Deer & Beer Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Crust is a cozy, comforting meal with a rich and hearty venison filling topped by a buttery and flaky puff pastry crust!

I am making it my mission to create more recipes that involve venison. I’ve made tacos. I’ve made lasagna. And now…I’ve made a Deer & Beer Pot Pie with a Puff Pastry Crust!
I cannot handle how yummy this is. It’s got everything a pot pie recipe should have!
- Tender, flavorful venison meat cooked to perfection
- Veggies!
- A deeply rich gravy made from beef stock and beer (!!!)
- A flaky AF top crust made from store-bought puff pastry
How to make Deer & Beer Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Crust
It’s pretty simple actually!
- Make the filling. This filling is totally inspired by Julia Child’s boeuf bourguignon and it’s how I like to prepare almost all of my roasts and/or roast style proteins. It can also be made a day in advance!
- Fill your ramekins. Or mini cocettes or a large pie plate if you want it to be full-sized. I won’t judge.
- Top with puff pastry. Make sure you brush it with egg wash. And a sprinkling of fresh thyme if you’ve got it.
- Bake until golden brown. It won’t take too long. I promise.
Out of puff pastry?
That’s ok! You can certainly try making your own. Or use pre-made biscuit dough! Or pie crust! Mashed potatoes would make this into a ridiculously delish shepherd’s pie, if you’re so inclined.
Enjoy this however you’d like. However you can.
More Venison Recipes You May Enjoy
Deer & Beer Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Crust
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound venison roast (or beef that’s ok too)
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms sliced
- ½ white onion diced
- 1 large carrot diced
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 12 oz. brown ale I like a local microbrew but Avery is readily available
- 24 oz. beef stock
- 1 cup frozen English peas
- Fresh thyme
- Frozen puff pastry thawed according to package directions
- Eggwash
Instructions
- Place six mini croquettes or ramekins on a baking tray and set aside.
- Cut roast into 1 ½ inch squares and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Dust with flour and set aside.
- In a large heavy-bottomed skillet with a lid (or a shallow Dutch oven), heat 2 tablespoon bacon fat over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt and cook until mushrooms release their juices and have browned. Remove from pan and add 2 tablespoon more bacon fat (or other cooking oil, if desired), working in batches, sear the roast on all sides before removing from pan.
- Lower heat to medium and add onion and carrot, stirring to coat. Season with more kosher salt. Cook until carrots begin to soften and onions become translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Deglaze pan with brown ale, scraping all those flavorful bits up from the bottom. Stir in beef stock.
- Return meat to pan and add a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 ½ - 2 hours, or until liquid has reduced and meat is fork tender. Stir in frozen peas and cooked mushrooms. (At this point the filling can be cooled and refrigerated for a day, if desired.)
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Divide filling among prepared ramekins. Cut the puff pastry into 6 equal squares (or using a large round cutter) to place over the top of the ramekins. Brush with eggwash and sprinkle with more fresh thyme.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 – 15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. And serve hot!
Leave a Reply