Traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie with Guinness
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Traditional Irish Guinness Shepherd’s Pie is purely meat-‘n-potatoes-comfort made with ground lamb, mashed potatoes, and Guinness stout beer. It’s perfect for serving up on St. Patrick’s Day or whenever the winter nights grow long and cold!
With many thanks and great appreciation, this recipe courtesy of our friends at Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland!
Guinness Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients
for the lamb filling
- olive oil
- yellow onions or par-boiled and trimmed whole pearl onions
- carrot
- garlic cloves
- ground lamb
- tomato paste
- Guinness beer
- brown sugar
- Worcestershire sauce
- chicken stock or chicken broth
- fresh thyme leaves
- fresh rosemary
- English peas (may use frozen peas)
- Kosher salt
- black pepper
for the whipped potatoes
- garlic cloves
- butter
- heavy cream
- Kosher salt
- black pepper
- Yukon Gold potatoes
- parsley
Kitchen Equipment You’ll Need
Aside from a large baking or casserole dish (9 x 13-inches or if deep, 11 x 7-inches) in which to bake your pie, I also recommend a large, lined baking sheet that the casserole can sit atop during the bake. Catching drips is better than having to clean the oven!
You will also need a large skillet, a large pot for boiling water, a wooden spoon, and a ricer for ricing the potatoes.
How to Make Shepherds Pie with Guinness
Before You Begin
Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter or spray a casserole dish on the bottom and sides.
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Baking the casserole atop a lined tray will help to catch any drips which may bubble-over. Set aside.
Prepare a large pot of water by adding Kosher salt. Also set aside.
Make the Lamb Filling
In a large skillet over medium heat, add some olive oil and heat to shimmering. Toss in your garlic and immediately adjust the heat to avoid burning the garlic. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes.
Chop two medium onions and a large carrot. Alternatively, you may use par-boiled, trimmed whole pearl onions if on hand. Add them to the skillet and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.
Adjust the range to medium-high heat and add some tomato paste, stirring constantly. Reduce heat slightly and cook until the color reaches a deep rusty red, about 8 to 10 minutes. This change in color represents the caramelization of the paste.
Raise the heat to medium-high and add the lamb. Cook until the ground meat is nicely browned, about 10 minutes.
Finish the filling by adding the Guinness and scraping the bottom of the pan of all the browned bits of fond that have accumulated. Next, add brown sugar, chicken stock, Worcestershire, thyme and rosemary, and season liberally with Kosher salt and pepper. Taste to adjust.
Simmer over medium-low heat until the juices in the meat mixture are 90% reduced. The liquid that remains should appear syrupy, enough so that it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly while you turn attention to the potato mash.
Make the Whipped Potatoes
Wash and peel the potatoes before cutting them into quarters. The chunks should all be relatively the same size.
Add a liberal amount of salt and the potato pieces to cold water and bring everything to a boil. Cook until the potatoes in the boiling water until they are fork tender when tested, anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are boiling, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, sauté some garlic in butter for 5 minutes, again adjusting the temperature to prevent the garlic from burning. Add in cream and turn heat to low until the potatoes are finished cooking.
Once tender, drain the potato water to stop the cooking process. Spread the potatoes in an even layer onto a baking sheet.
Let sit for 5 minutes allowing them to steam out. Once you stop seeing steam, run the potatoes through a ricer.
Using a wooden spoon, gently fold the riced potatoes into the cream mixture. You want to NOT overwork the potatoes. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper.
Assemble the Casserole Dish
Stir the peas into the lamb mixture. In the prepared baking dish, spread the ground lamb evenly on the bottom of the dish. Alternatively, this may be baked in a large oven-safe skillet or cast iron skillet.
Top with potatoes and spread evenly as well. Use the tines of a fork to drag the top of the potatoes making a pattern if desired.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes have browned on top. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Modifying the Norm to Make It Not Entirely Average
- I shudder to think there is room to improve Guinness’ easy Shepherd’s Pie recipe, but there is always the perfectly acceptable option of adding a shredded Double Gloucester cheese to the potato mash before topping the casserole dish.
- I have also seen the use of parmesan cheese scattered atop the potatoes to hasten the browning and add to the deliciousness!
This recipe is made using ground lamb or lamb mince which represents the traditional preparation of Shepherd’s Pie. AND…stout is added and allowed to reduce down creating a gorgeous gravy and super hearty dish!
There are recipes that specify ground beef or beef mince, but if we are getting technical, the use of beef is really a Cottage Pie, Shep’s close cousin! The lamb meat filling in this Shepherd’s Pie recipe is lush amidst a flavorful sauce, bubbling up in the casserole dish once it’s close to cooked.
This is my one recipe that I rely on when I don’t know what else to make, basically the dish that seems to make everybody happy when it appears on their plate. There is a whole lot of flavor jammed into this stealthy little beef casserole, made better with a golden brown mashed potato crust.
There’s no need to save this only for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. You can enjoy this savory pie whenever the seasons call for something warm and comforting!
Traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie with Guinness
Equipment
- large casserole dish
- large rimmed baking sheet
- parchment paper or aluminum foil
- large pot
- potato ricer
Ingredients
for the lamb filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions diced; may also use par-boiled and trimmed whole pearl onions
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- 5 cloves garlic fresh; minced
- 1 pound lamb ground
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 125 ml Guinness Original room temperature; poured into a measuring cup 30 minutes in advance of the recipe to decrease the foam
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce more to taste
- 1 cup chicken stock NOTE: chicken stock is richer more flavorful ingredient but chicken broth may be substituted
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves fresh
- 2 teaspoons rosemary leaves fresh; minced
- ½ cup English peas fresh or frozen
- Kosher salt
- black pepper
for the whipped potatoes
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes washed, peeled and quartered
- parsley fresh; chopped or finely minced depending on preference
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter or spray a casserole dish on the bottom and sides. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Baking the casserole atop a lined tray will help to catch any drips which may bubble-over. Set aside. Prepare a large pot of water by adding Kosher salt. Also set aside.
prepare the lamb filling
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and heat to shimmering. Add garlic and immediately adjust the heat to avoid burning the garlic. Cook for 6 minutes. Chop two medium onions and a large carrot. Alternatively, you may use par-boiled, trimmed whole pearl onions if on hand. Add them to the skillet and cook for 8 minutes.
- Adjust the stove top to medium-high heat. Add tomato paste, stirring constantly. Reduce heat slightly and cook until the color reaches a deep reddish brown, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the lamb. Cook until the ground meat is nicely browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the Guinness and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon of the browned bits. Next, add the brown sugar, chicken stock, Worcestershire, thyme and rosemary, and season liberally with Kosher salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat until the juices in the meat mixture are 90% reduced. The liquid that remains should appear syrupy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly while you turn attention to the potato mash.
for the whipped potatoes
- Cook until the potatoes in the boiling water until they are fork tender when tested, anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. Once tender, drain the potato water to stop the cooking process. Spread the potatoes in an even layer onto a baking sheet. Let sit for 5 minutes allowing them to steam out. Once you stop seeing steam, run the potatoes through a ricer.
- While the potatoes are boiling, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, sauté some garlic in butter for 5 minutes, again adjusting the temperature to prevent the garlic from burning. Add in cream and turn heat to low until the potatoes are finished cooking. Using a wooden spoon, gently fold the riced potatoes into the cream mixture. You want to NOT overwork the potatoes. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper.
assembly
- Stir the peas into the lamb mixture. In the prepared baking dish, spread the ground lamb evenly on the bottom of the dish. Alternatively, this may be baked in a large oven-safe skillet or cast iron skillet. Top with potatoes and spread evenly as well. Use the tines of a fork to drag the top of the potatoes making a pattern if desired.
- Place the casserole atop the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes have browned on top and the gravy is bubbling from beneath. Remove from the oven, garnish with parsley and serve immediately. The pie will be VERY HOT.
Notes
- Add a shredded Double Gloucester cheese to the potato mash before topping the casserole dish.
- Scatter a handful of parmesan cheese atop the potatoes to hasten the browning and add to the deliciousness!
The nutrition value can vary depending on what product(s) you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use a calorie counter you are familiar with.
Please note that table salt and iodized salt are NOT substitutions for Kosher salt. Do not deviate unless otherwise specified.
Nutrition
Traditionally, an Irish meat pie is made using ground lamb and is known as shepherd’s pie, whereas the British version of nearly the same dish is made using beef and is called cottage pie.
No. And in fact, due to the propensity of the beer to foam, it should not only be at room temperature, but also be poured from the can or bottle and allowed to stand 30 minutes BEFORE assembling the recipe. Pouring will allow time for the foam to dissipate.
Guinness recommends using Guinness Original. It’s what I have used here. As an aside, stouts are known for their bitterness and brown sugar is very often added to stews and meat pies which specify the use of stouts like Guinness to bring balance to the overall flavor of the dish. You will find I specify 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in this dish.
This recipe looks perfect and I love that it came from a Guinness brewery. I will be making this a week from now on St Paddy’s Day weekend. My only question is the amount of potatoes used being only 1 pound. It doesn’t seem like it would be enough. Just wanted to make sure that was accurate. Also, I have quite a few russets on hand, so I will probably use those instead of the Yukon Gold. Thank you!
Mary, glad that you reached out to ask this question about the potatoes. And yes, russets are fine to use. In terms of how many pounds, this amount is what their original recipe specified. For me, I go WELL OVER a pound of potatoes. I enjoy a thicker mash and also a thicker blanket atop the stew. Please let me know how you enjoy it once you’ve had the opportunity to try it! x – Jenny
Can I just double the recipe for a large party?
Dany, YES! If you DO double it and when you cover the casserole with the potatoes, leave a ‘whistle hole’ for steam to escape from the center of the casserole. You will also want to bake this in the largest baking dish/casserole baker you have. 13 x 9 or larger. HAVE FUN WITH IT! I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂 Jenny
This is awesome!! I am of Irish descent. Through blood lines and was born in the United States. Have fun with this recipe. Godspeed
D, I am so glad this recipe has caught your attention – send me some pics!! 🙂 Jenny