Beef Shanks
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This braised beef shank recipe is a mouth-watering, hearty dish made with one of the most underrated cuts! It’s deceptively easy to make, and the meat falls off the bone.
I like to make these braised beef shanks on cozy evenings when I want a hearty, hands-off dinner that fills the house with the best aroma. I first started cooking with beef shanks because my partner loves beef cheeks, and I wanted to see how I’d go with turning this leaner cut into something truly tender and comforting.
Instead of reinventing the wheel, I replicated the same cooking technique used for the cheeks and found that slow braising delivers fall-off-the-bone meat every time. Now, it’s a staple in our home during the cooler months. I love to serve it over egg noodles or rice, so the rich sauce seeps into every bite. It’s one of those meals that tastes like you spent all day cooking (you can pretend you did!), even though it takes care of itself.
Table of Contents
Recipe highlights
- Affordable. Shanks are one of the cheapest cuts of beef and can be found at any basic grocery store or butcher.
- Easy to make. You only need one Dutch oven or soup pot to make this dish.
- Healthy. With protein, vegetables, and a low-sodium broth, this recipe has it all.
What readers are saying
★★★★★ – “Best beef shank recipe ever. Meat melted in my mouth.”– Caroline
Key Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients for my beef shank recipe. The full list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
- Beef shanks. For this recipe, I use 2- to 3-inch-thick shanks. I recommend choosing cuts with visible marbling throughout, as the fat renders into the rest of the meat, making it fall off the bone once cooked.
- Onion, celery, and carrot. Chopped vegetables to create a flavor base for the dish.
- Tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes create a hearty sauce. Canned crushed tomatoes will also work.
- Beef stock. To make the sauce more flavorful. Chicken stock will work too.
- White wine. Choose a light-bodied wine, such as Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. Don’t want to use alcohol? Just add more beef broth.
- Flour. To dredge and brown the shanks. Doing this helps create a richer flavor, as the flour locks in all those delicious juices. You can skip this step if you are trying to eliminate carbs.
- Olive oil. To saute the vegetables.
- Herbs. Fresh thyme and bay leaves are my favorites when working with tough cuts of meat.
How to cook beef shanks
Step 1- Prep the meat. Pat the shanks dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Tie kitchen twine around the meat to secure it to the bone. Season the shanks with salt and pepper and dredge them in flour.
Step 2- Brown the meat. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven pot. Shake off the excess flour from the beef, then brown them evenly on all sides.
Step 3- Cook the vegetables. Add diced onions, carrots, and celery sticks to the same pot. Saute for a few minutes, and add the sprigs of thyme and bay leaves. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 4- Simmer. Add the white wine to the cooked vegetables along with the shanks. Let everything simmer, then cover the pot with the lid and place it in a preheated oven for at least 45 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Step 5- Remove from the oven and serve. Cut off the kitchen twine and discard it. Serve immediately.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Deglaze the pan. When you add the white wine, scrape off any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. These food particles add immense flavor to the dish (I promise!).
- Serve shanks with something creamy, such as cauliflower mashed potatoes, polenta, or risotto. The braising liquid acts like a sort of gravy.
- Use tomato paste. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, use a small amount of tomato paste instead to build a rich tomato flavor. I find one tablespoon is plenty.
- Adjust the cooking time. The time it takes for the shanks to become fork-tender may vary slightly depending on their thickness. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Fully cooked shanks should reach at least 160°F.
- Change up the herbs and use rosemary, parsley, or sage.
Frequently asked questions
If you are aiming for fall-off-the-bone tender beef shanks, cook them in a hearty sauce for the minimum cooking time recommended (45 minutes) or up to 2 hours. Low-and-slow cooking is the key to turning tough shank meat into tender, juicy meat. I also find that cooking in wine does help tenderize the meat even more.
I don’t recommend frying shanks, as the meat will remain tough and chewy. Instead, fry the shanks lightly to give them color and extra flavor, then continue cooking them on low heat for a few hours.
No beef shanks? You can replace them with veal shanks without affecting the cooking time or other ingredients.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Braised Beef Shank Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef shanks appoximately 3 portions
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion dliced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 200 mls white wine or more beef broth
- 1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes
- 1 3/4 cups beef broth
Instructions
- Pat dry the beef shanks to remove any excess moisture. Secure the meat to the bone with kitchen twine. Season each shank with salt and pepper and dredge them in flour, shaking off any excess.
- In a Dutch oven pot, add oil and place it over high heat. Once hot, Add the beef shanks into the pan and brown all sides, about 3 minutes each. Remove the shanks from the pot.
- In the same pot add onion, carrot and celery and saute until translucent. Add fresh thyme, bay leaves and tomato. Cook for 10 minutes then add white wine, beef stock and return the shanks in the pot. Once it boils, remove the pot from the heat.
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and cook in the oven for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours until fork tender.
- Carefully remove the cooked shanks from the pot and cut off the kitchen twine and discard. Pour all the sauce from the pot over the shanks and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
More cozy beef dinners
- Albondigas soup
- Beef tips and gravy
- Homemade Salisbury steak
- Instant Pot chuck roast
- Sirloin tip roast
- Instant Pot steak
- Instant Pot brisket
Originally published November 2022
Made this making sure the alcohol of the wine evaporated completely so I could give my pup some leftovers and the marrow bone of course, using both fresh tomatoes, tomato paste and a tablespoon of sugar to counteract the bitterness of the latest and the bay leaves as well. The recipe was easy to follow and the end result was AWESOME! Thanks 😊
That’s wonderful to hear Marcia, and what a lucky pup to get these leftovers!
Browned the meat per the recipe.
Put all ingredients over the browned meat, in a roasting pan covered.
Roasted @350 for 4 hours
Served with mashed potatoes and green beans
It was perfectly tender and delicious
Can’t go wrong with beef shanks, always a crowd pleaser! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi, I want to know from the people who have made this, does the sauce taste tomato-y and if so what can I substitute as tomato is not my favourite flavour.
Hi Elijah- while the tomato flavor isn’t dominant, you’ll definitely know its there. I have made this for a friend who is low FODMAP, and had to swap out the tomatoes for bell peppers. You’ll need to steam or saute them first to soften them (and I’d even go a step more and blend it).
This recipe was easy to make, inexpensive, and very delicious. Clean up was a breeze, too. For someone who was a novice and skeptic, this dish is now one of my go-to trusted wins to serve! Thank you.
Excellent comfort dish. I used what I had on hand; Sauvignon Blanc and substituted tomatoes with ample amount of tomato paste. I skipped the veggies and only used yellow onion. At the end, I sautéed Bella mushrooms in a skillet and served it over the roasted meat. Mashed potatoes and mini corn muffins were a great with this.
This recipe is part of our meal rotation. Have tried it more than six times. Always perfect! Thank you for sharing
You are wonderful, thank you!
Delicious!!! I used chicken broth, and it really came out amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Outstanding! Only change I made was added garlic and a tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar. I had 3 shanks and ended up baking for 3 hours to get the tenderness I wanted. Just superb, thank you for this great recipe!!!
Recipe worked well and have made a couple of times. The whole family likes it a lot unfortunately, no leftovers.
Made this recipe yesterday OMG it was delicious! My children went back for seconds. My daughters are picky eaters and that kept saying it was juicy.
Is it possible to cook the meat (once seared) in a crockpot on low heat. If so, how long?
Absolutely! On the low setting you’ll probably need about 7-9 hours depending on their thickness. Just keep an eye on them and they will be delicious.
I cut the recipe in half. It is a great way to make a 2 serving meal that tastes like pot roast! The gravy was so delicious, I served it over spaghetti squash.