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A featured image of a savory Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie topped with creamy mashed potatoes and fresh herbs in a serving dish.
Isabella

Easy Instant Pot Shepherd's Pie

A time-saving, one-pot version of the classic comfort dish that marries savory meat and vegetables with fluffy, cloud-like mashed potatoes. By pressure cooking the potatoes directly over the meat base, you achieve a perfect texture and deep flavor in a fraction of the time.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British / American
Calories: 480
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Ground Beef or Lamb
  • 1.5 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 cup Beef Broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1.5 cups Frozen Peas and Carrots
  • 1 medium Onion, diced
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1 tsp Dried Rosemary
  • 4 tbsp Cold Butter, cubed
  • 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water optional slurry for thickening

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Long-legged trivet
  • Steamer basket
  • wooden spoon
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Chef’s knife
  • Hand masher or ricer
  • Mixing bowl
  • Oven-safe serving dish (optional for broiling)

Method
 

  1. Set the Instant Pot to the 'Sauté' function. Add the vegetable oil, ground meat, and chopped onions. Cook until the meat is browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
  2. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and tomato paste. Stir and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Use your spoon to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pot to deglaze it thoroughly and avoid the 'burn' notice.
  4. Turn off the Sauté function. Stir the frozen peas and carrots into the meat mixture.
  5. Place a long-legged trivet inside the pot, resting it directly on top of the meat and vegetable mixture. Place the chopped potato chunks into a steamer basket and set it on the trivet.
  6. Secure the lid and set the steam valve to the 'Sealing' position. Select 'Manual' or 'Pressure Cook' on High for 10 minutes.
  7. When the cooking time is complete, perform a 'Quick Release' by carefully moving the valve to the 'Venting' position. Once the pressure is fully released, remove the lid.
  8. Carefully lift out the steamer basket and transfer the potatoes to a separate mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes with cold butter, heavy cream, and salt until smooth and silky.
  9. If the meat sauce is too thin, turn the Sauté function back on and stir in the cornstarch slurry, simmering for 1 minute until thickened.
  10. Spread the mashed potatoes over the meat mixture in the pot or transfer the meat to a serving dish before topping with potatoes. Use a fork to create ridges on the surface.
  11. Optional: Place the dish under an oven broiler for 2-3 minutes until the potato ridges are golden and crispy.

Notes

For the best texture, use cold butter when mashing the potatoes. To prevent the potatoes from becoming gluey, avoid using a blender or food processor; stick to a hand masher. You can customize this by adding sharp white cheddar to the potatoes or swapping the beef for ground turkey for a lighter version.