Crock Pot Tender Braised Lamb Shank Recipe (Greek Style!)
, Updated Aug 28, 2025
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This slow cooker recipe for Greek lamb shanks is a must-try for any meat lover. Lamb shanks cooked low and slow in a tomato and red wine sauce until fall-off-the-bone tender and full of flavor. This easy lamb shank recipe is the perfect dish for a special dinner or cozy night in.
Few dishes say comfort quite like lamb shanks slowly braised until the meat is meltingly tender and infused with rich flavor. This recipe brings together all the flavors of my Greek childhood: fall-off-the-bone perfect lamb in an aromatic rich red wine and tomato sauce with shallots, carrots and herbs.
It’s the kind of dish that feels restaurant-worthy but is surprisingly easy to make at home – just give it time and let the slow cooker do all the work! Serve with creamy mashed potatoes, polenta, couscous or crusty bread for the ultimate cozy dinner.
Greek Lamb Shank Recipe Ingredients
I have used my trusty slow cooker for this recipe since lamb shanks need a loooong cooking time to become fall-apart tender. Let’s take a look at what you will need!
- Lamb shanks are tough and full of connective tissue since they come from the lower section of the leg. Those cut from the front legs are called foreshanks while the ones from back legs are hindshanks. Hind shanks tend to be larger and meatier so pick them if possible – four are enough to serve six easily. Lamb shanks need a long braise in liquid to become tender which is why the slow cooker is the ideal cooking method for them!
- Our braising liquid is made of red wine, broth or stock and tomatoes. The red wine add richness and depth of flavor but worry not, the alcohol cooks off during the slow braise. Choose a full-bodied red wine such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or a mellow Merlot – something with balanced tannins and rich jammy flavors. The broth can be beef, chicken or lamb, whether canned or made using stock cubes or a stockpot.
- The vegetables: shallots, celery, carrots and canned peeled plum tomatoes. The shallots and celery melt down during the cooking and enrich our sauce but you will still have some tender cooked carrots, provided you cut them into chunky pieces.
- Garlic: c’mon, you knew there would be a healthy dose of garlic in this dish!
- Worcestershire sauce: the secret MVP of many stews, sauces and slow-cooked dishes!
- The aromatics: fresh rosemary, thyme and bay leaves.
- The spices: sweet paprika, ground cumin, allspice plus a cinnamon stick will make this sauce SING! I usually add a little brown sugar as well, just to cut down on the acidity of the tomatoes. You can skip it if preferred.
- You will also need: plenty of salt and pepper, olive oil for searing, parsley and red pepper flakes to garnish.
How to make this Crock Pot Lamb Shank Recipe
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
- Take the lamb out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes to bring to room temperature. If the shanks are covered with a thin white membrane (this is called silver skin), insert the tip of a knife to loosen it and peel it off before cooking or slice it off close to the meat, with the grain, to remove it.
- Drizzle the lamb shanks with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the paprika, cumin and allspice on both sides.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or directly in your slow cooker if it has a searing function. Brown the lamb, in batches if necessary, until nicely colored on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Deglaze the slow cooker or skillet with a tiny splash of red wine, scraping the fond (browned bits) loose with your wooden spoon. Add a little olive oil and sauté the shallots, celery, carrots and garlic for a 5-7 minutes, stirring often.
- Add chopped plum tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, broth, red wine, herbs, cinnamon and bay leaves. Add the lamb shanks to the crock pot, submerging in the liquid as much as possible.
- Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 8-10 hours (or overnight) or the HIGH setting for 6-8 hours or until the lamb is completely tender when pierced with a knife.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the lamb and most of the carrots from the slow cooker – be careful as it will be fall-apart tender! Discard the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and spend herbs (or their stalks) and partially blend the sauce with an immersion blender (this is optional).
- Check the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve the lamb shanks and carrots over mashed potatoes, orzo, rice or couscous with plenty of the sauce spooned over. Garnish with chopped parsley and red pepper flakes and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Cook in the oven: if you wish to cook this recipe in the oven instead of the slow cooker, brown the lamb and sauté the vegetables in a large Dutch Oven. Add the remaining ingredients but use three cups of broth instead of one. Cover with a tight fitting lid and transfer to a 350°F (180°C) preheated oven. Cook for 2 1/2 – 3 hours or until the lamb is completely tender.
- If the sauce needs thickening, add some cornstarch slurry and heat it through (check the notes in the recipe card below).
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Crock Pot Tender Braised Lamb Shank Recipe
This slow cooker recipe for Greek lamb shanks is a must-try for any meat lover. Lamb shanks cooked low and slow in a tomato and red wine sauce until fall-off-the-bone tender and full of flavor. This easy lamb shank recipe is the perfect dish for a special dinner or cozy night in.
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the lamb
- 4 large lamb shanks or 6 smaller ones
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , plus more as needed
- 1 ½ tsp salt , Kosher salt or Maldon sea salt flakes
- 1 tsp black pepper , freshly ground
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp allspice
- 4 large shallots , peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks , finely diced
- 5 carrots , peeled and cut into chunky pieces
- 5 cloves garlic , sliced or minced
- 14 oz (400g) can peeled plum tomatoes , roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup (250ml) red wine , Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot
- 1 cup (250ml) beef broth , or chicken broth
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
To Serve
- 3 tbsp parsley chopped
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Take the lamb out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes to bring to room temperature. If the shanks are covered with a thin white membrane (this is called silver skin), insert the tip of a knife to loosen it and peel it off before cooking or slice it off close to the meat, with the grain, to remove it.4 large lamb shanks or 6 smaller ones
- Drizzle the lamb shanks with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the paprika, cumin and all spice on both sides.2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp allspice
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or directly in your slow cooker if it has a searing function. Brown the lamb, in batches if necessary, until nicely colored on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Deglaze the slow cooker or skillet with a tiny splash of red wine, scraping the fond (browned bits) loose with your wooden spoon. Add a little olive oil and sauté the shallots, celery, carrots and garlic for a 5-7 minutes, stirring often.4 large shallots, 2 celery stalks, 5 carrots, ½ cup (250ml) red wine, 5 cloves garlic
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste if using, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, broth, remaining red wine, herbs, cinnamon and bay leaves.14 oz (400g) can peeled plum tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup (250ml) beef broth, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick
- Add the lamb shanks to the crock pot, submerging in the liquid as much as possible. Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 8-10 hours (or overnight) or the HIGH setting for 6-8 hours or until the lamb is completely tender when pierced with a knife.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the lamb and most of the carrots from the slow cooker – be careful as it will be fall-apart tender! Discard the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and spend herbs (or their stalks) and partially blend the sauce with an immersion blender (optional).
- Check the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve the lamb shanks and carrots over mashed potatoes, orzo, rice or couscous with plenty of the sauce spooned over. Garnish with chopped parsley and red pepper flakes and serve immediately.3 tbsp parsley, red pepper flakes
Notes
- If you wish to cook this recipe in the oven, brown the lamb and sauté the vegetables in a large Dutch Oven. Add the remaining ingredients but use 3 cups of broth. Cover with a tight fitting lid and transfer to a 350°F (180°C) preheated oven. Cook for 2 1/2 – 3 hours or until the lamb is completely tender.
- Dilute 1 tbsp of cornstarch (cornflour) in 2 tbsp cold water to make a slurry. Add to the sauce and heat through to thicken it, if needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 919mg | Potassium: 856mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 9196IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Great recipe! Made it this morning, put in crockpot…..and by 4:30 it was done. Easy Peasy, will make it again, it’s one of my husband’s favorite dinners….served with mashed potatoes….thank you!
So glad to hear it Laura!