Instant Pot Lamb Shanks are a gourmet delight with tender, fall-off-the-bone lamb in a flavorful gravy, made effortlessly in your Instant Pot.
You won’t believe how delicious this dish is. It’s impressive enough for a dinner party where you smartly let the Instant Pot do the cooking, but it’s also super quick for a weeknight dinner.
Why You’ll Love It
- Tender Perfection: Pressure cooking guarantees incredibly tender and juicy lamb shanks.
- Easy Clean-Up: With just one pot to wash and minimal mess in the kitchen, you can spend more time enjoying your meal and less time on cleanup duty.
- Celebration-Worthy Dish: Instant Pot Lamb Shanks are ideal for any occasion that calls for a memorable feast.
» You might also like this Instant Pot Rack of Lamb.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Lamb Shanks – It can be difficult to find lamb shanks outside of the fall/winter season, but most well-stocked supermarkets or local butchers will have it.
- Cooking Oil – Use any oil you like to cook with, preferably with a high smoke point.
- Aromatics – Onion, carrots, celery stalks, garlic cloves
- Seasonings – Cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper
- Red Wine – Opt for a full-bodied red wine for cooking, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. If you don’t want to use the wine, that’s fine too. Just leave it out.
- Beef Broth – You can use store-bought beef broth or prepare your own at home. Consider low-sodium broth to better regulate the salt in the dish.
- Bay Leaves – Optional.
- Cornstarch – Mixing cornstarch with water will make a slurry that will thicken your gravy.
Equipment Needed
- Instant Pot – I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo Plus to make all of my recipes, but you can use any size or brand of electric pressure cooker. If you’re using an 8-quart pot, you will need to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly, as it requires more water to build steam.
- Kitchen tongs
- Whisk
- Immersion blender
- Strainer
- Measuring cup or bowl
Tips for Making Instant Pot Lamb Shanks
- Take the time to properly sear the lamb shanks before pressure cooking. This step enhances the flavor by caramelizing the meat’s surface and greatly enhances the appearance after cooking.
- Use a wine that you would drink. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but drinkable makes a significant difference in the overall taste of the dish.
- I recommend blending the veggies into the gravy for more flavor, but it’s not required.
How to Make Instant Pot Lamb Shank
Step 1: Sauté
Pat dry the lamb shanks. Mix together the cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Season the lamb with the rub.
Heat the Instant Pot on sauté mode. Add half the olive oil. Once hot, set the lamb shanks into the pot and sear on all sides, about 6-8 minutes total. Transfer the shanks to a plate.
Add the rest of the olive oil. Then add the onion, carrot, and celery. Stir it around the pot, scraping the bottom to remove any browned bits. Sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Step 2: Add Remaining Ingredients
Add in the red wine. Whisk to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add in the bay leaves. Then nestle the lamb shanks into the mixture. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes to reduce the alcohol. Pour in the broth. Try not to pour it directly over the top of the lamb, so it doesn’t wash away all the spice rub.
Step 3: Pressure Cook
Secure the lid and set the vent to sealing (if necessary for your model).
Set to cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. When the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally until the pin drops, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the lid.
Transfer the lamb shanks to a plate to rest.
Step 4: Make Gravy
Using an immersion blender, blend all the ingredients in the pot.
Pour the entire contents of the pot through a strainer into a bowl or large measuring cup. Press with the back of a wooden spoon to release all the juices. Then discard the solids and return the gravy to the pot.
Turn the Instant Pot to sauté mode again so the sauce gets bubbly. Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl.
Once the gravy is bubbling, pour in the cornstarch slurry and stir. Let it cook until the liquid is thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
Serve the lamb shanks with the gravy poured over the top. It goes well on a bed of mashed potatoes.
How to Store & Reheat: Quick Tips
How to Store
When storing your Instant Pot Lamb Shanks in the fridge, they can be safely kept for approximately 3 to 4 days.
If freezing, it’s best to consume frozen lamb shanks within 2-3 months. After this period, they may still be safe to eat, but the flavor and texture can deteriorate over time.
Reheating Options
Stovetop: Reheat on the stovetop in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Stir occasionally until the lamb shanks are heated through. You can add a splash of broth or water to prevent drying.
Instant Pot: Use the “Sauté” mode on low heat, and stir occasionally until they’re heated through. This method retains the original flavors and moisture.
Oven: Preheat your oven to around 325°F(165°C). Place the lamb shanks in an oven-safe dish, cover them with foil to retain moisture, and heat for about 15-20 minutes, or until they’re piping hot.
What to Serve With
You can serve this dish with any side dish you like. That’s the best part – they go with everything.
Try serving them with these sides that you can also make in the Instant Pot:
Questions About the Recipe
How do I prevent the lamb shanks from becoming tough or dry?
Ensure you follow the recommended pressure cooking time and allow for a natural pressure release. This helps keep the meat tender and juicy.
How can I make the sauce thicker or thinner to my preference?
To make the sauce thicker, use more cornstarch or cook it longer. To thin it out, simply add more broth or water and adjust the seasonings as needed. If you want it to be thinner, I would suggest not blending the vegetables into the gravy, which thickens it.
Can I use pork shank or a different cut of meat in this recipe?
Yes, you can use pork shanks, pork knuckle, lamb leg, or even beef short ribs in this recipe. I wouldn’t go with lamb chops, however, because they require a different type of cooking method.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Like this recipe? We’d love for you to share it on your Pinterest boards! Click to follow our Pinterest boards so you can find all our recipes! You can also find us on Facebook!
Instant Pot Lamb Shanks
Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot
Equipment
- Kitchen Tongs
- Whisk
- Strainer
- Measuring cup or bowl
Ingredients
- 2 lamb shanks
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cooking oil divided
- 1/2 small onion chopped
- 1 carrot chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3/4 cup (177 ml) red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups (473 ml) beef broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (12 g) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cold water
Instructions
- Pat dry the lamb shanks. Mix together the cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Season the lamb with the rub.
- Heat the Instant Pot on saute mode. Add half the cooking oil. Once hot, set the lamb shanks into the pot and sear on all sides, about 6-8 minutes total. Transfer the shanks to a plate.
- Add the rest of the olive oil. Then add the onion, carrot, and celery. Stir it around the pot, scraping the bottom to remove any browned bits. Saute the veggies until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add in the red wine. Whisk to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add in the bay leaves. Then nestle the lamb shanks into the mixture. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes to reduce the alcohol.
- Pour in the broth.
- Secure the lid and set the vent to sealing (if necessary for your model).
- Set to cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. When the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally until the pin drops, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the lid.
- Transfer the lamb shanks to a plate to rest. Remove the bay leaves.
- Using an immersion blender, blend all the ingredients in the pot.
- Pour the entire contents of the pot through a strainer into a bowl or large measuring cup. Press with the back of a wooden spoon to release all the juices. Then discard the solids and return the gravy to the pot.
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute mode again.
- Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl.
- Once the liquid is boiling, pour in the cornstarch slurry and stir. Let it cook until the liquid is thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Serve the lamb shanks with the gravy poured over the top. It goes well on a bed of mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Take the time to properly sear the lamb shanks before pressure cooking. This step enhances the flavor by caramelizing the meat’s surface and greatly enhances the appearance after cooking.
- Use a wine that you would drink. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but drinkable makes a significant difference in the overall taste of the dish.
- I recommend blending the veggies into the gravy for more flavor, but it’s not required.
Nutrition
Laura is a passionate home cook and the owner of A Pressure Cooker Kitchen. She is dedicated to helping people create delicious Instant Pot meals with ease. Laura is an expert at developing recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily using a pressure cooker.