Greek Lamb Shanks with Tomato & Oregano
Fall-apart tender lamb braised low and slow with tomatoes, garlic, and oregano. A complete Greek dinner that tastes like you've been cooking all day—but requires just one pan.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 52g
Ingredients
- 4 pieces (about 12 oz each) lamb shanks
- 1 to taste salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (28 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 1.5 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 whole lemon, halved
Instructions
- 1
Pat lamb shanks dry with paper towels. Season all sides generously with salt and pepper.
- 2
Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high until it shimmers, about 90 seconds.
- 3
Working in two batches, sear shanks 3 minutes per side without moving until deeply browned. Transfer to a plate.
- 4
Add garlic to the pot and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- 5
Pour in tomatoes and stir in oregano. Return shanks to the pot. Squeeze lemon halves over the top and toss them in.
- 6
Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and braise for 75 minutes until lamb is fork-tender and falling from the bone.
- 7
Uncover and simmer 5 more minutes to reduce sauce slightly. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- 8
Serve shanks in shallow bowls with sauce spooned over. Discard lemon halves.
Tools you’ll need
- large heavy pot or Dutch oven (at least 5-quart capacity)
- paper towels
- tongs
- wooden spoon
- instant-read thermometer (optional, for checking doneness)
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