Lancashire Hotpot is a stew common in the UK that is made with lamb or mutton with onions and some vegetables; it is then topped with potatoes. This Lamb hotpot recipe originated from Lancashire, a North-Western county in England; Lancashire hot pot is a British classic that is usually eaten for dinner; it is a family favorite that goes well with some pickled vegetables such as beetroot or red cabbage; this mutton hotpot can be served in some parts of England with the Lancashire cheese.
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Traditional Lancashire Hotpot
In the traditional Lancashire hotpot, the cut of mutton used was the scrag (the part taken from the neck) or lamb kidneys that are usually cooked in a heavy pot, slowly for hours. The benefit of slow cooking is that the aroma or flavor of the lamb or mutton is infused into the stew; the heat also makes the lamb very soft.
Oysters were used in the traditional lamb hotpot but they are used less in the modern Lancashire hotpot recipes because oysters are now expensive.
Lamb Hotpot Variations
In the modern recipes of Lancashire hot pot, a slow cooker can be used for slow cooking of the mutton, and vegetables such as turnip, leeks, or carrots are often added to some recipes. Some recipes these days add use bacon, pork chops, or beef to substitute for mutton or lamb.
How to Make Lancashire Hotpot Recipe
For instructions with pictures, skip to the recipe tab below this section:
- Place a pan on the stovetop and add 2 tbsp of butter to the pan.
- Allow the butter to melt then add the chopped lamb into it. Cut the lamb into very small sizes.
- Fry the lamb or mutton until it is brown; once the fried mutton is golden brown in color, shift it to one side of the pan and add the sliced onions and the chopped carrots; stir fry until the onions are fragrant and translucent.
- Season with salt and black pepper, about 1/4 tsp each; then stir to combine.
- Sprinkle some plain flour over it and cook until the raw flavour of the flour is gone. The flour helps to thicken the Lancashire hotpot. you can also use cornstarch or any type of flour you often use as a thickener for soups and stews.
- Add 500 ml of lamb stock, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves; stir to combine.
- Cover and cook for 15 minutes while preparing the Russet potatoes. Ensure you peel the potatoes and rinse with clean water.
- Now, cut the potatoes into thin slices of about 2 or 3 mm. You can use a Mandolin slicer to ensure you have very thin cuts of potatoes that become soft easily when cooked in the oven; cutting larger chunks of potatoes makes them crunchy even after cooking for an hour in the oven. Keep aside and wait for the lamb stew to cook for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and pour the mutton stew into a casserole.
- Arrange the sliced potatoes over it the stew in the casserole and brush their surface with some melted butter.
- Sprinkle some salt, black pepper, and dry thyme over it and then cover with foil paper; now, bake for 1 hour.
- After an hour of baking the Lancashire hotpot, remove the foil paper and continue cooking it in the oven for another 30 minutes until the potatoes are brown and crispy.
- Your easy Lancashire hotpot recipe is ready.

Lancashire Hotpot Recipe - Traditional British Lamb Hot Pot
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Oven
- Casserole
- Mandolin slicer or Knife
Ingredients
- 600 grams Lamb or Mutton The best cut of lamb is the neck (scrag)
- 4 medium-sized Potatoes Cut into thin slices of about 2 to 3 mm. The thinner the easier the potatoes cook easily.
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- ¼ tsp Butter Drippings can substitute for butter.
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Plain Flour Used as a thickener for the lamb stew
- ¼ tsp dry thyme
- 500 ml Lamb stock
- 1 medium-sized sliced Onion
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce Adds to the taste of the mutton hotpot
- 3 small diced Carrots
- 2 pieces of Bay leaves for more flavoring
Instructions
- Place a pan on the stovetop and add 2 tbsp of butter to the pan. Allow the butter to melt then add the chopped lamb into it. Cut the lamb into very small sizes.
- Fry the lamb or mutton until it is brown
- Once the fried mutton is golden brown in color, shift it to one side of the pan and add the sliced onions and the chopped carrots; stir fry until the onions are fragrant and translucent.
- Season with salt and black pepper, about 1/4 tsp each; then stir to combine.
- Sprinkle some plain flour over it and cook until the raw flavour of the flour is gone. The flour helps to thicken the Lancashire hotpot. You can also use cornstarch or any type of flour that you often used as a thickener for soups and stews.
- Add 500 ml of lamb stock, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves; stir to combine.
- Cover and cook for 15 minutes while preparing the Russet potatoes. Ensure you peel the potatoes and rinse with clean water.
- Now, cut the potatoes into thin slices of about 2 or 3 mm. You can use a Mandolin slicer to ensure you have very thin cuts of potatoes that become soft easily when cooked in the oven; cutting larger chunks of potatoes makes them crunchy even after cooking for an hour in the oven. Keep aside and wait for the lamb stew to cook for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and pour the mutton stew into a casserole.
- Arrange the sliced potatoes over it the stew in the casserole and brush their surface with some melted butter.
- Sprinkle some salt, thyme, and black pepper.
- Cover with foil paper; now, bake for 1 hour. If your casserole is shallow and wider, the potatoes cook in time, but if it is narrow and deep, the potatoes take longer for heat to penetrate under.
- After an hour of baking the Lancashire hotpot, remove the foil paper and continue cooking it in the oven for another 30 minutes until the potatoes are brown and crispy. Your easy Lancashire hotpot recipe is ready.