Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks make an impressive main dish for celebrating special occasions! For all my lamb lovers out there, this easy dump-and-go recipe turns out mouth-watering delicious, yet requires hardly any prep!
If you’re like me and you prefer your lamb fall-off-the-bone tender and saucy, then slow cooker lamb shanks are your jam!
They are so simple to prepare and the results are spectacular! A high ROI main dish if you ask me!
This is one of those rockstar crock pot recipes that requires almost zero effort, yet comes out tasting like a restaurant quality main dish.
Everything gets tossed into the slow cooker without any advance prep needed! For me, dump-and-go slow cooker recipes like this are the ultimate solution when you want to make a fancy meal for friends and family but have other tasks to accomplish too.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for slow cooked lamb shanks!
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks:
Lamb Shanks: Pick up 3 to 4 lamb shanks from your local grocery store or butcher. Be sure to verify your crock pot is large enough to fit the meat prior to starting. I use a 10-quart crock pot.
Yellow Onion and Fresh Garlic Cloves: Providing a big backdrop of flavor, we need onion and garlic. There is no need to sauté them before adding them to the crock pot due to the fact that we’re cooking for a long period of time.
Crushed Tomatoes and Tomato Paste: Much of the sauce is brought to us by crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. These two ingredients add fresh, tangy bold flavor.
Chicken Broth: We need some extra liquid in addition to the crushed tomatoes, and chicken stock is perfect for the job.
Seasonings: Italian seasoning, dried cumin, sea salt, and black pepper. These simple seasonings add herby flavor and warmth to the sauce. Be sure to salt the sauce to your own personal taste.
Pure Maple Syrup: Any time I cook with diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, or crushed tomatoes, I add a little cane sugar or pure maple syrup to offset the acidity. Brown sugar and coconut sugar work great too.
Marsala Wine: Bringing lovely depth of flavor, marsala wine adds a little something extra to the sauce. You can also use a dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec. There’s no need for expensive wine here!
Recipe Customizations:
- Add in some fresh herbs such as fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, or fresh parsley.
- If you’d like to add vegetables such as carrots and potatoes to the meal, add them in when there is 2 hours left on the cooking time.
- Toss in a bay leaf if you have some on hand.
- If you prefer cooking in your pressure cooker, follow my Instant Pot Lamb Shanks recipe.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients for this easy recipe, let’s make it!
How to Make Crock Pot Lamb Shanks:
Add all of the ingredients except for the lamb shanks to your slow cooker and give it a big stir.
Remove the lamb shanks from their packaging and transfer them to your slow cooker, nestling them into the sauce as best as possible.
Slow cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours, or on high heat for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat is fork tender.
Serve lamb shanks over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice pilaf along with your choice of roasted vegetables or a side salad. Drizzle the cooking liquid over your carbohydrate side dish (rice, pasta, potatoes) to soak up the amazing red wine sauce.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Recipe Tips:
- If you have the time, you can sear the lamb shanks in a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side. I don’t find this step to be necessary, but it certainly is an option!
- For the best results, cook on low heat for the majority of the day. This results in amazing succulent tender meat with delicious sauce.
- If you’d like to thicken the sauce, stir in a cornstarch slurry at the end of cooking.
And that’s it! The next time lamb is on the menu, whip up these perfect lamb shanks.
Slow roasting the lamb shanks in braising liquid transforms the otherwise tough meat into a dreamy tender main dish.
If you love cooking in your slow cooker, also try these amazing crock pot meals!
More Crock Pot Recipes:
- Crock Pot Whole Chicken
- Slow Cooker Asian Beef Short Ribs
- Crock Pot Cashew Chicken
- Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken
- Crock Pot Shredded Korean Beef
- Slow Cooker Pork Roast
- Crock Pot Chicken Birria Tacos
Enjoy this simple yet complexly flavored lamb shank recipe!
Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp dried cumin
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- ½ cup marsala wine or dry red wine optional
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste*
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients except for the lamb shanks to your slow cooker and give it a big stir. Remove the lamb shanks from their packaging and transfer them to your slow cooker, nestling them into the sauce as best as possible.
- Slow cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours, or on high heat for 5 to 6 hours, until the meat is fork tender.
- Serve lamb shanks over mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, or pasta noodles along with your choice of roasted vegetables or a side salad. Drizzle the sauce over your carbohydrate side dish (rice, pasta, potatoes) for a restaurant-quality meal!
Wonderfull, thanks. Rick
My pleasure!