Lamb shanks are the king of all lamb cuts!! Slow cooked until meltingly tender in a rich, deeply flavoured red wine sauce, this recipe is worthy of fine dining restaurants yet is completely straightforward to make.
Just like the Port Braised Lamb Shanks and Massaman Lamb Shanks recipe, it takes patience for shanks to become fall apart tender, but it’s completely hands off time. Serve it over creamy mashed potato with a side of peas or sautéed spinach, with crusty bread to mop your bowl clean!
Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks
I have a real soft spot for slow cooked lamb shanks. I just love the look of a hunk of meltingly tender meat wrapped around the bone. Hits my carnivore sweet-spot, every time.
Honestly, if you put this and a towering frosted cake in front of me, this would win every day of the week and twice on Sunday:
Cooking lamb shanks is easy!
Being a tough cut of meat that needs slow cooking to make it fall-off-the-bone tender, lamb shanks are actually very forgiving so it’s a real easy cut to cook with.
You literally cannot overcook lamb shanks.Leave it in for an hour too long, and the meat is still succulent and juicy. The worst that will happen is that the meat falls off the bone when you go to serve it.
And if you pull it out too early and the meat isn’t fork tender, just add more liquid and keep cooking!
The only key tip I have is to brown that shank as well as you can. It is a hard shape to brown evenly, but do what you can. Browning is the key flavour base for any protein that’s slow cooked in a braising liquid, like Beef Stew, Pot Roast, Chicken Stew. If you ever see a slow cooked stew recipe that doesn’t call for browning the meat before slow cooking, proceed with caution!
I love slow cooking meat on the bone. Lamb Shanks, Beef Short Ribs and Osso Buco – better flavour more succulent!
What are lamb shanks?
If you’re new to lamb shanks, here’s a rundown: lamb shanks are from the lower leg of lambs, and they are an inexpensive, tough cut of meat.
Because of this, lamb shanks need to be slow cooked – either braised or roasted – to break down the tough meat to soften into succulent tenderness.
The meat itself is full of flavour which adds to the flavour of the sauce.
BONUS: The marrow in the bone melts into the sauce, deepening the flavour and richness. We love freebies around here!!
Classic Red Wine Sauce for Lamb Shanks
Red wine sauce is a classic braising liquid for lamb shanks, with the rich deep flavours a natural pairing with the strong flavour of lamb.
The red wine sauce is super simple to make but after hours of slow cooking, it transforms into an incredible rich, deeply flavoured sauce that’s silky and glossy, and looks totally posh-restauranty.
Just a quick note on the wine – I do not use expensive wines for slow cooking. I truly believe from the bottom of my heart that even the snobbiest of all food snobs would not be able to tell the difference if you made this with a discount end-of-bin $5 bottle or a $50 bottle. (And the New York Times agrees….)
Maybe you could tell the difference using a $100 bottle. But that’s not within my budget….
Non alcoholic sub for wine?
The wine is a key flavour for the broth in this recipe. However, if you cannot consume alcohol, substitute the wine with the following: 1.5 cups beef broth LOW SODIUM + 1 cup water. + 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce. Beef has a stronger deeper flavour than chicken so will be more suited to being the sub for wine.
This is one of those recipes that truly is terrific to make in the oven, stove, slow cooker or pressure cooker, as long as its started on the stove to brown the shanks and saute the onion etc. Right now, being winter here in Sydney, I choose the oven so it keeps my house nice and warm! – Nagi x
Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks with Red Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks , around 13 oz / 400g each (Note 1)
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
- 2 - 3 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 1 cup onion , finely diced (brown, yellow or white)
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 cup carrot , finely diced (Note 2)
- 1 cup celery , finely diced (Note 2)
- 2 1/2 cups / 625 ml red wine , full bodied (good value wine, not expensive! Note 3)
- 28 oz / 800g can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups / 500 ml chicken stock, low sodium (or water)
- 5 sprigs of thyme (preferably tied together), or 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves (or 4 fresh)
To Serve:
- Mashed potato, polenta or pureed cauliflower
- Fresh thyme leaves, optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
- Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy based pot over high heat. Sear the lamb shanks in 2 batches until brown all over, about 5 minutes.
- Remove lamb onto a plate and drain excess fat (if any) from the pot.
- Turn the heat down to medium low. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in the same pot, if needed. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until onion is translucent and sweet.
- Add the red wine, chicken stock, crushed tomato, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
- Place the lamb shanks into the pot, squeezing them in to fit so they are mostly submerged. (Note 1)
- Turn stove up, bring to a simmer. Cover, then transfer to the oven for 2 hours (see notes for other cook methods).
- Remove from oven, remove lid, then return to the oven for another 30 minutes (so 2 1/2 hours in total). Check to ensure lamb meat is ultra tender (use 2 forks) - if not, cover and keep cooking. Ideal is tender meat but still just holding onto bone.
- Remove lamb onto plate and keep warm. Pick out and discard bay leaves and thyme.
- Strain the sauce into a bowl, pressing to extract all sauce out of the veggies (Note 5 for repurposing the veggies). Pour strained sauce back into pot. Bring to simmer over medium heat and reduce slightly to a syrupy consistency (see video) - I rarely need to. Taste then add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the lamb shanks on mashed potato or cauliflower puree with plenty of sauce! Garnish with thyme leaves if desired.
Recipe Notes:
8. Nutrition per serving. This is conservative - it doesn't take into account fat trimmed from shanks or discarded fat. Also assumes all sauce is consumed which it probably won't be.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2015, updated with new photos, video and a slightly refined recipe. Previously the base recipe said to blitz the sauce at the end. It looks much posher (ie fine dining style) and actually does taste nicer just to strain it because the sauce stays glossy – if you blitz, sauce becomes more matte and is not as smooth. 🙂
More slow cooked fall-apart meat
I’m a big fan of slow cooked meats!!
LIFE OF DOZER
And I stuck my tongue right back at him….
Hi Nagi,
Recipe looks great and I’d like to try it. I can’t use wine in the recipe and wanted to check your meaning in relation to the wine substitute.
Do you mean swap out only the red wine component with beef broth + worcestershire sauce, which means that the recipe has both beef broth + chicken stock, or…
completely take chicken stock out of the recipe and replace it with beef broth?
Many thanks
Cameron
Hi Cameron, you are replacing the wine component only with the beef stock and Worcestershire. The recipe will still have chicken stock in it 🙂 N x
Could you add mint to this to make a red wine and mint gravy? Thanks x
Hi Cheryl, you could although the sauce is very rich it may overpower the mint! N x
Thanks for sharing this unique and very tasty recipe with as this is an ideal food item for my upcoming dinner party on the weekend and hope my guest will like this lamb shanks recipe so much.
Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks with red wine sauce
Update: I had too much sauce left over, so tonight I made a soup with the sauce as base. Add vegies, canned beans. Serve with chiabatta. Another yum event!
Once again Nagi thank you for another sensational recipe. I also agree whole-heartedly about the wine comment 🙂
Hi! I’d like to make this for a belated Father’s Day when my hubby gets back from work – this might sound silly but can I prep the meat the night before? I want to use the slow cooker method but won’t have time to do all the prep including the searing in the morning. I was hoping I could do it the night before and then pop it in the fridge overnight and put it in the slow cooker in the morning?
Hi Heidi, yes you sure can!! I hope you love it! N x
Another awesome recipe! I put mine in the oven around noon at 160. Didn’t have chicken broth but used both wine and beef broth. Didn’t have thyme so used Italian herbs. Yummy, fall off the bone deliciousness! I have put remaining sauce in the freezer and will make pasta sauce as you recommend.
Hi!
When you say 1 cup for onions, carrots and celery, how many do you approx mean or use- or how much would it be in gr? Thank you!
Loved following this recipe, Nagi. Great tone. Your writing works! Thank you. Ruth Whetsel
Thanks so much Ruth! N x
One of the best recipes I have tried for a long time. Full flavour and so easy to make. Will definitely be using again!😊
Thanks so much Dreda, I’m so glad you love it!! N x
Im so impressed with this recipe. Thanks for the slow cooker version, meat was falling off the bone. This will be my go to recipe for lamb shanks from now on.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Cathy!! N x
This turned out absolutely beautiful. I used beef stock instead of chicken, and just scooped the veggies and sauce over the whole thing. This is a stand by recipe for sure!
Nagi,
You talk about your Chasseur dutch oven. Time we bought one. What specification do you suggest i.e. size L, any other detail. Appreciate the advice. BTW we love your recipes! I swear by them. Keep it up
I made six lamb shanks, in a roasting tray covered with two layers of foil as per your directions. I maintained the amount of sauce, but reduced the wine to 1.5 cups (replaced the rest with stock) because I cook for three little ones five and under. Everyone loved it!
Love your website Nagi – inspirational. Came here to see what to do with lamb shanks and you’re making me want to buy more before I’ve even cooked these. I’d sketched out a recipe from BBC Good Food Guide but your comments have made me amend – particularly “Pinot is too light”! You do making cooking sound fun..
I always come straight to your site for inspiration Nagi. You’re the best. The meat was almost gelatinous and the sauce was luah. I strained out the vegetables and look forward to using them in my next lasagne as you suggested. Thank you for another delicious recipe..
*sorry..lush not luah.