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Cozy, comforting, and so delicious, this venison shepherd’s pie is probably one of my favorite ground venison recipes! The ground venison definitely adds so much flavor, and it pairs perfectly with the savory gravy filling and creamy mashed potatoes.
‘Tis the season of cozy, warming dishes! When it’s chilly outside, nothing is more satisfying than a shepherd’s pie fresh from the oven.
With our freezer fully stocked from hunting season, I wanted to try this classic recipe with a wild game twist, and it did not disappoint!
The venison adds a really nice flavor to the shepherd’s pie while still perfectly complementing the gravy and mashed potatoes.
I love how easy this recipe is to make, and my whole family devours it every time!
I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as we do — you may even want to make an extra for leftovers.
And if your freezer, like mine, is full of venison, check out my 37 favorite venison recipes!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Comforting: Shepherd’s pie is the ultimate comfort dish. Rich and savory gravy, browned venison, and veggies topped with creamy mashed potatoes satisfy every single time.
- One-pot recipe: Whether it’s Dutch oven jambalaya or shrimp and broccoli stir fry, I love a good one-pot recipe! This venison shepherd’s pie is no exception. Save time and dishes by getting your protein, crabs, and veggies in one simple dish.
- Flexible: While a traditional shepherd’s pie calls for specific ingredients, you can make a delicious variation with whatever you have on hand! Swap the veggies, herbs, and even the meat for a dish that’s unique and easy.
- Flavorful: If you’re worried about bland shepherd’s pie, worry no longer! This recipe is packed full of flavor from the ground venison, fresh herbs, and rich gravy.
Ingredients
- Onions and garlic: Two essential aromatics for a full-bodied savory dish.
- Ground venison: Rather than the traditional ground lamb, we’ll be using venison in this recipe. It adds a different flavor that is simply delicious!
- Herbs: Thyme and rosemary give this shepherd’s pie so much flavor! You can use fresh or dried. If you use fresh, be sure to add more volume as they have a less concentrated flavor than dry herbs.
- Worcestershire sauce: This is a traditional ingredient in shepherd’s pie, and it adds such a yummy umami element to the gravy.
- Flour: This is important for thickening the shepherd’s pie. You can use freshly milled, all purpose, or gluten-free flour.
- Tomato paste: Adds a punch of richness and acidity.
- Beef broth: You can use homemade, store-bought, or beef bone broth.
- Frozen veggies: A mix of frozen corn and peas gives a nice variety of colors and textures.
- Parmesan cheese: We’ll top the shepherd’s pie with grated parmesan at the very end to give it a cheesy, golden-brown top!
For the Potatoes
- Potatoes: You can use any potatoes you like; I’ve found red potatoes particularly delicious in this recipe.
- Butter: This is essential for smooth, creamy mashed potatoes.
- Cream: You can use half and half or heavy whipping cream, depending on how rich you’d like the mashed potatoes.
- Salt and pepper: To taste!
- Parsley: Fresh parsley adds some freshness to the potatoes and gives the dish a lovely garnish.
Substitutions and Variations
- Feel free to substitute the venison with ground beef if you like! Be sure to drain the grease after browning it, as beef is a lot less lean than venison.
- Carrots make a delicious addition to this shepherd’s pie! Just peel, dice, and add them in with the onions in step 1.
How to Make Venison Shepherd’s Pie
Step 1. Sauté onion, then add meat and spices, and brown.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Add ground venison, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until browned.
Step 2. Cook the potatoes while the meat browns.
Place peeled and chunked potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes.
Step 3. Add your butter, salt, and cream, mix with hand mixer.
Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add butter, heavy cream (or half and half), salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley. Use a hand mixer or potato masher to whip until fluffy and smooth.
Step 4. Once meat is browned, add Worcestershire, flour, tomato paste, and broth.
Stir in Worcestershire sauce, flour, tomato paste, and beef broth. Simmer over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
Step 5. Add corn and peas, stir in well.
Stir in frozen corn and peas. Let cook for 1–2 minutes to heat through. Remove from heat.
Step 6. Top with mashed potatoes, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake.
Spread mashed potatoes over the top of the meat mixture and smooth out. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges. Top with remaining parsley and serve.
Helpful Tips
- Err on the thicker side when making your mashed potatoes. If they are too runny, they won’t sit on top of your meat mixture very well.
- This is a great recipe for using up leftover mashed potatoes! If you’re preparing homemade Dutch oven mashed potatoes for a meal, make a little extra to speed up a shepherd’s pie dinner later in the week.
- Make sure you deglaze your pan after the meat is browned — this simply means adding some liquid and scraping the pan to loosen the bits of browned meat that stuck to the pan. This adds a ton of flavor to a dish! So when you add your broth in step 4, give the cast iron a good scrape.
Storage and Freezing
Shepherd’s pie can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. You can reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the whole dish in the oven. When you’re reheating it in the microwave, I recommend breaking up the mashed potatoes into a thin layer first, as they will take the longest to heat up.
Shepherd’s pie freezes very well and makes an excellent dish for freezer meal prep! Make the shepherd’s pie according to the recipe, then let it cool completely after baking.
Once cool, you can wrap the dish in foil or plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. To reheat it, you can thaw the dish in the fridge overnight and reheat it in the oven, or reheat it in the oven from frozen (this will, of course, take longer).
Recipe FAQs
This recipe is nearly gluten-free on its own; you just need to substitute the flour! You can swap out the flour for your favorite gluten-free flour to make this dish allergy-friendly.
If your shepherd’s pie turned out a little runny, this is likely because you didn’t simmer and thicken the gravy enough. Make sure you are using the correct amount of broth, and simmer it longer in the future. You can always add more flour to the recipe if needed.
The primary difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie is the type of meat used. Cottage pie is traditionally made with beef, while shepherd’s pie is made with lamb. As this recipe is made with ground venison, you can call it whatever you’d like!
I’m so glad you asked! I love using ground venison in all of our classic favorites, but also some new dishes, too. I have all of my favorites rounded up in my post, 18 ground venison recipes!
Related Recipes
- Ground Venison Stroganoff
- Venison Goulash
- Venison Casserole
- Venison Meatloaf Recipe
- Easy Venison Backstrap Recipe
If you tried this Venison Shepherd’s Pie or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Venison Shepherd’s Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 lb. ground venison
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp rosemary fresh or dried
- 2 tsp thyme fresh or dried
- 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
For the potatoes:
- 2 lb. russet potatoes peeled and chunked
- Sea salt to taste
- 4 Tbsp butter ½ stick
- 2/3 cup heavy cream or half & half
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley divided
For topping:
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Sauté onion, then add meat and spices, brown. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Add ground venison, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until browned.
- Cook the potatoes while the meat browns. Place peeled and chunked potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes.
- Add your butter, salt, and cream, mix with hand mixer. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add butter, heavy cream (or half and half), salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley. Use a hand mixer or potato masher to whip until fluffy and smooth.
- Once meat is browned, add Worcestershire, flour, tomato paste, and broth. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, flour, tomato paste, and beef broth. Simmer over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Add corn and peas, stir in well. Stir in frozen corn and peas. Let cook for 1–2 minutes to heat through. Remove from heat.
- Top with mashed potatoes, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake. Spread mashed potatoes over the top of the meat mixture and smooth out. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Top with remaining parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
- Err on the thicker side when making your mashed potatoes. If they are too runny, they won’t sit on top of your meat mixture very well.
- This is a great recipe for using up leftover mashed potatoes! If you’re preparing homemade Dutch oven mashed potatoes for a meal, make a little extra to speed up a shepherd’s pie dinner later in the week.
- Make sure you deglaze your pan after the meat is browned — this simply means adding some liquid and scraping the pan to loosen the bits of browned meat that stuck to the pan. This adds a ton of flavor to a dish! So when you add your broth in step 4, give the cast iron a good scrape.
made this last night and it was wonderful!
I am so happy to hear you loved it!
This has turned into our newest favorite venison recipe! Some of my family are not the biggest fans of the gamey taste in ground venison, but everyone loved this venison shepherds pie! Thansk for the recipe!
This makes me so happy to hear! Thank you so much for trying it!
Looks good!
Thanks!