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You are here: Home / Recipes / Turkey

Ground Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

By Susie Weinrich ยท Date Nov 18, 2021ยท 58 Comments ยท May contain affiliate links.

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Ground Turkey Shepherdโ€™s Pie is such a great comfort food dinner. Ground turkey is mixed with carrots, peas, beef broth, red wine and lots of herbs & seasonings then is topped with super flavorful creamy mashed potatoes. It all gets baked up in one skillet. It is a great family dinner that everyone will LOVE!!

cast iron skillet with turkey shepherd's pie cooked in it

Some other great family recipes that use turkey are Turkey Pot Pie, Turkey Chili, Tetrazzini, or Turkey Meatloaf Muffins.

Table of Contents hide
1 Why Itโ€™s SO Good!
2 Ingredients
3 Mashed Potatoes
4 Step by Step Picture Instructions
5 Listen To The Full Recipe
6 Serving
7 Side Dishes
8 Recipe Tips
9 Top Tips
10 More Delicious Comfort Food Dinners
11 Did you make this recipe?
12 Ground Turkey Shepherdโ€™s Pie Recipe + Video
13 More recipes you will love

Why Itโ€™s SO Good!

  • The potato topping has itโ€™s own delicious flavors of butter, sour cream and a little garlic.
  • Fresh rosemary lends amazing fresh flavor.
  • Ground sage adds just a hint of โ€œholidayโ€ that goes perfect with the turkey.
  • Red wine makes the filling deep and rich with flavor.
  • Using beef broth instead of chicken broth gives the filling a robust flavor.

Ingredients

Pictured are the ingredients that you need to make Turkey Shepherdโ€™s Pie, plus some helpful tips on a few ingredients:

ingredients for ground turkey Shepherd's Pie

Ground Turkey โ€“ When you cook with ground turkey it is always good practice to use 93/7. It has enough fat to be flavorful and juicy. The 99% lean is to be avoided at all cost!

You can absolutely use ground beef, ground pork or ground chicken if that is what you have in your fridge/freezer.

Red Wine โ€“ I HIGHLY recommend that you do not skip the red wine! If you do not want to buy an entire bottle just grab a carton or small โ€œairplaneโ€ sized bottle. You only need ยฝ cup, but it makes all the difference.

Beef Broth โ€“ It may seem funny to use a beef broth in a turkey dish, but believe me it works! The beef broth adds a deepness of flavor that a chicken broth wonโ€™t. However if you are making this because you donโ€™t eat beef, you can absolutely sub chicken broth.

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes are the very best topping for Shepherdโ€™s Pie. There is a great recipe included below for the mashed potatoes. However, you could also use one of these options:

  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
  • Frozen Mashed Potatoes (Trader Joeโ€™s has a great one!)
  • Leftover Mashed Potatoes
  • In a time pinch you can use potato flakes
  • Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes could even work!

Step by Step Picture Instructions

  • Boil the Russets and make the mashed potatoes. Set aside until assembly.
  • In a large oven safe skillet, sautรฉ the onions, carrots, and celery in the oil, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and ground turkey and crumble while cooking through.
ground turkey with onions, carrots and celery
  • Now add in the rosemary, sage, salt, pepper, onion powder, flour and tomato paste.
  • Deglaze the pan with the red wine and let it reduce for about 5 minutes.
  • Finish with the beef broth, frozen peas, Worcestershire and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2-3 mins.
ground turkey, peas, carrots and herbs in a tomato and red wine base
  • Remove from the heat.
  • Dollop the mashed potatoes over the meat filling. Smooth it to the edges. To get nice browned bits on the top make swoops in the mashed potatoes.
dollops of mashed potatoes on top of Shepherd's Pie Filling
Spatula spreading mashed potatoes on Shepherd's Pie
  • If using a 10 inch skillet place it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch spills.
  • Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Listen To The Full Recipe

Serving

Serve the Turkey Shepherdโ€™s Pie right in the skillet. Scoop out portions making sure to get a good filling to mashed potato topping ratio on each plate.

a scoop taken out of a Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Side Dishes

The nice thing about Shepherdโ€™s Pie is it has everything in one โ€“ starch, protein and veggies โ€“ so it can really be served by itself.

But if you want to make it more of a dinner experience you can serve it with dinner rolls, a roasted veggie or side salad.

Recipe Tips

Top Tips

  • If you have leftover mashed potatoes this makes a great recipe to use them up!
  • Make Swoops in the mashed potatoes topping, the peaks brown beautifully in the oven.
  • Donโ€™t skip the red wine! It lends amazing depth of flavor to the Turkey Shepherdโ€™s Pie.
  • If rosemary isnโ€™t your jam, sub in fresh thyme.
  • If you like a soupier filling, add ยผ-1/2 cup of beef broth.
  • Pick a red wine you will like to drink. You only need ยฝ cup so you can enjoy the rest of the bottle.
  • Do not use 99% lean ground turkey. Go for the 93/7!
  • If you use a 10 inch skillet, place a rimmed baking sheet underneath to catch spills in the oven.
  • If ground turkey isnโ€™t your thing you can absolutely use ground beef, ground pork, or ground chicken in this recipe.

More Delicious Comfort Food Dinners

  • turkey pot pie with a slice taken out
    Homemade Turkey Pot Pie
  • chicken tetrazzini in a casserole dish
    Deluxe Chicken Tetrazzini
  • a bowl of chicken and dumplings with a dumpling split open
    Creamy Chicken Stew and Dumplings
  • a close up of pot roast,cooked carrots and mashed potatoes
    Beef Pot Roast with Gravy

Susie leaning on the kitchen counter

๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’›

Did you make this recipe?

I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me

Rate This Recipeโ†’
Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie in a cast iron skillet

Ground Turkey Shepherdโ€™s Pie Recipe + Video

A delicious family dinner that has layers of ground turkey mixed with seasonings and herbs, carrots, and peas, all topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked in the oven.
5 from 42 votes
Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Resting Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 443kcal
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

  • 10-12 inch oven safe skillet (cast iron works great)

Ingredients

Mashed Potato Topping

  • 2 โ€“ 2 ยฝ lbs. Russet potatoes - โ€“ peeled and cut into 1-2 inch chunks
  • ยผ cup sour cream
  • 5 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. whole milk or half and half
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1 fresh garlic clove - minced

Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie Filling

  • 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • 1 small onion (yellow or white) - diced
  • ยฝ cup celery - diced
  • ยฝ cup carrot - peeled and diced
  • 3 garlic cloves - โ€“ minced
  • 1 pound ground turkey - โ€“ 93% lean (93/7)
  • 1 tsp. (heaping) fresh rosemary - chopped (could sub fresh thyme)
  • ยผ tsp. ground sage
  • 1 ยฝ tsp. Kosher salt
  • ยฝ tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 1 ยฝ cup beef broth
  • ยฝ cup red wine - (Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec would all work!)
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mashed Potatoes

  • Place the potato chunks into a large pot and add cold water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium low and simmer uncovered until the potatoes are fork tender (about 15 minutes).
    2 โ€“ 2 ยฝ lbs. Russet potatoes
  • Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Smash the potatoes using a hand held mixer or a potato masher. Add the sour cream, butter, milk and salt.
    ยผ cup sour cream, 5 Tbsp. butter, 2 Tbsp. whole milk or half and half, 1 tsp. Kosher salt, 1 fresh garlic clove
  • Taste and adjust seasoning. Set the mashed potatoes aside until assembly.
  • Can also use a store-bought refrigerated mashed potato, not instant potato flakes! Just boost the flavor with sour cream, butter, cream cheese and a garlic clove!

Ground Turkey Filling

  • For the filling, heat oil in a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet (or oven safe pan) over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
    1 Tbsp. Olive oil, 1 small onion (yellow or white), ยฝ cup celery, ยฝ cup carrot
  • Add the ground turkey and garlic, and crumble/cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
    3 garlic cloves, 1 pound ground turkey
  • Stir in the rosemary, ground sage, salt, pepper, onion powder, flour and tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
    1 tsp. (heaping) fresh rosemary, ยผ tsp. ground sage, 1 ยฝ tsp. Kosher salt, ยฝ tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. onion powder, 2 Tbsp. tomato paste, 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • Deglaze the skillet with the red wine and reduce, about 4-5 minutes .
    ยฝ cup red wine
  • Stir in the beef broth, frozen peas and Worcestershire and bring to a boil. Simmer filling for 2-3 minutes.
    ** If you like your filling a little soupier you can add ยผ-1/2 cup beef broth at this point and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
    1 ยฝ cup beef broth, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Assembly & Baking

  • Dollop the mashed potatoes evenly over the filling in the cast iron skillet. Using a spoon or spatula, spread the potatoes evenly over the filling and all the way to the edges of the skillet.
    Pro Tip: Make some swoops in the potatoes, the peaks will brown nicely in the oven!
    dollops of mashed potatoes on top of Shepherd's Pie Filling
  • Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
    Pro Tip: If using a 10 inch skillet you may want to put a baking sheet or foil under the skillet to catch any drips as it is very full
    Spatula spreading mashed potatoes on Shepherd's Pie
  • You can place under the broiler for 5 minutes at the end if you want the top to be golden brown.
  • Let the Shepherdโ€™s Pie rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips and Notes:

Instant Pot Mashed: you can also make your Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot!
Recipe Tip To Remember:
  • If you have leftover mashed potatoes this makes a great recipe to use them up!
  • Make Swoops in the mashed potatoes topping, the peaks brown beautifully in the oven.
  • Donโ€™t skip the red wine! It lends amazing depth of flavor to the Turkey Shepherdโ€™s Pie.
  • If rosemary isnโ€™t your jam, sub in fresh thyme.
  • If you like a soupier filling, add ยผ-1/2 cup of beef broth.
  • Pick a red wine you will like to drink. You only need ยฝ cup so you can enjoy the rest of the bottle.
  • Do not use 99% lean ground turkey. Go for the 93/7!
  • If you use a 10 inch skillet, place a rimmed baking sheet underneath to catch spills in the oven.
  • If ground turkey isnโ€™t your thing you can absolutely use ground beef, ground pork, or ground chicken in this recipe.
Ground Turkey: You can absolutely use ground beef, ground pork or ground chicken if that is what you have in your fridge/freezer.
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
Jump to Comments
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1246mg | Potassium: 1335mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2517IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 3mg

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About Susie Weinrich

Susie Weinrich is the recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator behind Mom's Dinner. She has over 20 years experience in the food industry. Currently, Susie shares all her recipes and food knowledge on Mom's Dinner. You will find her recipes are easy to follow and full of tips and tricks to make sure the recipe you are making turns out perfect!

Comments

    5 from 42 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Alicia says

    September 01, 2025 at 8:03 pm

    5 stars
    This was so good! My family loved it. I did not have sour cream so I subbed greek yogurt for the sour cream and that worked. Will definitely make again! Delicious.

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      September 02, 2025 at 9:06 am

      Wonderful! Greek yogurt is the perfect sub.

      Reply
  2. Emery says

    August 23, 2025 at 10:31 pm

    5 stars
    I made this tonight and it was so good! I doubled the recipe so that we’d have leftovers, and used half ground beef and half ground turkey. I recommend doubling it, but just be aware it makes several steps take a little longer.

    Reply
  3. Kelly S says

    August 17, 2025 at 3:13 pm

    5 stars
    I didn’t have any beef stock, but I added a tablespoon of oyster sauce to kick up the umami, and wow. This recipe rocked the house. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      August 18, 2025 at 2:15 pm

      YES!! Wonderful. Love the substitution of oyster sauce and I am assuming water or chicken broth?

      Reply
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