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Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie

Published: April 1, 2020 | Last updated: April 4, 2020 12 Comments

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This Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie is the easiest and most convenient way to make it. No pots and pans to stir or drain. Cook in the stackable insert, then bake and serve right in it. Perfectly delicious and easy comfort food | imagelicious.com #comfortfood #instantpot #shepherdspie
This Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie is the easiest and most convenient way to make it. No pots and pans to stir or drain. Cook in the stackable insert, then bake and serve right in it. Perfectly delicious and easy comfort food | imagelicious.com #comfortfood #instantpot #shepherdspie
This Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie is the easiest and most convenient way to make it. No pots and pans to stir or drain. Cook in the stackable insert, then bake and serve right in it. Perfectly delicious and easy comfort food | imagelicious.com #comfortfood #instantpot #shepherdspie
This Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie is the easiest and most convenient way to make it. No pots and pans to stir or drain. Cook in the stackable insert, then bake and serve right in it. Perfectly delicious and easy comfort food | imagelicious.com #comfortfood #instantpot #shepherdspie
This Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie is the easiest and most convenient way to make it. No pots and pans to stir or drain. Cook in the stackable insert, then bake and serve right in it. Perfectly delicious and easy comfort food | imagelicious.com #comfortfood #instantpot #shepherdspie

This Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie is the easiest and most convenient way to make it. No pots and pans to stir or drain. Cook in the stackable insert, then bake and serve right in it. And if you have an Air Fryer Lid then you don’t even need to use the oven!! Perfectly delicious and easy comfort food!

Closeup of a pan with Shepherd's Pie

This post contains amazon affiliate links which means if you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I will receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Note, I received the stackable Pans-in-Pot as a gift with no obligation to share or mention this product. The brand is (was?) amazing! Not only the product is of the highest quality but the company also used to donate a lot of proceeds to various charities. Unfortunately, the product is currently unavailable on amazon and I also haven’t been able to reach them on social media for a few months now. I hope they are doing well. Because of that, I have updated links to another stackable insert on Amazon that has a lot of positive reviews, however, I do not have personal experience with that particular brand!

I spent a long time debating if I should call this recipe Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie. Technically, if the dish is made with ground beef, then it’s called a Cottage Pie. And if ground lamb is used, then it’s called Shepherd’s Pie. 

But after a short poll of friends and acquaintances (not food bloggers), a trip down the memory lane to before I became a foodie and a long look at the frozen dinner section at a few local grocery stores, I concluded that most regular people in North America (read: not food bloggers) don’t even know anything about Cottage Pie and totally believe that Shepherd’s Pie can be made with any ground meat.

Seriously, I don’t think there was one frozen dinner in any of the supermarkets that used lamb in their Shepherd’s Pies. So, yes, I know that this Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie is actually an Instant Pot Cottage Pie.

Another top down view of a pan with Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie and a bowl with more pie

This Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie is the perfect cozy family meal. Pure comfort food that is really easy and convenient to make. 

Unlike many other Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie recipes online, my recipe is much more convenient to make. Most recipes require transferring of the meat sauce to a separate casserole, as well as making mashed potatoes yet in another pan. 

Stackable insert for Instant Pot

My Shepherd’s Pie recipe uses stackable Pans-in-Pot insert which means that once the meat and potatoes are cooked in Instant Pot, you don’t need to use any extra pans at all. You even bake the whole Shepherd’s Pie right in those inserts. Less cleanup, less hands on cooking!

And lately, I haven’t even been using my oven to bake Shepherd’s Pie. I now use my new Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid to reheat the meal as well as brown the top.

Why make Shepherd’s Pie in Instant Pot

Traditional recipe calls for many steps and requires a lot of time that you actually need to spend at the stove.

You have to make the meat sauce first. Cook it, mix it, simmer it, etc. Then you have to cook the potatoes, drain, mash. Then after all that you have to transfer the meat mixture to another pan, layer potatoes on top and then bake in the oven. Too. Much. Work!!

My Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie recipe requires almost no hands-on cooking. You mix all the ingredients for the meat part in one layer of the stackable insert. Mix all the ingredients for the mashed potatoes in another pan. Stack them all together and cook in Instant Pot.

After, just mash the potatoes (no need to drain), layer over the meat (right in that same pan) and bake in the oven (also in the same pan without any transferring). Or, as I have been doing lately, bake with the Air Fryer Lid. So easy! And since the stackable pans already come with a lid, it is also easy to store in the fridge.

 

 

Meat mixed with vegetables and ready to be cooked

Potatoes with all the ingredients in a stackable pan

How long does it actually take to make Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie

This method is not much faster than traditional stove-top method but it is a lot more convenient. No need to stir the meat sauce, no need to boil the potatoes and then drain.

Let’s say prepping the ingredients takes a very generous 15 minutes (peel and cut the potatoes, measure and mix everything), time to build pressure is 17 minutes (I use this model but time may vary by 1-2 minutes for different electric pressure cookers), time to cook on high pressure is 25 minutes, time to release the pressure is 2 minutes. Let’s add another 5 minutes to mash the potatoes and layer everything, another 10 minutes in the oven to bake and 3 minutes on broil. Total time: 1 hour and 17 minutes and only 20 of those minutes are hands-on cooking.

TIMING CHANGE NOTE: I have made this recipe about dozen times and once it wasn’t cooked in 20 minutes, so I added another 5, from now on I always cook it for 25 minutes just in case. I updated the recipe to reflect the new cooking time.

Important information about Instant Pot model

Over the course of the last year I have done countless tests in terms of Pot in Pot cooking. Pot in Pot cooking technique refers to using another vessel/container/pot inside Instant Pot. Just like these stackable inserts in this recipe.

I have noticed that my Instant Pot Smart WIFI model takes TWICE as long to cook anything using Pot in Pot cooking method. So, 25 minutes cooking time would not be enough for that model and it would need at a minimum 45-50 minutes. As a result, I never use that model for this recipe.

Timing may be different for your particular model of Instant Pot.

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More Instant Pot Recipes:

  • Instant Pot Meatballs and Potatoes
  • Instant Pot Chicken Stew
  • Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta
  • Instant Pot Meatball Soup
  • More Instant Pot recipes…
  • Don’t forget to check out my NEW site dedicated specifically to Instant Pot Recipes, called Instantlicious

Collage of process photos showing potato and meat layers after cooking

Meat layer partially covered by mashed potatoes

How to make Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie

Since we are using stackable pans insert, making this recipe is really easy. It actually becomes “dump and start” Instant Pot dinner. Unlike other recipes online, there’s no need to sauté the meat first.

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the meat layer in one pan.
  2. Add all the ingredients for the potato layer in another pan.
  3. Place the stackable inserts into Instant Pot with 2 cups cold water and cook.
  4. Once cooked, mash the potatoes.
  5. Lightly mix the meat layer with a fork, spread the potatoes over it.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven right in the same pan for 10 minutes (or more if desired). Then broil for a few more minutes. OR drain the water from Instant Pot, switch to an Air Fryer Lid and bake right there.

Shepherd's Pie after baking and broiling

Bowl of Shepherd's Pie with the rest of the pie in the background

Tips for making Shepherd’s Pie in Instant Pot

You can use your favourite Shepherd’s Pie recipe with this technique. You might need to adjust the amount of ingredients for the size of the stackable inserts.

I made this recipe more than half a dozen times and twice milk from the potato pan spilled out in Instant Pot. This is totally fine. The only way you even know that it happened is because the water inside Instant Pot gets a bit mirky. The other times milk didn’t spill out. So, don’t worry if that happens.

I use Pans-in-Pot brand of stackable inserts. They are very sturdy! There was no note in the package in regards to whether they are oven-safe, so I just risked it. After dozen of times, there’s no warping or discolouration of any kind. They are just as new.

However, that brand is no longer available on Amazon. Here’s another stackable insert that has a lot of positive reviews. I personally do not have any experience with that brand.

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If you are worried that your particular brand of stackable inserts is not oven-safe then just transfer the meat and potatoes to another oven-safe casserole pan.

Also, feel free to bake Shepherd’s Pie for longer than 10 minutes. At this point everything is already cooked so you just want the flavours to meld together a bit. I’ve baked it for 20-30 minutes a few times.

Right after baking, this Shepherd’s Pie will be quite soft (you can see in the video and photos) but one it cools a bit, it’ll firm up more.

Hand holding a spoonful of Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie

  • Extra Lean Ground Beef
    • Since we aren’t sautéing the meat first, you want to use Extra Lean ground beef. I tried making this dish with lean ground beef and it was a bit too greasy.
    • You probably can use ground lamb, just make sure you are using an Extra Lean kind if can find.
    • I have made this recipe with ground turkey and also ground veal. 
  • Cornstarch
    • You really do need cornstarch in this recipe. The meat releases a lot of juices (and still some fat), so without the cornstarch it becomes watery. Cornstarch thickens the liquid and creates a delicious gravy.
  • Seasonings
    • If you don’t want to measure out all the seasonings, feel free to use a seasoning packet but make sure to check the ingredients. Some of those seasoning packets already have cornstarch added and if that’s the case, you might want to omit cornstarch that I included in the recipe.
    • If I use a seasoning packet, then I usually use just half of it.
  • Frozen Veggies
    • Could be omitted if desired. 
    • Use any kind you want. I usually have the one with green beans and corn (I know, it’s not the most traditional) but you can use just carrots and peas if you’d like.

All the ingredients to make Shepherd's Pie

  • Mashed Potatoes
    • You’ll notice that I don’t specify any salt and pepper in the recipe, that’s because I prefer to salt my mashed potatoes later and the seasonings depend on how salty the broth is.
    • This particular recipe for mashed potatoes also makes somewhat thinner potatoes. Reducing the amount of liquid for the potatoes will mean that you may need to increase the cooking time. Add another 5 minutes or more.
  • Add-ons
    • I have once added a cup of cooked Instant Pot Lemon Quinoa to the meat layer and it was delicious! It added fibre and also helped me stretch the ingredients.

 

Closeup of a bowl with Shepherd's Pie

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Bowl of Shepherd's Pie with the rest of the pie in the background
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5 from 3 votes

Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie

This Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie is the easiest and most convenient way to make it. No pots and pans to stir or drain. Cook in the stackable insert, then bake and serve right in it. Perfectly delicious and easy comfort food | imagelicious.com #comfortfood #instantpot #shepherdspie
Course Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword instant pot, meat, potatoes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Build and release pressure 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 380kcal
Author Julia

Ingredients

Meat layer

  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1/2 onion (very finely chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup frozen vegetables
  • 1/4 cup water (you can use broth if you'd like)

Mashed Potatoes layer

  • 1.5 pound potatoes (peeled and roughly chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon butter (cut in pieces)
  • 1/2 cup broth
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • salt and pepper to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375F if baking in the oven after. Alternatively, use Air Fryer Lid for baking.
  • Mix all the ingredients for the meat layer in one of the stackable pans.
  • Mix all the ingredients for the potato layer in the second stackable pan. Cover with a lid.
  • Follow instructions from your stackable pans insert to secure both pans.
  • Add 2 cups of cold water to your Instant Pot. Place the stackable pans inside the Instant Pot.
  • Close the lid of your Instant Pot and turn the valve to Sealing.
  • Press Manual or Pressure Cooker button (depending on your model) and use the arrows to select 25 minutes. It should take about 17 minutes to come to pressure.
  • Once Instant Pot beeps that the 25 minutes of cooking are done, do a quick release. This should take about 2 minutes. Alternatively, you could do a natural pressure release.
    IMPORTANT: read the note below about cooking time.
  • Carefully open Instant Pot and remove the stackable inserts.
  • Mash the potatoes. No need to drain them.
  • Lightly mix the meat layer with a fork to break up the meat. Cover the meat with the mashed potatoes and smooth the top.
    Note, if your stackable insert pans can't go in the oven, then transfer the meat to an oven-safe casserole dish and layer mashed potatoes over it.
  • Place the pan in the oven for 10 (or 20-30) minutes. Then broil for another 3-5 minutes until the top browns.
    Alternatively, if you have an Air Fryer Lid, then drain the water from Instant Pot, place the pan back into Instant Pot and use Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid to bake at 375F for 10-15 minutes.
  • Let cool slightly and serve.

Video

Notes

Important note about cooking time.
Over the course of the last year I have done countless tests in terms of Pot in Pot cooking. Pot in Pot cooking technique refers to using another vessel/container/pot inside Instant Pot. Just like these stackable inserts in this recipe.
I have noticed that my Instant Pot Smart WIFI model takes TWICE as long to cook anything using Pot in Pot cooking method, than my Instant Pot DUO Plus. So, 25 minutes cooking time would not be enough for that model and it would need at a minimum 45-50 minutes. As a result, I never use that model for this recipe, and I exclusively use DUO Plus model.
Timing may be different for your particular model of Instant Pot.
Equipment
Instant Pot.
Instant Pot
Instant Pot Stackable Insert
Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 581mg | Potassium: 1327mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Vitamin C: 24.5mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 8.9mg
Tried this recipe?Leave me a comment with a star rating!
Mention or tag @Imagelicious

This post was first published on April 1, 2019 and is now updated with more useful information.

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Filed Under: Gluten-free, Instant Pot, Meat, Recipe, Video Tagged With: mashed potatoes

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Comments

  1. Linda says

    September 18, 2021 at 2:26 pm

    Looks like a great recipe. I can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
  2. Tricia says

    May 4, 2020 at 3:15 pm

    I am getting ready to make this now. Did you spray your pans, especially the one with the meat mixture? Also, what broth did you add to your potatoes? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Julia says

      May 4, 2020 at 3:24 pm

      I dont spray the pans. I use chicken or vegetable broth, whatever I have on hand

      Reply
  3. Rick says

    February 16, 2020 at 9:00 am

    5 stars
    I made this last night, my wife said it was the best Shepard’s Pie she ever had!. One slight issue – I cut the potatoes into bite sized chunks yet they were still pretty hard. The meat was perfect. I nuked the potatoes for about 8 minutes so I could mash them. I used Green Giant white potatoes, perhaps they were just super hard? In the end it was all great. Thanks!

    I used the Instant Pot 7″ non stick pans. I covered the both with aluminum foil and sat them on my silicone sling. This “shouldn’t” have affected the potatoes but you never know. It fit ok but when it was time to release the plunger wouldn’t drop. I pushed it down when I was sure pressure was completely gone. I will do this again as the silicone sling made it so easy to remove and keep things from spilling. With stackable pans this wouldn’t be an issue but I used what I had.

    One last thing- I used frozen carrots and chopped fresh red pepper. It worked great and tasted amazing.

    Reply
  4. Jackie says

    January 16, 2020 at 8:18 pm

    Tasted great, but mine turned out pretty soupy. Did I do something wrong? Only cooked in oven for 10 minutes.

    Reply
    • Julia says

      January 16, 2020 at 8:28 pm

      Did you use extra lean ground beef? And did you use cornstarch? Did you make any modifications? Using medium or even just lean instead of extra lean beef means that there’s more fat which could make the mixture soupy. Also, if there’s not enough cornstarch then it might not thicken enough. If you look at the video, you can see that my version isn’t very firm either, although not soupy.

      Reply
  5. Brittany says

    May 12, 2019 at 5:48 am

    Wanted to make this with ground chicken or turkey, , any change in recipe that you can suggest?

    Reply
    • Julia says

      May 13, 2019 at 2:00 pm

      I think the timing would stay the same. You might need to add a bit more liquid or less cornstarch as chicken/turkey are less juicy

      Reply
  6. Cheryl says

    April 9, 2019 at 2:24 pm

    Well mine is cooking now. Keep fingers crossed. I put a can of tomato soup on top of the meat to give it a nice sauce. My mom always did that. Family tradition.

    Reply
    • Julia says

      April 9, 2019 at 2:26 pm

      That sounds delicious. Please let me know how it turns out

      Reply
  7. Gina Hoskins says

    April 4, 2019 at 7:44 pm

    5 stars
    Nothing more comforting that a Shepard’s pie! This looks amazing!

    Reply
    • Julia says

      April 6, 2019 at 2:00 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Julia and I love cooking simple, easy, and healthy meals. My favourite meal of the day is breakfast so you'll see many pancakes. Cooking and baking shouldn't be complicated, let me show you how.

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