Chicken Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
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This chicken shepherd’s pie recipe is a delicious twist on the traditional shepherd’s pie. It comes together quickly and easily and is an awesome way to use leftover chicken or turkey! Prepped and ready in under 1 hour.
Why You’ll Love Chicken Shepherd’s Pie
Meet your new favorite leftover meal: chicken shepherd’s pie. I love traditional versions as much as the next person.
In fact, some of the best shepherd’s pie I’ve had has been the classic variety that you can find at all the good Irish pubs.
But sometimes it’s a good idea to add your own twist, especially when it allows you to repurpose leftovers.
Which is actually what inspired me to make this recipe. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, so I’m always in search of a good way to use leftover turkey.
I knew I already had recipes like Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, Buffalo Chicken Sliders, and Copycat Panera Bread Chicken Salad.
What I love even more about this particular recipe is the added bonus of using leftover mashed potatoes if you have them. It’s quick, easy, totally comforting, and…
- A great update to a traditional recipe
- Full of veggies and protein
- Perfect for busy weeknights
- Hearty and satisfying
- You’ll never have to worry about wasting leftovers again!
Ingredient Information and Substitutions
- Chicken: Leftovers are my favorite for this recipe! You can also use leftover turkey (hello, day-after-Thanksgiving feast), rotisserie chicken, or you could even cook some chicken breast or thighs from scratch.
- Onion & Garlic: These aromatics add so much flavor to whatever you use them in! I sauté them in butter before adding the veggies and chicken.
- Flour: You want your chicken filling to be thick and creamy — adding some all-purpose flour to the mix will get you there. If you’re gluten-free, substitute cornstarch.
- Mixed Veggies: To make things super easy, I’m using a bag of frozen mixed veggies! You could also use any leftovers you have in the fridge. As you can see, this is a super leftovers-focused recipe!
- Mashed Potatoes: Again, use ’em up if you got ’em! And if you don’t have any, make some mashed potatoes from scratch. They really add a lot to this recipe!
- Chicken Broth & White Wine: To add more flavor, and to create the gravy for the filling.
- Seasonings: All I’m using is salt, ground black pepper, and poultry seasoning!
How To Make Shepherd’s Pie With Chicken
Step 1: Sauté the onion and garlic.
Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add the butter. When melted, add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes, or until softened.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Next, incorporate the flour and stir until there aren’t any lumps.
Step 2: Add the chicken and vegetables.
Stir in the frozen veggies and chicken until well combined. Add the broth, wine, and seasonings and stir.
Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Reheat the mashed potatoes.
While the chicken filling cooks, reheat the mashed potatoes in a saucepan with a bit of milk so they don’t dry out.
Step 4: Assemble your chicken shepherd’s pie.
Pour the chicken filling mixture into an 8×8-inch baking dish and carefully spread the potatoes in an even layer on top.
Step 5: Bake.
Transfer the baking dish to an oven preheated to 350 degrees F and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving and enjoy!
Tips For Making Chicken Shepherd’s Pie
- To keep things simple, I like to use frozen mixed veggies. Remember, you can use whatever you love and have on hand. You could also even use up leftover cooked veggies! Just add them at the last minute before covering with potatoes and baking.
- If you have leftover mashed potatoes, this is the perfect recipe to use them. I like to heat them up in a medium pan and — depending on their texture — you can add a little milk to make them creamier. If you do, start with a small amount. You can always add more.
- This recipe makes a smaller pan, around 8×8 or 9×9. If you need more, you can always double the recipe for a 9×13 pan.
- To make the top of your shepherd’s pie with chicken a little crispier, use a fork to rough up the surface a little. Or, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top!
- Ingredients to prep ahead: If you don’t have any leftovers, you should cook the chicken and mashed potatoes before getting started. You can also dice the onion and peel the garlic.
- Ingredients and storage: Depending on how old the leftovers are, chicken shepherd’s pie will keep for 2-3 days covered in the refrigerator. You can reheat single servings in the microwave — use your oven for larger portions.
What To Serve With Chicken Shepherd’s Pie
The thing I love most about this easy chicken shepherd’s pie recipe is that it’s already got everything you need inside to make it a well-rounded meal on its own.
That said, a green salad and some crusty bread would always go well with this! Some other options include:
- Fall Oven Roasted Vegetables
- Peas with Onions
- Three Cheese Garlic Bread
- Sausage and Cornbread Dressing
Love this recipe? Please leave a review in the comment section further down. Check out this Amazon Store for all tools used in this recipe. And follow @sofia_burley on Pinterest!
Chicken Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
- 14 ounces chicken broth
- ½ cup white wine (or broth)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper,
- ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 3 cups mashed potatoes
- ¼ cup milk (optional- this is to mix in with the potatoes while reheating them and should only be used if you want to make them creamier. Add it in slowly, a tablespoon at a time).
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat.
- Add onion and sauté stirring often to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Add flour and stir until no lumps remain. Cook for another minute.
- Add frozen vegetables and chicken- mix well.
- Stir in broth, wine, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning until well combined.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken and heat through.
- While the chicken mixture boils, reheat heat potatoes in an medium pan until creamy and heated through (you can add a little milk to make them creamier if you want).
- Pour the chicken mixture into an 8″ x 8″ baking pan. Carefully spread the potatoes in an even layer on top of the chicken mixture and smooth the top as best you can.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve immediately.
Notes
- To keep things simple, I like to use frozen mixed veggies. Remember, you can use whatever you love and have on hand. You could also even use up leftover cooked veggies! Just add them at the last minute before covering with potatoes and baking.
- If you have leftover mashed potatoes this is the perfect recipe to use them. I like to heat them up in a medium pan and — depending on their texture — you can add a little milk to make them creamier. If you do, start with a small amount. You can always add more.
- This recipe makes a smaller pan, around 8×8 or 9×9. If you need more you can always double the recipe for a 9×13 pan.
- To make the top of your shepherds pie with chicken a little crispier, use a fork to rough up the surface a little. Or, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top!
- Ingredients to prep ahead- if you don’t have any leftovers, you should cook the chicken and mashed potatoes before getting started. You can also dice the onion and peel the garlic.
- Ingredients and storage- depending on how old the leftovers are, chicken shepherds pie will keep for 2-3 days covered in the refrigerator. You can reheat single servings in the microwave — use your oven for larger portions.
