Steak and kidney hotpot

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Packed with flavour and incredibly easy to make, this steak and kidney hotpot is a super-easy meal with minimum prep. I cooked the steak and kidney filling in an oven-safe casserole dish on the hob before covering it with sliced potatoes and finishing off in the oven. For a speedier version, you could make the filling in a pressure cooker!

A dish of steak and kidney hotpot, topped with golden, crispy sliced potatoes. There is a dish of green beans in the foreground.

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.

The beauty of a hotpot is its simplicity. There's nothing fancy about it, yet it always feels like a real feast. The rich gravy, succulent meat and tasty vegetables all come together into something far more delicious than the sum of its parts.. It's the kind of dish that warms you up on a chilly day and leaves everyone at the table happy.

Growing up in Yorkshire, a hotpot often featured on our menu! I like to give mine a little twist by adding shredded cabbage right at the beginning, which completely cooks down, but gives the gravy a gorgeous depth of flavour without anyone even knowing it's in there. I've also included carrots for a touch of sweetness, and of course, delicious chunks of steak and kidney.

And don't get me started on the potatoes - I could eat a bowl of those on their own! The ones tucked underneath soak up all the rich gravy, while the ones on top turn golden and crisp in the oven. You get the perfect contrast between soft and creamy underneath and crunchy and slightly chewy on top.

If you're short on time, there's no reason why you can't speed things up. I sometimes make the filling in my pressure cooker - it's a brilliant shortcut if you don't fancy standing over the stove. Once the meat and veg are tender and the gravy is rich and thick, just transfer it to your casserole dish, top with potatoes and let the oven work its magic. You still get all the flavours, and the lovely potato topping, but in a fraction of the time.

Close up of the deliciously crispy potatoes on top of the steak and kidney hotpot.

Jump to:

What is a hotpot?
Why you'll love this steak and kidney hotpot
Recipe Information
Ingredients for steak and kidney hotpot
Instructions
Serving suggestions
Tips for a successful outcome
Make it in a pressure cooker
Make ahead
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage and freezing
Top Tip
FAQ
Save for later
Related recipes
📋The recipe

Why you'll love this steak and kidney hotpot

⭐Packed with flavour - the rich gravy, tender steak and kidney, and sweet carrots make every bite comforting and delicious.
⭐Crispy potato topping - you get that wonderful contrast of soft, gravy-soaked potatoes underneath and golden, crunchy slices on top.
⭐Budget-friendly - it makes the most of inexpensive cuts of meat and simple vegetables.
⭐One-pot wonder - everything's cooked in the same dish, so there's less washing up.
⭐Flexible cooking options - simmer it gently on the hob or speed things up with a pressure cooker.
⭐Family favourite - it's hearty, filling, and guaranteed to keep everyone happy around the table.
⭐Perfect make-ahead meal - it reheats beautifully, so you can enjoy it the next day (and some would say it tastes even better!).

Recipe Information

⌚ Prep time: 20 minutes - just enough to coat the meat in flour and prep the vegetables.
⌛ Cooking time: 90 minutes - 40 minutes to brown the meat and vegetables and simmer then 40 minutes covered in the oven and a further 10 minutes uncovered to crisp the potatoes.
🍚 Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients for steak and kidney hotpot

**You can find the exact ingredient quantities on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

Ingredients you will need to make a 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-sized 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, 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.
Onions - peeled and finely chopped. These will be softened with the browned meat and should be cut into chunky dice.
Cabbage - not everyone likes cabbage, so you can leave it out if you prefer, although once the dish has cooked, this is barely noticeable. If you choose to use it, it should be finely sliced.
Carrots - these are simmered for a few minutes before the hotpot goes into the oven, just to give them a head start in the cooking process. You can vary these with other vegetables. Sliced green beans would be a good choice, as would chunks of sweet potato or yams.
Potatoes - these form the topping of the hotpot. They should be peeled and cut into slices approximately one-eighth of an inch in thickness.
Stock - this is beef stock. I normally make it using a stock cube or a stock pot.
Worcestershire sauce and tomato puree (or tomato paste) - used for additional flavour.
Dried thyme - you can substitute this with other herbs such as rosemary or oregano, or simply leave it out.
The final ingredient (which is not pictured) would be a couple of tablespoons of sunflower or other vegetable oil to brown the meat.

Instructions

Step 1, pieces of steak and kidney coated with seasoned flour in a small bowl.

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

Step 2, flour coated steak and kidney being browned in a cast-iron pan.

Step 2: Heat oil in a hob-safe casserole dish and brown the steak and kidney pieces for 4 minutes over medium to high heat, stirring to brown on all sides.

Step 3: Add the onions and continue to stir-fry for another 3 minutes, then remove the casserole dish from the heat and stir in the flour.

Step 4, stock added to the pan with the meat and onions.

Step 4: Stir in the stock, thyme, tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce, and return the pan to the heat.

Step 5, shredded cabbage added to the pan.

Step 5: Add the cabbage, and bring to a boil

Step 6, the hotpot filling after cooking for 10 minutes. The cabbage has started to break down.

Step 6: Turn the heat to simmer and cover the casserole with a lid. Simmer for 10 minutes until the cabbage softens.

Step 7, chunky pieces of carrots added to the hotpot.

Step 7: Add the carrots

Step 8,, the steak and kidney hotpot ready for the potato topping.

Step 8: Cover with a lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes. The gravy should have thickened nicely from the flour that the meat was coated in before being browned.

Step 9, an overlapping layer of slices potatoes arranged on top of the steak and kidney filling.

Step 9: Arrange sliced potatoes on top of the casserole, overlapping them like fish-scales. Season the potatoes lightly with salt and black pepper.

Step 10, the hotpot with softenned potatoes after being in the oven.

Step 10: Cover with a lid and place the casserole in a preheated oven (200C/400F). Bake for 40 minutes.

Step 11, the final hotpot with crispy potatoes on top.

Step 11: Remove the lid and bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes have browned.

Serving suggestions

This steak and kidney hotpot is a meal in itself, but I like to serve it with one or two vegetable sides such as these:

And of course, you can't go wrong with a selection of simple steamed vegetables.

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.
Give the cabbage time to soften in the stock before adding the carrots. This extra cooking time ensures the cabbage softens and will have broken down completely once the dish is fully cooked.
Check the gravy before placing the potatoes on top. If the gravy seems too thin, you can stir in a paste made with 1 or 2 teaspoons of flour mixed with a teaspoon of butter.
Don't over-thicken the gravy. Some of the liquid will be absorbed by the potatoes once the casserole is in the oven, and you don't want to end up with no gravy at all.
Do not cut your potatoes too thinly, or they will not stay on top of the casserole. They will soften too quickly and will sink. ⅛th of an inch is the perfect thickness!
Cover the casserole with a lid for the first 40 minutes in the oven so the potatoes can soften in the steam that gets produced. Then remove the lid and cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes to allow the potatoes to brown and crisp.

Make it in a pressure cooker

If you want the original recipe (made in a pressure cooker), here's a link to the original pressure cooker instructions.

Make ahead

This steak and kidney casserole is the perfect meal to make ahead. It's a dish that actually gets better with time!

Prepare the filling a day or 2 in advance, let it cool, then store it in a covered container in the refrigerator.
You could also freeze the cooled filling in an air-tight container (up to 3 months) and defrost it overnight when you're ready to make it.
Transfer the filling to a casserole dish and cover with a layer of sliced potatoes, then bake according to the recipe instructions.

You could also cook the entire hotpot to the point where the potatoes still need to be browned and crisped. Cool it and put the covered casserole dish in the refrigerator for a day or two. To serve, reheat it in the oven, uncovered, at 180C/360F, for about 30 minutes until piping hot and the potatoes are browned and crispy.

The hotpot with part of the potatoes removed to show the steak and kidney filling below.

Substitutions

Disclaimer: Please check all ingredients carefully if you have allergies or dietary restrictions. This recipe has not been tested for specific dietary needs.

Gluten-free. Coat the meat in cornflour rather than wheat flour when browning it. Check the label of the Worcestershire sauce to ensure it is marked as gluten-free.

Vegetarian - skip the steak and kidney altogether and turn this into a veggie hotpot with hearty vegetables such as mushrooms, parsnips or even lentils. Swap out the beef stock for vegetable stock. You will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly so the vegetables don't overcook.
Low-fat option - use lean steak and trim away any visible fat before browning. Skim any fat from the surface of the gravy before adding the potatoes.

Variations

One of the best things about this hotpot is how easy it is to adapt. Once you've got the basic method, you can mix and match ingredients to suit your own taste, or even just to use up whatever happens to be in your refrigerator!

Swap the meat. If you're not keen on kidney, just use extra steak (or try my meat and potato pie recipe, which is made only with steak and potatoes, but with a suet pastry crust rather than a sliced potato topping).
Add a splash of beer or red wine. For extra depth of flavour in the gravy, swap some of the stock with a cup of beer or half a glass of red wine.
Cheesy finish. Not really my cup of tea for this particular recipe, but if you're a cheese lover, you might like to sprinkle a handful of grated cheddar cheese over the potatoes while they are browning.
Individual hotpots. Instead of one big hotpot, why not try assembling and baking this dish in individual ramekins? It would be a great dinner-party option.

Equipment

These are the main items of equipment you will need to make a steak and kidney hotpot.

Casserole dish with a tightly-fitting lid. The dish you use will make all the difference to the end result. I made this hotpot in a heavy cast-iron Dutch oven. The lid fits very tightly, preventing a lot of evaporation, and the timings for the recipe were based on this. If your lid doesn't fit very tightly, keep your eye on the level of the gravy and top up with extra stock if necessary.
Mandolin. This makes short work of slicing the potatoes. If you don't have one, just use a sharp knife and try to make all the slices as even as possible, so that they all cook at the same time.

Storage and freezing

Refrigerator. If you've got leftovers (lucky you!), this steak and kidney hotpot keeps really well. Once cool, transfer it to an air-tight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer. This dish freezes well. I normally freeze it in meal-sized portions because hubby likes to take it with him when he goes fishing! By the time he's ready to eat it, it's defrosted, so he just heats it in a saucepan over a portable stove and has a hot meal on the banks of the river! You should defrost it overnight in the refrigerator (or use the defrost function on your microwave if you're in a hurry).
Reheating. Reheat in a saucepan (or frying pan) on the stove, or reheat individual portions in the microwave for 2 or 3 minutes until piping hot.

Top Tip

You can serve this dish as soon as it comes out of the oven, but I find that if you let it rest (uncovered) for a few minutes, it seems to 'settle' - the gravy thickens slightly and the potatoes develop a firmer texture.

FAQ

Why do my potatoes sometimes go soggy instead of crisp?

If the potatoes have been too thinly sliced, they will soften quickly and sink into the gravy. Make sure they are at least one-eighth of an inch thick.
There might also be too much liquid in the dish. Thicken the gravy slightly before adding the potatoes.
And don't forget the step of cooking the dish uncovered for the last 15 minutes.

Can I prepare the potatoes ahead of time?

Yes. Slice them and place them in a bowl of cold water so they don't turn brown. When ready to assemble the dish, drain the potatoes, pat them dry with a piece of paper towel, and arrange them on top of the casserole.

How can I tell when the hotpot is done?

The hotpot will be ready when the potatoes are golden brown and the filling is bubbling up around the edges. If you're not sure, stick a knife through the potatoes - they should be soft with no resistance.

Do I really need to brown the meat first?

It's not strictly necessary, but browning the meat adds lots of flavour and gives the gravy a lovely rich colour. The flour that the meat was coated with also helps thicken the gravy naturally. Browning the meat is just one of those little steps that makes all the difference.

Save for later

If you would like to like to make this steak and kidney hotpot, 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.

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