Instant Pot Lamb Shanks

Name: Instant Pot Lamb Shanks
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Oil; 3 Lamb shanks (Trimmed of excess fat); 2 tbsp Butter (Unsalted); 1 cup Onion (Finely chopped); 3 cloves Garlic (Finely minced); 1/3 cup Carrots (Finely chopped); 1/3 cup Celery (Finely chopped); 1 Cinnamon stick (2 inch piece); 2 cups Chicken broth (Low sodium, Or beef broth); 2 tbsp Tomato paste; 1/2 cup Red wine (Can be replaced with broth); 1 tsp Italian seasoning; 1 tsp Paprika; 1 tsp Cumin powder; 1 tsp Turmeric powder (Optional); Salt (To taste); Pepper (To taste); 1 sprig Thyme (Fresh); 1 sprig Rosemary (Fresh); 2 Bay leaves; 1 tbsp Cornstarch; 1 tbsp Water

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Easy, tender, melt in your mouth instant pot lamb shanks recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in 1 hour. Loaded with herbs, spices and gravy.

Lamb often scares home chefs when it comes to the preparation of it, but the Instant pot takes all of that fear away. This is the easiest, juiciest, and most flavorful lamb you will eat. Impress your family or guest with this show stopping meal. Try this Perfect Roast Beef (One Pot) or Instant Pot Beef Curry (Indian) if you need more elegant dishes for company.

Cooking Lamb Shank is Easy!

Simple ingredients
Instant pot makes cooking so fast!
Juicy and tender meat
Flavor packed

What Is The Shank Of A Lamb?

The shank is the shin of the lamb, or the bone and muscle on the lower leg of the lamb.

How To Make Instant Pot Lamb Shanks Recipe From Scratch?

Prep pot– Turn Instant Pot to “Saute”mode and heat oil.
Season and brown shanks– Season lamb shanks. Add them in the pressure cooker and brown on each side.
Remove lamb– Keep aside. Then, heat butter on the “Saute” mode.
Add aromatics– Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery, cinnamon stick and cook. Add the shanks back in the pot.
Add ingredients– Add broth, tomato paste, red wine, Italian seasoning, paprika, cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, rosemary, bay leaves. Mix until combined.
Cook– On “Manual” mode and set the timer for 60 minutes.
Release pressure naturally– Transfer the shanks onto a plate. Cover with foil to keep them warm.
Discard herbs and spices– Cinnamon stick, bay leaves and springs of rosemary and thyme.
Cook gravy– Turn on the “Saute” mode, and cook the gravy until it’s simmering. Add the cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy.
Coat shanks– Add the lamb back in the pot and coat it with the thick gravy.
Enjoy!- Serve with mashed potatoes.

Red Wine Sauce

To make the red wine sauce, combine all of the following ingredients, and pour into the instant pot over the lamb shank prior to cooking.

2 cups Chicken broth Low sodium, Or beef broth
2 tbsp Tomato paste
1/2 cup Red wine Can be replaced with broth
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder Optional
Salt To taste
Pepper To taste
1 sprig Thyme Fresh
1 sprig Rosemary Fresh
2 Bay leaves

How To Cook Lamb Shanks? (Other Methods)

Slow cooked in the oven– These would be cooked in a roasting pan for a few hours at a low temperature.

Slow cooker lamb shank– Place the lamb shank into the crockpot with liquid and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Braised lamb shank– Cook them on the stovetop in a dutch oven braising in liquids such as wine and bone broth.

How Long To Cook Lamb Shanks? (Cooking Time)

Slow Cooker/Crockpot– Cook on Low for 6-8 hours

Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker– Cook on “Manual” mode for 60 minutes.

Oven– They will take about 2.5 hours to become tender and juicy.

Stovetop– Cook on Low for about 2 hours, making sure there is enough liquid for braising.

What Sides To Serve With Lamb Shank?

Potatoes make an excellent side for lamb. Try any of the following for a perfect match: Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe (One Pot), Mashed Sweet Potatoes (One Pot), or for a healthier non-potato version this Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (One Pot).

Pasta would make a delicious side such as Garlic Lemon Pasta (One Pot), Creamy Spinach Pasta (One Pot), or Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe.

Roasted vegetables are a perfect companion as well. This Oven Roasted Vegetables (One Pan), Oven Roasted Carrots (One Pan), or Oven Roasted Asparagus (One Pan) are all great choices.

Soup is also a great option such as this Cream of Broccoli Soup (One Pot), Curried Butternut Squash Soup (One Pot), or Carrot Ginger Soup (One Pot).

Variations

Moroccan lamb shanks– Cook in a Tagine with dates, nutmeg, cumin, almonds, and mint.

Greek lamb shanks– Add Greek Seasonings and Greek Olive Oil.

Indian lamb shanks– Use red curry paste or seasonings and coconut milk for an Indian flavor.

Garnish with fresh herbs– Mint, Parsley, or Basil would be nice additions.

Make it spicy– Add red chili flakes, jalapenos, or cayenne pepper for some heat.

Make it a creamy red wine sauce– Add heavy cream or coconut milk to the sauce at the end, and heat gently.

Tips And Techniques

How to thicken gravy? Use a corn starch slurry to thicken the gravy. If this doesn’t work, then continue to cook the gravy on Saute mode until enough liquid evaporates to create the desired consistency.

Why are my lamb shanks tough? This means they were cooked at too high of a temperature, or not long enough.

Why do you need to brown lamb shanks? This helps seal in the juice and add so much flavor and texture to the meat.

Non-alcoholic red wine substitute– Simply use broth in place of the wine.

What wine to use? A good quality red wine really makes a difference versus what type of red wine such as Cabernet, Pinot Noir, or Merlot.

Make sure to discard large herbs- Discard cinnamon stick, bay leaves and springs of rosemary and thyme.

Why is my gravy grainy? If you want a very smooth gravy, strain it through a fine mesh strainer before adding the cornstarch slurry.

Release pressure naturally– This allows the meat to continue cooking a little longer and become tender and fall off the bone good.

Use low-sodium ingredients– With regards to the broth and butter, this will prevent the dish from becoming too salty.

Storage

Refrigerate– In a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Freeze– In a freezer safe sealed container for up to 1 month.

Reheat– From thawed, in the microwave or on the stove with liquid to keep it from burning.

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