Best Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Try the best braised lamb shank recipe ever written! Lamb shanks are slow cooked in a rich spiced sauce until fall-off-the-bone-level fork tender! Serve this restaurant-quality dish with rice, potatoes or even risotto.

Prep Time10

Cook Time3 30

Total Time3 40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Persian

Servings:

Author: Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions
5 cloves garlic
3 celery stalks
1 large carrot
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 cinnamon stick
3 cardamom pods

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pat dry the lamb shanks and season them with 1 teaspoon kosher salt on all sides.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or a pot over medium heat and sea the lamb shanks for 4 to 6 minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Remove them from the pot and set aside.
Place the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in the bowl of a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Transfer the chopped vegetables to the same Dutch oven and saute over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
Add in the turmeric, cumin and black pepper. Stir and add the tomato paste followed by the pomegranate molasses. Mix to combine. Add in the cinnamon stick and the cardamom pods.
Add the browned lamb shanks back into the pot. If you have to place them on top of each other, it's okay. They will shrink when cooked.
Fill the Dutch oven with water and make sure the lamb shanks are submerged. You need about 6 cups of water depending on the size of the Dutch oven.
Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 3 hours. Braise every 45 minutes and add more water if the gravy is reducing too much.
Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of the cooking for the sauce to thicken a bit and the lamb shanks to brown nicely. Serve with your favorite side dish.

Video

Notes

Oven method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Follow the recipe by searing the lamb shanks and cooking the vegetable mix in the Dutch oven with the spices, tomato sauce and pomegranate molasses.
2. Once you return the lamb shank to the Dutch oven, fill the pot with water and make sure it covers the lamb shanks. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 3 hours. Braise every 45 minutes. If the liquid is reduced too much, add more water.
3. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking so the lamb shanks brown nicely.
Serving suggestions:
- Rice: Persian rice with tahdig, Lebanese rice with vermicelli, Greek lemon rice, Persian herb rice and saffron rice.
- Potatoes: Scalloped potatoes, Greek roasted potatoes, batata harra, crispy oven roasted potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan or a pan with 1/4 cup water for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also freeze lamb shanks for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge a day in advance and reheat in a saucepan or a pan over medium heat.

Nutrition