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Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie

By Cheryl Johnson

Updated Feb 20, 2026

4.25

Read 10 Reviews

Prep 20 minutes mins

Cook 30 minutes mins

Servings 8

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I created this gluten-free shepherd’s pie recipe with lean ground beef, plenty of vegetables, and a fluffy mashed potato topping for a comforting, well-balanced meal. It’s naturally flourless and eggless, can easily be made dairy-free, and is the kind of cozy, family-friendly dinner that everyone looks forward to digging into.

Fluffy Mashed Potato Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

You might think that shepherd’s pie is naturally gluten-free, but most recipes include Worcestershire sauce for flavor and all-purpose flour to thicken the filling. For this gluten-free shepherd’s pie recipe, I used certified gluten-free Worcestershire sauce so I don’t have to compromise on taste, and I swapped the flour for naturally gluten-free cornstarch. If I need to make it dairy-free, I’ll make a few adjustments as well (in the recipe card below).

Traditional shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, but nowadays it is often made with lamb, beef, or a combination of both. A beef shepherd’s pie is also commonly known as a cottage pie.

Things I Learned While Testing

• Cook the beef and potato mixture ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 2 days. This will save time on baking day. Do not assemble the meat with the potatoes until right before you are ready to bake.
• If using fresh diced carrots. Cook them at the same time as the onions because the carrots will need extra time to soften.
• If the beef broth you’re using has added salt. Omit the salt called for in the meat mixture ingredients.

4.25 from 8 votes

Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie

By: Cheryl Johnson

Servings: 8

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

An easy recipe for gluten-free shepherd's pie. This gluten-free shepherd's pie recipe features lean ground beef, plenty of veggies, and a fluffy mashed potato topping. It is naturally flourless and eggless and can easily be made dairy-free.

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

Meat Mixture

• ▢ 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 cup diced yellow onion
• ▢ 1½ lbs. lean ground beef, I prefer 90% lean
• ▢ 2 tsp dried parsley
• ▢ 1 tsp dried thyme
• ▢ 1 tsp minced garlic
• ▢ ½ tsp salt
• ▢ ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ▢ 1½ cups gluten-free beef broth, reduced salt version preferred
• ▢ 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 1 tbsp gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 tbsp water
• ▢ 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ▢ 1½ cups frozen mixed vegetables, diced carrots, corn, and peas

Potato Mixture

• ▢ 2½ lbs. russet potatoes
• ▢ 5 tbsp unsalted butter, sub dairy-free butter
• ▢ ¼ cup sour cream, for dairy-free, use dairy-free sour cream or dairy-free yogurt
• ▢ ¼ cup heavy cream, for dairy-free sub 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• ▢ ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, for dairy-free, use nutritional yeast 
• ▢ ½ tsp garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ tsp salt
• ▢ ¼ tsp ground black pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

Meat Mixture

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray a 9”x11” baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large frying pan set over low-medium heat, sauté the olive oil with the onions until the onions have softened slightly.
• Add the ground beef, dried parsley, dried thyme, minced garlic, salt and pepper to the frying pan and cook until beef is fully cooked and browned.
• Add the beef broth, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce to the frying pan and simmer over low-medium heat for about 2 minutes stirring occasionally (until the tomato paste is mixed in smoothly with the other ingredients).
• In a small cup, stir the water with the corn starch until the corn starch is fully dissolved. Pour this into the beef mixture and stir well. Let simmer on low heat for 5 minutes (stirring occasionally) until the sauce has thickened slightly.
• Stir the frozen vegetables into the beef mixture and let simmer on low for about 3 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
• Transfer the meat mixture to the prepared baking dish and set aside.

Potato Mixture

• Peel the potatoes and cut into 2-inch cubes.
• Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover potatoes with water.
• Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat and boil for 7-10 minutes or until the potatoes have softened. Do not overcook the potatoes or they will turn into a gummy texture.
• Drain the water from the potatoes but keep the potatoes in that pot.
• Remove the pot of drained potatoes from the heat and mash the potatoes with the butter.
• Once the potatoes are mashed with the butter, add in the sour cream, heavy cream, shredded Parmesan, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mash into the potatoes until fully mixed and the mashed potatoes are smooth.
• Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over top of the meat mixture in the baking dish. You can use a fork to add lines down the potatoes for added texture if you’d like – this is just for looks so you can keep it smooth if you’d like.
• Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes have started to brown slightly (a golden color).
• Remove from oven and serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 25gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 500mgPotassium: 1166mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2203IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @mamaknowsglutenfree or tag #mamaknowsglutenfree!

How to Make Gluten Free Shepherd’s Pie Step by Step

Gather your ingredients and prepare the oven: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Spray a 9”x11” baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Cook the aromatics: Sauté 2 tbsp (28g) olive oil with 1 cup (160g) diced onions until the onions have softened slightly and start to become aromatic.

Add 1½ lbs. (680g) lean ground beef, 2 tsp (3g) dried parsley, 1 tsp (1g) dried thyme, 1 tsp (3g) minced garlic, ½ tsp (3g) salt, and ¼ tsp (0.15g) pepper to the frying pan and cook until beef is fully cooked and has turned brown.

Add 1½ cups (355 ml) beef broth, 2 tbsp (32g) tomato paste, and 1 tbsp (17g) Worcestershire sauce to the frying pan and simmer with the beef over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally.

In a small cup, combine 2 tbsp (30 ml) water and 1 tbsp (8g) cornstarch until the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Pour the combination into the beef mixture and stir well. Let it simmer on low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Add the vegetables: Stir 1½ cups (273g) frozen vegetables into the beef mixture, letting it simmer until the vegetables have softened.

Transfer the meat and vegetable mixture to the prepared baking dish and set aside.

Make the potatoes: Peel 2½ lbs. (1134g) potatoes and cut them into 2-inch cubes. Place them in a large pot covered with water, and boil until softened.

Drain the water, keeping the potatoes in the pot, and mash them with 5 tbsp (70g) butter.

Once the potatoes have been mashed with the butter, add ¼ cup (50 ml) sour cream, ¼ cup (50 ml) heavy cream, ¼ cup (25g) shredded Parmesan, ½ tsp (1.5g) garlic powder, ¼ tsp (1.5g) salt, and ¼ tsp (0.5g) pepper, and mash into the potatoes until fully mixed and the potatoes are smooth.

Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the meat mixture in the baking dish.

Bake: Bake until the potatoes start to brown slightly (a golden color).

Serve: Serve hot and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

I love this recipe for St. Patty’s Day or anytime I’m craving comfort food. Though a meal in and of itself, I like to start with a small green salad and have a few slices of Irish soda bread on the side to soak up anything left on my plate. If we’re celebrating, I’ll prepare some pistachio pudding cookies as a festive dessert!

Storing Instructions

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let the shepherd’s pie cool completely before transferring to sealed food containers for storage. You can freeze shepherd’s pie for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating to eat.

More Gluten-Free Beef Recipes to Try

• This Beef Stroganoff is rich, creamy, and full of savory flavor.
• This Beef Stew is hearty and savory with tender beef chunks and your favorite vegetables.
• This classic Tacos recipe is simple, straightforward, and always a winner. Perfect for Taco Tuesday!