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–+ servings
moroccan lamb shanks on a bed of yellow pap with parsley sprinkled on top on a white plate

Moroccan Lamb Shanks

These tender Moroccan lamb shanks soak and bake in a velvety tomato sauce until they fall off the bone. Impressive enough for a fancy party, easy enough for a meal prep dinner.
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Course Main Dishes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 4

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 optional to deepen sauce flavor but not necessary
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 tsp coconut or cane sugar
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp all spice
  • 1/2-1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp if you love cinnamon
  • 1/2-1 tsp salt taste to your preference
  • 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, about ten minutes.
  • When the shanks are brown, remove them from the pot and set aside. Deglaze the pot if necessary by pouring in some of the wine and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon (it's okay if it's not exactly 1.5 cups when you add it later).
  • Add onion to the pot and saute until translucent. Then add garlic and saute another 20-30 seconds just to release the garlic's fragrance.
  • Add all remaining ingredients (including the rest of the wine) 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.

Notes

I recommend not adding the meat back to the pot with the rest of the ingredients so you can simmer the sauce for a few minutes and taste it first without worrying about consuming raw lamb (since it is only browned, not cooked). 
Nutrition Facts
Moroccan Lamb Shanks
Amount per Serving
Calories
474
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
14
g
22
%
Saturated Fat
 
3
g
19
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
8
g
Cholesterol
 
127
mg
42
%
Sodium
 
1281
mg
56
%
Potassium
 
1468
mg
42
%
Carbohydrates
 
26
g
9
%
Fiber
 
6
g
25
%
Sugar
 
14
g
16
%
Protein
 
45
g
90
%
Vitamin A
 
687
IU
14
%
Vitamin C
 
27
mg
33
%
Calcium
 
131
mg
13
%
Iron
 
8
mg
44
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.