• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Foodle Club

  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes (date order)
  • Convert grams to cups
  • How to guides
  • Collections
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes (date order)
  • Convert grams to cups
  • How to guides
  • Collections
  • About
  • Mobile Menu

    • Facebook
  • ×
    • A spoonful of sweet and sour dipping sauce being lifted from a small bowl.
      Quick and easy sweet and sour dipping sauce
    • A crispy prawn spring roll that has been dipped in dipping sauce.
      Crispy prawn spring rolls
    • Slices of chocolate loaf cake with a covering of chocolate.
      Chocolate ice cream loaf cake
    • Sliced pot roast of brisket on a serving platter, garnished with rosemary, with potatoes and carrots on the side.
      Braised brisket pot roast with tasty capsicum gravy
    • A dish of meatballs in curried onion sauce on a table next to a bowl of peas and a dish of rice.
      South African-style curried meatballs - oven-baked in rich gravy
    • A cream scone cut in half, spread with butter and topped with strawberry compote.
      Strawberry cream scones - no butter needed
    • A collage of 9 of the recipies featured in this dinner pie collection.
      23 Dinner pie recipes - easy to make, delicious to eat
    • A slice of baked yoghurt cheesecake on a plate, topped with blueberry compote.
      Easy baked yoghurt cheesecake with blueberry compote
    • A white dinner plate with minced beef hash, baked beans and a side of green salad.
      Easy minced beef hash - old-fashioned comfort food
    • A collage of varrious pasta dishes.
      24 pasta recipes with a twist - quick suppers and simple salads
    • A slilver cake dish filled with choc chip meringue cookies.
      Crispy choc chip nut meringue cookies
    • A crispy pork hock on a pile of mashed potatoes, surrounded with gravy on a white plate.
      Crispy oven-baked pork hocks with red wine gravy
    Home » Recipes » Beef recipes

    Steak and kidney hotpot

    Published: Feb 18, 2025 · Modified: Feb 18, 2025 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to recipe

    Packed with flavour and incredibly easy to make, this steak and kidney hotpot is a super easy meal with minimum prep. To speed things up I cooked the steak and kidney in a pressure cooker before adding a layer of sliced potatoes and finishing it in the oven. I've also included stovetop instructions for those who prefer a more traditional approach.

    Steak and kidney hotpot in a red casserole dish.  There are 2 glasses of red wine in the background.

    What is a hotpot?

    A hotpot is simply a slow-cooked stew or casserole made with meat and vegetables and topped with a layer of sliced potatoes. Today I'm sharing a delicious steak and kidney hotpot. You can put any combination of meat and vegetables in a hotpot, as you will see from these recipes:

    • Lancashire hotpot made with lamb;
    • minced beef hotpot made with ground beef
    • pork and cabbage hotpot which uses pork as the main ingredient.

    This recipe for steak and kidney hotpot almost didn't get posted - which would have been a pity, because in my humble opinion, this steak and kidney hotpot is one of the tastiest casseroles on my website!

    The reason I almost didn't post it, was because the potatoes sank down into the gravy instead of sitting on top and turning crispy (as they were supposed to). But all things happen for a reason, and once I'd tasted the potatoes that had soaked up all the flavours of the rich, tasty gravy, I realised that we were onto a winner! It just goes to show - even if your meal doesn't turn out quite as originally envisaged, it doesn't mean it's going to be any less tasty! Perhaps I should have subtitled this recipe 'How to turn a Culinary Disaster into a Triumph'

    But it turned out well!

    To speed up the process I cooked the steak and kidney in a pressure cooker - it only takes half an hour to bring the meat to fall-apart tenderness in my Ninja. However, if you get started early you can easily cook the meat in a saucepan on the stove. It will take around 2 hours to get to the same consistency.

    Then I transferred the cooked steak and kidney to a casserole dish, covered it with a layer of thinly sliced potatoes, popped the lid on the casserole, and baked it in the oven for about 45 minutes.

    To cut a long story short, the end result was succulent steak and kidney hotpot, swimming in a thick, luscious gravy and covered with soft almost fondant-like potatoes (instead of the layer of crispy potatoes I thought I was going to get).

    But it doesn't matter - it turned out well in the end. And this was backed up by hubby's comment 'Oh thank goodness you made lots - we're definitely having the leftovers tomorrow'!

    Close of of soft potatoes on top of the steak and kidney hotpot.
    Jump to:
    • What is a hotpot?
    • But it turned out well!
    • Why did my potatoes sink?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Tips for a successful outcome
    • Serving suggestions
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    Why did my potatoes sink?

    I think it was for 3 reasons:

    • I sliced the potatoes on a mandolin and I may have sliced them too thinly. The potatoes should be about one-eighth of an inch in thickness.
    • There was a lot of gravy in the casserole. Now this in itself isn't a bad thing - the gravy is delicious - but the gravy probably bubbled up while the dish was in the oven and covered the potatoes.
    • Even though my gravy had thickened nicely, because there was so much of it I should probably have thickened it more with a little flour and butter.

    I'm going to make this recipe again in the near future and add some new photos so you can see what it was supposed to turn out like.

    But in the meantime - it still makes a yummy supper!

    Ingredients

    This recipe will feed at least 4 people.

    Ingredients for making steak and kidney hotpot.
    • Steak - you should use a cut of stewing steak which benefits from a long, low cooking process such as chuck, flank or topside. I used a piece of brisket with a nice marbling of fat running through it. The steak should be cut into bite-size pieces.
    • Kidney - ox kidney is the best to use. Lamb kidney would turn rubbery in the time this dish takes to cook. You can buy a whole piece of kidney and remove the inner core and chop the kidney yourself, or buy ready-cleaned and chopped-up ox kidney from the butcher.
    • Flour - this should be seasoned with salt and black pepper. It is used to coat the meat. You may also need a little flour mixed with a knob of butter for thickening the gravy.
    • Onions - peeled and finely chopped. These will go into the pressure cooker with the meat and should be cut into chunky dice.
    • Cabbage - not everyone likes cabbage, so you can leave it out if you prefer. The cabbage goes into the pressure cooker at the same time as the meat, and cooks away to almost nothing, leaving lots of flavour in the gravy. It should be finely sliced.
    • Carrots - these go into the pressure cooker for 4 minutes once the meat has cooked. If you left out the cabbage you might like to add other vegetables at this time. Sliced green beans would be a good choice, as would chunks of sweet potato or yams.
    • Potatoes - these form the topping of the hotpot and I also grate one potato and add it to the pressure cooker with the meat to help thicken the gravy naturally. The potatoes should be peeled and cut into slices approximately one-eighths of an inch in thickness.
    • Stock - this is beef stock. I normally make it using a stock cube or a stock pot. If you are cooking the meat in a pressure cooker you will find 2 cups of stock is sufficient; if you intend to cook this on the stovetop you will probably need an additional cup to allow for evaporation.
    • Worcestershire sauce and tomato puree (or tomato paste) - used for additional flavour.
    • Dried thyme - you could substitute this with other herbs such as rosemary or oregano, or simply leave it out.
    • The final ingredient would be a couple of tablespoons of sunflower or other vegetable oil for browning the meat. Browning the meat isn't strictly necessary - the meat will still turn out tender and succulent, but I always feel that browning the meat before cooking it adds an extra dimension of flavour.

    **You can find the exact ingredient measurements to make this steak and kidney hotpot on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

    Instructions

    Pieces of steak and kidney coated in seasoned flour.

    Step 1: Coat the meat (both the steak and kidney) in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper.

    Steak and kidney browning in a pressure cooker.

    Step 2: Heat the oil in your pressure cooker (use the saute or browning function) and sear the meat, stirring occasionally, until it is nicely browned all over. You could do this step in a large saucepan.

    Cabbage and stock added to the hotpot.

    Step 3: Add the onions, cabbage and a grated potato to the pressure cooker (or saucepan). Stir the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree and dried thyme into the stock and pour it on top.

    The steak and kidney after 30 minutes in a pressure cooker.

    Step 4: Cook at high pressure for 25 minutes. Consult the manual for your own make of pressure cooker. The Ninja takes 25 minutes - you may need slightly longer. If you make this in a saucepan, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until the meat is tender. And don't forget to check the stock in the saucepan - add more if it looks to be drying out.

    Carrots added to the pressure cooker.

    Step 5: Do a quick power release then add the carrots. If you are cooking this in a saucepan, add the carrots halfway through the cooking time so they don't overcook.

    The fully cooked steak and kidney filling in a pressure cooker.

    Step 6: Cook at high pressure for 4 minutes then do another quick pressure release. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.

    Steak and kidney in gravy transferred to a casserole dish.

    Step 7: Transfer the meat and gravy to a large ovenproof casserole dish. If you feel the gravy hasn't thickened sufficiently you can make a paste with half a tablespoon of flour and a knob of butter and stir this into the casserole. The flour will thicken the gravy further while the casserole is in the oven.

    Sliced potatoes arranged on top of the filling.

    Step 8: Slice the potatoes thinly (about one-eighth of an inch), arrange them on top of the casserole and optionally sprinkle them lightly with salt.. Cover the casserole with a lid and place it in a preheated oven (200C/400F) for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and leave in the oven for a further 15 minutes to allow the potatoes to brown and crisp.

    This is where the wheels fell off when I made it! When I took the casserole out of the oven after 30 minutes the potatoes had sunk and as I thought I'd ruined the dish I stopped taking process shots.

    I managed to rescue the potatoes (almost) by using a fork to lift the potatoes back onto the top of the meat, then I browned them in the oven for the final 15 minutes. They weren't as crispy as they should have been, but they certainly tasted delicious! They were soft and creamy, and absolutely packed with flavour.

    Steak and kidney hotpot in a casserole dish with lots of gravy.

    Step 9: So, not quite a process shot of the finished dish. As you can see the potatoes cooked beautifully in the gravy, and they did take on a bit of colour in the final 15 minutes.

    Crispy brown potatoes on top of a Lancashire hotpot.

    And this is what I was actually aiming for - this is a photo of my Lancashire hotpot, with the potatoes as they were supposed to be 🙂

    Tips for a successful outcome

    Here are my top tips to ensure your steak and kidney hotpot turns out perfectly:

    • If you've bought pre-cut kidneys, make sure that you remove any bits of the middle core. Even if you've used a reputable butcher, the odd bits of core can sometimes get left behind.
    • Don't skip the step of browning the meat. This not only adds loads of flavour to the dish, but the flour in the coating helps to thicken the gravy.
    • Adding a grated potato to the pressure cooker helps thicken the gravy even more as the potato cooks away to nothing, leaving only the starch behind.
    • Do not cut your potatoes too thinly or they will not stay on top of the casserole. They will soften too quickly and they will sink. ⅛th of an inch is the perfect thickness!
    • When thickening the gravy (only if necessary) the amount of flour you will need will depend on how much gravy you have. Half a teaspoon of flour should be sufficient but if you have lots of gravy you may find you need a full teaspoonful.
    • Cover the casserole with a lid for the first 30 minutes in the oven so the potatoes can soften in the steam that gets produced. Then remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes to allow the potatoes to brown and crisp.

    Serving suggestions

    I like to serve this steak and kidney casserole with lightly steamed vegetables such as cauliflower, brussels sprouts and green beans.

    A plate of steak and kidney hotpot with steamed vegetables.

    Equipment

    This is the equipment you will need for making a steak and kidney hotpot:

    • Pressure cooker - I used my Nina pressure cooker which I find cooks food in less time than a normal electric pressure cooker. Please consult your manufacturer's manual for your own particular model of pressure cooker.
    • Saucepan - you can also make the steak and kidney filling in a saucepan on the stove. You will need a saucepan large enough to hold all the ingredients, with a tightly fitting lid to minimise evaporation.
    • Casserole dish - I used a heavy cast iron casserole dish, but you could use ceramic too as long as it has a lid.
    • Mandolin - for slicing the potatoes. You could also use a sharp knife and a chopping board.

    Storage

    Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.

    This dish freezes well. Allow it to come to room temperature, transfer it to a suitable container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat as above.

    Save for later

    If you would like to make this steak and kidney hotpot (and probably do a better job than I did) why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    Related recipes

    Visit my soups, stews and casserole recipes page for other delicious warming meals. Here are a few you might enjoy:

    • A black frying pan filled with green bean bredie.
      Green bean bredie with lamb
    • A dish of beef stew in a soup bowl on a white plate with a crusty breadroll. There is a dish of stew in the background.
      Hearty beef stew (in a slow cooker)
    • Lamb stew in a bowl next to a plate of crusty bread rolls.
      Slow cooker Irish lamb stew with barley
    • Slow-cooker pork casserole with honey and mustard

    📋The recipe

    Steak and kidney hotpot in a red casserole dish. There are 2 glasses of red wine in the background.

    Steak and kidney hotpot

    Packed with flavour and incredibly easy to make, this steak and kidney hotpot is a super easy meal with minimum prep. To speed things up I cooked the steak and kidney in a pressure cooker before adding a layer of sliced potatoes and finishing it in the oven. I've also included stovetop instructions for those who prefer a more traditional approach.
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Main Course
    British
    Calories 470
    Prep 20 minutes minutes
    Cook 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    No ratings yet

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Pressure Cooker OR
    • Large saucepqn if cooking on the stove
    • large casserole dish with lid
    • Mandolin for slicing potatoes OR
    • Sharp Knife

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound / 450 grams stewing steak chuck, flank, brisket, topside or similar, cut into bite-sized pieces
    • 8 ounces / 225 grams ox kidney cut into small pieces
    • 2 tablespoons / 20 grams flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for browning the meat
    • ¼ small cabbage thinly slices (approximately 1 cup)
    • 1 large onion peeled and coarsely diced
    • 1 medium potato peeled and grated
    • 2 cups / 480 ml beef stock you can make it with a stock cube
    • 2 tablespoons tomato puree / tomato paste
    • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced
    • 1½ pounds / 680 grams potatoes peeled and sliced for topping
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 - 2 teaspoons flour for thickening if needed
    • ½ tablespoon butter to combine with flour for thickening

    Instructions

    • Coat the meat (both the steak and kidney) in flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper.
      1 pound / 450 grams stewing steak, 8 ounces / 225 grams ox kidney, 2 tablespoons / 20 grams flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • Heat the oil in your pressure cooker (use the saute or browning function) and sear the meat, stirring occasionally, until it is nicely browned all over. You could do this step in a large saucepan.
      2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • Add the onions, cabbage and a grated potato to the pressure cooker (or saucepan).
      ¼ small cabbage, 1 large onion, 1 medium potato
    • Stir the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree and dried thyme into the stock and pour it on top.
      2 cups / 480 ml beef stock, 2 tablespoons tomato puree / tomato paste, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • Cook at high pressure for 25 minutes. Consult the manual for your own make of pressure cooker. The Ninja takes 25 minutes - you may need slightly longer.
      If you make this in a saucepan, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours until the meat is tender. And don't forget to check the stock in the saucepan - add more if it looks to be drying out.
    • Do a quick power release then add the carrots.
      If you are cooking this in a saucepan, add the carrots halfway through the cooking time so they don't overcook.
      2 medium carrots
    • Cook at high pressure for 4 minutes then do another quick pressure release. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
    • Transfer the meat and gravy to a large ovenproof casserole dish. If you feel the gravy hasn't thickened sufficiently you can make a paste with half a tablespoon of flour and a knob of butter and stir this into the casserole. The flour will thicken the gravy further while the casserole is in the oven.
      1 - 2 teaspoons flour, ½ tablespoon butter
    • Slice the potatoes thinly (about one-eighth of an inch), arrange them on top of the casserole and optionally sprinkle them lightly with salt..
      1½ pounds / 680 grams potatoes, ½ teaspoon salt
    • Cover the casserole with a lid and place it in a preheated oven (200C/400F) for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and leave in the oven for a further 15 minutes to allow the potatoes to brown and crisp.
    • Serve hot with freshly steamed vegetables on the side.

    Notes

    Recipe tips:
    • If you've bought pre-cut kidneys, make sure that you remove any bits of the middle core. Even if you've used a reputable butcher, the odd bits of core can sometimes get left behind.
    • Don't skip the step of browning the meat. This not only adds loads of flavour to the dish, but the flour in the coating helps to thicken the gravy.
    • Adding a grated potato to the pressure cooker helps thicken the gravy even more as the potato cooks away to nothing, leaving only the starch behind.
    • Do not cut your potatoes too thinly or they will not stay on top of the casserole. They will soften too quickly and they will sink. ⅛th of an inch is the perfect thickness!
    • When thickening the gravy (only if necessary) the amount of flour you will need will depend on how much gravy you have. Half a teaspoon of flour should be sufficient but if you have lots of gravy you may find you need a full teaspoonful.
    • Cover the casserole with a lid for the first 30 minutes in the oven so the potatoes can soften in the steam that gets produced. Then remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes to allow the potatoes to brown and crisp.
     
    Storage:
    • Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.
    • This dish freezes well. Allow to come to room temperature then transfer to a suitable container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat as above.

    Nutrition

    Calories - 470kcal | Carbohydrates - 44.7g | Protein - 44.7g | Fat - 12.2g | Saturated Fat - 1.2g | Cholesterol - 214mg | Sodium - 920mg | Potassium - 1183mg | Fiber - 7.1g | Sugar - 7.6g | Calcium - 80mg | Iron - 7mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

    If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love it if you could give me a star rating in the comments below. And if you'd like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you can grab yourself a copy of my FREE COOKBOOK!

    If you'd like to continue browsing, just click on this link to all my recipes.

    More Beef recipes

    • A blue serving dish with beef osso buco garnished with parsley.
      Rich and tender boneless beef shin osso buco
    • A piece of slow cooker beef short rib on a dinner plate with vegetables. The beef is being pulled apart with a fork. There is a helping of thick gravy over the beef.
      Slow cooker beef short ribs with rich gravy
    • An easy meat pie in a baking dish with a corner of the pastry removed to show the filling.
      Easy meat pie
    • A boerewors puff pastry spiral on a wooden board surrounded by a selection of salads.
      Boerewors puff pastry spiral
    9 shares
    • Share on Facebook
    • Tweet

    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    A picture of Veronica in the garden in front of a pink-flowering shrub.

    Hi, I'm Veronica! Welcome to my little kitchen. Step inside and browse my collection of recipes collected over the years.

    More about me →

    Readers favourites

    These are my most viewed recipes:

    • Sliced silverside on a plate with carrots and potatoes.
      Slow-cooker beef silverside
    • Slices of oven-baked gammon on a serving dish.
      Easy oven-baked gammon
    • Overhead shot of a white serving bowl filled with beef and kidney stew. There is a large wooden spoon at the side of the bowl.
      Slow-cooker beef and kidney stew
    • A slice of bacon and egg pie on a plate
      Proper bacon and egg pie
    • A pile of crusty German bread rolls.
      Crusty German bread rolls (Brotchen)
    • A dish of twice-cooked pork belly garnished with sesame seeds and spring onions.
      Twice cooked pork belly - with a sticky glaze

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Subscribe

    • Subscribe to my newsletter and get a free recipe ebook.

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 www.foodleclub.com

    Copyright © 2025 Foodleclub.com

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required