• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Beyond Flour
  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact Us
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Us
  • All Recipes
  • Shop
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact Us
×

Home » Recipes » Canadian

Gluten Free Tourtiere

Published: Nov 20, 2022

Note: This site is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for the site to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.

Sharing is caring!

  • Yummly
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Tumblr
Jump to Recipe -

This Gluten-Free Tourtière Recipe is full of all of the flavours and textures of the traditional pie, just without the gluten!

Note: This recipe was first posted on my original blog, Celebration Generation, on February 2, 2012. It was transferred over to this blog - existing comments and all - on 3/4/2021. It was most recently updated on 11/20/22.

A golden brown baked meat pie, with a maple leaf design on top. There is a section cut out of it. Green text overlay reads gluten-free tourtiere.

So... I have a functional kitchen now!

The cabinets are built, the countertops installed, backsplash set, everything grouted, and the sink, dishwasher, and stove are all hooked up!

*CANNOT* tell you how good it feels to have some culinary autonomy back.

We haven't had the use of the dishwasher since May's tornado - it's been used to store the glassware ever since! We've been living off takeout.

While my access to the kitchen has been sporadic at best, my brain hasn't taken a break, so I've had this LONG list of ideas and theoretical recipes brewing, with no ability to do anything about it, short of write them down.

I tell you, working through those ideas on paper, while being stuck with months crappy fast food?

Torture.

One of the things I wanted to make this whole time was a proper French Canadian tourtiere (“Tourtière”, for those who are better with accents!)

A golden brown gluten-free tourtiere meat pie, with a maple leaf design on top.

What is Tourtiere?

Tourtière is a savoury meat pie - specifically, a French Canadian meat pie.

It’s popular in the province of Quebec, and in areas of Canada with high concentrations of French Canadians.

For many, it’s a thing for special occasions, especially around Christmas time.

The French-Canadian meat pie is traditionally served as part of Réveillon, a feast that happens after midnight mass on Christmas eve.

While half my family members are Quebecois, it hasn’t really been a Christmas tradition for me, so much as a cold weather thing.

I mostly had it during Festival Du Voyageur, growing up, and I’m just as likely to serve my version of tourtière for New Year’s Eve, as I am for Christmas!

I digress.

There are probably as many different ways to make it, as there are people in Quebec City.

Early, original tourtières primarily featured wild game, while cooks today use ground meat - or a mixture of ground meat varieties.

(Personally, I’m in the “blend of meats” camp - mine is a beef and pork pie!)

Some people use mashed potatoes in their meat pie recipe, some use cubed potatoes... some will skip the carrots, others may skip the celery.

Most will feature warm spices, even if the spices / amounts used in the spice mix are a little different between recipes.

Gluten Free Tourtiere

Anyway, as part of the planning process, I worked on a basic gluten-free pastry crust that wouldn't make me grieve for my inability to eat wheat.

I did it - a gluten-free tourtiere!

Yesterday was my first day with the new kitchen, so I rolled out of bed and almost immediately went to buy groceries.

With 3 items I wanted to make, Tourtiere was to be made in the afternoon, closer to suppertime. Couldn't handle it, dug in to the preparation right away!

I tell ya, the filling, as it's cooking, smells amazing on the best of days. All those fresh veggies, herbs... yum.

To someone who's eaten more Wendy's takeout in the past few months than anyone should have to in a lifetime? Absolutely amazing.

The crust also turned out extremely well - you'd never peg it as being a gluten-free crust. Very rich and flaky!

Oh, so good. I just had some leftovers for breakfast - this gluten-free tourtiere recipe is definitely a winner!

Updating over a decade later: This has become my go-to recipe over the years since posting it!

A gluten free tourtiere.

Ingredients

While this recipe has a bit of a laundry list of ingredients to it, they’re all relatively simple ingredients that should be easy to find at any large grocery store.

A few notes for you:

Gluten Free Pie Crust Dough

I use my cream cheese based pastry recipe for the pastry shell when making tourtieres.

As with all of my gluten free baking, I use specific flours / proportions of those flours, chosen to best suit the particular recipe I’m working on.

This is one of my earliest gluten free recipes, and in the beginning, I DID use an “all purpose” gluten free flour mixture - it’s SO much better now!

The flours, starches, etc I use for this recipe are:

White Rice Flour
Light Buckwheat Flour
Sorghum Flour
Sweet Rice Flour
Corn Starch
Xanthan Gum

In addition to those, you’ll need:

Cream Cheese
Unsalted butter
Large eggs
Salt

That said, you can use your own crust for this - whether homemade or store bought, gluten free or not.

You’ll want a double pie crust, either way.

Don’t need it gluten free? I recommend my Great Uncle Tom’s Perfect Pie Crust recipe. So good!

The Meat Filling

The bulk of this ingredients in this recipe go in the filling. These ingredients are pretty straightforward:

Ground beef - or ground veal - and ground pork

Vegetables - carrots, potatoes, onion, and celery.

Herbs and spices: Fresh parsley, Dried Summer Savory, Bay Leaves, Ground Cloves, black pepper, salt

Liquid: Milk, and either beef or chicken broth.

Note: Can’t eat pork or beef? Neither can my husband, so I have since developed my Gluten-Free Chicken Mushroom Tourtiere - you would never know it’s not actually a ground beef / ground pork version!

A golden brown baked meat pie, with a maple leaf design on top. There is a section cut out of it.

Helpful Tips

A few words of advice before getting to the recipe:

Baking Your Tourtiere

I like to roll my dough on the silicone mat that came with my rolling pin, and use only the absolute minimum amount of cornstarch necessary to prevent it from sticking.

Corn starch is great for rolling dough out, but if you use too much, it’ll dry the dough out and make it crumbly.

*****
On that note, I recommend using a Rolling pin with adjustable thickness guides - that’s the one I use.

It’s the best way to ensure you’re rolling your dough out to an even thickness - and you can set your thickness!

I like to use ⅛" for rolling out my pie shell.

*****

For best results, let your filling cool before putting it in the pie pan.

Don’t skip the cooling - this helps prevent a soggy bottom crust!

*****

I like to place my pie pan on a baking sheet before filling it, and transfer the whole thing to the oven.

I can be clumsy with oven mitts, and sing a cookie sheet prevents me from messing up the crust when moving it!

Serving Tourtiere

Tourtiere can be served warm or cold.

I usually serve the tourtiere fresh out of the oven - hot - and can go either way with the leftovers.

*****
It’s traditional to serve this meat pie with a flavorful sauce or sour pickle. You can use chili sauce , beet pickles, etc.

Chow Chow Relish is a traditional accompaniment that goes REALLY well with it!

Storage and Leftovers

Once baked - and cooled - tourtiere will keep in the fridge for at least a couple of days, I wouldn’t go more than 3-4 days though.

Keep it covered to prevent the filling from drying out - I like to use Cling Wrap.

A golden brown gluten-free tourtiere meat pie, with a maple leaf design on top.. There is a section cut out of it

More Canadian Recipes!

Looking for more recipes from the ‘great white north’? Look no further!

Chow Chow Relish
Gluten-Free Bacon Poutine Pizza
Gluten Free Beaver Tail Recipe
Gluten-Free Butter Tart Bars
Gluten Free Butter Tarts
Gluten-Free Cod Au Gratin
Gluten Free Cod Cheeks & Dressing
Gluten-Free Chicken Mushroom Tourtiere
Gluten Free Imperial Cookies Recipe
Gluten-Free Nanaimo Bar Brownies
Gluten Free Puffed Rice Bars
Gluten-Free Schmoo Torte

Looking for even more Canadian recipes? Check out our full Gluten-Free Canadian Recipes list!

A golden brown gluten-free tourtiere with a maple leaf design on top. There is a section cut out of it, revealing the meat and vegetable filling.

Share the Love!

Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @BeyondFlourBlog - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

Finally, if you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and a comment!

A golden brown gluten-free tourtiere meat pie, with a maple leaf design on top.. There is a section cut out of it

A golden brown gluten-free tourtiere meat pie, with a maple leaf design on top.. There is a section cut out of it
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Gluten-Free Tourtiere [French Canadian Meat Pie]

This Gluten Free Tourtiere Recipe is full of all of the flavours and textures of the traditional pie, just without the gluten!
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time1 hr 30 mins
Chilling Time30 mins
Total Time2 hrs 30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Canadian, Quebecois
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 570kcal

Equipment

  • Deep Dish Pie Pan

Ingredients

Filling:

  • 2 Carrots peeled and grated
  • 2 Large Potatoes peeled and cut into ~ ⅓″ cubes
  • 1 Small Onion finely chopped
  • 4 Celery Ribs finely chopped
  • 1 lb Ground Pork
  • 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
  • ½ cup Fresh Parsley chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoon Dried Summer Savoury
  • 2-3 teaspoon Ground Pepper
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves
  • 2 cups Milk
  • 1 ½ cups Beef or Chicken Broth

Dough:

  • 1 cup White Rice Flour
  • ¾ cup Light Buckwheat Flour
  • ½ cup Sorghum Flour
  • ¼ cup Sweet Rice Flour
  • ¼ cup Corn Starch
  • 2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 8 oz Cream Cheese chopped
  • ½ cup Unsalted butter cold and chopped
  • ⅓ cup Cold Water
  • 1 Large egg

Assembly:

  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 tablespoon Cold Water

Instructions

Filling:

  • After your carrots, potatoes, and onion are peeled and all of the veggies are chopped into small pieces, add them to a large skillet (a cast iron skillet works, I use nonstick), along with the meats and seasoning.
  • Stir everything together until well mixed.
  • Add the milk and the broth, stirring once again to fully combine.
  • Bring this meat mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium heat and simmer – stirring often – until the liquid has cooked off, and the meat has broken down almost to a paste. This should take about an hour, give or take.
  • Once it’s ready, remove from heat and let the filling cool to room temperature.

Dough:

  • Measure flours, corn starch, xanthan gum, and salt into the bowl of your food processor, blitz to combine.
  • Add cream cheese, blitz a few times until mixture resembles gravel.
  • Add butter, ¼ cup water, and egg. Blitz a few more times - just long enough to start to bring it together as a dough – you may need to use a little more water. Do NOT over-process it!
  • Remove dough from processor, knead lightly to bring it together as a ball.
  • Wrap in plastic wrap, chill for 1 hour before use.

Assembly:

  • Preheat oven to 425 F
  • Divide pie dough into 2 parts – one slightly bigger than the other.
  • Roll the bigger section out as the bottom crust, use it to line a deep-dish pie plate / deep baking dish – carefully working it into the corners.
  • Fill the lined pie pan with cooled filling, spreading it into the corners and mounding it in the center.
  • Roll out the second part of dough as the top crust, cover the pie filling.
  • Trim the excess dough and crimp the edges as desired, cut a couple of slits in it for steam vents.
  • If desired, roll any extra dough very thin, cut into shapes, and apply to the crust for decoration.
  • In a small bowl or mug, whisk the egg together with a little water. Use a pastry brush to coat the entire top of the tourtière with a thin coating of this egg wash.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until crust is golden brown.
  • Serve warm or cold.

Nutrition

Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 617mg | Potassium: 774mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3021IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 3mg

Related posts:

A close up view of a lattice topped pie, made with a gluten free pie crust.Gluten Free Pie Crust A slice of gluten-free pumpkin pie topped with maple whipped cream.Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie A close up photo of a cut-open chicken mushroom tourtiere pie. The crust has maple leaves on it.Gluten-Free Chicken Mushroom Tourtiere A slice of lattice top gluten-free apple pie on a plate, in front of the rest of the pie.Gluten Free Apple Pie
« Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies
Gluten Free Corn Dogs »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Peggy B

    March 04, 2021 at 10:46 am

    5 stars
    what kind of broth did you use ( beef broth?)
    thanks

    Reply
    • admin

      March 04, 2021 at 10:47 am

      Beef, chicken, vegetable... whatever we have on hand and/or are in the mood for.

      Reply
  2. Lor

    December 11, 2021 at 8:55 am

    Do you think this could be frozen? After baked? Or before? Thinking Christmas!

    Reply
    • admin

      December 20, 2021 at 7:05 am

      I'd freeze before baking, but you could do it either way.

      Reply
  3. Shelly

    December 18, 2022 at 7:59 pm

    5 stars
    I just made this, and it was wonderful!! Since I already had a mini gluten free crust, I didn't use the crust recipe at this time. I split the filling between a ready made crust for my family and the little gf one for me, and everything came out just perfectly! So comforting and flavorful! This is one is a keeper. Thank you!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Marie Porter


Author of the "Beyond Flour" series of gluten-free cookbooks, autistic polymath, and cat mom.

More about me →

Join us on Social Media

Facebook logo, a white F on a blue background. Instagram icon - a stylized white camera image on blue background. Pinterest Logo - White on red background. Twitter logo - a white stylized bird icon on an aqua background.

More Than Poutine: A Uniquely Canadian Cookbook.
Learn to sew with spandex

META

Site Admin

Logout

Entries Feed

Comments Feed


Most Recent Posts

  • Two oblong ceramic ramekins of gluten-free cod au gratin. Cod is in a creamy, cheesy sauce, topped with crushed chips, more cheese, and savoury.
    Cod Au Gratin
  • A close up photo of ahi tuna crudo, with mango, avocado, jalapenos, and a citrus vinaigrette, served over cucumber slices.
    Tuna Crudo
  • A single mini Easter pavlova, topped with green coconut and cadbury mini eggs and a pink Peeps marshmallow.
    Easter Pavlovas
  • Pink, yellow, and blue chick shaped homemade peeps on a bed of green coconut.
    Marshmallow Peeps

We'd love to have you subscribe to our newsletter!

Footer

About

  • About Us
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Newsletter

  • Sign Up

    for emails and updates

Our Other Blogs

  • Autism Rants
  • Celebration Generation
  • Low Carb Hoser
  • Spandex Simplified

Note: This site is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for the site to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites. While I’ll only ever link to items that I, personally, wholeheartedly recommend, I do need to put that disclosure out there!

Copyright © 2020 Foodie Pro on the Foodie Pro Theme