Elevate your dinner game with Red Wine Boneless Lamb Shanks, a comforting and rich dish perfect for cooler evenings. Tender boneless lamb shanks are braised to perfection in a flavourful red wine sauce, creating a hearty and satisfying meal that's sure to impress.
I always say Sundays are for slow cooking. I love the Sunday ritual of walking to the market, buying fresh meat and produce, coming home and spending the early afternoon getting everything ready to slow cook for the next 3 hours.
If you're strapped for time but want something equally as comforting, try my Reverse Seared Steak with Mushroom Sauce recipe.
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Why you need to make these Red Wine Boneless Lamb Shanks
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Tender: Experience the ultimate comfort food with lamb shanks that are cooked low and slow until they're fork-tender and infused with the rich flavours of red wine and herbs.
- Savoury and Rich Sauce: The combination of red wine, beef stock, and aromatic herbs creates a luxurious sauce that coats each bite of lamb, delivering layers of depth and complexity to every mouthful.
- Easy and Impressive: Impress your family and guests with this restaurant-worthy dish that requires minimal hands-on time but delivers maximum flavour and satisfaction, making it perfect for special occasions or cozy family dinners.
Ingredients for Red Wine Boneless Lamb Shanks
- Boneless lamb shanks: Tender cuts of lamb that become succulent and flavorful when slow-cooked in the rich sauce.
- Plain flour: Used for dredging the lamb shanks, helping to create a crispy exterior and thicken the sauce.
- Olive oil: Adds richness and helps to brown the lamb shanks for added flavor.
- Carrots, celery, onion, garlic: Create the aromatic base of the sauce, providing sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Tomato paste: Adds richness and umami depth to the sauce.
- Worcestershire sauce: Enhances the savory flavor profile of the dish.
- Red wine: Infuses the sauce with rich, fruity flavors and tenderizes the lamb during cooking.
- Beef stock: Provides a savory base for the sauce, adding depth and richness.
- Dried thyme, fresh rosemary, bay leaf: Herbs that add aromatic complexity and enhance the overall flavor of the dish.
- Mashed potato, fresh parsley: Traditional accompaniments that complement the richness of the lamb and sauce.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Sear the lamb
Sauté the onion, celery, carrots then the garlic and tomato paste
Add the rosemary, bay leaf, thyme, stock and wine and bring to a simmer
Once it's simmering add the lamb then place in the oven
Hint: use a dutch oven for this recipe! I love mine from Le Creuset. You can get it with next day delivery on amazon here.
Substitutions
- Vegetarian Option: Substitute boneless lamb shanks with king oyster mushrooms, firm tofu or seitan for a vegetarian version of this dish.
- Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free flour or cornstarch to dredge the lamb shanks for a gluten-free version of the recipe.
- Non-Alcoholic Option: Replace the red wine with non alcoholic wine, additional beef stock or vegetable broth for a non-alcoholic version of the sauce.
Variations
- Herb-Roasted Potatoes: Serve the lamb shanks with roasted potatoes seasoned with garlic, rosemary, and thyme for a rustic twist.
- Creamy Polenta: Instead of mashed potatoes, serve the lamb shanks with creamy polenta topped with grated Parmesan cheese for a comforting Italian-inspired meal.
- Gremolata Garnish: Sprinkle a zesty gremolata made from lemon zest, garlic, and parsley over the lamb shanks before serving for a fresh and vibrant finish.
Storage
Store any leftover lamb and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
Top tip
- Brown the Lamb Shanks: Take the time to properly brown the lamb shanks before braising to develop rich flavor and color in the final dish.
- Low and Slow Cooking: For the most tender results, cook the lamb shanks in a low oven (150°C) for 2 ½ to 3 hours, allowing the meat to slowly break down and become melt-in-your-mouth tender.
FAQ
Yes, this dish actually tastes even better when made ahead of time as the flavours have time to meld. Simply reheat gently on the stove or in the oven before serving.
Leftover lamb and sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
Yes, you can use bone-in lamb shanks for this recipe. Just be aware that cooking times may vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of the shanks. Adjust cooking time accordingly to ensure the meat is tender.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Red Wine Boneless Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg boneless lamb shanks
- ⅓ cup plain flour
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 (150g) carrots peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 (150g) celery sticks roughly chopped
- 1 brown onion roughly chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 cups (500ml) red wine
- 1 ½ cups (350ml) beef stock
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 large bay leaf
Serve with
- mashed potato
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 150 C. Season lamb with a decent pinch of salt and pepper then dredge in the flour.
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium/high heat and sear the lamb on all sides until browned. Remove from the dutch oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, add the carrot, celery and onion to a food processor and pulse/blitz into a fine mixture.
- Bring the dutch oven to medium heat and add the carrot, celery and onion with a big pinch of salt and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and sauté for a further minute.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, stock and wine then mix. Use a wooden spoon to scrape off any bits stuck to the bottom of the dutch oven then bring to a simmer.
- Once it is simmering, add the lamb back to the dutch oven, place the lid on the dutch oven and place in the oven for 2 ½ - 3 hours or until the lamb is tender and easy to pull apart
- Serve with mashed potatoes and finely chopped parsley and enjoy!
Nutrition
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Eve Sinton
I cooked this boneless lamb shank recipe today, exactly as the recipe says, and ate it with mashed potato. MAGNIFICENT!! Spent all afternoon wanting to rip it out of the oven, the aroma was so good! It was worth the wait. (SORRY, VEGAN FRIENDS, don't click the link.)
Janelle
Forget every lamb shank recipe that you’ve ever known. This is now your favourite. Effortlessly simple to create and outrageously delicious to eat.
Sarah
thank you so much!! You're the best ❤️