Gordon Ramsay beef wellington bites are bite-sized versions of his signature dish, using the same sear-and-wrap technique but with the fillet cut into cubes before wrapping. Golden, crispy and ready in about 20 minutes, they work as a starter or party canapé.
Ramsay doesn’t publish a bites recipe in any of his cookbooks, but the method comes straight from his full beef wellington in Sunday Lunch. Same duxelles, same Parma ham, same pastry. I just cut the fillet into 12 pieces instead of keeping it whole, so each guest picks one up and eats it in two bites.
The only thing that changes with smaller portions is timing. You sear for 15 seconds per side instead of 30, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes instead of 35, because a small cube of fillet will overcook before the pastry even turns golden if you’re not quick. Season generously before searing. In his MasterClass Ramsay says “once you’ve cooked it, you can’t season it,” and with bites that’s even more true because there’s nowhere to hide.
Gordon Ramsay Beef Wellington Bites
Course: AppetiserCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Intermediate12
bites25
minutes15
minutes185
kcal40 min
(plus chilling)Intermediate
Mini beef wellingtons built from Ramsay’s Sunday Lunch technique, cut into individual portions with a shorter sear and faster bake. Works as a starter for four or canapés for a party.
Ingredients
400g beef fillet, cut into 12 equal cubes
200g flat cap mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tbsp English mustard
6 slices of Parma ham, halved lengthways
375g ready-made puff pastry
Flour, for dusting
1 egg yolk, beaten
Olive oil, for cooking
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Blitz the duxelles: Pulse the mushrooms in a food processor with seasoning to a rough paste. Cook in a hot dry pan over high heat for about 10 minutes, tossing frequently, until completely dry. Spread on a plate to cool.
- Sear the beef: Heat olive oil in a hot frying pan. Season the beef cubes well and sear for 15 seconds per side, just enough to colour the outside. Remove and brush each cube lightly with English mustard while still warm.
- Wrap each bite: Take a half-slice of Parma ham and spread a thin layer of duxelles over it. Place a seared beef cube at one end and roll up tightly. Repeat with all 12 cubes. Chill for 10 minutes.
- Wrap in pastry: Roll out puff pastry on a floured surface to about 3mm thick. Cut into 12 squares, each large enough to wrap around one bite. Place each wrapped cube seam-side down on a square, fold the pastry up and around, pressing to seal. Turn seam-side down on a lined baking sheet. Brush with egg yolk. Chill for 10 minutes.
- Bake: Heat oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Brush with egg yolk again and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden and puffed. Rest for 3 minutes before serving.
FAQs
How many wellington bites per person?
Three to four as a starter, six to eight if you’re passing them round at a drinks party. This recipe makes 12, so it covers a sit-down starter for four or canapés for two.
For a bigger crowd, double the recipe and bake in two batches. The duxelles and searing can be done in the morning, the wrapping through the afternoon, then you just bake 20 minutes before people arrive.
Can you make wellington bites ahead and freeze them?
That’s the best way to handle a big batch. Wrap them fully in pastry but don’t egg wash or bake. Freeze flat on a lined tray until solid, then bag them up. They keep for a month.
When you’re ready, brush with egg yolk straight from frozen and bake at 200°C for 16 to 18 minutes, a few minutes longer than fresh. The pastry puffs up just as well, so nobody will know the difference.
What dipping sauce goes with wellington bites?
The same thing you’d serve with the full wellington: a red wine jus. Pour it into shot glasses so guests can dip without making a mess.
Horseradish cream is another good option. In his Christmas video Ramsay calls horseradish “a really nice alternative” to mustard on beef, and the sharpness cuts through the rich pastry nicely when everything is bite-sized.
What is the difference between bites and mini wellingtons?
Nothing, really. Some people call them petite beef wellingtons, others say bites or mini wellingtons. The technique is identical: sear, wrap, bake, just smaller.
If you want to get specific, bites are usually cubes wrapped in squares of pastry. Mini wellingtons are sometimes small cylinders wrapped like the full version, which takes a bit longer but looks closer to the real thing when you slice through them.
Are the frozen Costco wellington bites any good?
They’re fine for a Tuesday night. The box (Chef Ramsay Beef Wellington Bites, around $7 for 10oz) bakes from frozen at 200°C for 18 to 20 minutes. Use the oven, not the microwave, or the pastry goes soggy.
The filling is minced beef, not solid fillet, so the texture is nothing like the homemade version above. Worth keeping in the freezer for when someone turns up unannounced. Not what I’d put on the table at Christmas.
