Published April 6, 2022.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Sink your teeth into this incredibly delicious, braised lamb shanks recipe that is slow-cooked in an amazingly flavored broth. I served these tasty shanks up with some of my creamy risotto and it is outstanding.
The goal of going to a restaurant is to get something that you usually would not or could not make at home. What if you made food in your kitchen that is just as good and, if not better, than what you got at your favorite spot? Interested; Then you should definitely check out my Chicken Piccata or Linguine with Clam Sauce.
Lamb Shanks
Lamb shanks are cut from the leg of the lamb and tend to be a more tough cut of meat. It is best slow-cooked for more extended periods of time to help break down the meat. It will become melt-in-your-mouth good as this is one of my all-time favorite dishes.
You can purchase lamb shanks from any butcher shop, and most grocery stores will carry them as well. They cost roughly 10-12 per pound, while 1 lamb shank weighs about 12 ounces, with about 3-4 ounces being the bone. One shank will quickly and entirely feed 1 person.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Lamb – Pick up some lamb shanks from your favorite butcher shop.
- Herbs – I like to use a combination of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, rosemary, and thyme. You can, however, subtract or add to this list.
- Vegetables – You can use many different vegetables, but I prefer onions, carrots, celery, garlic, parsnips, and turnips.
- Wine – An excellent red wine like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, or shiraz will do well.
- Stock – You will need some good beef stock in this recipe.
- Oil – I like to use olive oil, but you can use any other neutral-flavored oil for this.
- Tomato Paste – This will thicken our braising liquid and, eventually, our sauce.
How to Make Braised Lamb Shanks
Use these step-by-step instructions for making this unbelievably delicious braised lamb shanks recipe:
Season the lamb shanks well on all sides with salt and pepper.
Sear the lamb shanks in a large rondeau or Dutch oven with olive oil over medium-high heat until well browned on all 4 sides.
Set the lamb to the side and add the prepared vegetables to the pot and continue to cook over medium-high heat until they are well browned, which takes about 10 minutes.
Deglaze with red wine and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by ½.
Stir in some tomato paste until it is completely mixed in. This will help thicken it. If the high heat is concerning you at this point, turn it down to medium.
Pour in the beef stock and then add in the fresh herbs, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine.
Add the lamb shanks back into the pot, cover, and cook at 350° for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until the meat is gently removed from the bone.
Drain the sauce, discard the vegetables, and cook the sauce for 4-5 minutes or just until it’s thickened up like a thin gravy. It does not need to be thick to add flavor to the dish.
Serve the lamb shanks on top of some creamy parmesan risotto.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten once it is finished cooking. However, keep it warm over very low simmering heat for 1 hour before serving.
How to Store: Cover and store the lamb in the sauce in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can cover it and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired number of lamb shanks to a rondeau or saucepot along with some of the sauce and cover and heat in the oven at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until hot.
chef notes + tips
- Feel free to add in a 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes for more tomato flavor.
More Restaurant-Style Recipes
- Rack of Lamb
- Filet Mignon Recipe
- Standing Ribeye Roast
- Steak Au Poivre
- Beef Wellington
Video
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Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe
5 from 21 votes
Sink your teeth into this incredibly delicious, braised lamb shanks recipe that is slow cooked in an amazingly flavored broth.
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours hours
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 peeled and medium diced yellow onion
- 2 peeled and medium diced carrots
- 2 medium diced ribs of celery
- 1 peeled and medium diced turnip
- 1 peeled and medium diced parsnip
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- 12-15 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 small bunch of parsley
- 2 cups of red wine
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 48 ounces beef stock
- Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Lamb: Season the lamb on all sides with salt and pepper.
Add the olive oil to a large pot, rondeau, or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the lamb until golden brown on all 5 sides, which takes about 3-4 minutes per side. Once brown remove them from the pot and set aside.
Next, add the onions, carrots, celery, turnip, parsnip, and garlic into the pot and brown well, which takes about 10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Deglaze with the red wine and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by one half.
Add in the tomato paste and stir until combined and cook for a further 1 to 2 minutes.
Add in the stock followed up by adding in the parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and mix until combined.
Next, add back in the lamb shanks, place a lid over the pot and cook in the oven at 350° for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Remove the lamb from the pot and strain the vegetables. Cook the remaining liquid over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until it thickens up a touch more.
Serve the lamb shanks with optional risotto and pour some of the sauce over the top.
Notes
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten once it is finished cooking, however, you can keep it warm over very low simmering heat for up to 1 hour before serving.
How to Store: Cover and store the lamb in the sauce in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can cover it and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired number of lamb shanks to a rondeau or saucepot along with some of the sauce and cover and heat in the oven at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 511kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 48gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 983mgPotassium: 1769mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 5559IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 6mg
Course: dinner, Main
Cuisine: American, French
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
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37 comments
- Sandy Means
Excellent recipe! Very easy to follow. I only had two shanks, but used the braising liquid for 4 shanks, so it would cover. Turned out great and I have extra gravy to freeze for another meal. Served with mashed potatoes. Thanks for an awesome meal!
my pleasure!
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- Rob
Followed nearly exactly. took 2 1/4 hrs. Thickened with beurre manie and served over Billy’s horseradish mashed.
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- Carla
I have to say, BP is right on the money with this recipe! I had two lamp shanks in the freezer from a reputable butcher so I didn’t want to waste them. I defrosted them on a freezing January day- and followed the instructions. I took my favorite Le Creuset pot and browned the lamb shanks in that pot on medium/high in my grill (I don’t have range hood in my home, so I decided to do it on the grill on med/high so not to smoke out my house) worked really well. I added the Mire poix (carrots, celery, onion and then added paste, garlic and herbs) then the wine, and the stock. Brought it up to a boil then put it in the oven as directed for 2hrs- took cover off for remaining 30 min. I served it with cauliflower/taro root mash. It was….sooooo delicious. He never fails. Pisano knows his food! God Bless you Billy and thank you for continued great recipes!! A fan for life here… 🙂
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- Juley Karns
I made this recipe and followed it exactly as written and wow! It’s the best lamb shanks we have ever had and the sauce was out of this world.
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- Chef Billy Parisi
Thank you for trying this!
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- Scott Blanks
I had never had lamb before. I saw this and cooked them this weekend. This was one of the best meals I have ever had!!!! Absolutely devine!
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- Chef Billy Parisi
thank you!
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- Ann
What?! I Made the Lamb Shanks. Wonderful. Delicious. Here’s my question: Throw out the vegetables?? Why? I don’t get it. I strained them out of the pot. Thickened the gravy. But toss them? What’s more delicious than root vegetables cooked to death! I can’t see why they aren’t served with the meat. Sure the dish is probably prettier without them, but in my kitchen, it doesn’t matter. Love the carrots, parsnips etc. I just don’t understand the toss. Thanks! I’m a big follower. The S cookies are a part of our family now. 🙂
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- Chris
Love, love, love Lamb Shanks and this recipe did not disappoint. It was outstanding. What a special meal! Thank you, Chef, for all your wonderful recipes and all your time and effort teaching us (your chefs in training). Very appreciative.
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thanks for giving it a shot!!
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- Richard C Shea
I did this and it came out fantastic. Thank you Billy I did find that the residual liquid was too thin to use for gravy so I reduced it significantly and added some butter and flour to give it some body. Served on mashed potatoes. Looked gorgeous plated up.
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excellent!
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- Carol
You were right beside me on my lao top the whole way. I have to say I nailed it. It was delicious. Might be because I also made my own beef stock so thank you for that. Like you say…brought it to a new level. Thank you Chef!
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Fantastic
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- Regina
Excellent recipe. First time making this. Guests still talking about how delicious it was. Thank you.
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My pleasure!
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- Michael Mason
I have been wanting to make this for a long time. Haven’t been able to find the Lamb Shanks. A couple of weeks ago we were in a grocery market that is not our usual for some reason and I saw Lamb shanks. Tonight was the night. Fabulous.
The shanks I purchased were a little bit larger then the recipe so I extended the braising time. Fall off the bone. It was my wife and I and I served them with Orzo but looking at the video I decided to put a little basil in it. Home run. We ate them on our deck overlooking our lake with a Lodi Zinlindel..
Sometimes Lamb can be a little gamey. The braising took that out. I love Osso Bucco. I can get beef shanks easily and want to try this recipe with the beef shanks. Think it may work well.- Reply
picture perfect
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- Sue
I loved this, I made 12 large lamb shanks for Greek Easter. I made the sauce the day before and served on the side. Not only did it smell amazing, it tasted amazing. Easy and delicious
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It is one of my favorites!
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- Janine
Was going to make for Easter dinner but our oven is broken. Can this all be cooked on the stove top if it is low and slow? Thank you
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yes it can.
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- Kw
Awesome. Everything turned out great. Super flavor. One thing I’m going to do next time is cook some gnocchi in the sauce instead of the risotto.
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Fantastic
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- Edwin Davis
I’ve made multiple times. Always awesome. This time, my butcher didn’t have the usual lamb shanks. Was more like a lamb ham. Still turned out great. Fork tender. And goes great with the risotto.
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Perfect
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- Nathan
So good. Made with creamy polenta.
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nice
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- Mike
Followed instructions. Trimmed some fat off beforehand. I’ve never had these before, so I was surprised by their size and cost ($84 for 4 at our great local meat market). I had to buy a new pot so they would all fit. 2 shanks served 4 of us with some left over so this recipe should serve 8. Exquisite flavor, perfect texture and enough for another dinner tomorrow. Thank you!
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amazing!
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- William Bunnett
Great sauce love ‘‘em been eating lamb for years only Colorado and Texas lamb grain fed last 80 days.
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Delicious!
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- Damon Smith
Made this for 12 people, everyone raved about it and said it was like eating at a restaurant. I easily followed the recipe, did it exactly how it’s described in the recipe, and again, it was so good.
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- Michelle Mendoza
I followed directions to a T and this was soooo good. My husband asked for me to put some sauce iver his rice for his lunch the next day. Amazingly delicious.
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- Shannon
I had to make some changes due to dietary requirements, but followed the recipe as closely as I could. I also dropped it to 2 shanks since it was mostly for my mom. This recipe is incredibly forgiving. I added sweet potato, carrots, golden beets, and tri color chopped tomatoes (out of paste). I dislike rosemary so I replaced it with some fresh basil. Turned out incredible! Will make again!
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- Joe Meier
We made this last night for dinner and it was outstanding! We really let the vegetables caramelize for the brazing liquid and also the onions for the risotto. After pulling the meat out I strained the brazing liquid into a pot and started to cook it down as directed. I noticed that much of the brazing liquid had splattered and dried onto the sides of my Le Creuset pot during the brazing, basically turning into an incredible demi glace. I scraped all of that off with a tablespoon and melted it into the strained brazing liquid. That my friends, is flavor like you can’t imagine….
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