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. Serve it over creamy mashed potato with a side of peas or sautéed spinach, with crusty bread to mop your bowl clean!
* Here for the cookbook version? Find it here -> the elegant Restaurant Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce.
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. So if you cannot consume alcohol, it is best to substitute with non-alcoholic red wine.
Please do not use more beef or chicken stock/broth, even if it’s low sodium. This sauce has amazing flavour in it because it is massively concentrated down (essentially into a jus). So if you use more stock then it will end up too salty.
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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Lamb Shanks in Red Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks , around 13 oz / 400g each (Note 1)
- 1 tsp EACH cooking/kosher salt and pepper
- 2 – 3 tbsp olive oil , separated
- 1 onion , finely diced (brown, yellow or white)
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 cup carrot , peeled, finely diced (Note 2)
- 1 cup celery , finely diced (Note 2)
- 2 1/2 cups red wine (full bodied (good value wine, not expensive! Note 3)
- 800 g / 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups 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 180°C/350°F (all oven types – fan and standard).
- Season shanks – Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Brown – Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large 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.
- Sauté aromatics – Turn the heat down to medium low. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same pot. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until onion is translucent and sweet.
- Braising liquid – Add the red wine, chicken stock, crushed tomato, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
- Add shanks – Place the lamb shanks into the pot, squeezing them in to fit so they are mostly submerged. (Note 1)
- Oven 2 hours covered – Turn stove up, bring liquid to a simmer. Cover, then transfer to the oven for 2 hours (see notes for other cook methods).
- Uncovered 30 minutes – 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 – 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.
- Sauce – 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. If needed, bring to a 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 (Note 5 on sauce taste).
- Serve the lamb shanks on mashed potato or cauliflower puree with plenty of sauce! Garnish with thyme leaves if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2015, updated with new photos, video and a slightly refined recipe in 2018. 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. 🙂 Recipe then further improved when it was decided to include this lamb shanks in my debut cookbook Dinner – that “restaurant” version is exclusive to my cookbook!
Life of Dozer
And I stuck my tongue right back at him….
Amazing recipe! Followed every step and the lamb was excellent! Thank you!
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Kim!
Hi how can I cook this recipe for main meal for 20 people
Hi Leah – you can use the sliding scale to adjust the servings to 20 – I would recommend doing it in two large baking dishes. I’d prep all the sauce elements on the stove as shown and then add to the baking dishes with the shanks. Enjoy!!
Fall off the bone deliciousness. Loved this recipe, thank you! After taking out the shanks, I added a little cornflour and used a potato masher to mash the onion and carrot (I don’t like celery!) into the sauce. This thickened the sauce and dealt with the lumpy veg really easily.
Hello, can I use leg of lamb instead of shanks?
Thanks
Hi Barbara, you could but you’d need to cook it a lot longer – N x
The recipe calls for Chicken Broth & Red Wine…
If i substitute the Wine with Beef Broth, should i still include the Chicken Stock?
Hi Yasser, still include the chicken stock – N x
I made this Wednesday night! Absolutely scrumptious! Thank You Nagi
Wahoo, that’s awesome Jane!
Made these shanks today. So far the tastiest and easiest shanks recipe I have made. Will definitely be adding to the regular list to make!! Delicious!!
That’s awesome Taryn 🙂
I made this for dinner last night – absolutely loved it! The sauce is divine and so much flavour for so few ingredients! I will definitely make this again. Thankyou!!!!
I’m so glad you loved it Kerri!
Delicious recipe, reducing the sauce properly makes all the difference.
Yes definitely Emma!
Wow, this looks so delicious. Thank you very much for your receipt. I hope I will do it right.
I hope you love it!
Really enjoyed but found the gravy far to runny yet followed as stated, any suggestions? Also can u freeze any left over gravy?
Unreal! And I’ve eaten a lot of shanks.
We placed ours in the slow cooker for 9 hours.
Awesome to hear Ali!
Hello Nagi I have just followed every step and is in oven 2 hours . I’m not the best cook . Check after 2 hours and put on for another 30 mins ? It’s smelling great 👍
Hi there! Is the slow cooker supposed to be on low or high? I haven’t use my slow cooker is years.
Hi Julie, it’s all in the recipe notes – slow cook on low. I hope you love it!
Hi . Can I used lamb chops coz i dont have lamb shank. Thank you
You sure can, they won’t take as long so just keep an eye on them until they are fork tender – N x
Hi Nagi, can’t wait to try this 🙂
Btw, right at the top of the page you link to “Pork Braised Lamb Shanks” when I think you meant “Port…” – just thought you might want to know so you can fix it.
Oh good spotting!!! Thanks so much I’ll fix it now – Pork on the brain 😂
Hi Nagi, I am making this for dinner, it is in the slow cooker even as I write. Question, what size is your casserole dish so I can buy similar? This way I know that cooking vessel size will suit your recipes…oh yes well I do make a few of your devine food.🙄. Thanks for sharing. And by the way if I still lived in Sydney I would be down at the dog park sitting next to old matey hoping for some left overs. I love how you do that, so kind.
Hi Risky, mine is a 24″ pot, it really depends on how many people you’re cooking for though! 26″ is a good size for 4-6 people ❤️
Nagi, thank you for this wonderful recipe. Made it on Sunday and it was excellent! Will make again for sure!
Awesome Janice, thanks for letting me know!
Oh Nagi!! I’ve just cooked your lamb shanks in red wine. Absolutely delicious!! Thank you so much. Love all your recipes. Lasagna, fried rice Singapore noodles beef tacos. Simple instructions and always delicious results. You’re amazing!
That’s great Leah!!!
Hi Nagi. My old computer packed up and I lost all my nice recipes. Is it possible to send them to me again?
Hi Veronica, all my recipes can be found on my website 😊