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Perfect Mini Beef Wellington Bites: Best Easy NYE Appetizer

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These Perfect Mini Beef Wellington Bites are the ultimate New Year’s Eve appetizer—flaky puff pastry wrapped around tender beef and savory mushroom duxelles. They look fancy enough to impress anyone but are shockingly simple to pull off in under 45 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound (450g) beef tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin
  • 1 sheet (about 10x10 inches / 25×25 cm) puff pastry, thawed if frozen
  • 8 ounces (225g) cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 medium shallot, finely diced (about 2 tablespoons / 20g)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried)
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
  • 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Flaky sea salt, for finishing (optional, such as Maldon)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  2. Pat the beef tenderloin dry with paper towels. Cut it into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes (about 16-20 cubes). Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Working in batches, sear the beef cubes for 1-2 minutes per side until deeply browned. The centers should still be rare. Transfer to a plate and let them cool completely.
  4. In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the finely chopped mushrooms, shallot, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until the mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates, and the mixture looks dry and almost paste-like. Stir in the fresh thyme and Dijon mustard, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
  5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the thawed puff pastry sheet to about 12×12 inches (30×30 cm). Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the pastry into 16 equal squares (about 3×3 inches / 7.5×7.5 cm each).
  6. Place a heaping teaspoon of mushroom duxelles in the center of each pastry square. Top with a seared beef cube. Gently bring the four corners of the pastry up and pinch them together at the top, sealing the filling inside. Place each bite seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between them.
  7. Brush each bite generously with the beaten egg wash. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on top (optional). Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden.
  8. Let the bites cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Don’t skip cooling the mushroom duxelles and seared beef before wrapping in pastry—warm filling melts the butter in the puff pastry, making it greasy and less flaky. For a party, you can assemble the bites up to 4 hours ahead and keep them in the fridge; just add a few extra minutes to the baking time. These bites also freeze well unbaked for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: mini beef wellington, beef wellington bites, new year's eve appetizer, puff pastry appetizer, beef tenderloin appetizer, party appetizer, easy appetizer

Find it online: https://grubella.com/perfect-mini-beef-wellington-bites-best-easy-nye-appetizer/