Ground Beef Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
This simple ground beef shepherd’s pie is a cozy, family-friendly meal made with hearty vegetables and fluffy mashed potatoes. Simple to make dairy-free and gluten-free for a healthier, comforting classic!
If you’re craving a cozy comfort meal, this shepherd’s pie recipe is for you. It is made with ground beef, veggies, and a layer of creamy mashed potatoes. It is simple to make from scratch. Plus, it can easily be prepared dairy-free and gluten-free without sacrificing any flavor.
We tweaked our lamb shepherd’s pie over the years and the result has been this beef shepherd’s pie. It has become our go-to recipe that is just right for weeknights, meal prep or a special treat. Try our turkey and apple shepherd’s pie, butternut squash shepherd’s pie for unique shepherd’s pie options.
What makes this recipe great
- This recipe can easily be made gluten-free and dairy-free.
- It is simple to use whatever pantry staples you have on hand to make this. No strained tomatoes? You can use marinara. No bone broth? You can use chicken stock.
- It is high in protein! 21 grams a serving helps you feel satisfied and full.
Recipe Ingredients
- Gold potatoes– these make the base of the mashed potato topping. We like gold potatoes because they are softer in texture and richer in taste than other potatoes.
- Salt and Pepper– these are used to season the potatoes and the shepherd’s pie filling.
- Butter and milk- These make the mashed potatoes creamy! You can use both dairy-free butter and milk or regular butter and milk in this recipe based on your needs.
- Carrots and peas– these veggies add texture to the dish and are usually used in typical shepherd’s pie recipes.
- Shallot and garlic– these season the beef in the recipe.
- Ground beef– feel free to use regular fat beef or low fat beef.
- Dried thyme, dried rosemary, chili powder– these herbs and spices add a great flavor to the shepherd’s pie and keep it from being bland.
- Flour– this thickens the shepherd’s pie filling in the recipe.
- Tomato paste– this adds depth to the filling in the recipe.
- Blackstrap molasses– this is our favorite way to season a shepherd’s pie. It adds a sweetness and deliciousness that we just love. If you don’t have it, don’t worry, check out the substitutions below.
- Strained tomatoes– this makes part of the base of the filling.
- Chicken stock or bone broth– this makes the other part of the base.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions/ Substitutions
- Instead of shallot, you can use regular onion. We would use about 1/3 of a regular onion.
- Instead of shallot and garlic, you can use onion powder and garlic powder. 1 teaspoon of each should work great.
- Instead of ground beef, you can use ground turkey.
- Instead of blackstrap molasses, you can use 1 Tablespoon honey and 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. You could also use 1 Tablespoon of honey and 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar or coconut aminos.
- Instead of strained tomatoes, you can use marinara sauce.
- To make this dish gluten-free, you can use tapioca flour or gluten-free flour.
- To make this dish dairy-free, you can use dairy-free butter and a non-dairy milk.
Step by step instructions
Step 1
Step 1: boil your potatoes.
Step 2
Step 2: Sautée carrots, onion and garlic in a pan.
Step 3
Step 3: Add the ground beef, thyme and rosemary to the pan.
Step 4
Step 4: Add the peas and flour to the dish and mix.
Step 5
Step 5: Season the meat with tomato paste, blackstrap molasses, and chili powder.
Step 6
Step 6: Add the strained tomatoes and bone broth, let everything simmer.
Step 7
Step 7: Pour the shepherd’s pie filling/gravy into a large baking dish.
Step 8
Step 8: Mash the boiled potatoes with butter, milk, salt and pepper.
Step 9
Step 9: Cover the shepherd’s pie filling with the mashed potatoes and evenly spread it out on top.
Step 10
Step 10: Bake in the oven.
Expert tips
- Don’t over mix your potatoes, use a potato masher and once everything is mashed, mix with a fork and set it aside.
- Broil the last 2–3 minutes for a golden, slightly crisp potato crust.
- How to store: Cover the dish with aluminum foil and store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Make it ahead: Assemble the pie, cover, and refrigerate up to 2 days before baking.
- Freeze in portions for simple weeknight dinners—just thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
Can we use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef?Yes! You can. It will taste different but it will still be satisfying.
Can we add cheese to the top?Yes! If you aren’t dairy-free, feel free to add shredded cheddar or shredded Parmesan to the top. We've tried both and they are satisfying!
Can you make Shepherd’s Pie ahead of time?Yes! You can make it the day before. Follow the recipe up until it all needs to be baked in the oven. Store in the fridge until you are ready to bake it.
Prep 30 minutesCook 30 minutesTotal 1 hourMakes 6 (to 8) servings
Ingredients
Mashed potato topping ingredients:
- 3 lbs gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch slices
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons butter, ( can use dairy-free butter)
- 1/3 cup milk, (or non-dairy milk)
Shepherd's pie filling ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 large carrots, sliced
- 1 shallot, diced ( or 1/3 of an onion)4
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 cup peas, (fresh or frozen)
- 2 Tablespoons flour, ( can use tapioca flour for Gluten-free option)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses, (look at notes for alternative)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup strained tomatoes, or marinara
- 1 cup chicken broth, (or bone broth or beef broth)
Method
- Boil the sliced potatoes in water for 20-25 minutes, until knife tender. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9 in x 13 in dish.
- While the potatoes boil, start the shepherd's pie filling. Put 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, the sliced carrots, diced onion and minced garlic into a large pan and heat over medium heat. Sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the ground beef to the pot and mix breaking it up into smaller pieces. Top the beef with 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and ½ teaspoon dried rosemary. Mix and cook until the meat is browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the peas to the pan and mix, lower heat to low. Add 2 Tablespoons flour to the meat and mix well. Then add the 2 Tablespoons tomato paste, 2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses, and ½ teaspoon chili powder to the meat and mix. Add 1 cup of strained tomatoes( or marinara), mix, and simmer for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and simmer until the sauce reduces to a gravy, about 5 minutes.
- Pour the shepherd's pie filling into a 9 in x 13 in dish.
- Drain the boiled potatoes and put them into a large bowl and top with 1/3 cup milk, 3 Tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mash everything together until smooth. Scoop the mashed potatoes on top of the shepherd's pie filling in the pan, evenly distributing it and then smooth it out with a spatula.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Notes
- Instead of shallot, you can use regular onion. We would use about 1/3 of a regular onion.
- Instead of shallot and garlic, you can use onion powder and garlic powder. 1 teaspoon of each should work great.
- Instead of ground beef, you can use ground turkey.
- Instead of blackstrap molasses , you can use 1 Tablespoon honey and 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. You could also use 1 Tablespoon of honey and 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar or coconut aminos.
- Instead of strained tomatoes, you can use marinara sauce.
- To make this dish gluten-free, you can use tapioca flour or gluten-free flour.
- To make this dish dairy-free, you can use dairy-free butter and a non-dairy milk.
