Braised lamb shanks over mashed potatoes.

Braised Lamb Shanks are one of our favorite things to indulge in every once in awhile. Our uncomplicated, delicious recipe produces the most flavorful, melt in your mouth shanks. The key is the low and slow braising method, so we love making this dish over the weekend, when we have a little more time on our hands.

What are lamb shanks?

The shank is the lower portion of the lamb leg. It’s a tough cut of meat (almost always sold bone-in) that is best suited for a low and slow cooking method like braising or stewing.

How to Make This Delicious Braised Lamb Shank Dish

Ingredients in Our Braised Lamb Shanks

Ingredients for Braised Lamb Shanks recipe on a kitchen counter.

Tools You Will Need

Process

Preheat oven.
Place Dutch oven over heat.
Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Sear shanks in Dutch oven on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
Add onion, carrots and celery to pot and sauté.
Stir in garlic and continue to sauté. Season with salt and pepper.
Add sage, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf and continue to sauté.
Deglaze pot with wine and simmer until liquid has dissolved.
Stir in diced tomatoes and stock.
Add shanks back to pot. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring mixture to a boil, cover and transfer to oven.
Braise shanks until very fork tender.
Serve shanks with some of the braising liquid.

Sear lamb shanks in a stock pot. — Sear seasoned lamb shanks.

Seared lamb shanks on a plate. — Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Saute carrots and celery in a stock pot. — Sauté vegetables.

Vegetables in a stock pot cooking down. — Add garlic and season.

Veggies and herbs in a stock pot to make braised lamb shanks. — Add herbs.

Red wine deglazing a pot of vegetables. — Deglaze with red wine.

Tomatoes and stock in a pot to make braised lamb shanks. — Add tomatoes and stock.

Lamb shanks in a pot ready to be braised. — Add seared lamb shanks, cover and bake in the oven.

Why are My Braised Lamb Shanks Tough?

Braised lamb shanks are often tough if you haven’t braised them for a long enough time. If its been over 2 1/2 hours and your liquid has almost completely evaporated, add 1 1/2 to 2 cups water, stir and continue to braise until tender (good news is that it’s very difficult to overcook lamb shanks!).

Make Ahead and Freezing Braised Lamb Shanks

Make Ahead

Cool braised lamb shanks completely, then store in Dutch oven (or airtight container with all the braising liquid), in the refrigerator, for 3 to 4 days.

When ready to reheat, place Dutch oven over medium-low heat and simmer until lamb shanks have completely heated through and tender. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Freezing

Cool braised lamb shanks completely and transfer to a freezer safe resealable bag, along with braising liquid. Remove as much air from the bag as possible and seal. Store shanks in freezer for up to 3 months.

When ready to use, place bag in refrigerator overnight to thaw completely. Transfer all contents of freezer bag into Dutch oven and place over medium-low heat. Simmer until lamb shanks have completely heated through and tender. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.