Easy Gluten-Free Steak and Ale Pies

These pub style gluten-free steak and ale pies are made from a rich beef stew and crispy shortcrust pastry. This cozy and comforting dish is easily homemade and perfect for a cold winter evening.

These Gluten-Free Steak and Ale Pies are a British pub classic, now turned gluten-free. A rich veggie packed beef stew is topped with an ultra crispy homemade shortcrust pastry. Talk about cozy comfort food for a cold winter evening!

These pies can be made ahead in stages so you don't have to do the work all at once. And don't fret about the assembly, it's super easy and most of the time in this recipe is hands-off!

Cater to many dietary restrictions with this gluten-free meal that can easily be made dairy-free with just one swap. Keep reading to learn how to make your own mini gluten-free meat pies.

Check out some of these fan-favourite gluten-free meals:

• Dairy-Free Tuscan Chicken and Orzo Skillet
• One Skillet Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
• Gluten-Free Minestrone Soup
• Gluten-Free Buttermilk Fried Chicken (Dairy-Free option)

Jump to:

• What is a Steak and Ale Pie?
• What is Ale?
• Where Can I Find Gluten-Free Ale?
• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredient Notes
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• What to Serve with Steak and Ale Pies
• Make Ahead & Storage Instructions
• Substitutions
• Tips for Success
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Gluten-Free Meals You'll Love
• Recipe
• Reviews

What is a Steak and Ale Pie?

Steak pie is a British pub classic. It is traditionally a form of meat pie with vegetables and gravy encased in a pastry shell. There are several variations such as steak and onion pie, steak and Guinness pie, or the more general version, steak and ale pie.

What is Ale?

Ale is a style of beer categorized by it's fermentation at warmer temperatures. The yeast in an ale prefers what is called "top fermenting", meaning that the fermentation occurs on top of the beer. All of this results in a beer that lends more fruity and spicy notes than lager beers (the other main style of beer). [Source]

Stout is a type of ale that is typically made with roasted malt, giving a deep, rich brown colour with notes of coffee and chocolate. Guinness is one of the most recognizable stouts, and is often used in gluten-ful variations of a steak and ale pie (often coined Steak and Guinness Pie). [Source]

Where Can I Find Gluten-Free Ale?

I use Glutenberg Stout in this recipe. Glutenberg is an entirely gluten-free brewery in Montréal, Quebec. Their stout is available in the LCBO (Ontario) for a limited time (as of February 2022). If you're in the US, check out this list of gluten-free stouts. I don't recommend using another style of gluten-free beer other than a stout. Substitute red wine or more beef stock if you cannot find gluten-free stout.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• A pub classic, made gluten-free.
• Mostly hands-off cooking. The majority of the recipe time is either the beef stew cooking, pastry chilling, or pies baking.
• Delicious and impressive. Your friends and family will be so impressed by the look and taste of these pies, but they won't know how simple they really are to prepare. Making your own gluten-free shortcrust is a lot easier than you think!

Ingredient Notes

Here is everything you'll need to make these gluten-free steak and ale pies:

For the Pie Filling

Boneless stewing beef: This is what the package is called at my local grocery store. Stewing beef is typically a tougher cut of meat that cooks down over several hours. The most common cut of beef for stewing is chuck. I like to chop the pieces a bit smaller to a 1cm dice.

Unsalted butter: For dairy-free, feel free to use more olive oil or vegan butter instead.

Gluten-free worcestershire sauce: I like to use French's worcestershire sauce. If you can't find gluten-free worcestershire, simply omit it.

Gluten-free stout beer: I use Glutenberg Stout. Glutenberg is an entirely gluten-free brewery in Montréal, Quebec. Their stout is available in the LCBO (Ontario) for a limited time (as of February 2022). Substitute red wine or more beef stock if you cannot find gluten-free stout. I don't recommend using another style of gluten-free beer other than a stout.

Beef stock: My favourite brand at the moment is Imagine Soups beef stock. Ensure the package states your broth is gluten-free because they can sometimes contain questionable yeast extracts.

Bay leaves: This recipe calls for 2 dried bay leaves. While you won't be able to put your finger on it, you will notice that something is missing if you omit them. They are a classic flavour enhancer in soups and stews!

For the Gluten-Free Shortcrust Pastry

Shortcrust pastry is one of the most common types of pastry, often used for sweet and savoury applications. This homemade gluten-free shortcrust pastry uses an egg in place of most of the water for a richer, crispier crust.

Gluten-free all purpose flour with xanthan gum: I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour (blue bag). Any gluten-free flour mix that contains xanthan gum should work.

Unsalted butter: For dairy-free, use a vegan butter like Miyokos Creamery or Becel Plant-Based Sticks. Ensure the butter is very cold and cubed.  If using salted butter, reduce the salt in the pastry.

Eggs: One egg is used in the dough of the shortcrust pastry. This replaces most of the water traditionally included, and adds richness and slight elasticity to the pastry. The second egg is used as an egg wash on top for a gorgeous golden crust.

Water: Just a small amount of water is used to bring the pastry together. Add it slowly to avoid a sticky dough.

Equipment

This recipe creates steak and ale pies in individual dishes topped with shortcrust pastry. The dishes in the photos are from the dollar store, but these are quite similar in style and size. You could also use mini pie dishes. These would be more ideal if you want to line the bottom and sides with pastry, as the metal will conduct heat better. For that, see instructions at the bottom of the recipe card.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Be sure to read the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and instructions. 

To Prepare the Filling

(1) Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. In a medium-size bowl, toss the beef cubes with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Carefully arrange the beef cubes in the hot oil and sear until brown on all sides, about 5-7 minutes total. Remove the beef from the pot.

(2) Place the butter in the pot and stir to melt. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

(3) Place the tomato paste, worcestershire, thyme, rosemary, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in the pot. Stir and toast for 1 minute.

(4) Deglaze the pot with the gluten-free stout and pour in the beef stock. Add the beef cubes back to the pan along with 2 bay leaves. Bring the pot to a boil on high heat then reduce to low, cover, and allow to simmer for 2 hours and 15 minutes until the beef is soft. Stir occasionally.

Make the shortcrust pastry below while the filling cooks.

To Make the Gluten-Free Shortcrust Pastry

(5) In a medium-size bowl, stir together the gluten-free flour and salt with a fork.

(6) Place the cold butter cubes in the flour and squish with your hands or a pastry cutter to roughly combine. There will be little chunks of butter in the flour.

(7) Whisk the egg in a small bowl and pour into the flour mixture. Stir with the fork. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the pastry will form a ball with your hands. 2 teaspoon should be enough. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until needed.

(8) After 2 hours and 15 minutes, the beef should be cooked and mostly soft. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water and pour into the pot. Stir and cook uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.

(9) The filling will become quite thick. Discard the bay leaves. Turn off the heat and set the pot aside to cool for at least 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

To Assemble the Steak and Ale Pies

(10) Preheat the oven to 400ºF and spoon the cool filling into 4 individual pie plates or soup dishes.

(11) Generously dust the countertop with gluten-free flour. Remove the shortcrust pastry from the fridge and divide into 4 equal pieces. Take one piece and use a rolling pin to roll into a circle the diameter of the pie plate or soup dish.

(12) Place the pastry on top of the dish and use a knife to cut off the excess. Use a fork to crimp the edges and slice an "x" in the centre for steam release. Repeat with the remaining 3 pies. Depending on the size of your dishes there may be some extra pastry, so feel free to cut out a design and place on top of the pies.

(13) Whisk the second egg from the pastry ingredients and use a silicone brush to egg wash the pastry on each of the pies. This will give a nice golden crust.

(14) Place the pies on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden and you can hear the filling bubbling.

(15) Handle the hot dishes with an oven mitt and enjoy immediately!

What to Serve with Steak and Ale Pies

Gluten-free steak and ale pies are perfect for a weeknight meal or for entertaining. It's hearty on its own, but amp it up with some of these sides:

• Gluten-Free Rosemary Focaccia Bread
• Air Fryer Potato Wedges, or "chips" as the British call them.
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
• Gluten-Free Zucchini Fries
• Or some nice roasted root vegetables!

And of course, a glass of wine and delicious dessert like these Dairy-Free Fudge Brownies!

Make Ahead & Storage Instructions

Make Ahead Instructions: Make the filling the day before and allow it to cool in the fridge overnight, or assemble the whole pies and store in the fridge for up to 1 day before baking. 

Storage Instructions: Baked steak and ale pies can be cooled to room temperature then stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, preheat the oven to 400ºF and bake for 20 minutes until warmed through.

Freezing Instructions: Freezing the assembled dish is not recommended. Steak filling and shortcrust pastry can be prepared and frozen separately. Place both in the fridge overnight to thaw, then prepare and bake pies from the assembly instructions.  

Substitutions

While this recipe was developed with optimal flavour pairings, here are some substitution suggestions:

• Make it dairy-free. Use your favourite vegan butter in the stew and pastry. Make sure it is solid when cold for cutting into the flour.
• Can't find gluten-free stout? No problem. Substitute an equal volume of red wine or additional beef broth. See the "Where to find gluten-free ale?" section above for gluten-free stout suggestions.
• Use your favourite vegetables. Add some more onions or cubed potatoes to the stew.
• Wrap the whole pie in pastry. Learn how in the FAQ section below!

Tips for Success

Here are some of my top tips and tricks for successful gluten-free steak and ale pies:

• Brown the beef for the most flavour. Searing gives the beef cubes a nice crust of flavour.
• Let the stew cook longer than you think. Stewing beef takes a long time to cook down. It should be soft and chewy after 2 hours and 15 minutes of simmering, but let it cook a bit longer if it's still tough.
• Allow the stew to cool and thicken. This will give the best texture and results. Make the stew the night before to save yourself time!
• Keep the pastry cold! Keeping the butter cold will yield the crispiest, most delicious shortcrust pastry once baked. Work quick!
• Enjoy immediately. Steak and ale pies are best when served hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

These British-inspired gluten-free steak and ale pies are the ultimate cozy comfort meal. They are easy to prepare and impressive to enjoy. Perfect for a cold winter weeknight, or for entertaining!

Have you made these gluten-free steak and ale pies? I'd very much appreciate it if you leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below, and tag me on instagram @fromoliviaskitchen!

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