Tender Moroccan Lamb Shanks in Rich Tomato Sauce
If you’re looking for a deeply flavorful, fall-apart tender meal, or just a cozy way to bring the taste of North Africa into your kitchen, this Moroccan lamb shanks recipe is exactly what you need. It’s rich, aromatic, and slow-cooked to perfection with warm spices and a luxurious sauce to heap on top. If you love comforting meat dishes, try our green bean lamb stew, sweet and sour lamb, or Irish beef and barley soup.
Though Moroccan lamb shanks hail from North Africa (instead of my usual South), this meal is so deeply delicious, comforting and flavorful that it’s always been one of my favorites. I hope to teach you how to make these lamb shanks in an easy and approachable way, since it’s really not that different from an easy soup or stew.
What Makes These Lamb Shanks Moroccan?
Flavors of my homeland and Cape Malay dishes really aren’t too far from the Moroccan spices used here, like cinnamon, cumin and coriander. Plus, fresh lemon squeezed on at the end. Of course, these are not strictly Moroccan on their own, it’s the combination used together that is common to this Mediterranean country.
Why You’ll Love This Dish
Incredible depth of flavor: Slow cooking brings out the rich, aromatic spices. Although the lamb is best served fresh out of the oven, the sauce tastes even better the next day.
Perfect for special occasions or meal prep: This dish is elegant enough to impress but also reheats easily for leftovers and could easily be made in a big batch to meal prep for a couple of dinners.
Easy to customize: Add extra veggies like carrots and celery, mix in dried fruit like apricots or prunes, or play with spices to make it your own.
Ingredients for Moroccan Lamb Shanks
- Lamb Shanks: Bone-in shanks are best for maximum flavor and tenderness. (I’ve never seen boneless, but you never know.)
- Onions & Garlic: Essential aromatics that form the base of the sauce. You can add an extra onion or a couple more garlic cloves if you want – it only makes things better. I find two large onions and 3 cloves of garlic is great.
- Cinnamon, Cumin and Coriander: These Moroccan spices add warmth and depth to the slow-cooked sauce, but you can play around. If you love Italian seasoning, go for herbs like parsley, oregano, rosemary and thyme.
- Red Wine: Used pretty liberally here, but don’t worry – the alcohol all cooks off and leaves a super delicious depth.
- Tomato Paste: Deepens the sauce with a rich umami base, but not 100% necessary if you don’t have any on hand.
- Sugar: You can use brown sugar, coconut sugar or cane if desired. Many people don’t use sugar for recipes like these, but I find it cuts the tomato acidity in such a helpful way I don’t skip this one.
- Beef Broth: If you don’t have beef, chicken or vegetable stock work great, too.
- Optional Lemon: If you squeeze a little lemon in at the end, it adds a bright, tangy contrast to the deep flavors.
Substitutes & Additions
No lamb? You can swap it for beef shanks.
Prefer it spicier? Add a smidge of harissa paste or red pepper flakes for some heat.
Want more veggies? Throw in carrots, celery and/or potatoes.
Serving Suggestions
Couscous: The classic pairing in Morocco, perfect for soaking up the flavorful sauce.
Mashed Potatoes: A creamy, comforting base for the tender lamb.
Flatbread: Use warm pita or naan to scoop up every last drop of sauce. Super delicious option.
Pap: I love to serve lamb shanks with pap, a traditional South African side of cornmeal. Americans would know it as polenta, although in SA there are a few variations of how it’s made (think soft vs. gritty).
How To Make Moroccan Lamb Shanks
Storing & Reheating
In the fridge: Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
In the freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight before reheating.
Reheating: Warm on the stove over medium heat, adding a splash of broth or water if needed.
Meat + Tomatoes = Yes
If you love these Moroccan lamb shanks, you’ll love my meat sauce with mushrooms that can be used everywhere from pasta to tacos. It’s deep, flavorful and quick enough for an easy weeknight dinner.
Moroccan Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 lamb shanks
- 1.5 cups red wine
- 2 yellow onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- optional lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Warm the oil in a cast iron pot over medium-high heat. While the oil is warming, chop onions and mince garlic.
- When the oil is warm, add lamb shanks and brown on all sides.
- When the shanks are brown, remove them from the pot and set aside. Deglaze the pot by pouring in 1/2 cup of wine and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Add onion to the pot and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add garlic and saute another 20-30 seconds just to release the garlic's fragrance.
- Add all remaining ingredients to the pot except the optional lemon and lamb shanks. Bring the sauce to a boil and taste to see if you need a little more sugar or salt.
- Turn off the heat and add lamb shanks back to the pot.
- Cover the pot and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 200 and cook for an additional 2-3 hours. Check the pot after 2 hours and see if the meat is fork tender and easily falling off the bone. If not, cook another 30 minutes and check again. If it's still not quite as tender as you'd like, another 30 minutes should do the trick.
- Optional: Squeeze a little lemon on lamb shanks before serving.
