Beef Wellington bites are a wonderful festive appetizer. Beef pieces wrapped in puff pastry together with a flavorful filling and baked until golden brown.
Make your filling ahead to save time on the day of your party. It can be prepared one or two days ahead as long as it is kept in the fridge in an airtight container.
Follow the tips from this post to achieve the perfect beef wellington appetizers. A full recipe card at the bottom of this post will explain in detail how to make mini beef wellington bites. It also includes more process photos for easy understanding.
What puff pastry is best?
There is no right or wrong answer here. Supermarkets offer many options. Frozen, fresh, ready-rolled, round, square. They all can give you different results so always remember to keep an eye on the pastry once you put it in the oven.
I like using fresh ready-rolled pastry as it gives me the best results when it comes to baking. It is thinly rolled so I just unfold it. Now, their size and weight vary from brand to brand.
To make 24 individual beef wellington bites, count with about 1 pound (450 grams) of puff pastry.
What to serve with beef Wellington appetizers?
The horseradish dipping sauce, mustard sauce, or aioli are great options. Our favorite is homemade aioli.
For a complete Holiday appetizer menu, why not serve them with olive cheese skewers, slow cooker sweet and spicy meatballs and mini sandwiches?
Top tips
- Beef pieces and the mushroom filling have to be cooled down to room temperature. If these are still hot, they might melt your puff pastry which makes it hard to shape it into parcels. So, don't rush the process.
- Searing (or browning) is an important step and should not be omitted. It will keep the juices inside which means the meat will not dry out and the pastry will not turn soggy.
- Make sure to cut the beef into 1-inch cubes (2.5-centimeter). I have tested these beef wellington bites using larger pieces but was not happy with the final result. However, please note that smaller pieces tend to over-cook faster and because you are browning them first, most of the pieces will probably turn out well-done.
- Searing beef pieces should only take 1-1.5 minutes per batch. Avoid over-cooking the beef at this stage. You will need a large pan, a little oil, and high heat.
- A good quality cut of meat does make a difference here. Beef tenderloin is the best choice.
This beef wellington recipe has been tested several times in order for you to achieve the best possible results.
Now that being said, there are things that we cannot change (like the oven, the quality of pastry used nor the altitude we live in). For that reason, I always try to include as many details and information in my posts to avoid any possible failures.
More puff pastry recipes you might like to try:
Beef Wellington Bites
Ingredients
For the beef pieces:
- 1 pound beef tenderloin (450 grams, see note 1)
- ½ teaspoon salt (see note 2)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the mushroom filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion (minced)
- 2 cups button mushrooms (finely chopped, about 7 ounces/200 grams, see note 3)
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- black pepper (a generous pinch)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup pitted black olives (60 grams)
For beef wellington bites:
- 1 pound puff pastry (450 grams, see note 4)
- mustard (to taste, see note 5)
- 1 egg (small, beaten)
Instructions
- Cut beef into 1-inch pieces (2.5-centimeters) and season with salt and black pepper.
- Heat oil in a skillet/frying pan and brown half of the beef pieces on high heat on all sides, about 1-2 minutes max! Transfer onto a plate lined with a paper kitchen towel and repeat with the other half. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Meanwhile: In the same skillet, heat a little oil, add minced onion and sliced mushrooms, and sauté for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add soy sauce, oregano, black pepper and stir well.
- Transfer the mixture to a food processor and add olives (make sure there are no stones in them). Process until smooth-ish.
- Unfold/unroll puff pastry sheet and cut it into about 3-3.5 inch (8-9 centimeter) squares. Spread some mustard in the center of each square, then spread some mushroom mixture over.
- Top with a piece of beef. Grab 2 opposite tips of the pastry and fold them over the beef. Repeat with the other two corners/tips. Make sure to press down the corners so they don't open during cooking.
- Transfer the parcel onto a baking tray (see note 6 and 7) lined with baking parchment. Repeat with the rest of them. Brush them with beaten egg.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 10-15 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.
- Best served warm with a dipping sauce of your choice.
Notes
- To make 24 mini beef wellington appetizers you will need about 1 pound (450 grams) of beef tenderloin. Cut them into 1-inch cubes (2.5-centimeter).
- Keep in mind that the filling is seasoned as well so don't over-season the beef pieces.
- You can use either white or brown button mushrooms.
- You will need about 1 pound of puff pastry. I used 2 sheets of fresh ready-rolled pastry. Each weighing ½ pound (225 grams).
- I always eyeball this and use only a drop per bite. I used classic French mustard.
- I used 2 baking trays - a 10x15-inch (25x38-centimeter) tray will fit 12 pieces. A 9x13-inch (22x33-centimeter) tray/sheet could also work.
- If you can't fit both trays on the same rack in the oven, make and bake them in batches. Don't prepare the parcels ahead as puff pastry does not always do well when it sits at room temperature for a long time.
- Please read through the pro tips in the post if in doubt. There are also ideas for dipping sauces.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates calculated from available data and may vary with ingredient brands and portion sizes.
Trish says
Can there’s be assembled an hour ahead and refrigerated? If so, would you brush with egg before refrigeration or just prior to baking?
Julia says
Yes, absolutely! Assemble them an hour ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Brush with egg wash right before baking for the best puff pastry.
Jackie says
Can these be made the day before the party
Julia | Appetizer Addiction says
I have not made them ahead so not sure about that, Jackie.
Lynne Ray says
Can you put some cheese in these? If so what kind would you suggest?
Julia | Appetizer Addiction says
I have never tried it but I think you could. Perhaps some sharper cheese like gorgonzola or brie might work here? Just keep in mind that olives are salty so not to add too much of the salty cheese. Please do let us know if you give it a go!
Pat says
With the holidays approaching way to fast these look delicious! Can you link your aoli dipping sauce that you use?
Julia says
Thank you! I served these with garlic aioli. The full recipe is in the “homemade aioli” link in the post, and it only takes a few minutes to make.
Barb says
These look delicious, Will these freeze well?
Julia | Appetizer Addiction says
I would not recommend freezing these.
Julie says
Hi Julia, this looks delicious and I can't wait to try it. I see a sauce that is for dipping but do not see any recipe or anything about the dipping sauce. Can you tell me what you used? Thank you.
Julia says
Thank you so much! I served these with a quick garlic aioli. Blend 1 large egg with 1 small garlic clove, then slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil until thick. Finish with fresh lemon juice (about 1/4 lemon) and salt to taste. I also link to homemade aioli post if you want the step-by-step.
linda says
can these be frozen at any step?
Julia | Appetizer Addiction says
I haven't tried freezing them so not sure, Linda.
Herman says
Ideal for left-over fillet, pork or beef, ventured it in the air fryer, was delighted on the outcome, golden brown as with the oven, just faster.
Marci McCarver says
Can you make these a few hours ahead if you keep them in the fridge?
Julia says
Yes, you can prep them a few hours ahead and refrigerate. I recommend baking just before serving so the pastry stays crisp.
Kim says
What is the aioli sauce recipe???
Julia says
Aioli is easy: blend 1 large egg with 1 small garlic clove, then slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil until thick. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about 1/4 lemon) and salt to taste. For extra tips, check the homemade aioli link in the post.