Braised Lamb Shanks

Braised lamb shanks are perfect for a hearty meal. A combination of herbs and spices, carrots, celery, potatoes, and raisins create a complex, mouthwatering dish.

Braised Lamb Shanks
Elise Bauer

Do you love lamb? Braised lamb shanks are the perfect hearty meal for cooler days.

What Are Lamb Shanks?

The shank is the part of the animal between the hoof and the knee, right below the leg of lamb cut. Because they get a lot of exercise (almost all lamb is raised grass fed on the range), the shanks can be rather tough. But because of that exercise, they also have the most wonderful flavor!

Tough cuts like lamb shanks lend themselves well to a low and slow braise. Long cooking at a low temperature is exactly what you need for meat that is falling-off-the-bone tender.

Braised Lamb Shanks
Elise Bauer

How to Make Braised Lamb Shanks

For this recipe, we brown the lamb shanks first. Browning brings out even more of the flavor of the meat!

Next, we sauté some onions, carrots, and celery. We add the lamb shanks, garlic, potatoes, herbs, sherry, and raisins. Why raisins? I love the way the little sweet notes of the raisins make the overall flavors of the dish pop.

Then we add stock, bring the stew to a simmer, cover it, and put it in the oven for the lamb to cook, low and slow for a couple of hours, until the shanks are beautifully tender and falling off the bone.

Tips on How to Cook Lamb Shanks

  • Brown the shanks well. If you skip this part, you'll lose out on a lot of flavor.
  • Don't rush it. Raising the temperature may cook the shanks more quickly, but it's the low and slow that make them so tender. Don't go above 350°F and be patient. You can even cook them at 300°F, but your cook time will be longer.
  • Cook to at least an internal temperature of 165°F, but it's fine to leave them in longer until the meat practically falls off the bone.
  • Make sure to have a proper pot. An oven-proof, enamel-coated, cast iron Dutch oven with a lid is ideal for this recipe.
  • Shanks only. Don't substitute leg of lamb or other tender cuts of meat.

Making Lamb Shanks Ahead of Time

This is a great recipe to make ahead because the flavors will meld together like a good stew (which this essentially is). To make braised lamb shanks in advance, follow the recipe as directed, including stripping the meat from the bones.

Allow the dish cool and transfer it to a tightly covered container. Place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you like, remove and discard any solidified fat from the stew. Reheat on the stovetop in the same pot you cooked it in by brining to a simmer, than cooking until good and hot.

Freezing Braised Lamb Shanks

This recipe freezes well, although the potatoes may have a slightly different texture when it's defrosted. Freeze in a freezer-safe zipper bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator.

Sides to Serve with Braised Lamb

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Braised Lamb Shanks

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs
Total Time 2 hrs 20 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 lamb shanks (3 to 3 1/2 pounds total), excess fat trimmed

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

  • 2 large carrots, chopped

  • 2 celery ribs, chopped

  • 3 to 4 medium potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 1/4 cups chicken or beef stock

  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried

  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 bay leaf

Optional, and highly recommended:

  • 3/4 cup raisins, soaked in 1/2 cup sherry for a couple hours

  • Mint leaves, for garnish

Method

  1. Preheat the oven:

    Preheat the oven to 350° F.

  2. Season the lamb:

    Season the lamb with salt.

  3. Brown the lamb shanks:

    Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or an oven-proof, thick-bottomed, pot with a tight fitting cover on medium high heat on the stovetop. Working in batches if necessary, brown the lamb shanks in the pot on all sides. Remove shanks to a dish.

    Browning lamb shank in dutch oven pot
    Elise Bauer
  4. Sauté the onion, carrot, and celery:

    Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.

    Sautéed onions, carrots, and celery for braised lamb shanks recipe
    Elise Bauer
  5. Add the potatoes, then the garlic, lamb, herbs, sherry, and raisins:

    Add potatoes and cook another 2 minutes. Add the garlic, lamb shanks, and herbs (except for the optional mint). If using, add the sherry and raisins; bring the sherry to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

    Lamb shank cooking with potatoes, carrots onion and celery in oven proof pan
    Elise Bauer
  6. Add the stock and bring to simmer and put in oven:

    Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover the pot and bake in the oven for 1 1/2 or 2 hours or until shanks are tender.

    Lamb shank with potatoes baked in oven
    Elise Bauer
    Braised lamb shanks in oven safe pot
    Elise Bauer
  7. Discard the bay leaf and strip the meat from bones:

    Remove the bay leaf and discard. Remove the shanks, strip the meat from the bones and return the meat to the pan.

    Serve with fresh mint leaves as garnish.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
567 Calories
27g Fat
46g Carbs
35g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 567
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 9g 43%
Cholesterol 108mg 36%
Sodium 335mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 46g 17%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 35g
Vitamin C 22mg 110%
Calcium 81mg 6%
Iron 4mg 25%
Potassium 1531mg 33%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.