Beef Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

I kept thinking I should make a beef pot pie with biscuit topping and then last Tuesday I just did it after work because I had sirloin in the fridge. The biscuits puff up and get this golden crust while the beef filling bubbles underneath and honestly it’s one of those meals that feels like more effort than it actually is.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• You brown 1.5-2 lb. sirloin steak in batches so every piece gets a real crust
• Refrigerated biscuits cut into quarters means no dough rolling or crimping edges
• The filling thickens twice — once on the stove, again during that first 20-minute bake
• Frozen peas and corn go straight from the bag with no thawing required
• That egg wash with garlic powder and parsley makes the biscuit topping taste homemade even though it’s not
• 6 servings from one cast iron skillet you can take straight to the table

The Story Behind This Recipe

I wanted comfort food but I didn’t want to deal with pie dough on a weeknight. I had a thing of refrigerated biscuits that needed using and some sirloin I’d bought on sale. The first time I made this I left the biscuits whole and they didn’t cook through in the center, so now I quarter them and it works way better. The red wine vinegar was something I added because the filling tasted a little flat without it — just 1 tablespoon cuts through all that richness from the butter and beef broth. Now it’s what I make when I want something that feels like I tried but really I just browned some meat and opened a can of biscuits.

What You Need

You’re going to cube 1.5-2 lb. sirloin steak into bite-sized pieces. I used closer to 2 pounds because I like more meat than vegetables in my pot pie and it worked fine either way.

The 3 tablespoons flour mixed with 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper does two jobs — it seasons the meat and you’ll use the leftover flour to thicken the sauce later. Don’t throw out what doesn’t stick to the beef.

2 tablespoons olive oil divided means 1 tablespoon for each batch of browning. You’ll also need ½ cup white onion diced and ½ cup carrots diced, both about the same size so they cook evenly. 4 cloves fresh garlic minced is what I used but if you only have 3 that’s probably fine.

1 cup frozen peas and 1 cup frozen corn go in straight from the freezer. 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning and 2 tablespoons butter add flavor and richness to the vegetables before the sauce comes together.

2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 3/4 cups low sodium beef broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, and that 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar build the gravy. The vinegar is the thing that makes this taste less one-note.

1 (16 ounce) can refrigerated biscuits gets quartered before you arrange them on top. The egg wash is 1 egg whisked with 2 teaspoons cream or milk, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon onion powder. This is what makes the biscuit topping look and taste like you actually tried.

How to Make Beef Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

Preheat your oven to 350°F first because you’ll need it ready when the filling’s done on the stove. Pat the sirloin cubes completely dry with paper towels — I know it seems fussy but wet meat steams instead of browns and you’ll end up with gray beef that tastes boring.

Mix the 3 tablespoons flour with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl, then toss the beef cubes in there until they’re coated. Set aside whatever flour mixture doesn’t stick because you’re using that later to thicken everything.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering. Add half the beef in a single layer and don’t touch it for a good 5-6 minutes — you want a real crust forming on the bottom before you start moving things around. When it’s deeply browned use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a plate, then repeat with the second tablespoon of oil and the rest of the beef.

Check if there’s still oil in the pan after browning because sometimes the meat absorbs it all. If it looks dry add 1-2 teaspoons more so the onions don’t stick.

Add the diced onion and carrots and cook them about 3-4 minutes until the onions go translucent and everything softens a bit. Toss in the minced garlic and cook another minute — your kitchen will smell really good right now but don’t let the garlic burn or it’ll taste bitter.

Stir in the frozen peas frozen corn, 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning, and 2 tablespoons butter. Once the butter melts and coats everything add that reserved flour mixture you set aside earlier and stir it around to make a thick paste. This is basically a roux and you need to cook it for a minute or two so the filling doesn’t taste like raw flour.

Add the 2 tablespoons tomato paste and mix it in, then slowly pour in 1 3/4 cups beef broth while scraping up all those brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Those bits are where the flavor lives. Add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar and let everything bubble and start to thicken — it won’t be fully thick yet but you’ll see it changing.

Transfer the whole skillet to the oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. This is when the filling really thickens up and all the flavors get friendly with each other.

Take it out but leave the oven on. Cut your refrigerated biscuits into quarters — I just use kitchen scissors for this because it’s faster than a knife. Lay the biscuit pieces over the top of the filling and don’t worry about covering every single inch, you want some gaps for steam to escape.

Whisk together 1 egg, 2 teaspoons cream or milk, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon onion powder in a small bowl. Brush this all over the biscuits and make sure you get into the cracks between pieces. This egg wash is what gives you that shiny golden finish that looks homemade even though you used canned biscuits.

Put the skillet back in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the biscuits puff up and turn golden. When you take it out let it sit for 10-15 minutes before serving because the filling needs time to set or it’ll be too liquidy when you scoop it out.

What I Did Wrong the First Time

The first time I made this I left the biscuits whole instead of quartering them and the centers stayed doughy and pale while the tops browned. It looked nice but biting into undercooked biscuit dough in the middle of your comfort food is not the move.

Quartering them means more surface area gets exposed to heat and they cook all the way through in those 10-12 minutes. Plus you get more crispy edges which is the best part anyway.

Beef Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

By Emma

Prep:

25 min

Cook:

45 min

Total:

70 min

Servings:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1.5-2 lb. sirloin steak, cubed
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ½ cup white onion, diced
• ½ cup carrots, diced
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Additional reserved flour from initial mixture
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 3/4 cups low sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 (16 ounce) can refrigerated biscuits
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons cream or milk
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder

Method

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. 2 Pat the sirloin cubes dry using paper towels. In a medium bowl, mix 3 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Toss the beef in this seasoned flour, keeping some flour mixture aside for thickening later.
3. 3 Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Add half the beef and let it brown well, about 5-6 minutes, listening for that sizzle and watching for deep crust to form. Use a slotted spoon to remove the browned beef to a plate. Repeat with the other tablespoon of olive oil and remaining beef, browning then removing.
4. 4 Check the pan for oil — if dry, add 1-2 teaspoons more olive oil to keep ingredients from sticking. Add the diced onion and carrots; sauté about 3-4 minutes until they soften and the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. Toss in minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant but not burned.
5. 5 Stir in frozen peas, frozen corn, dried Italian seasoning, and butter. Toss together until the butter melts, coating vegetables and filling the pan with a glossy sheen. Add the reserved flour and stir to form a roux paste, cooking out any raw flour taste, thickening the mixture.
6. 6 Mix in tomato paste, then gradually pour in beef broth while scraping the bottom of the pan to release browned bits. Add Worcestershire sauce and red wine vinegar. The sauce should bubble and begin to thicken, giving off meaty aromas and a deep rich color.
7. 7 Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the filling uncovered for 20 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and liquid to thicken further.
8. 8 Remove the skillet from the oven but keep the oven on. Cut biscuits into quarters and gently lay them over the beef mixture, covering the surface but leaving some gaps for steam.
9. 9 Whisk together egg, cream (or milk), parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Generously brush this mixture over the biscuit pieces, coating every nook and cranny. This will create a shiny golden crust.
10. 10 Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 10-12 minutes until biscuits puff up light and turn golden brown on top.
11. 11 Take the pot pie out and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. This allows filling to set, making serving cleaner. Enjoy it on its own or with a side of mashed potatoes.

Nutritional information

Calories

420

Protein

30g

Carbs

30g

Fat

20g

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Tips for the Best Beef Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

Don’t skip patting the beef dry even though it feels like an extra step. Moisture on the surface creates steam in the pan and you’ll never get that brown crust that actually tastes like something.

When you’re browning the meat in batches resist the urge to stir it around for the first 4-5 minutes. Let it sit there and develop that crust because moving it too early just steams everything and you lose all that flavor you’re trying to build.

The reserved flour that didn’t stick to the beef is doing the actual thickening work so don’t toss it. If you accidentally throw it out you can use 2 tablespoons fresh flour but the stuff that’s been sitting with the salt and pepper already tastes better.

Make sure your cast iron skillet is actually oven-safe before you stick it in there. I know that sounds obvious but I’ve seen people try this with pans that have plastic handles and it’s not great.

When you brush on the egg wash get it into all the gaps between the biscuit quarters because that’s where it pools and bakes into these little crispy spots that taste like the edges of a really good dinner roll. Those spots are better than the biscuits themselves honestly.

Serving Ideas

I usually put this on the table in the skillet with a big spoon and let people serve themselves. It stays hot way longer that way and honestly it looks better than if you tried to plate it nicely.

A simple green salad with vinaigrette cuts through all that richness from the butter and beef. Nothing fancy just some lettuce and a sharp dressing.

Mashed potatoes on the side sounds like overkill but some people in my family do it anyway. They treat the beef pot pie like a topping and I don’t understand it but they’re happy.

Crusty bread for soaking up extra gravy at the bottom works if you don’t want to commit to a full side dish.

Variations

You can swap the sirloin for chuck roast cut into cubes but you’ll need to simmer it on the stovetop for 45 minutes before you do anything else or it’ll be too chewy. Chuck has better flavor though so if you have the time it’s worth it.

Turkey instead of beef works if you’ve got leftovers from Thanksgiving or something. Use chicken broth instead of beef broth and skip the Worcestershire because it tastes weird with poultry.

If you want to make this with actual homemade biscuit dough instead of the canned stuff roll it out to about ½ inch thick and cut it into rough squares before you lay them on top. They’ll need 15-18 minutes in the oven instead of 10-12 and the egg wash is even more important because homemade dough doesn’t have that pre-baked shine.

Adding mushrooms sounds good but I haven’t tried it yet because my husband doesn’t like them. If you do it sauté them with the onions and carrots so they release their water early.

FAQ

Can I use a different cut of beef instead of sirloin? Yeah ribeye or top round both work fine. Just make sure whatever you use isn’t too fatty or the sauce gets greasy, and if it’s a tougher cut you’ll need to cook it longer before the biscuit part happens.

Do I have to use a cast iron skillet? No but it needs to be oven-safe and wide enough that the biscuits fit in one layer. A 10 or 12 inch skillet works best and if it’s not cast iron just make sure the handle can go in the oven.

Can I make the filling ahead and add the biscuits later? Yeah you can make the filling through that first 20-minute bake then let it cool completely and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. When you’re ready reheat it on the stovetop until it’s bubbling again then add the biscuits and do the egg wash.

What if I don’t have red wine vinegar? Apple cider vinegar works the same way or you could use a squeeze of lemon juice. You just need something acidic to balance out all that butter and beef broth or it tastes flat.

Can I freeze this after baking? The filling freezes great but the biscuits get weird and soggy when you reheat them. Better to freeze just the beef mixture without the biscuit topping then add fresh biscuits when you’re ready to eat it.

How do I know when the filling is thick enough after the first bake? It should coat the back of a spoon and not run off immediately. It’ll still look a little loose but it thickens more as it cools and you don’t want it too thick before the biscuits go on or it’ll turn into paste.

Why do the biscuits need to be quartered instead of left whole? Whole biscuits don’t cook through in the center in just 10-12 minutes and you end up with raw dough in the middle. Quartering them gives more surface area for heat and they actually get done all the way through.

Can I use a different size can of biscuits? A 16 ounce can is about 8 biscuits and that’s the right amount to cover the top with quarters. If your can is smaller like 12 ounces just use the whole thing and space the pieces out more, if it’s bigger you might have extra biscuits you don’t need.

What happens if I skip the egg wash? The biscuits still cook but they stay pale and don’t get that shiny golden crust. They also taste more like plain refrigerated biscuits instead of something homemade so the egg wash with the garlic powder and parsley is doing real work here.

How long does this keep in the fridge? 3-4 days in an airtight container but honestly the biscuits are best the day you make it. After that they get soft and lose their texture even if you try to crisp them back up.

Can I reheat individual servings in the microwave? Yeah but the biscuits won’t be crispy anymore. If you care about texture reheat it in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes instead, that brings back some of the crunch on top.

Do I have to use low sodium beef broth? It’s better because you already salted the flour mixture and there’s Worcestershire sauce in there too. Regular broth can make the whole thing too salty and you can’t really fix that once it’s done.

What if my filling is too thin after the first bake? Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and stir it into the filling on the stovetop over medium heat until it thickens up. Don’t add more flour at that point because it won’t cook out and tastes weird.

Can I use fresh vegetables instead of frozen peas and corn? Yeah but you’ll need to blanch them first or they’ll be crunchy in the final dish. Frozen works better because they’re already partially cooked and you can just dump them in.

Why does the recipe say to rest it for 10-15 minutes before serving? The filling is basically lava when it first comes out and if you scoop into it right away everything runs all over the place. Letting it sit gives the sauce time to set up so you get actual portions instead of soup.

What if I don’t have Italian seasoning? Use ½ teaspoon each of dried basil oregano and thyme. That’s basically what Italian seasoning is anyway and it’ll taste the same.

Can I add potatoes to the filling? You could dice them small and add them with the carrots but they’d need to cook longer so you’d have to increase that first bake time to 30 minutes or the potatoes would still be hard. I haven’t done it because it seems like a lot.

My biscuits burned on top but weren’t done underneath what happened? Your oven might run hot or you put the rack too high. Next time move the rack to the center position and check at 10 minutes instead of waiting the full 12.

Do I need to grease the skillet before starting? No the olive oil for browning the beef is enough and the filling has butter in it. Adding more fat just makes everything greasy.

Can I double this recipe? Not in one skillet unless you have a really huge one. Better to make two separate batches in two pans because if you crowd everything the beef won’t brown right and the biscuits won’t fit.