This vibrant Lamb Shank Recipe is inspired by the flavours of the Caribbean. Slow cooked lamb shanks braised with peppers and squash in a spicy gravy. Serve over coconut rice or mashed potatoes.
You will also love my Slow Cooker Lamb Shank Rogan Josh
In collaboration with ‘Lamb – Try It Love It’
It’s never too early for some serious comfort food, is it? And few dishes scream ‘comfort’ more than braised lamb shanks. Treat yourself to some serious deliciousness and tuck into perfectly tender lamb in a rich sauce that can be as spicy as you can handle.
What part of the lamb is the shank?
Lamb shanks can be found in the lower section of the animal’s leg, beneath the knee and shoulder. They can be quite tough and full of connective tissue so they need to be cooked slowly in order to become tender and succulent.
When cooked well, lamb shanks are truly delicious. What’s more, they are generally fairly inexpensive and yet not terribly popular. I think it’s only fair to raise their profile as part of my collaboration with Lamb Try It Love It campaign!
How to cook lamb shanks
You can use lamb shanks in stews or braised slowly with vegetables until the meat is so tender it literally falls off the bone. You can do this on the stove, in the oven, in your slow cooker or the Instant Pot.
Lamb can stand up to bold flavours and spices – this braised lamb shank recipe is inspired by the popular Caribbean dish Brown Stew Chicken, a.k.a Stew Chicken.
Tips for braising success!
In order to get maximum flavour and succulence from your lamb shank recipe you need to follow these easy steps
- Marinate the lamb in spices, garlic and ginger if you have the time. Coat in the marinade, cover and leave overnight or for a few hours. Always bring the meat back to room temperature prior to cooking.
- Sear the lamb shanks in a hot casserole dish until golden all over. This can take up to 10 minutes but will add tons of flavour to your stew.
- Deglaze the pan with stock, wine or rum scraping any browned bits into the gravy.
- Now add your vegetables, here I have used onions, peppers and butternut squash.
- Add enough liquid to partially cover the vegetables and meat. This recipe can be made with lamb or beef stock, from a cube.
- Brown sugar, tomato paste, hot sauce add colour and flavour to this Jamaican inspired dish. If you like it hot then you MUST use a scotch bonnet pepper as well. These chillies volcanically hot and must be treated with respect – I have used red chillies to keep the dish on the milder side.
- Tightly cover your casserole dish and cook for 2 hours in the oven or transfer everything into your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours, or until the meat is perfectly tender when pierced with a fork.
Braised lamb shanks step by step
STEP 1. Pat the lamb shanks dry and coat with the spices, thyme, salt and flour. You can cover and marinate overnight or use straight away. Bring the lamb back to room temperature before searing.
STEP 2. Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large lidded casserole dish (dutch oven) and sear the lamb, in batches if necessary, until golden. This can take up to ten minutes but is well worth doing so don’t skip. Deglaze the pan with as splash of rum, if you like. Set the meat aside.
STEP 3. Reduce the heat and add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add a splash of the stock if the pan gets too hot and dry.
STEP 4. Add the sliced peppers, squash, brown sugar, hot sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and stock. Bring to a simmer.
STEP 5. Nestle the lamb among the vegetables and add the chillies and thyme. Cover the pot with a lid and cook in a 200C (400F) preheated oven for two hours.
STEP 6. Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Remove the chilli pepper (especially if you have used a Scotch Bonnet!) and thyme sprigs. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste, adding salt and freshly ground pepper as needed.
STEP 7. Garnish with finely sliced green onions (scallions) and sliced chillies. Serve over coconut rice or creamy mashed potatoes.
Braised lamb shanks in the slow cooker
STEP 1. Preheat the slow cooker. Follow steps 1-4 in a casserole on the stove or directly into your crockpot if it has a searing function.
STEP 2. Add the lamb, cover and cook for 8 hours on low or about 6 hours on high. If the sauce needs thickening then add the cornflour slurry and cook on high, uncovered, until the sauce thickens.
STEP 3. Remove the chilli pepper (especially if you have used a Scotch Bonnet!). Check the seasoning and adjust to taste, adding salt and freshly ground pepper as needed. Garnish with finely sliced green onions (scallions) and sliced chillies. Serve over coconut rice or creamy mashed potatoes.
How to thicken the sauce
If the sauce requires further thickening after slow cooking then dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornflour (cornstarch) in 2 tablespoons of cold water to create a slurry. Add to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
LOOKING FOR MORE LAMB INSPO?
Are you looking for new and exciting ways to cook with lamb? You will find a growing selection of delicious lamb recipes that are easy to make and packed with flavour HERE.
Caribbean Braised Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks visible fat trimmed
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground ginger or use fresh minced ginger
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 60 ml | 1/4 cup rum or use stock
- 2 large onions , diced
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 red bell pepper , sliced
- 1 green bell pepper , sliced
- 400 g | 14oz cubed butternut squash
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
- 2 tsp hot sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 360 ml | 1 1/2 cups hot beef stock , made with 2 beef stock cubes
- 1 halved red chill or 1 scotch bonnet pepper whole
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) diluted in 2 tbsp cold water (optional)
- Salt and pepper to season
- 3 tbsp sliced green onions to garnish
- 1 red pepper , sliced to garnish
Instructions
Braised lamb shanks -stovetop method
- Pat the lamb shanks dry and coat with the spices, thyme, salt and flour.
- Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large lidded casserole dish (dutch oveand sear the lamb, in batches if necessary, until golden. This can take up to ten minutes but is well worth doing so don’t skip. Deglaze the pan with as splash of rum, if you like. Set the meat aside.
- Reduce the heat and add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add a splash of the stock if the pan gets too hot and dry.
- Add the sliced peppers, squash, brown sugar, hot sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and stock. Bring to a simmer.
- Nestle the lamb among the vegetables and add the chillies and thyme. Cover the pot with a lid and cook in a 200C (400F) preheated oven for two hours.
- Carefully remove the pot from the oven. If the sauce requires further thickening, dissolve the cornflour in cold water to create a slurry. Add to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes on the stove until the sauce thickens.
- Remove the chilli pepper and thyme sprigs. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste, adding salt and freshly ground pepper as needed.
- Garnish with finely sliced green onions and sliced chillies. Serve over coconut rice or creamy mashed potatoes.
Braised lamb shanks - slow cooker method
- Preheat the slow cooker. Follow steps 1-4 in a casserole on the stove or directly into your crockpot if it has a searing function.
- Add the lamb, cover and cook for 8 hours on low or about 6 hours on high. If the sauce needs thickening then add the cornflour slurry and cook on high, uncovered, until the sauce thickens.
- Remove the chilli pepper and thyme sprigs. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste, adding salt and freshly ground pepper as needed.
Video
Notes
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Nutritional Info
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