Yorkshire Pudding
Tall crisp Yorkshire puddings with golden shells and soft centers, baked in hot drippings for Christmas dinner.
Updated: Oct 6, 2026
Why you'll like it
- Ready in about 50 min.
- Serves 8 — easy to halve or double.
- Medium level — everyday equipment only.
- Storage, freezing and reheating covered below.
This Yorkshire Pudding recipe takes 50 min and makes 8 servings. Yorkshire pudding is a classic Christmas dinner companion in American holiday cooking with English roots, baked as a puffed savory batter alongside roast beef and prime rib.
Helpful guides
Instructions
Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until smooth and slightly frothy. Add the flour and whisk just until no dry streaks remain, then rest the batter thirty minutes at room temperature so starch hydrates for maximum rise.
Place one tablespoon of beef drippings in each of eight cups of a standard twelve-cup muffin tin. Set the tin on a rimmed sheet pan to catch drips and keep the oven clean while the fat preheats.
Heat the tin in a four hundred fifty degree oven for ten minutes until the drippings smoke lightly and shimmer across each cup. Fully preheated fat is essential, since cool fat produces flat pale puddings that never puff.
Stir the rested batter briefly, then pour it quickly into the hot cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Work fast with the oven door mostly closed so the tin stays smoking hot and every pudding starts sizzling at once.
Bake twenty to twenty-five minutes without opening the door until puddings are tall, deeply golden, and crisp at the edges. Early peeking drops the heat and collapses the rise, so watch through the window until browning looks complete.
Transfer the puddings to a warm platter and serve immediately with roast beef, warm gravy, and horseradish. Yorkshire pudding softens within minutes, so time the bake to finish just as the roast rests and guests sit down.
Troubleshooting — fixes, not repeats
- If puddings stay flat, the fat was not hot enough or the batter was cold. Preheat drippings until lightly smoking and rest the batter at room temperature so it hits the tin ready to puff.
- If bottoms stick, the tin was under-greased or cooled before filling. Use the full tablespoon of drippings per cup and pour batter the moment the tin leaves the oven.
- If puddings are doughy inside, they were underbaked or overfilled. Fill only two-thirds full and bake until deeply golden, since pale shells signal wet centers that collapse fast.
- If puddings collapse after baking, the oven door opened early or serving ran late. Keep the door shut the whole bake and move puddings to the table within five minutes.
Make it your way
- Spicier version: Keep the hot-fat method and bake time the same so the rise stays tall across versions.
- For a large dawat: For individual large puddings, bake the batter in an eight-inch cast iron skillet with three tablespoons of drippings for twenty-five minutes and cut into wedges.
- For a herb version, whisk one tablespoon of minced fresh thyme and one minced garlic clove into the rested batter.
- Serve either style with prime rib and gravy.
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers within 2 hours, then refrigerate in a covered container and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat only the portion you will eat until steaming hot throughout — poultry and reheated rice should reach 165°F (74°C).
Reheat in a four hundred degree oven for five minutes until crisp and center reaches one hundred sixty-five degrees.
Do not freeze, since thawed puddings turn soggy.
FAQ
Can I use oil instead of beef drippings?
Yes, use vegetable oil or shortening with a high smoke point in equal amounts for a vegetarian-friendly version. Flavor will be milder without beef drippings, so season the batter assertively and serve with rich gravy. Preheat the oil until lightly smoking exactly as with drippings for the same tall rise.
Why did my puddings not rise?
Common causes are cool fat, cold batter, or an opened oven door. Preheat drippings until smoking, rest batter thirty minutes at room temperature, and keep the door shut the full bake. Measure flour accurately, since excess flour weighs down the batter and blocks puffing.
Can I make the batter ahead?
Yes, whisk the batter and refrigerate up to one day in a sealed container. Bring it to room temperature thirty minutes before baking and stir briefly to recombine. Preheat the tin separately just before pouring so the fat stays smoking hot when batter hits the cups.