Gordon Ramsay shepherd’s pie is a fantastic, classic recipe he has shared through multiple videos, including his popular 'F Word' series. Savory layers of ground lamb meat and a 'secret ingredient' mashed potato topping combine to make this internationally loved comfort food. My homemade copycat recipe is the best restaurant-worthy version that you and your family are sure to love.
Serve this English recipe with a green salad or steamed broccoli with Yorkshire puddings.
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My husband grew up with a hamburger pie casserole that his mom made, which was actually one of the first posts here on the blog. He also grew up enjoying roasted lamb on holidays.
So when the two of us watched our favorite celebrity chef put together a hamburger pie with ground lamb mince, we knew it wouldn't be long until we watched closely to emulate the best copycat, Gordon Ramsay Shepherd's Pie recipe.
This take on a classic shepherd's pie is as Chef Gordon Ramsay would make it. As he says in his shows, the requirement to being a 'shepherd's pie' vs. cottage pie' is that the meat is indeed lamb meat. Thus, the shepherd would be required.
Shepherd's pie, cottage pie, or hachis Parmentier is a ground meat pie with a crust or topping of mashed potato of English origin. The recipe has many variations, but the defining ingredients are ground red meat cooked in a gravy or sauce with onions, and topped with a layer of mashed potato before it is baked.
Wikipedia
🥘 Ingredients
For the Lamb Mince
- Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons, extra virgin
- Ground Lamb: 1 pound
- Seasoning: 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper, divided (1 teaspoon each)
- White Onion: 1 large, finely grated
- Carrot: 1 large, finely grated
- Garlic: 2 cloves, finely grated
- Worcestershire Sauce: 2 tablespoons
- Tomato Puree: 2 tablespoons (or 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste)
- Red Wine: 1 cup, dry (Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir recommended)
- Fresh Thyme: 2 sprigs, chopped
- Fresh Rosemary: 1 sprig, chopped
- Chicken Stock: 1 cup
For the Potato Mash
- Russet Potatoes: 2 pounds, washed, peeled, and quartered
- Butter: 2 tablespoons, unsalted
- Egg Yolks: 2 large
- Parmesan Cheese: 1 cup (reserve some for topping, if desired)
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Gordon Ramsay Copycat Shepherd’s Pie
A great shepherd's pie is easy to put together but always includes the basic meat in a gravy layer and a mashed potato topping.
Preparing the Mince
Cook the ground lamb: Heat a large skillet with olive oil over high heat. Add ground lamb, spread evenly, and crisp both sides. Break apart the lamb once browned and crisped. Season with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Add the vegetables: Mix in onion, garlic, and carrot, cooking for 2-4 minutes until soft.
Stir in sauces and herbs: Pour in Worcestershire sauce and tomato puree. Add red wine, thyme, and rosemary, cooking until the wine mostly evaporates.
Finish cooking the filling: Add chicken stock and cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Making the Potatoes
Boil potatoes: Cover peeled potatoes with water in a stockpot and boil for 20 minutes until soft. Drain.
Mash: Mash the potatoes with a fork or ricer. Season with the remaining salt and pepper.
Add ingredients: Stir in butter and egg yolks quickly, then mix in Parmesan cheese (reserve some for topping if desired).
Assembling the Shepherd's Pie
Layer: Spoon the lamb mixture into a casserole dish.
Top with potatoes: Spread the mashed potatoes over the lamb, filling any holes for a smooth surface.
Add cheese and texture: Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top. Drag a fork across the potatoes for a crunchy texture.
Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 18-20 minutes.
Cool and serve: Allow the pie to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
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💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Browning the Lamb: Ensure the lamb is well-browned for deep flavor. Let it crisp on one side before breaking it apart. This caramelization adds a rich taste to the pie.
- Seasoning in Stages: Season the lamb initially, and then adjust the seasoning after adding the vegetables and stock. Layering the seasoning helps build a more complex flavor profile and starting with less will prevent overpowering the lamb flavor.
- Vegetable Texture: Sauté the onions, garlic, and carrots until they are just soft. Overcooking can make them mushy and lose their texture in the mix.
- Reducing the Wine: Allow most of the red wine to evaporate to concentrate the flavor and remove the alcohol, leaving only the wine's essence.
- Smooth Mashed Potatoes: For creamier potatoes, use a ricer or potato masher. Avoid over-mixing, which can make them gluey.
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📖 Recipe Card
Gordon Ramsay Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 2 teaspoon salt (combine with pepper, divide into 2 equal portions of 1 teaspoon each)
- 2 teaspoon ground black pepper (combine with salt, divide into 2 equal portions of 1 teaspoon each)
- 1 large white onion (finely grated)
- 1 large carrot (finely grated)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely grated)
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree (or tomato paste, but then only 1½ tablespoons)
- 1 cup dry red wine (I use Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (chopped)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary (chopped)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 lbs russet potatoes (washed, peeled and quartered)
- 2 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (reserve some for topping, if desired)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
The Mince
- Bring a large cast iron skillet, skillet, or frying pan to high heat with the olive oil.
- After the oil is hot, add in the ground lamb. Spread in an even layer and crisp one side, then turn and crisp the bottom side. Break apart the ground lamb after it is browned and crisped. Season the lamb with salt and pepper (use the first portion of salt & pepper, 1 teaspoon of each).
- Add in the onion, garlic, and carrot and cook for about 2-4 minutes till vegetables are soft.
- Pour in the Worcestershire sauce then the tomato puree and combine. Add in the red wine, thyme and rosemary and cook until most of the wine has evaporated off.
- Pour in the chicken stock and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then turn heat off and set aside.
The Potatoes
- In a large stockpot cover peeled potatoes with water then boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Drain.
- Mash potatoes either with a fork or a ricer if you have one.
- Season with the remaining salt & pepper.
- Stir in the butter, egg yolks and stir very quickly then add the Parmesan cheese and combine well. (Optional - reserve a few tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese for topping the Shepherds pie)
Assembling The Shepherd's Pie
- Spoon the lamb meat into a casserole dish and then top with the potato. Using a spatula run the potatoes completely over the mince filling in any holes. It should look like a smooth mound.
- Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on the top and then using a fork drag along the top of the potatoes (this will give the potatoes a nice crunchy texture where they get raised by the fork).
- Place in your preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 18-20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow 5-10 minutes to cool before serving.
Marieke says
Delicious! I use celeriac puree instead of potato puree. (translated)
Angelique Walker says
Delicious very easy to follow directions
Mary says
This was the best Sheppard's pie I have ever had, and I've had many. The only change I made was the red wine, I added an extra cup of broth instead. My Son also agreed it was the best. This will definitely be going on my rotation. The lamb gave it so much flavour. Thank you for the great recipe.
Veronica says
This recipe is 8/10. It really has amazing flavor, but a few notes.
The salt and pepper instructions are extremely confusing. Would be easier if it just spelled out the explicit amounts. I used 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper for the mince. For the potatoes, I used a little more than 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp of pepper. .
My ground lamb released A LOT of grease and the chicken stock made it soupy. First, I reduced the chicken stock as much as possible. I then transferred the mince with a slotted spoon onto the baking dish. The remaining liquid was mostly pure grease. But oh so deliciously looking. So, and this is where I saw heaven...
I made a gravy out of it. Added flour and beef stock. People... I'm telling you. I'm never making this recipe without it ever again.
Making those adjustments made me feel like I was having the best meal I've ever had. 15/10
Bamah Chan says
Hi, what can I substitute the wine with?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Substitute the wine with more broth (two cups total instead of the 1 cup chicken broth or stock). Alternatively, try beef broth to add rich flavor instead of just doubling the chicken stock. Thanks for asking!
Anonymous says
Absolutely fantastic! I never used egg yolks when making mashed potatoes but they turned out amazing. Rich flavors that did not disappoint. Definitely will be making again.
Anonymous says
Very easy to prepare! Grating the onion, carrot and garlic saves time apposed to dicing. With the exception of the ground lamb, I had everything else on board. The pie was delicious! I will certainly add this to my recipe collection!
Barb says
I did a mix of ground lamb and ground beef for a heartier meal, Really good thank you.
Jeffrey Pilus says
It took me about 15 minutes prep time. I cooked the potatoes in the micro. I used peas and corn because that is what I had. It was delicious, and a great way to use up some ground meat.
Bob Wright says
When following the steps I see that the double whammy the salt and pepper what I mean by that is I think it's supposed to be two teaspoons of salt 2 tsp of pepper for the whole recipe but in the steps they're telling you to do two for the meat and two for the potatoes which I did cut back but it's still salty so watch that if you're falling to step by step
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, sorry you have to be careful with that. It's not 2x the salt and pepper "2 teaspoon each, salt & pepper (divided into 2 equal portions - 1 teaspoon each)" rather it's that two teaspoons divided into two portions. Hope that helps!
Nadia says
Bonjour, J'ai réalisé cette recette hier. Une tuerie, magnifique !! Je parle déjà d'en refaire. J'ai suivi scrupuleusement la recette, au berger quoi, quant aux assaisonnement, je le faisais à l'œil tout en goutant pour vérifier tout simplement. Merci !! Dommage, on ne peut ajouter une photo.
"Hello, I made this recipe yesterday. A killer, magnificent!! I'm already talking about doing it again. I scrupulously followed the recipe, but as for the seasonings, I did it by eye while tasting to simply check. THANKS !! Too bad, we can't add a photo."
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Content de savoir que ce fut une réussite ! Merci d'avoir partagé. Les images peuvent être ajoutées à condition qu'elles soient hébergées quelque part. Appuyez sur le bouton image et ajoutez un lien.
"Glad to hear that it was a success! Thanks for sharing. Images can be added as long as they're hosted somewhere. Hit the image button and add a link."