How To Cook Hot Pot In A Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Welsh Lamb Hotpot – tender chunks of Welsh Lamb cooked with root vegetables in a rich gravy under a blanket of golden potatoes.

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overhead photo of Lancashire Lamb hotpot in a slow cooker

In collaboration with PGI Welsh Lamb.

This hearty and satisfying Lancashire hotpot is the perfect family meal. Prepare and leave to cook long and slow in your crockpot while you go about your day!

I think this is the perfect meal for rainy weekends and one the whole family will enjoy.

Traditional Lancashire Hotpot

This traditional stew from Lancashire in the North West of England dates back hundreds of years and hasn't lost any of its comfort food appeal!

Lamb hotpot is usually made with only a handful of ingredients: lamb or mutton, onions and carrots cooked under a layer of sliced potatoes.

Once upon a time, lamb kidneys and even oysters (before they became trendy and expensive) were included in this humble stew.

The hotpot cooked for several hours while workers toiled away ready to greet them after a hard days's work!

The slow cooker is the obvious choice to make this stew in my opinion – allowing you to prep the ingredients in the morning and come home to the most comforting aroma in time for dinner.

Close up on Lancashire lamb hotpot with crisp potato topping

Lamb Hotpot Ingredients

The star ingredient in this recipe is, unquestionably, the lamb. I used PGI Welsh Lamb shoulder for the BEST tasting hotpot with meltingly tender meat that's packed with flavour.

Welsh Lamb has been granted PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status by the European Commission. This is in recognition that the lamb's superior quality is derived by the unique landscape and traditional methods it is produced with.

It also makes sense to buy local – Welsh Lamb born and reared in Wales that can even be traced back to the farm on which they were raised.

I stuck to pretty much the traditional hotpot medley of root vegetables, onions, butter and flour with a little tomato paste, cranberry sauce, garlic and Worcerstershire sauce for added punch.

Floury potatoes such as Maris Piper are best for the topping, sliced fairly thin so that they cook through and become a bit crispy.

Lancashire Lamb hotpot ingredients in bowls on a white background

How to Make Lamb Hotpot

Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!

Start by seasoning your lamb with a few turns of the salt and pepper mill then browning the meat, in batches, in a hot pan. This adds a lot of flavour to your stew but you can skip the browning stage if you are in a hurry.

Add butter to the hot pan and sautée the onions and leeks until softened but not coloured. Stir in the flour and a little of the stock to make a gravy.

Stirring flour into pan with leeks and onions

Stir in the the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, garlic and cranberry sauce. I know cranberry sauce is hardly traditional but it adds a lovely bit of sweetness!

Add the stock, lamb and the pan contents to the slow cooker and stir in the parsnips, carrots and bay leaves.

Layer the sliced potatoes over the top, overlapping them slightly. Season with the salt, pepper and thyme. Cover and cook on the HIGH setting for 7-8 hours.

layering sliced potatoes over lamb stew ingredients in crockpot

For a finishing touch, brush the potatoes with a little butter and brown under a hot grill in the oven for 5-7 minutes until slightly crispy at the edges. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe notes and tips

Prep ahead: you can prepare the recipe in advance and add to your slow cooker without the final layer of potatoes. Cool and store in the fridge until you are ready to cook the hotpot, adding the potato layer on top before turning on the slow cooker.
For a richer gravy you can use some red wine or port as well as the lamb stock – just make sure the liquid in the recipe makes 2 cups (480ml).
I used a 3.5L slow cooker in the recipe video. You can use a slightly larger one if preferred (it won't be as full) but you might need more potatoes for the topping.

serving of Lamb hotpot in a bowl (overhead view)

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Lamb Hotpot in a slow cooker

▢ 2 pounds (900g) PGI Welsh Lamb shoulder or neck, cubed
▢ salt and pepper to season
▢ 2 tbsp vegetable oil to brown lamb
▢ 2 tbsp butter
▢ 2 onions , diced
▢ 2 leeks , white parts only, finely diced
▢ 2 tbsp plain flour
▢ 1 tsp salt
▢ 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
▢ 1 tbsp tomato paste
▢ ½ tbsp cranberry sauce or seedless raspberry jam
▢ 1 tsp garlic paste or fresh minced garlic
▢ 2 cups (480ml) lamb stock or chicken stock
▢ 2 carrots cut into small cubes
▢ 2 parsnips peeled and diced
▢ 2 bay leaves
▢ 3 large baking potatoes sliced thinly (more if needed)
▢ 1 tsp fresh thyme
▢ 1 tbsp melted butter for brushing
▢ Rosemary sprig , to garnish

Start by seasoning your lamb with a few turns of the salt and pepper mil. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the lamb, in batches, over high heat. Set aside.
Add butter to the hot pan and sautée the onions and leeks until softened but not coloured.
Stir in the flour and a little of the stock to make a gravy then add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, garlic and cranberry sauce if using.
Add the stock, lamb and the pan contents to the slow cooker and stir in the parsnips, carrots and bay leaves.
Layer the sliced potatoes over the top, overlapping them slightly. Season with the salt, pepper and thyme. Cover and cook on the HIGH setting for 7-8 hours.
For a finishing touch, brush the potatoes with a little butter and brown under a hot grill in the oven for 5-7 minutes until slightly crispy at the edges. Sprinkle with the rosemary, serve and enjoy!

Prep ahead: you can prepare the recipe in advance and add to your slow cooker without the final layer of potatoes. Keep this in the fridge until you are ready to cook the hotpot, adding the potato layer on top before turning on the slow cooker.
For a richer gravy you can use some red wine or port as well as the lamb stock – just make sure the liquid in the recipe makes 2 cups (480ml).
I used a 3.5L slow cooker in the recipe video. You can use a slightly larger one if preferred (it won't be as full) but you might need more potatoes for the topping.