Vietnamese Meat Pie (Bánh Patê Sô/Pâté Chaud)

Easy, delicious, and the perfect appetizer, Banh Pate So features a crispy golden puff pastry filled with a flavorful meat filling. With store-bought puff pastry and simple ingredients, this recipe comes together in about 40 minutes.

What is Bánh Patê Sô?

Banh Pate So, the Vietnamese take on the French hot meat pie (Pâté Chaud), is a reminder of the French colonization of Vietnam, which lasted from the mid-1800s to the 1950s.

This French-inspired meat pie is a flaky, buttery golden puff pastry with savory ground pork and onion filling.

You can find them in many Vietnamese deli and sandwich (Banh Mi) shops. If you don’t live near one, I’ll show you how to make it at home.

Variations of Bánh Patê Sô

Despite the name, the filling typically does not contain liver. The word pâté comes from French, but in this case, it refers to the savory filling of ground meat.

That’s not to say liver pâté isn’t a great addition—it certainly is in a Banh Mi sandwich.

Some recipes also include mushrooms, like wood ear mushrooms, for added texture and crunch. Similarly, finely diced water chestnut can also be added for the same purpose.

In my Banh Pate So recipe below, I’m keeping it simple and skipping both liver pate and mushrooms.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy to make: Using store-bought puff pastry makes this recipe quick and easy.
• Simple and savory filling: A savory mix of ground pork, onions, and simple seasonings.
• Great for Snacking: Enjoy them fresh out of the oven for breakfast, or pack them for lunch. These are also great for family gatherings and parties. Just be mindful of those flaky crumbs. They do seriously get everywhere. I will not recommend giving these to little kids to snack in the car.

Ingredients and Substitutions for Bánh Patê Sô

• Puff Pastry: Store-bought puff pastry like Pepperidge Farm works great. Pepperidge Farm has 2 sheets of 9×9”, but any brand will do. For an even easier option, you can buy pre-cut square sheets. They’re usually bigger than I need, but they work well if you’re in the mood for a larger portion or don’t mind extra pastry.
• Ground Pork: Traditional Vietnamese bánh patê sô, like many other Vietnamese dishes, is made with ground pork. Feel free to swap it with other ground meats like chicken, turkey, or even beef.
• Aromatics: I’m using a small yellow onion. You can substitute with white bulb onions or shallots. You can also use the white stems of green onions/spring onions/scallions but you’ll need a few sprigs to get the right amount.
• Simple Seasonings: Sugar, salt, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and ground black pepper. All these ingredients are available in most grocery stores, including the non Asian ones.

How to Make Bánh Patê Sô

Step 1: Defrost the Frozen Puff Pastry and Make the Filling

Take the puff pastry sheet out of the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature for about 15 minutes or until it becomes pliable. Avoid handling it while still frozen, as it may break.

In the mean time, prepare the meat filling. Combine ground pork with finely diced yellow onions, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and black pepper.

Taste-test your filling to adjust the seasoning to your liking. To do this without food poisoning yourself, heat a small amount (about 1 teaspoon) in the microwave or pan fry it in a skillet. Add more seasonings, if needed.

Step 2: Preheat Oven and Cut the Puff Pastry

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

The puff pastry should be ready now. Unfold the two sheets and stack them on top of each other. Using a knife or pastry cutter, cut the stacked sheets into nine squares, each measuring 3” x 3”. If you’re using Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets, follow the existing fold lines to guide your cuts.

Side note: Some people like to cut them into circles with a cookie/biscuit cutter but that leaves the corners wasted. If you’re like me and thinks no one has time for that, keep them as squares. Plus, I love how the corners turn extra crispy when baked and more importantly, no waste!

You should have a total of 18 squares. Two squares for each pie.

Step 3: Assemble the Meat Pies

Remove the top squares. Place a scoop of filling in the center of each puff pastry square.

Brush the edges around the meat filling with egg wash.

Gently stretch the top pastry square so it covers the filling easier. Place it over the filling and use your finger to press down and seal the edges.

If you’re feeling fancy, you can use the tip of a fork to press down for a decorative edge.

Pierce the top of the pastry with a fork to release steam and prevent it from exploding. It most likely won’t, but you can’t be too careful.

Brush the tops with more egg wash for a golden, crispy crust and beautiful shine.

Step 4: Bake

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. If you don’t have parchment, no worries. I baked these pies directly on a metal baking sheet, and they came off fine.

Arrange the pies with some space between them to allow for expansion, then bake for about 25 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and puffed up.

Tips for Success

• Don’t leave the puffy pastry sheets at room temperature for more than 30 minutes, as it can become too soft and ruin the intricacies of its many layers.
• Keep pastry sheets semi-frozen while cutting for clean edges.
• Once the pies are fully assembled, it’s best to bake right away and store the extras.

Storage & Reheating

Once cooled, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat them in a toaster oven or air fryer at 380°F for about 5 minutes or until crispy.

If you have leftovers (is that even possible?), wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container in the freezer. They can last for up to six months, if not longer.

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