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Braised Lamb Shanks are slow-cooked in a delicious sauce made of spices and chipotle. They are fall-apart-delicious. Serve these with naturally dyed deviled eggs, my garlic dinner rolls and a pitcher of strawberry margaritas for a delicious dinner.
Sunday dinners are my favorite. Squash Saltado, Garlic-Braised Short Ribs, Pot Roast and Ropa Vieja are all comforting and cozy dishes that take a little bit more effort to make but are SO worth it in the end!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Instant Pot Braised Lamb Shanks
- Lamb shanks – You’ll need about three shanks for this recipe. A shank is the lower section of the sheep/ lamb’s leg. It’s coated in a thin layer of fat and the meat tends to be very lean.
- Seasonings – Spices likes ground cumin, coriander, mustard and garlic powder pair really well with the chipotle peppers and the earthy meaty flavor of the lamb shanks.
- Chipotle in adobo – Adds spice and even more flavor to the meat.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How to Cook Instant Pot Braised Lamb Shanks
The Instant Pot makes this dish come together SO fast and easy.
- Combine the spice mixture. The lamb shanks are smothered in a spice mixture full of sea salt, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, mustard and black pepper. Itโs seared and then placed in the Instant Pot with tomatoes and a chipotle in adobo. Itโs braised with some carrots, onion and garlic.
- Sear the Lamb Shanks. Heat neutral oil to a Dutch oven. When hot, sear the lamb shanks on both sides. I found that the Instant Pot wasn’t wide enough to sear the lamb shanks. If you want, you can always skip this step if you find it a bit too annoying.
- Blend up the tomato chipotle marinade. This part is important because it’s really the sauce that makes this dish over the top.
- Add everything to the Instant Pot. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, lamb shanks and sauce. Set it to ‘high pressure’ and to ’45 minutes’.
- Release the pressure. I like to cover the “seal” with a kitchen towel and use a wooden spoon to pull the lever to the other side to rapidly release the pressure.
- Carefully open the Instant Pot and plate. I like to open it away from me. And then transfer the lamb shanks, along with some sauce to a serving platter or large bowl.
- Garnish. Garnish with fresh herbs, onions, lime wedges and thinly sliced radishes if you like!
How to Cook Lamb Shanks In the Oven
Lamb Shanks are super easy to cook in the oven. If you’d like to do that with this recipe.
- Sear the lamb shanks in a large pot (that’s oven-safe) on the stovetop, add the marinade and all of the carrots.
- Transfer pot to the oven (which is preheated to 300 degrees F) and cook for about 2 1/2 hours. I would carefully check on the shanks to make sure they’re tender. If they need more time, I’d cook them for an additional 1/2 hour.
Tips and Tricks
- Garnishing ideas. I used a bit of diced white onion, fresh cilantro and sliced radishes.
- Use the meat to make a taco! Warm up the tortilla, shred the meat then top with your favorite taco toppings.
- Don’t skip the searing the meat! It’s an extra step but one that shouldn’t be missed! Searing will give the lamb a better flavor and texture.
Recipe FAQs
I purchased these from my local butcher, Belcampo in Downtown Los Angeles. But often times, grocery stores like Whole Foods or Bristol Farms (Los Angeles only) will have them.
Lamb shank is the cut of the lamb that is from the lower section of the sheep/lamb’s leg. Lamb shanks can be from the back of the legs or front of the legs. They are coated in a very thin layer of fat and tend to be leaner than other parts of a lamb.
What to Serve with Braised Lamb Shanks
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Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Instant pot
- 1 Large pot
- 1 cutting board or sheet pan
- 1 Large Dutch oven
- 1 blender
Ingredients
Braised Lamb
- 3 1/2 pounds lamb shanks, about 3
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 (15-ounce) can of whole or diced tomatoes
- 1 cup waterย
- 1 chipotle in adobo
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 white onion, sliced, plus more, diced, as garnish
- 4 carrots, trimmed, peeled and roughly choppedย
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, minced, as garnish
- 1 radish, thinly sliced, as garnish
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, as garnish
Instructions
To Braise in the Oven:
- Place the lamb shanks on a cutting board or baking sheet. In a shallow bowl or plate, whisk together the salt, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, mustard and black pepper. Sprinkle the lamb shanks with the spice mixture and allow them to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.ย
- In a large Dutch oven, set over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. When hot, add the lamb shanks, in batches of two, searing them on both sides for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove them from the pot and transfer them to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining two lamb shanks.ย
- To a blender, add the chipotle in adobo, tomato sauce, water and salt. Blend until pureed, about 1 minute. Give it a taste and adjust salt to your liking, I added an additional pinch of salt.ย
- Pour the sauce over the shanks in the Dutch Oven and cover with a lid. . Transfer to the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until fork tender.
To Make in the Instant Pot:
- To the Instant Pot, add the garlic, sliced onion, carrots and chipotle/tomato sauce mixture.ย Next, add the lamb shanks. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and manually set it for 45 minutes on โhigh pressure.โ When the lamb shanks have finished cooking, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 15 minutes. Open the steam valve to release the remaining steam and once thatโs complete, remove the lid and transfer the lamb shanks to a serving plate and cover with foil.ย
- Turn the setting to sautรฉ and allow the sauce to cook and thicken for about 10 to 15 minutes.ย
To Serve the Lamb Shanks:
- To serve, uncover the lamb shanks, pour the sauce and carrots over the shanks.ย Garnish with minced cilantro, sliced radishes, diced white onion and lime wedges.ย
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Garnishing ideas.ย I used a bit of diced white onion, fresh cilantro and sliced radishes.
- Use the meat to make a taco!ย Warm up the tortilla, shred the meat then top with your favorite taco toppings.
- Donโt skip the searing the meat!ย Itโs an extra step but one that shouldnโt be missed! Searing will give the lamb a better flavor and texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This sounds amazing! Lamb and chipotle are two of my favorite things. Would I be able to braise this entirely in the Dutch oven if we don’t have an instant pot?
Yeah that could work! I would braise it in the oven for about 3 to 4 hours at 350!
Perfect, thank you!!!
How does one “open the steam valve to release the remaining steam” (it’s under extreme pressure) without blowing up the kitchen?
That’s what the “natural release for 15 minutes” is all about. Make sure it’s shut off, wait 15 minutes, and then open the valve. There’ll be *some* pressure, but not a ton. (Keep your hands and face away from the valve when opening it, of course!)
What would be a good side for this?
Iโd imagine Iโd go green on this one: oven roasted ginger garlic asparagus lightly drizzled with olive oil and maybe a touch of balsamic (petite size), and maybe halved red potatoโs also drizzled and thyme or rosemary salt pepper (toss in bowl then roast with asparagus). Potatoโs may need go in first depending on size and cut).
Lovely stewed dish with a very beautiful and elegant presentation. Never done a braised dish with Chipotle, but will have to give it a go. Donโt use Instant Pot, but can still make it the regular way. Love the table and dish styling!