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….
Hi, when the pot goes into the oven doen the oven temp stay at 180 Degr ?
thanks for the great recipe…
Hi Johann, yes the oven stays at 180. Love to know what you think of them!
Hi Nagi,
I am making this on Sunday but am i able to sear the shanks the night before and leave in the sauce till sunday morning and then put everything in the slow cooker? would that be ok as i’m going to have to wake up early on sunday morning to slow cook them for 8 hours….so thought if i do the searing part first on saturday night all i have to do is put them in sunday
Hi Sue-ellen, I don’t see why not! I hope you love them, let me know how it all goes ❤️
Thanks so much!! I can’t wait to make them #yum!!!
love you and all your recipes seriously NEVER fails me!!
Hi Nagi I forgot to let you know how it was ..my husband said i outdid myself and tops everything I’ve ever made 😂 so I was pretty pleased with myself . The meat literally fell off the bone was the most heavenly delicious winter meal ever ! Thank you so much! 💙💙
As usual excellent…I doubled the sauce just to have leftovers.
Great idea Jenni, I like the way you think!
Hi Nagi – i absolutely love your recipes. Can i ask a question? If i was halving this recipe to cook it for just the two of us, is it ok to halve all the ingredients, or does that reduce the liquid too much?
Hi Annette, you can halve the recipe but yes, keep an eye on the liquids as you don’t want the pot to dry out – you may need to add a little more. N x
Yummo!
This was easy to make and turned out beautifully. Myself and two friends enjoyed it. I would reduce the liquid next time (stove top) as I found there was much more than needed.
I’m so glad you loved it, you could always reduce the liquids if you prefer but you can never have enough sauce in my books!! 😂
okay so third recipe made from your website, these were insanely good! so tender 🙂 your recipes are quickly becoming staples
That’s so great to hear Jayne!
Hi,
I am just making this for tomorrow’s lunch (it is 10 pm here). Should I leave it overnight in the fridge or in room temperature?
The recipe is great btw, tried it already and for tomorrow I am also making your ribs and sticky dates pudding so I am realy loving your recipes.
Greetings from Croatia.
Always in the fridge!
Hi Nagi,
Just wanted to say your way of introducing and explaining the lamb shank recipe is excellent. I will surely be cooking this in my slow cooker. I read some attempts at recipes often here. People can learn much from your approach. Thank you very much.
Thanks so much for the feedback Allan, I hope you love the lamb shanks! – N x
Hi, I was wondering, I have a half boneless leg of lamb I want to use(i actually have 2 but only 1 will fit in my cooker) and this recipe just sounds way to yummy not to make. Would I still be able to do this with the half leg, like in the slow cooker? If so do you think I would need to increase the amount of things as far as ingredients go and how long would you say I cook it for on low or high?
Hi Shannon, how much do they weight? – N x
Hi I am just now looking at this as did not end up making the lamb when i asked but I am making it today. One of the legs weighs 3.65 lbs. And the other 3.49 lbs
Soo, I made this in the slow cooker today with the half boneless leg but put it on high for 5 hours as i was short on time and it made Alot of liquid. The liquid is on the stove right now after straining it so i hope it will reduce enough and thicken and also be a bit more flavorful. I taste tested the liquid after i strained it to put on the stove and it tasted kind of bland and tomatoy.
Loved this recipe! Needed a bit more flavour but this was a hit with my family. Thank you.
Simple recipe with great result. I added some Worcestershire Sauce as i thought it tasted a little to tomato..Many thanks x
There is a contradiction in the cooking time. At the top it says 3 1.2 hours but in the instructions it sayd 2 hours plus 30 minutes for a total of 2 1.2 hours. Big difference.
The 3 hours includes the prep and cooking before the liquids/ sauces are added
Hi Angela, I’m not sure what you mean – the recipe says to oven cook for 2 hours covered then 30 minutes uncovered. – N x
This was so delish😍😊 I did mine in my slow cooker, finished it off in the oven to get that yummy sticky outside and then I reduced the sauce on the stove top, Sooooooooooooooo much flavour and the meat just melted off the bone. Once again Thankyou for another Fabulous dish….
Give Dozer a big belly scratch from me and a woof woof from my Gorgeous girl ‘Cuddlz’🐶🤩💜
Thanks for the great feedback Lindi, will give Dozer a big scratch from you ☺️
🐶🥓🐾🐾😍💜💛💚🥓🥘 Thank you for replying just Love your site and everything I have every made has been so tasty and I haven’t had one flop……Cuddlz says Woof to Dozed….
Hi Lindi,
How long did you cook in the slow cooker for before putting it into the oven? 🙂
I made it and it was tasty but I left it for an extra 20 minutes in the oven and still had to add flour to thicken it. It still wasn’t really rich and thick enough. I would make it again but I will ‘tweak’ it. Also don’t put your oven on at the beginning or you will waste loads of energy!
“don’t put the oven on at the beginning”? That’s called “preheating” it’s what you do in literally everything you cook
Hi Kate, I’m sorry you didn’t think the sauce was rich enough, I pride myself on big bold flavours! Did you follow the recipe exactly as written? – N
I made this tonight ! So tasty just like it made in the restaurant. I used pressure cooker and the liquid needs little reducing after I took it out. This is the best recipe !
Thanks for sharing this !
I’m so glad you loved it Crystal!
Hi Nagi, looking forward to making this for Sunday night dinner!
You mentioned the left over sauce keeps well, I was thinking of freezing it, but I was wondering if you think it can be safely re-cooked? I was thinking of adding it to a slow cooker, with a little extra liquid and slow cooking some lamb off cuts in it to shred and stir through pasta, what’s your thoughts on this?
Thanks in advance!!
Hi Sharrona, Yes you could definitely freeze it and I would think if you re-cooked it, it would be ok! – N x
Thank you Nagi! Was thrilled to find some nice meaty shanks on tonight’s grocery run so Sunday can hurry up already!
I made this dish a few months ago and forgot to save it.
I have just managed to find it and am so excited!!!
I am thinking of making this for friends who don’t eat lamb – would this recipe work well with beef cheek or osso bucco?
Hi Sam, I’m so glad you love this recipe! Try my beef cheek or Osso Buco Recipes – I’m sure you’ll love them!
Yet another winner from Nagi. Made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. My husband said they were the tastiest lamb shanks he’d ever had. And you are right, the sauce didn’t need any reducing. It was beautifully rich and lush. Cooked shanks for a bit longer than the instructions but that was only because I was juggling work, dog walking and cooking, but they were wonderful. Served them with creamy mash and broccolini.
I made this for Sunday lunch yesterday and it was absolutely spectacular! Made it on Saturday and left it overnight for the flavours to deepen – was totally gorgeous and will make this again.
Awesome Jacqueline, I’m so happy you loved it and had enough for leftovers!
Came out great!!
Great Drew!