Braised Lamb Shanks

Meltingly tender braised lamb shanks are slow cooked in a red wine-based sauce. Served with couscous or rice, Middle Eastern lamb shanks are the ultimate comfort food.

Braised lamb shanks, fall-off-the-bone tender, are a special meal. With a hearty sauce chockfull of tomatoes, diced veggies, and subtly spicy seasoning, this Middle Eastern specialty is rather stunning. It definitely falls into the comfort food category.

Our standby take-out choice is a Lebanese restaurant not far from our house. We love the healthy, unique choices they offer. One of my favorites is fattoush, a lettuce salad with fried pita bread, radishes, cucumbers, and a sumac dressing. I usually order it topped with chicken shawarma. They also serve the best red lentil soup I have ever had.

About twice a week, they offer a lamb shank special. Ever since we tried this meal, we have been hooked! It is the most delicious tender lamb you can imagine. The sauce has just the faintest spicy heat and is so good!

Of course, I had to try my hand at making my own braised lamb shanks. While they aren’t identical to the lamb shanks we order at the restaurant, they are a really good homemade alternative. My husband likes them better than the restaurant version!

About braised lamb shanks

The process is pretty simple and most of the cooking time is hands off. You’ll need a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid. The lamb shanks are browned on the stove first and then slow cooked in the oven for a couple of hours. Just the wonderful aroma while they bake is enough reason to make this recipe.

You may be wondering about how many shanks you’ll need to buy. Typically, one shank is one serving. I know, it kind of looks like a dinner for the Flintstones. It looks like a lot but remember, there’s a really large bone in there. If you’re not huge meat-eaters, remove the meat from the bone before serving and divide it up. There will probably be enough meat for two people per shank.

If you love lamb, be sure to also check out our grilled lamb chops, shepherd’s pie, and lamb lettuce wraps.

I’ll walk you through the recipe here and give you lots of helpful tips. As always, the complete printable recipe can be found near the end of the post with instructions and nutrition information.

How To Make This Recipe

Begin by prepping the onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper. Finely chop them into about a quarter-inch dice so they blend into the sauce as it cooks. Set them aside for now. Measure out the herbs, spices, and sauce ingredients as well. Turn the oven to preheat.

Pat the shanks dry with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper while the oil heats up in your Dutch oven. Add both shanks to the pan (they should fit in a single layer) and sear them until they are browned on all sides. Work in batches if you need to.

Remove them from the pan and sauté the veggies. Add the garlic, then the tomato paste and spices, cooking and stirring them a minute or so.

Add the tomatoes, molasses and wine.

Nestle the shanks back in the pan all comfy like. Add just enough beef broth to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the lamb shanks.

Cover the pan, and bake for an hour. Remove the pan from the oven, flip the shanks over, and check the level of the liquid. If necessary, add more broth. Return the pan to the oven, covered, for another hour. The lamb shanks should be super tender when you poke them with a fork.

That’s it! Pretty easy, right? You’ll love how good your kitchen smells while the lamb slowly roasts in the oven.

Don’t worry if you’re not quite ready for dinner when the lamb shanks are done. They don’t mind a little extra time in the oven, they’re really laid back about that. Add a little more broth if needed, so they don’t dry out.

FAQs

Make It Your Own

• Feeding a crowd? Add up to two more lamb shanks if you have a big enough pan. They need to fit in a single layer. Keep the other ingredients the same, except you may need more beef stock to add to the pan.
• Rather use your slow cooker? No problem. You’ll still want to brown the shanks and make the sauce on the stovetop, as directed. Once you’ve completed that, transfer everything to your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. The sauce may be a little juicier.
• Don’t want to turn your oven on? As long as you have a good heavy pan with a tight fitting lid, you can braise lamb shanks on the stove. Make them as directed but leave them on the burner and reduce heat to low for a couple of hours. Check every half hour to turn the shanks over and to make sure there’s plenty of liquid.
• Not a fan of lamb? This recipe also works well with turkey legs.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Before storing leftover lamb shanks, remove the meat from the bones. Store the meat in the sauce or separately in covered containers. It will keep for three to four days in the refrigerator or up to a month in the freezer.

To reheat, slowly heat in a sauce pan on the stove until warmed through or heat in the microwave in 30-second increments.

More Braised Meat

This cooking method almost magically turns tough cuts of meat into a wonderfully tender meal. A pressure cooker can hasten the process. Here’s a few more recipes for you to try:

• Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast – tender perfection!
• Crockpot Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Short Ribs & Mashed Potatoes (at the same time!)
• Slow Cooker Ribs – fall off the bone!
• Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Balsamic Glaze
• Instant Pot Ribs
• Chicken Cacciatore
• Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe
• Instant Pot Carnitas – perfect every time!