Yorkshire Pudding

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding are just made for each other. It’s easy to make this popover-like bread that captures the deliciousness of a beef roast in a side dish. Yorkshire pudding uses so few ingredients and tastes so good. Once you make one of these, it will be a regular addition every time you make roast beef.

Yorkshire pudding slices on a plate.


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Easy Yorkshire Pudding

This is the perfect dish to go along with roast beef. Your roast will smell heavenly while cooking, and your taste buds will be looking forward to eating it with a golden brown Yorkshire pudding.

Humble ingredients come together for a pudding that makes a roast beef dinner extra special!

What is Yorkshire Pudding and Where Did It Come From?

Yorkshire pudding is made by pouring an eggy batter over beef drippings. The batter then puffs up dramatically!

Yorkshire pudding dates back to an earlier time when an English inn or pub would roast a hunk of meat suspended from a hook above an open fire. The “pudding” emerged from a pan full of runny batter placed beneath the meat to soak up the juices.

Originally the roast was usually mutton; these days, it’s more likely to be beef.

What is the Difference Between Yorkshire Pudding and Popovers?

Popovers and Yorkshire pudding both involve a high-moisture dough and rely on the power of steam to puff and rise into their light, crisp final forms.

It’s only Yorkshire pudding when beef drippings are used. When making popovers, butter is usually used to grease the pan.

Why This is the Best Recipe for Yorkshire Pudding

This recipe gives you more munch and less grease than some others and a perfectly beautiful texture. The secret to this unmatchable Yorkshire pudding recipe is preparing the batter in advance and allowing it to rest (see notes below).

The result is a Yorkshire pudding that rises up tall with a crisp shell and is slightly chewy.

Recipe Ingredients

The secret to a delicious Yorkshire pudding is a very hot oven, smoking hot fat, and the right mixture of eggs, milk, and flour. The end result is crispy, light, and delicious. You only need a few ingredients: 

  • Roast beef drippings
  • All-purpose flour
  • Large eggs – this recipe was tested using large eggs
  • Salt – you can use table salt or kosher salt
  • Milk – I recommend whole milk, it has a higher fat content and the result is better
Yorkshire pudding ingredients on a tray.

Ingredient Substitutions

If someone in your family has a dairy allergy, substitute rice milk for regular milk. You won’t be able to tell the difference.

Making vegan Yorkshire pudding means replacing the flour, eggs, and milk, but apparently, it is possible. Find out how to make vegan Yorkshire pudding.

Substitute some of the grease from your morning bacon for the beef drippings. You get a smoky, salty Yorkshire pudding.

How to Make Yorkshire Pudding

  1. Pour the beef drippings into an oven-safe pan or a cast iron skillet.
roast beef drippings in a baking dish.
  1. Place the pan into a 450°F oven and allow it to get very hot.
  2. Place the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.
Yorkshire pudding batter ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  1. Use a mixer or a whisk to mix them until the batter is smooth.
  2. Pour the batter into the hot pan.
  3. Bake at 450°F for about 20 to 25 minutes.
  4. Cut it into squares.
baked Yorkshire pudding sliced into squares.
  1. Serve immediately alongside a roast.
Yorkshire pudding slices on a black plate next to gravy in a gravy boat.

What Kind of Yorkshire Pudding Pan to Use?

The darker metal pans seem to make better Yorkshire pudding. A square 9-inch pan or 13x9x2-inch pan is great to use.

You can also choose to divide the batter up into muffin tins to make individual Yorkshire puddings.

Yorkshire Pudding Recipe Variations

Toad in the Hole: This is a classic British dish of sausages baked into a large Yorkshire pudding. 

Horseradish Pudding: Add 6 tablespoons of freshly grated horseradish or 3 tablespoons of creamed horseradish to your batter.

Tips for Making the Best Yorkshire Pudding

Resting your batter (even overnight) is the single most important step when making Yorkshire pudding or popovers. You get an end product that’s taller and much tastier, with a more complex, toasty flavor. It has something to do with the breakdown of proteins and starches during an overnight rest.

Some people suggest that refrigerating the batter gives Yorkshire pudding a better rise. 

Another key is a hot oven and the fat smoking in the pan before putting the batter in. Your batter will get more energy from a hot pan right from the start, causing it to rise and puff while it’s still relaxed and stretchable.

Also, if your pan is hot, your batter is less likely to stick, which means less resistance to rising.

As soon as your pudding comes out of the oven, poke the top with a skewer to release the steam. That will help keep the top from falling.

How to Serve Yorkshire Pudding

When serving Yorkshire pudding, the most important thing is this:

Make sure your diners are seated and ready a few minutes before your Yorkshire pudding comes out of the oven.

Yorkshire puddings are light, delicate, and they lose heat fast. Like time and tide, a Yorkshire pudding waits for no one!

You can choose to serve your pudding as a course on its own before the meat lands on the table. Serve it in the form of individual small puddings filled with onion gravy.

Think about topping Yorkshire pudding with a poached egg and some hollandaise sauce for a different breakfast.

Eat leftover Yorkshire pudding cold for dessert! Top with a scoop of ice cream and some crushed Oreos, and drizzle a little chocolate syrup over the top.

What Goes With Yorkshire Pudding?

Traditionally, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding are served together. A prime rib roast is perfect. Complete Your English dinner with these recipes:

How Long Will Yorkshire Puddings Keep?

Yorkshire puddings are best eaten straight out of the oven. However, if you have made too many, they will be fine in the fridge for a couple of days if stored in an air-tight container.

To reheat refrigerated Yorkshire pudding: simply pop them in the oven at 400ºF for a few minutes to warm through. Don’t be tempted to reheat them in the microwave – they’ll get soggy and chewy. Using the oven keeps them crisp. 

How to Freeze Yorkshire Puddings

Once they are completely cold, place your puddings in a freezer bag (or several) and seal tightly. Give them plenty of space while they freeze so that they hold their shape.

Avoid pressing other items down on top of them once they are frozen – they will break and chip easily. They’ll be good in the freezer for a couple of months or so.

To reheat frozen Yorkshire pudding: Pop them in a hot oven straight from the freezer for three or four minutes until warmed through. To avoid them coming out a little dry, you may want to spray them with a little vegetable oil first. 

slices of Yorkshire pudding on a plate.

Favorite Bread Recipes

Now you know how to make Yorkshire pudding, here are some more bread recipes for you to try:

Check out more of my easy bread recipes and the best Christmas dinner recipes here on CopyKat!

Yorkshire pudding slices on a plate.

Yorkshire Pudding

You can make delicious Yorkshire pudding at home with our recipe.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Breads
Cuisine: English
Keyword: Yorkshire pudding
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 331kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup beef drippings from a roast
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  • Pour the beef drippings into an oven-safe pan.
  • Place the pan into the oven and allow it to get very hot.
  • Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl with a mixer.
  • Pour the batter into the hot pan, and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Cut into squares, and serve immediately alongside a roast.

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2.4mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lynn

    All ingredients I use are equal amounts, of course not the salt. Still quarter teaspoon. Tweet that on amount you make.
    Usually mine is poured into a smoking hot steel handle pan, one inch side. If you like the mountain 👀, you get it. Or divide into muffin tins.
    The main and only thing about Yorkshire. Make what ever amount you want just use equal ingredients for Flour, Milk, and Eggs.
    Make and beat the batter early let it sit out to room temperature,give it a whisk before pouring to cook.
    NO KIDDING ON THIS, IT WORKS! Easy to remember also.

  2. Another Karen

    5 stars
    The roast was perfect! These puddins ARE different than others I’ve tried. Very good!

    Yes there is more flour and it makes a more solid popover …maybe even a bit like a muffin. However, I must say I like this recipe better than Jamie Oliver’s. More munch and less grease! Perfectly beautiful texture. Different than the usual Yorkshire Pudding. I made mine in a nicely black muffin tin.

    Good job copyKat. And p.s. I live on the southwest coast of Canada.

  3. cml

    5 stars
    Treat yourself to some “yorkie” pans. They are available on line. Mine are nearly black from heating the grease so hot and cooking them is such a hot oven. But that will be on the table this holiday! have a lovely time

  4. Mercia Humphreys

    I left “Fareham” in Hampshire in 1979 but today I am going to try my Yorkshire pudding in a muffin pan with my roast…hope it turns out good.

    • stephaniemanley

      Alas, my guest, you can use any pan you like. The darker metal pans make better yorkshire pudding in my humble opinion.

      • guest Karen

        My roast is in the oven now and I, too, thought I’d try Yorkshire pudding with it. I’ve always wanted to make Yorkshire pudding but never have. Well, today is the day, and your recipe is the one I’ve decided on. I have to say, I also wondered about the pan and thought your response to guest guy was a little off-putting. It would be helpful to your readers if you would suggest a pan to use. Even though I am an experienced cook, I really wasn’t sure what size or shape pan would work best. And as guest guy said, the gorgeous photo does not reflect the directions given in the recipe–the recipe says to cut the finished pudding into squares, but the photo shows round pudding as though it were made in muffin tins(?). Unfortunately, this offers no help to your readers who like me were hoping for some guidance. That said, the roast smells heavenly and I do look forward to it and the pudding.

      • guest karen

        Follow up: Stephanie, the roast and Yorkshire pudding were delicious. I made the pudding in a dark metal 13″x9″x2″ pan and it was perfect.

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