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.
Grisel says
Very delicious. I made this for tonight's dinner, but I didn't have lamb, so I used ground beef. My beef was very tasty, but I think that it had too much liquid that didn't evaporate completely. So, maybe because I used beef and not lamb I don't know why, but next time I will decrease the amount of chicken broth and red wine if I used ground beef again.
Jess says
Can I leave out the parmesan cheese or swap cheeses? It sounds delicious, but parmesan gives my husband a bad headache.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Of course Jess, you could try one of my substitutes in this article here.
Anita L Elder says
I always have to add my own twists to recipes when I make them. For this one, I added chopped cremini mushrooms. The wine I used was a Malbec I had on hand. Instead of peeling potatoes and going through all that on a weeknight, I got a container of Bob Evan's mashed potatoes and mixed the parmesan into it. I have to say that this is the best Shepherd's Pie I've ever eaten! I grew up in PA and the school cafeteria made it with ground beef and used the canned peas and carrots. I hated it! So glad my opinion of Shepherd's pie has changed!
Leah says
Anita can you please tell me if you used hamburger or did you use ground lamb?
Mike says
I made the other night for dinner. It was awesome! I think that the "fresh herbs" make a huge diffence and I also used a brand new Temp-tations (QVC) baking dish (2 quart) which helped as well! Excellent recipe!
Terry says
It took me about an hour & a half to get it into the oven start to finish but was delicious !! I found that the meat was a little too wet so I drained out a bit of liquid before adding the mashed potatoes layer. I used a 9X13 glass dish which I think was too large because the layers were kind of flat so next time I’ll double the meat and potatoes or use a smaller dish. The flavor was so good! I served broccoli on the side.
Alyssa says
I am making this for my husband's birthday. I am beyond excited.... but I'm wondering if you know what size dish you used for this x1 version... the 6 servings? Live in rv and have limited dishes but want it to come out perfect! I appreciate your time and how easy you made this recipe reading it! Will be fast and easy
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Im pretty sure that was my 1.5 quart dish which you can swap out with an 8x8 square dish too. Hope that helps 🙂
Dena Sandercock says
We made this recipe and it was lovely! So flavorful!!!! Thanks for sharing it!!!
Lisa says
I just made this also. I haven’t made (or even had) a good ole shepherds pie in years! It came out perfect and was delicious! It’s so filling and I made so much of it, I’m hoping it’s good to freeze? My whole life, I’ve always had shepherds pie with baked beans - am I alone in this? 😂. Thanks for sharing the recipie. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to cook this classic English dish.
Dermot says
Lisa - growing up in Ireland we also had baked beans with Shepherd's Pie and I still do it many,many years later in Reno, Nevada!!!
Nikki says
I don’t normally comment but felt this one deserved one. I have tried many Shepard’s pie recipes over the years and this is by far the best! I did add about 0.5lbs extra meat but that was it and my family gobbled it up and asked for more! Will definitely make again!
Jesseca says
This was surprisingly delicious. I made as written, which was good, but then made a few adjustments for my family preferences and it was a solid 10/10 recipe. Even my pickiest eater raved.
We swapped lamb for high quality ground beef, added an extra clove of garlic, and swapped the wine for more chicken broth from Better Than Bouillon. Family devoured it.
Jessa says
I made this exactly as the instructions suggested. The only tiny change I made was adding in a cup of chopped mushrooms that I happened to have on hand. My family loved this recipe and I will be making it again! I really enjoyed having the ingredients listed again after each step. It’s a small detail, but saved me a ton of time! Thank you!
Paul says
Lovely recipe, I did you about 1/3 lb more lamb mince but still fantastic lamb recipe!
Maria says
Hi Angela,
Do you have a good mirilton casserole dis you could share please. My mother in law made a great one with miriltobs and shrimp only but I don't remember the spices and how much. Please help me. Thank you.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Sure thing! This was on my big list of to-do recipes. Are you looking for the one with breadcrumbs? Or the easier dressing version for holiday side dishes?
Maria says
Hi Angela,
I love your recipes. I need a recipe to make a dish. I have never been able to just throw this spice or that herb and know how much. Your recipes hit it right on. I rarely have to add extra salt or pepper but it to your tasting. Thank you for helping so many of us. God bless you.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thank you so much Maria! It means so much to me to hear that my recipes were spot on!
Anne says
Brilliant recipe,a dish for every body!!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Thank you, Anne!
Deb says
Add a layer of peas or corn and then it’s perfect!!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Delicious! I love added veggies!
Kirsten says
I’m assuming the calories is per serving? I always love making this meal.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, the calories and nutrition facts are based per serving. It's a family favorite here!
Laura says
Haven't been able to try your recipes yet ,They really sound good and tasty and will try soon! Have you ever tried baking a pie or have recipe for buttermilk pie? Having trouble finding a old recipe that's the right one from my mother n law who has now passed on,if you have one or know of please let us know? Thank u!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hello Laura, I don't have one up on the site yet but I did send you an email. Hope that helps! ~ Angela
Donna says
Loved this recipe. Instead of a baking dish, I used individual ramekins. Belly is full!
marion says
this is a great COTTAGE PIE recipe with heaps of vegies from Cottage Garden,, but please
can someone tell Mr Ramsey, that is not a SHEPHERDS PIE,, made with left over Roast Lamb, minced in the mincer screwed to the kitchen table in 1940’s as my German Grandmother did in the 1940’s, us kids helped her turn the handle,, she then mixed it withTomato Sauce, a dash of worcestershire sauce, topped with Mash Potato browned under grill and served with boiled vegies on the side, absolutely delicious taste of that Roast Lamb and the texture of the meat,, completely different to Cottage Pie that has to be cooked !! please do try it ,,, marion,,
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
That sounds like a delicious use of leftover roast lamb! For current use though, shepherds pie is used to describe this sort of mashed topped pie that has lamb meat (cooked lamb mince or ground leftover lamb meat). Versus the cottage pie which is the same thing, but using beef rather than lamb. Thanks for sharing your grandmother's version!!
Becca says
So delicious but what do you do with the garlic? Does it get put in with the carrots and onion?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes! Thanks for catching that 🙂 I'm updating it now!
CJF says
I have thoroughly read through this article and the recipe calls for garlic but nowhere does it say add it into the recipe, just for a heads up so it can be corrected
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
It would go in at about the same time as the onion and carrot. Add the garlic after the onion and carrot have sauteed for a minute or two then finish cooking them together. Thanks for catching that and I'll get it updated here shortly!