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 Nagi,
I love your recipes and yours is the place I turn to first when looking for a recipe or inspiration. There is one question I keep meaning to ask – are the oven temperatures for a fan assisted oven or a non-fan oven? I love reading the snippets about Dozer and his quirky ways. Thanks for the very readable and well researched recipes.
Hi Barbara, I usually put the two different temperatures where it matters. If you only see one temp listed, you can use this for fan or a standard oven – N x
Hi Nagi,
You mentioned that we can use red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar as substitute for the red wine. Which one is a better substitute, without compromising the flavor and will it be a 1:1 substitute? Please specify
Thank you.
Hi Unbareen, I’ve just updated the recipe notes with a substitute ❤️
Hiya, I am cooking this tomorrow in my slow cooker but I will only be cooking two lamb shanks. Should I reduce the 8 hour cooking time on low? Thanks!
Hi Paisleh, no they will still need the same cooking time ❤️
Made this lamb dish on Saturday night for my delightful wife, went for the lot, purée and all, Oh my word! what a fantastic meal, my wife was eating the lamb before I managed to plate it. 10/10 defo a restaurant type meal. Thanks👍
Hi just cooked your lamb shanks in red wine. The lamb was cooked magnificent but the sauce when strained had a very hight vinegary taste not good. I use a very nice deep flavour cave save don’t no why this happened any ideas?ps I am a good cook
Everything you put on here is amazing, thank you.
Thanks so much Rakel!
I be looking foreword to some good recipes
Great Fred! I hope you love them!
This recipe looks wonderful! I have a shoulder of lamb and am guessing that I could apply this recipe to it..? Still trying out your recipes regularly, thanks so much!
I made this recipe tonight, the lamb sitting on a throne of mashed potatoes, both my husband and i LOVED IT! It was a stunner, will surely impress guests with it in the future. It tastes every bit as good as it looks😋Thank you for this wonderful recipe!😊
You’re so welcome Lina!
Since there is just myself I cut the recipe in half. It worked wonderfully!! This dish was fabulous!!!! I actually think that based on the size of lamb shanks 1 would almost feed 2 people but, now I have leftovers that I will freeze and use later!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe 🙂
Fabulous Jane! This is the perfect meal to freeze!
Made this for hubby tonight. I think he fell in love with me again 😜
And what a lucky guy he is!!! ❤️
Can I replace the lamb with beef?
Can I replace the lamb with beef?
I am cooking it, so I can update it for those who may ever switch the meat? Unfortunately my butcher didn’t have the specific meat I needed for this! Hence, the reason for my alternative way to cook dinner 🤷🏽♀️.
Sure can!
Awesome
👌🏼
Delicious! Followed the recipe exactly and wow so yum. Went with the recommendation to seive and reduce the sauce, absolutely perfect, will definitely make again.
I’ve just tried the lamb shanks with red wine sauce and it was super delicious and appropriate for the new year eve! 😋
I’m so glad you loved it!
It was awesome. Best ive made or even had
Have plenty of sauce left for pasta
Hi Nagi, this looks delicious!
I’m going to make this for 8 people so should I just double all the ingredients?
Thanks 🙂
This little looks delicious!
However I can’t use/ have alcohol. Which stock/ broth is best to substitute with?
Thanks xxx
Hi Hourin, I have just updated the recipe with substitutes for you! – N x
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes and videos! The lamb shanks in red wine sauce are so delicious! My entire family loves them. My husband keeps coming home with lamb shanks, I am trying to convince him as delicious as they are we don’t need to eat them once a week! LOL Thanks again for sharing!
How long would you cook this in the slow cooker for if using chops rather than shank? I’m thinking 5-6 on low, would that be enough?
Hi Rachel! If using thick big lamb chops I think 6 hours on low 🙂 N x