These bites are a scaled-down Wellington. Beef tenderloin is seared, coated in a mushroom duxelles, and wrapped in puff pastry. Each piece bakes to a deep golden brown with a juicy centre.
Weigh everything before you start. The duxelles must be dry, or the pastry will turn soggy. Keep the beef cold before wrapping.
The spice mix is mild and warm. Nutmeg and allspice sit behind the beef, not over it. Serve them hot from the tray.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
600 g beef tenderloin, centre cut (about 1.3 lb)
Ask the butcher for a centre-cut piece of even thickness. Substitute with sirloin if tenderloin is unavailable.
320 g puff pastry, all-butter, cold (about 2 sheets, 11 oz)
All-butter pastry tastes better and browns faster. Buy frozen and thaw in the fridge overnight, never on the counter.
300 g chestnut mushrooms (about 3 cups, chopped)
Chestnut mushrooms hold less water than white buttons. Substitute with cremini if chestnut is not stocked.
1 medium shallot, finely chopped (about 60 g)
A shallot is sweeter and milder than onion. Substitute with 40 g of red onion if needed.
2 garlic cloves, minced (about 8 g)
Fresh garlic gives a sharper note than paste. Substitute with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
30 g unsalted butter (2 tablespoons)
Butter browns the mushrooms faster than oil. Substitute with olive oil for a dairy-free version.
1 teaspoon ground allspice (2 g)
Allspice carries clove, cinnamon and nutmeg notes in one jar. Substitute with 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg plus 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1 g)
Grate fresh nutmeg for a stronger aroma. Pre-ground loses potency after six months.
1 large egg, beaten (about 50 g)
The egg wash glues the pastry and gives shine. Substitute with 2 tablespoons of milk for a matte finish.
8 g fine salt (1 1/2 teaspoons)
Weigh salt for accuracy. Kosher salt is coarser, so use 10 g if you swap.
3 g black pepper (1 teaspoon), freshly ground
Grind to order for a sharper bite. Pre-ground pepper tastes flat.
15 g Dijon mustard (1 tablespoon)
Mustard helps the duxelles stick to the beef. Substitute with horseradish cream for a hotter profile.
Tips & Tricks
Dry the duxelles fully
Cook the mushrooms until the pan is dry and the mixture holds its shape on a spoon. Wet filling steams the pastry from below.
Chill before wrapping
Cool the beef and duxelles completely, then wrap cold. Warm filling softens the butter in the pastry.
Do not overfill
Use 1 heaped teaspoon of duxelles per bite. Too much filling splits the seams during baking.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a large baking tray with parchment. (A hot oven sets the pastry before the butter melts out.)
2. Sear the beef
Season the beef with 5 g of the salt and 2 g of the pepper. Sear in a hot dry pan over high heat for 90 seconds per side, until browned all over. (A short sear builds colour without cooking the centre.)
3. Chill the beef
Transfer the beef to a plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes. (Cold beef holds its shape when sliced.)
4. Cook the duxelles
Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms, allspice, nutmeg and remaining salt and pepper. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the pan is dry and the mixture pulls away from the sides. (Dry filling is the key to crisp pastry.)
5. Cool and mix
Spread the duxelles on a plate and cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the Dijon mustard. (Cooling stops the steam from softening the pastry.)
6. Slice and coat
Cut the chilled beef into 24 cubes of about 2 cm. Coat each cube with 1 heaped teaspoon of duxelles. (Even coating keeps the bake uniform.)
7. Wrap the bites
Cut the pastry into 24 squares of 7 cm. Place one beef cube on each square and fold the corners up. Pinch the seams and press with a fork. (Sealed seams stop the filling leaking out.)
8. Wash and bake
Brush each bite with beaten egg. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until deep golden brown and the pastry sounds hollow when tapped. The beef centre should read 54°C (130°F) on a probe thermometer for medium-rare. (Hollow sound and colour are your doneness cues.)
9. Rest and serve
Rest the bites on the tray for 3 minutes. Serve warm. (Resting keeps the juices inside the beef.)
Delicious Variations
Horseradish Version
Replace the Dijon with 15 g of prepared horseradish for a sharper, hotter bite.
Mushroom-Free Version
Swap the duxelles for 200 g of caramelised onion jam for a sweeter filling.
Mini Wellington Log
Roll the whole beef in pastry instead of cubes and bake for 25 minutes at 200°C (400°F).
How to Store Christmas Spiced Beef Wellington Bites
Refrigerator
Store baked bites in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat at 180°C (350°F) for 8 minutes.
Freezer
Freeze unbaked bites on a tray for 1 hour, then bag for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes.
Reheating
Reheat baked bites at 180°C (350°F) for 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp and hot through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I make these beef Wellington bites ahead of time?
Yes, you can assemble the bites up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate them covered. Bake straight from the fridge and add 2 minutes to the bake time.
Q: What cut of beef is best for Wellington bites?
Beef tenderloin is the best cut because it stays tender at a short cook time. Sirloin works as a cheaper substitute but needs a slightly longer sear.
Q: Why is my puff pastry soggy on the bottom?
The duxelles were too wet or the pastry was warm before baking. Cook the mushrooms until the pan is dry and chill the assembled bites for 15 minutes before baking.
Q: Can I use store-bought mushroom duxelles?
Yes, but check the label for added water and drain it well. Homemade duxelles gives a drier, more concentrated flavour.
Q: How do I know when the beef inside is cooked?
Use a probe thermometer: 54°C (130°F) for medium-rare and 60°C (140°F) for medium. The pastry should be deep golden brown at the same time.
Weigh the beef and mushrooms, keep the filling dry, and bake until the pastry sounds hollow. Make a batch this week and tell me how the tray emptied. Weigh, watch, repeat.
Christmas Spiced Beef Wellington Bites
Christmas Spiced Beef Wellington Bites wrap seasoned beef in golden puff pastry with mushroom duxelles for a festive, juicy two-bite party appetizer.
🧂 Ingredients
- 600 g beef tenderloin, centre cut (about 1.3 lb)
- 320 g puff pastry, all-butter, cold (about 2 sheets, 11 oz)
- 300 g chestnut mushrooms (about 3 cups, chopped)
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped (about 60 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (about 8 g)
- 30 g unsalted butter (2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice (2 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1 g)
- 1 large egg, beaten (about 50 g)
- 8 g fine salt (1 1/2 teaspoons)
- 3 g black pepper (1 teaspoon), freshly ground
- 15 g Dijon mustard (1 tablespoon)
📋 Instructions
- 1Heat the oven — Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a large baking tray with parchment. (A hot oven sets the pastry before the butter melts out.)
- 2Sear the beef — Season the beef with 5 g of the salt and 2 g of the pepper. Sear in a hot dry pan over high heat for 90 seconds per side, until browned all over. (A short sear builds colour without cooking the centre.)
- 3Chill the beef — Transfer the beef to a plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes. (Cold beef holds its shape when sliced.)
- 4Cook the duxelles — Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms, allspice, nutmeg and remaining salt and pepper. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the pan is dry and the mixture pulls away from the sides. (Dry filling is the key to crisp pastry.)
- 5Cool and mix — Spread the duxelles on a plate and cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the Dijon mustard. (Cooling stops the steam from softening the pastry.)
- 6Slice and coat — Cut the chilled beef into 24 cubes of about 2 cm. Coat each cube with 1 heaped teaspoon of duxelles. (Even coating keeps the bake uniform.)
- 7Wrap the bites — Cut the pastry into 24 squares of 7 cm. Place one beef cube on each square and fold the corners up. Pinch the seams and press with a fork. (Sealed seams stop the filling leaking out.)
- 8Wash and bake — Brush each bite with beaten egg. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until deep golden brown and the pastry sounds hollow when tapped. The beef centre should read 54°C (130°F) on a probe thermometer for medium-rare. (Hollow sound and colour are your doneness cues.)
- 9Rest and serve — Rest the bites on the tray for 3 minutes. Serve warm. (Resting keeps the juices inside the beef.)
Tomasz writes precise, method-first recipes for breads, ferments, and slow braises, drawing on Polish and Central European home cooking. He cares about weights, temperatures, and timing, and explains the reason behind each step so cooks can repeat results. His angle is turning fussy techniques into clear, checkable instructions.