This venison shepherd’s pie (aka Hunter’s Pie) is made with shredded venison in a savory red wine sauce, topped with Parmesan mashed potatoes and baked until golden. Instead of using ground venison as the main filling, I braise tougher cuts until fork-tender, making the base even heartier. If all you have is ground venison, that works too. I’ve included a quicker ground venison version below.
Quick Look: Venison Shepherd’s Pie
- Ready in: About 4 hours 30 minutes
- Serves: 6
- Calories: 558
- Main ingredients: Venison, red wine, potatoes, parmesan, and green peas
- Cooking method: Braise and bake
- Why my version stands out: Uses braised and pulled venison instead of ground meat. But a ground meat version is provided.
- Best cuts of venison to use: Deer shoulder, shank, neck, or anything labeled stew meat from your processor.
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Traditionally, shepherd’s pie is made with lamb, and cottage pie with beef. So that means hunter’s pie needs to be made with wild game, right? The origins of shepherd’s pie date back to the late 18th century. And it’s documented that the dish was made not only with minced meat but also with leftover roasts.
This is why I came up with this braised hunter’s pie. Just like the farmers and shepherds of long ago, hunters likely also used roasted meat. Hunters from this period were unlikely to carry around a meat grinder or want to waste energy mincing meat. At most, they had a couple of camp pots for making a simple venison stew or braised venison shanks.
While I’m paying homage to hunters from the past with my version, I also kick things up a few notches with red wine and parmesan cheese. So I guess we can call this old-school fancy?
Why This Recipe Works
- This filling gives a completely different texture than ground venison. The pulled venison soaks up the delicious red wine sauce and has a look somewhat like a venison pot pie.
- The vegetables are prepared differently as well. Carrots, onion, rosemary, thyme, and garlic are pureed into a thick paste rather than left chunky. That mixture cooks with tomato paste and Worcestershire before the wine and stock are added, so the vegetables become part of the sauce.
- It provides a way to use up any tough cuts of venison you don’t know what to do with. So it’s perfect for clearing out your freezer.
Notes on Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Ground Meat: You can make this as a ground venison shepherd’s pie instead of using braising cuts or stew meat. You can also use ground beef or ground lamb in a pinch. It won’t be a hunter’s pie anymore, but I won’t judge you.
Use 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of ground venison and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter to account for the lean meat. Brown the venison first, then build the filling with the same vegetable paste, tomato paste, Worcestershire, wine, and stock. Simmer until the sauce is glossy and coats the meat rather than pooling around it. The complete ground venison method is in the recipe card notes below. - Add Flour: For a richer flavor and thicker sauce, the venison can be toasted with a couple of tablespoons of flour before searing.
- Stock/Broth Options: Venison broth, beef stock, or veal stock all work. If you’re short-handed, any of those can be mixed with half chicken stock.
How To Make Venison Shepherd’s Pie
1. Puree the vegetables: Add the carrots, onion, rosemary, thyme, and garlic to a blender or food processor. Puree until the mixture resembles a thick, chunky paste. Set aside while you brown the venison.
2. Brown the venison: Season the venison with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to lightly smoke, add the venison and brown it on all sides. Remove the browned meat from the pan and set it aside.
3. Cook the vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the vegetable puree, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce to the pan. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add the wine and reduce: Pour in the red wine and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine mixture has reduced by half.
5. Braise the venison: Place the browned venison in a Dutch oven or large pot. Pour the vegetable and wine mixture over the meat. Pour in the 4 cups of stock, or enough to cover the venison by a few inches.
Cover and gently simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender and pulls apart easily. Check the stock levels intermittently and stir.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a large bowl and shred it very finely. Add the green peas. Now add a little of the braising liquid at a time until the meat is moist and saucy.
Set aside and cook the potatoes.
6. Make the mashed potatoes: While the venison cooks, place the potatoes in a pot and cover them with water. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
Drain the potatoes well. Reserve a little of the measured Parmesan for topping the pie, then whip the potatoes with the remaining Parmesan, melted butter, and milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
If the potatoes are too stiff to spread easily, add a little more milk.
7. Preheat the oven and assemble the pie: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer the venison filling to a casserole dish or individual ramekins.
Spread the mashed potatoes completely over the filling, taking them all the way to the edges. Rough up the surface slightly with a fork to create more edges that can brown.
8. Bake: Sprinkle the reserved Parmesan over the potatoes. Bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes, or until the potato topping is golden brown. For a little extra color, lightly dust the top with sweet paprika and drizzle a little melted butter before baking.
Chef Tips & Troubleshooting
- Meat Tenderness: Cook to tenderness, not just time. Shoulder, shank, and neck can vary. The venison is ready when a fork slides in easily and the meat pulls apart with little resistance. The same way you would check a venison neck roast.
- Control the braising liquid: Add it back to the shredded venison gradually. Too little and the filling will be dry. Too much and it can be too loose.
- Potato Thickness: Keep the potatoes loose enough to spread. Stiff mashed potatoes are harder to spread without moving the filling around too much. If your potatoes seem too thick, thin out with a little warm milk or melted butter.
- Potato Texture: There are plenty of ways to make mashed potatoes. However, for the fluffiest potatoes, I recommend using a ricer to process the potatoes. If you like a denser potato topping, using an electric mixer will provide this.
- Decorative Potato Topping: If you want to wow your guests, try adding a decorative element using the potatoes. I like to use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the potatoes on top of the filling. You can also spread the potatoes with an offset spatula, then rake the tops with a fork to create grooves. See the pictures below for an example.
- Brown the Meat Properly: Whether you’re using venison stew meat or ground venison, avoid overcrowding the pan. Working in batches will help you acheive a dark brown color on the meat, which in turn means better flavor.
What to serve with Venison Shepherd’s Pie
- While not traditional, I like topping mine with melted cheese, sour cream, chives, and green onions.
- When the filling sauce doesn’t cut it for my mood, I like pouring a little deer gravy over the top.
- Meat and potatoes wouldn’t be complete without warm bread. My family’s favorites are Johnny cakes, Yorkshire popovers, and Parker House dinner rolls.
More Venison Stew Meat Recipes
Tried this Recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love to hear from readers! And if you have any cooking questions or want to share your latest food photos, give me a shout on Instagram at @larry__white.
Venison Shepherd’s Pie (Hunter’s Pie)
Ingredients
Venison Filling
- 2 pounds boneless venison (cut into 2-3 inch pieces), (shoulder, shank, neck or stew meat)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 6 cups venison or beef stock
- 1.5 cups frozen green peas
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Potato Topping
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup whole milk, plus more as needed
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Puree the vegetables: Add the carrots, onion, rosemary, thyme, and garlic to a blender or food processor. Puree until the mixture resembles a thick, chunky paste. Set aside while you brown the venison
- Brown the venison: Season the venison with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to lightly smoke, add the venison and brown it on all sides. Remove the browned meat from the pan and set it aside.
- Cook the vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the vegetable puree, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce to the pan. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the wine and reduce: Pour in the red wine and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine mixture has reduced by half.
- Braise the venison: Place the browned venison in a Dutch oven or large pot. Pour the vegetable and wine mixture over the meat. Pour in the 6 cups of stock, or enough to cover the venison by a few inches. Cover and gently simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender and pulls apart easily. Check the stock levels intermittently and stir.
- Shred the venison and add the peas: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a large bowl and shred it very finely. Add the green peas. Now add a little of the braising liquid at a time until the meat is moist and saucy. Set aside and cook the potatoes.
Make the Mashed Potato Topping
- Simmer the potatoes: While the venison cooks, place the potatoes in a pot and cover them with water. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes well.
- Process and season the potatoes: Reserve a little of the measured Parmesan for topping the pie, then whip the potatoes with the remaining Parmesan, melted butter, and milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the potatoes are too stiff to spread easily, add a little more milk.
Assemble the Pie:
- Preheat the oven and assemble the pie: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer the venison filling to a casserole dish or individual ramekins. Spread the mashed potatoes completely over the filling, taking them all the way to the edges. Rough up the surface slightly with a fork to create more edges that can brown.
Bake
- Sprinkle the reserved Parmesan over the potatoes. Bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes, or until the potato topping is golden brown. For a little extra color, lightly dust the top with sweet paprika and drizzle a little melted butter before baking.
NOTES
- Use 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of ground venison.
- Brown the venison in a large pot over medium-high heat with olive oil for 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and break the meat into small crumbles while cooking. Remove the meat and set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium. In the same pot, stir in the vegetable paste, tomato paste, Worcestershire, and herbs. Cook for 7-8 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed so that it does not burn.
- Add the red wine and reduce by half. Then add the ground venison and peas to the pot.
- Add enough stock to create a saucy consistency. Simmer for around 10 minutes or until it has slightly thickened.
- Transfer to the casserole dish, top with the mashed potatoes, and bake as directed above.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
3 thoughts on “Venison Shepherd’s Pie”
This turned out amazing! For those without a food processor, I used a blender and added about a half cup of water to get the ingredients to blend and it worked just as well!
Yesterday was opening day here in MI. And the hubby got a buck, so i made this for dinner tonight. It was amazing! Will definitely be making it again.
Glad ya’ll enjoyed it! And congrats!