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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.
Love cozy beef recipes? Try my beef tips and gravy, homemade Salisbury steak, Instant Pot chuck roast, and sirloin tip roast next.
Ever tried cooking with beef shanks before? When cooked correctly, they can yield fall-off-the-bone meat that simply melts in your mouth. Although they are a lean and tough cut of meat, I love to use them in stews and dishes that are set-and-forget. My braised beef shanks, though, are a weekly staple during the cooler months, and it’s so easy to make.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- 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.
- Naturally gluten-free. Beef shanks are a fantastic addition to gluten-free and even low-carb diets.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Best beef shank recipe ever. Meat melted in my mouth.”– Caroline
Ingredients needed
- Beef shanks. For this recipe, I use 2-3-inch thick shanks. I recommend choosing cuts that have visible marbling throughout because 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 like 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. 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.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
How to cook beef shanks
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep the meat. Pat fry the shanks 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, like cauliflower mashed potatoes, polenta, and risotto. The braising liquid acts like an almost 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 the shanks need to become fork tender may vary slightly depending on how thick they are. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Fully cooked shanks should reach at least 160F.
- Change up the herbs and use rosemary, parsley, or sage.
Storage instructions
To store: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to five days.
To freeze: Once the Osso Buco has cooled to room temperature, place them in a shallow container and store them in the freezer for up to two months.
Reheating. Reheat shanks in the microwave for 30-40 seconds or in a small saucepan.
Frequently asked questions
If you are aiming for fall-off-the-bone tender beef shanks, cook them in a hearty sauce for 3 to 6 hours. Low and slow cooking is the key to turning tough shank meat into something tender and juicy. Cooking the shanks in wine helps further tenderize the meat.
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, and continue to cook 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.
More simple beef recipes to try
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
Originally published November 2022, updated and republished April 2024
I made this with elk shank in a slow cooker, turned out great, I used red wine instead of white