This Moroccan Braised Lamb Shanks recipe is the perfect delicious tender lamb recipe. Moroccan cuisine has become one of my favorites to make at home, with its gastronomy being enriched with so many cultural influences through its historic spice trade routes. These incredibly delicious Moroccan Braised Lamb Shanks are the perfect homage to Moroccan food.
Spotting fresh lamb shanks at my market had me longing for the rich North African tagines and tastes. I was in awe when I can recall the thick noise of the Friday night market in Marrakech. Even as dusk arrived, everything about Morocco was alive and bursting with color! And the same can be said about its cuisine. I’ve used these global experiences to make harissa lamb burgers, ground lamb meatballs, and more!
Here is our favorite braised lamb shank recipe. Hey friends, here’s a lovely recipe for oven-braised lamb shanks that we used in our catering business through the years during the holiday season that would be perfect on your holiday table.
Ingredients Needed
- Lamb Shanks - use bone-in lamb shanks for the best flavor and texture.
- Salt and Pepper - a simple way to season the meat before cooking. We always use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Canned, Diced Tomatoes - be sure to drain the can first so your sauce isn’t too runny. We use diced and not crushed tomato for texture.
Cooking Instructions
To make this lamb shanks recipe, first preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Then pat the lamb shanks dry with paper towels and seasoning them with salt. In a Dutch oven or braiser, heat the oil over medium-high heat and brown the lamb on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the lamb and cover.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and carrot to the Dutch oven and a saute 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander and nutmeg. Mix in the tomato paste, stirring to coat and toast for 30 seconds longer. Add the wine a little at a time and deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits.
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Whisk in the broth, tomatoes, harissa, and raisins. Return lamb shanks back into the pan, cover, and then braise in the oven at 325ºF for 60-90 minutes. Remove the shanks from the liquid and let rest for 10 minutes, then dish up and serve! Be sure to drizzle a little of the wonderful sauce over of top whatever grain or veggie you plate this lamb over!
Step-by-step Guide
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- Pat the lamb dry and season liberally with salt.
- In a Dutch oven or braiser, heat the oil over medium-high heat and brown the lamb on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the lamb and cover.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and carrot to the Dutch oven and a saute 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander and nutmeg.
- Mix in the tomato paste, stirring to coat and toast for 30 seconds longer.
- Add the wine a little at a time and deglaze the pan by scraping up the browned bits.
- Whisk in the broth, tomatoes, harissa, and raisins.
Tips for the Best Lamb Shanks
- Use bone-in lamb shanks. Bone-in meat has a more tender texture and better flavor.
- Use inexpensive wine. Since the flavor notes of the red wine are compromised by the many other flavors with the braised lamb in this recipe, I recommend saving the expensive wine to be served on its own. We do recommend a dry red wine, a cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir.
- Harissa is a North African condiment that’s made up of a blend of roasted peppers and spices in oil. It’s often used as a topping or mixed into recipes to add tons of richness and flavor. If you can’t find harissa at your local market, check out Mina Harissa online or substitute it with hot sauce, chili flakes, or Sriracha. You can also whip up a quick, simplified version by grinding dried Arbol or guajillo chilies with oil and herbs.
- The best way to tell if the lamb shanks are done is to check how easily the meat separates from the bone. If the lamb is fully cooked, it will easily pull away from the bone. Lamb shakes are cooked through at 165 degrees F. However, if you take them to 190 F to 200 degrees F, the meat falls off the bone with so much flavor, just like with sous vide lamb shanks! We recommend always using a digital thermometer to check the temp of your meat.
Leftover cooked lamb shank will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in a freezer-safe resealable bag for up to 3 months.
The recipe for oven braised lamb shanks is fairly straight forward, and can be done in about 2 1/2 hours- but I suggest, for your first-time plan on 3 1/2 hours!
Basically, meat will get more tender as it braises, but you may need to add more broth or stock if using big shanks. The longer you braise, the more tender it will get, as long as it’s in the braising liquid. You can always add more broth to the liquid.
If new to braising red meat- the internal temp must reach 190F and stay there a while for the tough fibers to break down and become tender.
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Lamb shanks in tagine (tajine). Бараньи голяшки в тажине. Video #80.
Serving Suggestions
What to serve with lamb shanks? I served this braised lamb shanks recipe over a mix of lentils, bulger, and rice with a side of roasted cauliflower! You could also serve it over polenta, with mashed potatoes, or with a side of roasted root veggies!
This pairs really well with a soft creamy parmesan polenta and roasted veggies. Plate the lamb shank over the polenta or couscous, spoon the flavorful sauce overtop. Garnish with fresh pomegrate seeds. Fresh parsley is nice here or a sprig of rosemary, something green.
This tagine is traditionally accompanied only by warm whole wheat pita or Arab flatbread. But, if you wish, serve with buttered couscous or even mashed potatoes. Roasted parsnips or wilted mustard greens would harmonize well, too.
Additional Tips
- Do I have to brown the lamb shanks? No, you can skip that step, but we don’t recommend it for a few reasons. The first, is browning the shanks on all sides helps with the finished texture of the lamb. Second, is that browning adds flavor to the delicious sauce when you deglaze the pan.
- How long does it take to cook lamb shanks? To get fall off the bone tender lamb shanks, you need to cook them low and slow for an hour to an hour and half. Shanks have a lot of connective tissue and are a tougher cut of meat that need to break down to make them tender, which is why they are perfect for braising in a rich sauce.
- The shanks can be brasied ahead, cooled, then refrigerated in the strained brasing liquid then reheated.
Moroccan Lamb Shank Tagine
This Moroccan Lamb Shank Tagine originated in my father’s hometown of Marrakech and is packed with flavors of garlic, preserved lemon and lamb. With the power of preserved lemons, fresh garlic and traditional Moroccan spices, lamb has never been better.
We want a nice low temperature to slow cook the lamb shanks and achieve that desirable fall apart texture. Arrange the lamb shanks in the base of the tagine. Next, in a small bowl combine the minced garlic, preserved lemon, spices, oil, ghee and water. Mix all of that together well before pouring over the lamb.
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Cover the tagine and bake for 2 hours or until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Once you’ve perfected this lamb shank tagine, you’ve got a wonderful sort of blank canvas that can be easily built off of.
Easy Additions to Your Tagine
- Apricots or prunes & almonds - this one wasn’t my favorite as a kid but it has really grown on me as an adult. The sweet concentrated bite from the prunes is really spectacular with the savory lamb and crunchy almonds.
Pairing Suggestions
- I recommend serving lamb tajine (or any tajine) with a collection of Moroccan salads. Not only is it the traditional pairing with for dish like this, it’s also a much needed bite of freshness for this tajine in particular.
- Mint tea - if you’re looking for the perfect drink to pair with your meal, look no further than a cup of Moroccan mint tea.
- Fresh fruit - in Morocco fruit is widely accepted as a form of dessert, and is frequently served on large platters directly after the meal.
By now you’ve likely realized that the only special tool you will need to make Tangia is a clay pot like a tajine or tangia. I really like this one by LeCruset because of how sturdy it is.
Rich stews and braises are one of my favorite things about North African cuisine. Most tagines and Moroccan braises have at least one type of dried fruit, such as apricots or dates. They also use warming spices like cinnamon and ginger. For this recipe, I’ve also added pomegranate molasses, Pinot Noir, tomatoes, and broth to the braising liquid. After 2-3 hours in the oven, the shanks are meltingly tender and the sauce is thick and sweet.
A word of caution: lamb shanks can be very fatty. Before you begin cooking them, cut off and discard as much of the opaque white fat as you can. After cooking, be sure to skim off as much of the liquid fat as you can before serving. Lamb is great with fruity, yet spicy red wines like Pinot Noir.
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tags: #Moroccan
