and salt. Cook for another 3–4 minutes until apples soften slightly. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- Assemble the pies: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 12 circles (3.5-inch in diameter). Line each cup of a greased muffin tin with a pastry circle and press down firmly.
- Spoon filling into each pastry shell. Top with second pastry circle, press edges to seal, and crimp with a fork. Cut a small steam hole in the center. Brush with egg wash.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 40–45 minutes, until golden brown and the tops are crisp. Cool for 5–10 minutes on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
- Use a food processor to blend the pastry dough quickly, but avoid overmixing to prevent toughness.
- Substitute ground chicken or turkey for pork, and use vegan butter and nut oil for a vegetarian option with mushrooms replacing meat.
- For extra depth, add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard or a splash of cider vinegar into the filling once cooked.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
How do I know when the pork filling is fully cooked and safe to eat?
The filling is safe when the ground pork reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) with no pink remaining. In practice, break up the meat thoroughly as it cooks and look for uniform browning throughout — then cook the apple and seasoning in for another 3–4 minutes as the recipe directs.
Can I make the pastry and filling ahead of time?
Yes — both components can be made a day in advance. Keep the pastry disk wrapped in the fridge and the cooled filling in a sealed container; assemble and bake the next day. This actually makes the process much more manageable on a busy evening.
My family doesn’t like fennel. Can I leave it out?
You can leave it out without the recipe falling apart. Replace it with an equal amount of finely diced celery for a similar texture and mild savory note, or just increase the onion slightly to keep the filling volume consistent.
Can I use store-bought shortcrust pastry instead of making it from scratch?
Yes, and it works well here. Use a good-quality all-butter shortcrust — it will be slightly less flaky than homemade but will still give you a solid, golden crust. Roll it to about 1/8 inch thick before cutting your circles.
The recipe makes 6 pies — can I scale it up to feed more people?
Doubling the recipe is straightforward. Make the pastry in two separate batches rather than one large one, since a very large dough mass is harder to keep cold and mix evenly. The filling scales up in a single large pan without any issues.
Can kids eat these, and are they too spicy?
These pies are mild — the apple adds sweetness and the sage is subtle, so most kids handle them well. If you have picky eaters, you can reduce the cracked black pepper by half and the flavor stays balanced.
Try these next
- Savory Pork Apple Pasties
- Cumberland Sausage Mince Pie
- Wild Venison Mushroom Pies
- Sweet Savory Scotch Eggs
