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Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie is a deeply flavourful homely recipe that is a favourite with the whole family. Delicious lamb mince cooked in a rich gravy with plenty of vegetables and a crisp buttery potato topping for the ultimate comfort food.
Jump to:
- More gluten-free recipes your family will love!
- What’s the difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie?
- What vegetables go into a Shepherd's Pie?
- Best tips to make this Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie
- Full list of ingredients needed
- Step-by-step instructions
- Shop the recipe
- FAQs
- Suggested variations on the original recipe
- Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie
If you are looking for an easy gluten-free dinner recipe which the whole family will love then a classic Shepherd's Pie will always be a total crowd pleaser. A delicious layer of juicy meat packed with fresh vegetables, smothered in a smooth rich gravy, blanketed with soft buttery mashed potato and oven baked with a golden brown crust, is a family favourite and classic comfort food at its best.
A Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie recipe only differentiates from its non-gluten version in the use of gluten-free flour used in the roux. A lot of traditional recipes we grew up eating as a family rely at least somewhat on the presence of flour. Whether it’s the gravy on your Sunday roast, the béchamel sauce of your lasagne or even my Auntie Lil’s chicken curry, regular plain flour is always present in some way. Since becoming gluten-free many years ago I have learnt through trial and error the best way to continue making these recipes and the best gluten-free flours to use so there is no difference between the gluten-free versions and the ones from my childhood.
More gluten-free recipes your family will love!
What’s the difference between Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie?
Both dishes refer to a red meat dish, often minced meat, cooked in a gravy with onions and often carrots and celery, topped with a mashed potato layer and baked in the oven. The term Cottage Pie was first mentioned in 1791 but Shepherd’s Pie did not really appear until 1854. Initially the two terms were interchangeable for the same dish but in the 20th century the two recipes were separated into their own identities. Cottage Pie became synonymous with versions made with minced beef whereas Shepherd’s Pie would more commonly be made with minced lamb.
Our family adores this easy Shepherd’s Pie. It's the perfect recipe for a cold night. This hearty meal meets with approval from all members including the baby and guarantees a clean plate from our picky pre-schooler. Luke and I love it too, especially served with hot buttered cabbage.
What vegetables go into a Shepherd's Pie?
Shepherd’s Pie is a simple and satisfying meal with lots of veggies in the main base of the pie along with the lamb mince. I love the taste and texture that the extra vegetables give to the base of the dish. Here we include:
- onions
- carrots
- celery
- courgette
Best tips to make this Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie
Gluten-free flour
The traditional version of Shepherd’s Pie is made using plain wheat flour to thicken the rich gravy which encases the ground meat mixture and vegetables at the base of the pie. Here we are switching it out for sweet rice flour (this is not the same as regular rice flour). The sticky properties of this starchy flour absorb the cooking oil and the added stock for a beautifully smooth and silky sauce which is indistinguishable from wheat flour gravy. The only difference is the colour. The sweet rice flour gravy is much lighter than its wheat counterpart. READ MORE >>> The Ultimate Guide to Sweet Rice Flour.
You can happily swap the sweet rice flour for cassava flour if you need to avoid rice or you can't get hold of it.
✨However, I don't recommend swapping the sweet rice flour for cornflour (cornstarch), potato starch or tapioca starch in this instance as the method you use them is slightly different. You don't use them to make a roux but rather you make a slurry with water and add to the gravy after to thicken.✨
Tamari
The only drawback to using sweet rice flour is that it doesn't brown as much as wheat flour. So the roux doesn't get a good rich brown which creates an appetising gravy colour. By adding tamari (which is naturally gluten-free - but always check your labelling) into the gravy it is used to deepen the colour of the gravy naturally (without the use of Gravy Browning). It also provides the perfect amount of seasoning. You can use coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
Fresh stock
One of the other key ingredients in this Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie is the use of fresh chicken stock to make the most umami empowered gravy. It makes all the difference, providing tremendous depth of flavour. I love to use homemade chicken broth which I make out of the bones of my roast chicken whenever we have it. (If I'm making a Cottage Pie with beef mince then I make the switch to beef stock). You can certainly use a stock cube but it just won't have the same depth of flavour. If you don’t have any homemade stock then check to see if your butcher supplies it, otherwise do use the best store bought fresh stock you can find.
Mint sauce
Do you want to know my secret ingredient for Shepherd’s Pie? It’s definitely not something I would add to a Cottage Pie, but it lifts this whole meal up a notch, giving it such a special flavour. Would you like to know? It’s mint sauce! Once you try it you will never make your Shepherd’s Pie without it. Mint sauce is traditionally served as part of the Great British roast dinner alongside spring lamb. It’s an essential condiment of our larder and is an absolutely perfect addition to our Shepherd’s Pie.
The three main ingredients of mint sauce are mint, white wine vinegar and sugar so it’s pretty easy to make your own. However, I usually use shop bought. It’s worth checking the label of your mint sauce though as many contain xanthan gum which you might be trying to avoid. There are brands without though, so just double check.
Mashed potato
A Shepherd’s Pie wouldn’t be the same without delicious buttery mash blanketing the whole affair. I am quite particular about my mashed potato and although I don’t go the whole Joel Robuchon route (which uses 250g of butter for 1kg potatoes!), this recipe certainly does not skimp on the butter or the seasoning. A good amount of butter is necessary for the perfectly crisp golden top on your Shepherd’s Pie. I also add a splash of stock in the mash to make the potatoes smooth, creamy and rich. You could also use milk.
Expert tips to avoid gluey mash
- When adding your butter and liquid to the cooked potatoes it’s imperative to warm them up first and tip your potatoes into the add-ins, not the other way around. We want to avoid gluey or lumpy mash at all costs and this way makes sure we achieve neither.
- To mash the potatoes you can use a potato masher or a potato ricer, but never use the food processor or the blender as you’ll run the risk again of gluey mash. Potatoes can be decidedly tricky when they want to be.
Full list of ingredients needed
- Potatoes. Use lovely floury potatoes (see FAQs).
- Butter. Use good quality unsalted butter so you can control the salt amount.
- Fresh stock. I use chicken but you can use vegetable broth.
- Olive oil. You can use vegetable oil.
- Diced onion.
- Carrots.
- Celery.
- Courgette. You can omit or swap for another squash vegetable.
- Lamb mince. You can swap for another minced meat (although there's a debate that then it wouldn't technically be a Shepherd's Pie!)
- Fresh bay leaves.
- Fresh thyme.
- Sweet rice flour. You can swap for cassava flour.
- Tamari. This is used to deepen the colour of the gravy naturally. It also provides the perfect amount of seasoning. You can use coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- Mint sauce. This is the secret ingredient, a total game changer and perfect for the lamb mince.
- Salt.
- Black pepper.
Step-by-step instructions
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Boil potatoes until they break apart when touched with a knife. Drain.
- Melt butter in a saucepan with stock, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Mash cooked potatoes and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan assisted/gas mark 5.
- Cook onions, carrots, celery, and courgette in olive oil until softened.
- Add lamb mince, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook until lamb is browned.
- Mix in sweet rice flour to absorb fat. Remove excess oil.
- Pour in stock and stir until a thick gravy forms.
- Add coconut aminos and mint sauce. Cook for 5-10 minutes.
- Spoon lamb mince into an ovenproof dish.
- Spread mashed potatoes over the lamb mince.
- Create furrows in the potato with a fork.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the potato is golden brown.
Shop the recipe
- Chef's pan
- Gluten-free sweet rice flour
- Potato ricer
FAQs
Starchy potatoes are best for guaranteeing fluffy, light and creamy mashed potatoes. I recommend Maris Pipers, Russet Potatoes or even Yukon Golds.
Yes. Let it cool completely, then portion it into individual or family-sized servings. Wrap each portion tightly in an airtight container, label, and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. To enjoy, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 25 to 30 minutes.
You can switch up the vegetable mixture if you want to add more or change them around. Frozen corn and peas are great alternatives.
The best thing about Shepherd's Pie is that the only accompaniment it needs is some delicious green vegetables. I particularly recommend green beans and savoy cabbage.
Suggested variations on the original recipe
- Sweet potatoes. You can use sweet potato mash instead of the white mashed potato layer. It creates a much richer dish but I love the sweet potato flavour with the lamb. If you make the switch then the sweet potatoes don't need to be cooked as long as the white potatoes and I reduce the amount of butter.
- Turkey Shepherd's Pie. Really you can use any minced meat in order to make this classic recipe. If you make the switch to ground turkey then you can leave out the mint sauce.
- Cottage Pie. And if you use a beef mixture then I would swap the mint sauce for gluten-free worcestershire sauce and the chicken broth for beef broth.
- Cheddar Cheese. It is not uncommon for a sprinkling of cheese to be added to the mashed potato layer before baking. Again, this is something I will often do if I am making Cottage Pie as I think this addition is more suitable to beef than lamb meat filling.
✨Have you tried this Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your recipe turned out and your feedback also helps other readers✨
Gluten-Free Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
- 800 g red potatoes - peeled and quartered
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 100 ml fresh stock - chicken or vegetable
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion - peeled and finely diced
- 2 carrots - peeled and finely diced
- 2 celery sticks - finely diced
- 1 courgette - finely diced
- 600 g lamb mince
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons sweet rice flour
- 200 ml fresh stock - chicken or vegetable
- 1 tablespoon tamari - or coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mint sauce
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Boil a large saucepan of water and add the potatoes. Cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes break apart when you touch them with the tip of a knife. Drain the potatoes from the water.
- Add the butter, stock, salt and pepper to the now empty saucepan and heat gently until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat.
- Tip the cooked potatoes back into the saucepan and mash well until the potatoes are creamy. Set aside whilst you prepare the lamb mince.
- Pre-heat the oven to 200 °C/180°C fan assisted/gas mark 5.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide bottomed saucepan then add the onion, carrots, celery and courgette. Cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the lamb mince, bay and thyme leaves, stirring occasionally until the lamb has browned.
- Add the sweet rice flour to the pan, mixing in well to absorb the fat. If there is any excess oil then remove it with a spoon.
- Pour in the stock and stir until a thick gravy has formed.
- Add the tamari and mint sauce, stirring through. Cook for 5-10 minutes so all the flavours are well combined.
- Remove the lamb mince from the heat then spoon into an ovenproof baking dish into an even layer.
- Spoon the mashed potato over the top until it completely covers the lamb mince, then create light furrows in the potato by using the back of a fork.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the potato is golden.
Notes
Potato suggestions
Starchy potatoes are best for guaranteeing fluffy, light and creamy mashed potatoes. I recommend Maris Pipers, Russet Potatoes or even Yukon Golds.Gluten-free flour
You can swap the sweet rice flour for cassava flour. I don't recommend using an all-purpose gluten-free flour.Expert tips
- When adding your butter and liquid to the cooked potatoes warm them up first and tip your potatoes into the add-ins, not the other way around. This avoids gluey mash.
- To mash the potatoes you can use a potato masher or a potato ricer, but never use the food processor or the blender as you’ll run the risk again of gluey mash.
PETER NEEDHAM says
I am an Englishman trying to eat some of my favourites out in Crete.
Sharene Jones says
From across the pond -- can't wait to see more favorite recipes without flour! I have used potato starch, not potato flour, in a lot of savory recipes as a replacement for the flour. It works really well as a replacement thickener. Here in the states, corn starch is used often as a thickener for sauces and for someone like me who has an even worse sensitivity to corn than to wheat, that's difficult. So, potato starch to the rescue!
Georgina says
Great! I'm happy you like the new series. Yes, potato starch is a good thickener isn't it! I sometimes use cornstarch (cornflour in the UK) but I do try and seek alternatives as I find it has a very definite taste.