Air-Fried Shepherd's Pie: A Quick, Easy Comfort Food

Air Fryer Shepherd's Pie is a quick and easy meal to make on busy weeknights. The recipe is simple and can be made with simple ingredients from your freezer or pantry. You can also use leftovers to make this dish. The pie can be made in the air fryer in just 15 minutes, as opposed to 30 minutes in the oven. The ingredients include chicken, gravy, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and butter. The recipe can be customised according to your preferences and can be made healthier by substituting ingredients such as potatoes with mashed cauliflower.

Preparing the chicken

To prepare the chicken, you can either cook it in the air fryer or use any other method you prefer, such as an instant pot. You can cook the chicken in chunks or shred it.

If you want to cook the chicken in the air fryer, sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them in the air fryer basket. Air fry the chicken for 5 minutes, then turn it over and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes, or until there is no pink remaining in the centre. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the air fryer and let it cool slightly before cutting it into 1/2-inch chunks.

Alternatively, you can cook the chicken in an instant pot or on a stovetop. Simply follow your preferred method for cooking chicken, ensuring that it is cooked through before proceeding to the next step.

Preparing the vegetables

If you are using frozen vegetables, you will need to combine them in a skillet with other ingredients such as gravy, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook this mixture on medium heat for around 5 to 7 minutes, or until it is heated through. You can prepare the vegetables while your chicken is cooking, which will save time.

For fresh vegetables, you can start by heating some butter or margarine in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once melted, add in chopped onions and allow them to soften for about 5 minutes. Next, add in chopped mushrooms and cook for another 10 minutes. You can also boil sliced carrots until they are tender, which should take around 8 minutes.

Once your vegetables are cooked, you can begin assembling your shepherd's pie. Simply layer the vegetables on top of your meat base, and then add your mashed potatoes on top.

Making the mini shepherd's pies

Making the mini shepherds pies

Now that you have cooked chicken and vegetables, it's time to combine the two. Take four 8-ounce ramekins and spoon the mixture into them evenly. Top each ramekin with 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes and drizzle melted butter on top. Place the ramekins in the air fryer basket and cook for 6 to 7 minutes at 400°F/200°C. You can also cook this in an oven at 200°C/180°C fan-assisted for 30 minutes.

If you want to make a vegan shepherd's pie, you can follow a similar process. First, cook the vegetables, including onions, mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes. Then, prepare your meat substitute by adding a meat-free beef stock cube to 150ml of boiled water and pouring it over textured vegetable protein (TVP) in a shallow dish. Let the TVP absorb the stock for 5 minutes. Next, fry the onions and mushrooms, and then add the herbs, gravy powder, and TVP mince to the pan. After that, layer the carrots and potatoes on top of the mince. Finally, spoon the mixture into your ramekins, top with mashed potatoes, and cook in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 200°C.

Cooking the mini shepherd's pies in the air fryer

Now that you have your chicken and vegetables ready, it's time to combine them. Take four 8-ounce ramekins and spoon the mixture evenly into each one. Top each ramekin with 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes and drizzle some melted butter on top. Place the ramekins in the air fryer basket and set the temperature to 400°F/200°C. Let the pies cook for 6 to 7 minutes, or until they are heated through and the tops turn golden.

These mini shepherd's pies are incredibly simple and convenient to make in the air fryer, especially if you have leftovers to use up or are looking for a quick meal on a busy weeknight.

If you're using an oven instead of an air fryer, you can bake the pies at 200°C/180°C (fan-assisted) for about 30 minutes.

Variations and tips

Meat

Shepherd's Pie is typically made with lamb, but you can use other meats such as ground beef, turkey, chicken, or ham. If you use beef, it is actually a Cottage Pie.

Vegetables

You can use frozen vegetables to save time, or prepare your own. Typical vegetables include carrots, peas, corn, mushrooms, and onions.

Potatoes

For mashed potatoes, you can use dairy-free butter/margarine, dijon mustard, and plant milk. You can also substitute the potatoes with mashed cauliflower to cut down on carbs and calories.

Ramekins

If you want to make individual servings, you can use ramekins to cook the shepherd's pie in the air fryer.

Freezing

This recipe freezes well. You can make individual servings and freeze them, then reheat them in the Ninja Foodi or another air fryer.

Fresh herbs

You can use fresh herbs instead of dried herbs. When substituting, use three times the amount of fresh herbs as you would dried. For example, use 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh rosemary instead of 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary.

Frequently asked questions