How many calories are in a Jamaican beef patty?
A regular Jamaican beef patty weighs about 130 g and carries 303 calories. Per 100 g the pastry-and-beef combination runs 233 calories, which puts it in the same range as a slice of stuffed pizza. The filling is not what drives the number. The turmeric-yellow shell is.
You'd need to walk about 61 minutes to burn the 303 calories in one regular patty (130 g).
How long does it take to burn off 303 kcal of Jamaican beef patty?
One regular patty (130 g) is 303 kcal. Enter your weight and the amount you ate to see how long it takes you to burn that off:
lb
| Activity | Time to burn 303 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 1 hr 1 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 38 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 43 min |
| Jogging | 36 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 1 hr 7 min |
Times are for a 155 lb adult at a steady pace; change the weight to see yours. The amount is set to the portion in the text (130 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Jamaican beef patty quick facts
- US servings from a party patty to a bakery patty
- Chicken and ham turnover versions
- Sodium is the row that moves fastest
- How does a Jamaican beef patty compare?
- Most popular jamaican beef patty brands
- FAQ
Jamaican beef patty quick facts
The numbers below come from the USDA record FNDDS 2708736, "Turnover or hot pocket, beef". It is the only generic entry in FoodData Central that describes a baked meat-filled pastry with a full nutrient profile and USDA household portions, and it lands within 2.6% of the best-selling Jamaican patty in US freezer aisles: Golden Krust's spicy beef patty is 239 calories per 100 g against 233 here. In other words, the generic record describes the thing you are actually holding.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per 1 patty (130 g) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 233 | 303 | — |
| Total fat | 10.25 g | 13.3 g | 17% |
| Saturated fat | 3.23 g | 4.2 g | 21% |
| Carbohydrate | 24.49 g | 31.8 g | 12% |
| Dietary fiber | 1.3 g | 1.7 g | 6% |
| Total sugars | 2.67 g | 3.5 g | — |
| Protein | 10.35 g | 13.5 g | 27% |
| Sodium | 455 mg | 592 mg | 26% |
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
Two rows you might expect are missing. Added sugars and trans fat are not published for this record in the current FNDDS release, so listing them would mean inventing numbers, and they stay out. Cholesterol comes in at 27 mg per patty (9% DV) and potassium at 203 mg (4% DV), both of them minor next to the sodium line.
US servings from a party patty to a bakery patty
Patties are sold in at least three sizes, and the spread between them is bigger than the spread between brands. A cocktail patty passed around on a tray is barely a snack. A hot bakery patty in a paper sleeve is a small meal.
| Serving | Weight | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | 28.4 g | 66 kcal |
| 1 small cocktail or party patty | 35 g | 82 kcal |
| USDA average when size is not stated | 105 g | 245 kcal |
| 1 regular patty | 130 g | 303 kcal |
| 1 bakery patty, 5 oz | 142 g | 331 kcal |
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 233 kcal |
The 35 g, 105 g and 130 g weights are USDA household portions for this record. The 5-ounce bakery patty and the 1-ounce line are our own arithmetic from the USDA 100 g figure, not USDA servings; 5 ounces is the size most Caribbean bakery counters and the big Golden Krust piece use. If you log a patty without weighing it, 130 g is the honest default, and the 105 g "quantity not specified" average is what USDA falls back on.
Chicken and ham turnover versions
Same shell, different fillings. Because the pastry does most of the caloric work, swapping the filling moves the total less than people expect.
| Version | Per 100 g | Typical piece | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, the baseline | 233 kcal | 1 patty, 130 g | 303 kcal |
| Chicken | 215 kcal | 1 patty, 130 g | 280 kcal |
| Ham and cheese | 256 kcal | 1 patty, 130 g | 333 kcal |
| Pizza pocket | 244 kcal | 1 pocket, 130 g | 317 kcal |
| Golden Krust spicy beef | 239 kcal | 1 piece, 142 g | 339 kcal |
| Beef empanada | 224 kcal | 1 empanada, 85 g | 190 kcal |
| Cocktail beef patty | 233 kcal | 1 small, 35 g | 82 kcal |
The 130 g weights for the chicken, ham and pizza versions are our own arithmetic from their USDA 100 g figures, matched to the beef patty so the comparison is fair. Chicken is the lightest filling at 280 calories; ham and cheese is the heaviest at 333. That is a 53-calorie spread across the four fillings at a matched 130 g.
Brands scatter far more than fillings do. Golden Krust sits at 239 calories per 100 g, Global Delights at 305, and Buena Vista at just 173. Take two patties of identical 142 g weight and the Buena Vista version is 246 calories while the Global Delights one is 433 — a gap of 187 calories for the same object in your hand. The Global Delights recipe is the fried, richer one; Buena Vista runs leaner with less pastry per gram. If a brand is printed on the box, use its own label rather than a generic figure.
A beef empanada is the closest cousin, not a substitute: at 85 g it is 190 calories, smaller rather than lighter, since per 100 g it is only 9 calories below the patty.
Sodium is the row that moves fastest
One 130 g patty carries 592 mg of sodium. Against the FDA Daily Value of 2,300 mg that is 26% of a day, or roughly a quarter teaspoon of table salt baked into a single pastry. Put next to the carbohydrate row, which is 12% DV, the sodium is more than double the burden — and nobody buys a patty worrying about salt.
Saturated fat is the second row worth a look: 4.2 g per patty, 21% DV, most of it from the shortening in the crust rather than the ground beef. Two patties in one sitting put you at 42% DV for saturated fat and 51% for sodium before you add a drink or a side.
The upside is real protein. At 13.5 g per patty, or 27% of the 50 g Daily Value, a patty is not an empty pastry — it does part of the job of a protein food in a way a croissant never does. If you are watching sodium, the party-size patty at 159 mg is the version that fits without argument.
How does a Jamaican beef patty compare?
| Turnover | Per 100 g | US serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaican beef patty | 233 kcal | 1 patty, 130 g | 303 kcal |
| Chicken turnover | 215 kcal | 1 patty, 130 g | 280 kcal |
| Ham and cheese turnover | 256 kcal | 1 patty, 130 g | 333 kcal |
| Pizza pocket | 244 kcal | 1 pocket, 130 g | 317 kcal |
Our take: of these four, the chicken version is the lightest on both measures and the beef patty is second, so the beef patty is a better-than-average choice inside its own category. For weight loss, the party-size beef patty at 82 calories is the one that fits anywhere. For a filling lunch, one regular beef patty at 303 calories with 13.5 g of protein beats a pizza pocket at 317 with less protein per bite. What actually decides your total is not beef versus chicken — it is whether the patty in front of you weighs 35 g, 130 g or 142 g.
Most popular jamaican beef patty brands in the United States
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United States, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each Nutrition Facts label, checked against USDA FoodData Central.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Golden Krust Jamaican Style Spicy Beef Patties | 239 cal |
| Buena Vista Jamaican Beef Patty | 173 cal |
| Global Delights Jamaican Style Beef Turnover | 305 cal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Jamaican beef patty FAQs
How many calories are in a Jamaican beef patty?
A standard 130 g Jamaican beef patty carries 303 calories, based on the USDA record for a beef turnover at 233 calories per 100 grams. Party-size pieces of 35 g land at 82 calories, and a 5-ounce bakery patty of 142 grams works out to 331 calories.
How many calories in a Golden Krust beef patty?
Golden Krust lists its Jamaican Style Spicy Beef Patties at 239 calories per 100 grams, so one 5-ounce piece of 142 grams is 339 calories. That is 36 more than the 303 in the generic USDA turnover record, mostly because the pastry shell is thicker and more doughy.
Is a Jamaican beef patty high in sodium?
One 130 g patty delivers 592 mg of sodium, 26% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value and roughly a quarter teaspoon of table salt. Two patties take you past half a day's sodium before anything else on the plate. A small party patty is 159 mg.
How much protein is in a Jamaican beef patty?
A 130 g patty gives 13.5 g of protein, 27% of the 50 g Daily Value, scaled from 10.35 g per 100 grams. That is solid for a handheld pastry, but the same patty also carries 13.3 g of fat, so the protein arrives with real company.
Are Jamaican chicken patties lower in calories than beef?
Yes, but only slightly. The USDA chicken turnover record runs 215 calories per 100 grams against 233 for beef, so a matched 130 g patty is 280 calories instead of 303. That 23-calorie gap is far smaller than the difference between two brands of beef patty.
How many calories in a small party Jamaican patty?
A small cocktail or party patty of 35 g is 82 calories, about a quarter of the 303 in a full 130 g patty. Three of them still come in under one regular patty at 246 calories, which makes them the easier format to portion at a gathering.
How many carbs are in a Jamaican patty?
A 130 g patty holds 31.8 g of carbohydrate, 12% of the Daily Value, alongside 1.7 g of fiber and 3.5 g of total sugars. Almost all of it comes from the flaky pastry shell rather than the ground beef filling. Per 100 grams the figure is 24.49 g.
Is a Jamaican beef patty healthy?
It is a 303-calorie handheld with 13.5 g of protein and 592 mg of sodium, so sodium is the number to watch rather than the calories. Paired with a salad instead of fries, one patty fits an ordinary lunch; two patties and a soda are a different conversation.
Similar foods
- Mac And Cheese — 513 cal per cup
- Maple Syrup — 216 cal for 1/4 cup
- Prosciutto — 55 cal for 3 thin slices
- Baba ganoush — 110 cal for 1/4 cup
- Wonton wrapper — 23 cal per wonton wrapper
- Cheeseburger — 488 cal per cheeseburger
Count it without the math
Point the camera at the plate and BodyPal counts the patty for you, crust and filling together.
