Christmas Spiced Beef Wellington Bites – Easy Party Bites

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.

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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

★★★★½ 4.8 (214 ratings)

35 minPrep time20 minCook time8Servings312 kcalCalories

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🧂 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

1. 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.)
2. 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.)
3. 3Chill the beef — Transfer the beef to a plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes. (Cold beef holds its shape when sliced.)
4. 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.)
5. 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.)
6. 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.)
7. 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.)
8. 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.)
9. 9Rest and serve — Rest the bites on the tray for 3 minutes. Serve warm. (Resting keeps the juices inside the beef.)

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: A dry duxelles is the whole game here. If the mixture still looks wet, cook it 3 minutes longer before it touches the pastry.

Servings: 8

Cuisine: British

Course: Appetizer

Nutrition (per serving): 312 kcal · 21g protein · 18g carbs · 19g fat

Written by Tomasz Wiśniewski

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.