Gordon Ramsay’s Yorkshire puddings are tall, crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, made from plain flour, eggs, milk and a splash of cold water that he says makes them lighter. Ready in 20 minutes once your fat is smoking hot. Makes 12.
Ramsay has published Yorkshire pudding recipes in four separate cookbooks, and the ratios change each time. The version here is from Sunday Lunch, which uses more milk than the others and produces the lightest result. In Bread Street Kitchen he reveals the restaurant secret: “we make our batter the night before and leave it at room temperature until it’s needed the following day.” He filmed two versions on YouTube, one with Tilly and another with Megan where he adds horseradish.
Every single source, all four books and both videos, agrees on the same thing: your fat must be almost smoking before the batter goes in. In the Tilly video he waits until the oil “started to smoke, then we are off.” If it’s not hot enough, the batter sits in lukewarm grease instead of hitting a surface that immediately pushes it upward. That first sizzle is what creates the rise.
Gordon Ramsay Yorkshire Pudding
Course: Side DishCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy12
puddings10
minutes20
minutes110
kcal30
minutesFrom Sunday Lunch: a simple batter of flour, eggs and milk, rested then poured into smoking hot fat at 230°C. Tall, crisp and golden in 15 to 20 minutes. Ramsay says you need “love and hot fat to make perfect crisp Yorkshire puddings.”
Ingredients
225g (8 oz) plain flour
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs, beaten
300ml (1¼ cups) whole milk
About 4 tbsp vegetable oil or beef dripping
Directions
- Make the batter: Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs and half the milk, then beat until smooth. Whisk in the remaining milk. Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes, or overnight at room temperature for the best rise.
- Heat the fat: Preheat the oven to 230°C (210°C fan / 450°F / Gas 8). Put 1 teaspoon of oil or beef dripping into each hole of a 12-hole Yorkshire pudding tray or muffin tin. Place on the top shelf until the fat is very hot and almost smoking.
- Pour and bake: Whisk the batter again. Take the tray to the oven and pour the batter in at the oven door, filling each hole three-quarters full. It should sizzle immediately. Put straight back into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until well risen, golden brown and crisp.
- Don’t open the door: Do not open the oven until the puddings are done or they will collapse.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay rest the batter?
Resting lets the gluten in the flour relax, so the batter rises more evenly instead of shrinking back. In Bread Street Kitchen, Ramsay says the restaurant makes their batter the night before and leaves it at room temperature until the next day.
You don’t need to go that far. Sunday Lunch says 30 minutes is enough. In the Tilly video he chills his in the fridge. Either way, don’t skip the rest or you’ll get tough, flat puddings.
What fat works best for Yorkshire puddings?
Ramsay uses something different in every book. Bread Street Kitchen and Sunday Lunch say vegetable oil. Great British Pub Food says beef dripping. Ultimate Home Cooking says vegetable oil, duck fat or dripping.
In the Megan video he says “I love using the rich dripping, but vegetable oil is a healthier option.” Beef dripping gives the most flavour because it’s already seasoned from the roast. If you’re serving these with his Sunday roast, spoon the hot fat from the beef tin straight into your Yorkshire tray.
Can you make the batter in a blender?
Yes. In Great British Pub Food, Ramsay blends the flour, salt, eggs and milk in a food processor “for a few minutes until smooth.” That version uses slightly different quantities (150g flour, 2 eggs, 150ml milk, makes 6 large) and bakes at 200°C for 25 to 30 minutes.
The blender method is faster and guarantees no lumps, but the puddings come out denser because blending develops more gluten. For lighter puddings, whisk by hand and rest the batter.
How do you add horseradish to Yorkshire puddings?
In Ultimate Home Cooking, Ramsay stirs 6 tablespoons of freshly grated horseradish (or 3 tablespoons creamed) directly into the batter after mixing. He films the same version with Megan, where he peels and grates it fresh.
The horseradish doesn’t affect the rise at all. It just adds a sharp kick that works with roast beef the same way mustard does. If you use creamed horseradish from a jar, reduce the milk by a tablespoon because the jar version has liquid in it already.
Why don’t my Yorkshire puddings rise?
Ramsay gives the same answer across every book and every video. Two reasons only.
First: fat not hot enough. It needs to be almost smoking before the batter goes in. In Ultimate Home Cooking he says to heat the tray for 12 to 15 minutes until “very hot.” In Bread Street Kitchen he says “this is important for the rise.” If the batter doesn’t sizzle the second it hits the fat, your tray wasn’t ready.
Second: opening the oven door. UHC is the most direct about this: “no opening the oven door until they are all puffed up and majestic.” The cold air hits the rising batter and collapses it. Wait the full 15 to 20 minutes before you even look.
