Instead of a heavy red wine sauce, these Braised Lamb Shanks are cooked low and slow in the oven with wine wine, lemon, and fresh herbs until they’re fall-off-the-bone tender! The sauce is bright and delicate and the lemon gremolata sauce takes the flavor to the next level. Serve up these white wine braised lamb shanks for Easter, Mother’s Day, or any occasion that calls for an impressive meal.
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The Best Braised Lamb Shanks You’ve Ever Had
Braising doesn’t have to be reserved for the winter months! Not all braises are made with heavy sauces or cooked with red wine. Braising these lamb shanks in white wine allows their delicate flavor to shine. When I was a professional chef, this was a recipe that I developed as a special during the spring time and it always went over so well.
I love cooking a restaurant-worthy meal from the comfort of my kitchen. Braised lamb is really kind of a low-lift recipe since your oven does most of the work. This is a great recipe to pull out for a special occasion when you want to shock and awe without an ungodly amount of work.
While this may sound like an intimidating cooking term, it’s actually so straight forward and mostly hands-off! It’s a technique that I encourage everyone to learn because it produces truly the most delicious meals. I love braising so much that I even wrote the book on it!
Braising is a combination cooking technique that features both wet and dry heat. First, you sear the lamb shanks for flavor and color and then you add liquid to the pot and transfer the covered pot to the oven. In the oven, the lamb cooks slowly at a lower temperature. The end result is meat that absolutely falls off the bone.
Jenny’s Tips for Braised Lamb Shanks
Try to find lamb shanks that are all the same size. Look for lamb shanks that are about 1 lb each. You want them to be similar in size so that they don’t crowd the pan and so they all cook at the same rate.
Give the lamb a nice, hard sear. Take your time here! Getting a nice, brown crust on the lamb shanks only enhances their flavor later.
Use a large enough cooking vessel. This is super important! If you try and cram everything into a small pot, the lamb will take much longer to cook and it’ll cook unevenly. A large 5+ quart braiser or 7 quart oval dutch oven are my preferred braising vessels for lamb shanks.
The braise is done when it’s done. Everyone’s oven and pan shape is different! Start checking the lamb shanks for doneness at 3 hours, but it might take a little bit more or less time than my suggested cooking times. Use visual cues to determine doneness as the lamb will easily shred when it’s done.
Helpful Cooking Tools
Key Recipe Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Lamb shanks. Look for frenched lamb shanks, if you can find them. This means fat and tendon has been cleaned from higher up on the bone, making a prettier presentation.
- Veggies. Onion, carrot, and leeks make a delicious flavor base. Leeks can be very dirty between layers, make sure to rinse and drain the sliced leeks well.
- Garlic. Instead of mincing the garlic, we crush it slightly and leave it whole for more flavor.
- Herbs. The thyme and tarragon make the lamb bright with spring flavors.
- White wine. I typically opt for something bright, like a French sauvignon blanc. You can also omit the alcohol and swap in chicken broth or stock.
- Lemon. Braising the lamb with sliced lemons adds tons of flavor.
- Baby potatoes. I like using baby gold potatoes, but you could also use fingerling potatoes.
- Preserved lemon gremolata. A gremolata is an herby oil sauce that adds freshness and brightness! I make mine with preserved lemon, parsley, garlic, shallot, tarragon, and good olive oil.
How to Make White Wine Braised Lamb Shanks
- Season the lamb. You can get really liberal here with the salt and pepper. Make sure to coat the lamb shanks well and then let them sit for 1 hour before cooking.
- Sear the lamb shanks. Take your time here! Make sure your pan and the oil are nice and hot. Sear each side for 3-5 minutes, until the lamb is deeply browned all over.
- Saute the veggies and aromatics. Once you’ve seared the lamb, I like to add the garlic and herbs first to make them extra fragrant. Then, add in the carrots, onion, and leeks and cook until they’re nice and soft and starting to brown.
- Build the braise. Add in the white wine, then nestle the lamb shanks and lemon slices in and give everything a good sprinkling of salt. Transfer it to the oven for 2 hours, then add in the potatoes and braise the lamb for another hour or hour and a half. The lamb is done when it’s tender and shreds easily with a fork. Make sure to let the lamb rest in the juices for 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Make the gremolata. While the lamb shanks braise, mix all the gremolata ingredients together and let it sit. The flavors get better as it sits so I like to make it a couple hours before serving.
What to Serve on the Side
Because this dish is so fresh and light, I like to serve it with lighter sides like fattoush salad, grilled asparagus, or a simple cucumber-tomato salad.
In terms of carbs on the side, I love serving braised lamb shanks with Lemon dill rice or my lentil rice pilaf. I’m also a big fan of serving any braised dish over super creamy mashed potatoes or cheesy polenta. My creamy tomato orzo would also pair perfectly with the lamb!
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More Lamb Recipes to Try
Chermoula Grilled Rack of Lamb
Lemon Grilled Lamb Chops
Colcannon Shepherd’s Pie
Greek-Style Lamb Smash Burger Tacos
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White Wine Braised Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
Braised Lamb Shanks
- 4 lamb shanks, frenched (about 1 lb each)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs of fresh tarragon
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 leek, white and light green parts, sliced and rinsed
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 lb baby gold potatoes, halved
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Preserved Lemon Gremolata
- 1/3 cup minced flat leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons minced tarragon leaves
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon minced preserved lemon (or 1 tablespoon lemon zest)
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the lamb shanks. Pat the lamb shanks dry with a paper towel and season them liberally all over with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking. Use a piece of kitchen twine to tie the thyme and tarragon into a bundle.
- Preheat an oven to 350°F.
- Sear the lamb shanks. Heat the oil in a large braiser or oval dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, sear the lamb shanks all over until very browned. Add the garlic and herb bundle and cook for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the onions, leeks, and carrots and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to soften.
- Braise the lamb. Pour in the white wine and bring to a gentle simmer. Season everything with salt and pepper and nestle the lemon slices into the pan. Cover and transfer to the oven for 2 hours. After two hours, add the potatoes and continue to cook for another hour or hour and a half, until the lamb is very tender. Remove from the oven, discard the lemons and herbs, and let the lamb rest in the juices for 20 minutes. Use a large spoon to skim off any excess fat.
- Make the gremolata. While the lamb is in the oven, make the gremolata. In a small bowl, mix the herbs, oil, garlic, shallot, and preserved lemon and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. The gremolata gets better as it sits, so it's best to make it a couple hours ahead of time.
Nutrition
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Rate & Review This Recipe
This was delicious! I made it Easter Sunday, when all of my boys were home. My husband is not a big fan of lamb so I tossed a few chicken breasts in for the last 15 min or so. Everything turned out perfect. Easy, elegant, and satisfying.
So happy you loved the recipe and that it went over well with your family!