Osso Bucco is one of my favorite meals to make! This is an absolutely mouth-watering Italian comfort food that everyone should try at least once!
Osso Bucco (Braised Beef Shanks Recipe)
This classic braised beef shanks recipe hails from 19th century Northern Italy and it really is the perfect evening meal for any occasion.
Just add a side dish of rice or some mashed potato cakes or twice baked potatoes, with a delicious glass of red wine, and you have the perfect dish to enjoy with friends/family or while dining alone when you’re unwinding after a long day.
Replacing the traditional veal with beef shanks in this Osso Bucco makes it super budget-friendly, too!
Osso Bucco (Braised Beef Shanks Recipe) Ingredients
The ingredients for this braised beef shanks recipe are easy to pick up and really inexpensive!
- Beef shanks – cut into 3-4 inch pieces.
- Butter – for frying and flavor
- Minced garlic – adds fragrance and is a must in this dish.
- Large white onion – sliced into rings.
- Carrots – chopped.
- Dry white wine – you can use chicken stock to deglaze the pan instead if you don’t want wine.
- Diced tomatoes
- Beef stock
- Salt and pepper – to taste.
How to Make this Osso Bucco (Braised Beef Shanks Recipe) Perfectly
- Dredge the beef shanks through the flour and coat it (skip this if you’re low-carb).
- Melt the butter in a large oven-safe braising pan over medium to medium-high heat.
- Fry the beef shanks in the butter until browned on the outside.
- Remove the beef shanks to a plate.
- Add the onion slices. Cook and stir until tender.
- Add in the garlic and the carrots. Fry until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine. Deglaze the pan. Stir in the beef broth and the tomatoes.
- Return the beef to the pan. Make sure the shanks are submerged in the sauce.
- Place the lid on top and cook the shanks in a 300 °F for 4-5 hours.
- For stove top, cover and simmer on the stovetop over low heat for 2-3 hours.
What to Serve with it
One of my favorite ways to serve this is over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, with some pan-roasted vegetables on the side and a nice red wine. It’s the ultimate hearty meal!
Why not try one of these side dishes:
The BEST Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes!
Ukrainian Style Cream Dill Potatoes
What is Osso Bucco Beef?
The term Osso Bucco means “hollowed bone” in reference to the marrow-filled shin bone it’s made from. The traditional Italian favourite is prepared using veal shanks, but I personally prefer the beef shanks version that we’re using here!
What Part of Beef is Osso Bucco?
The meat cut in Beef Osso Bucco is a cross-cut of beef from the shank that’s around an inch and a half thick. It’s a pretty thick meat cut, but it becomes deliciously flavourful and tender when braised.
If you’re looking for more mouth-watering beef recipes, give these a go:
The Perfect Herb and Garlic Bottom Round Roast Recipe
Root Beer BBQ Slow Cooker Brisket
Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast & Peppers
Happy cooking everyone!
Love,
Karlynn
Osso Bucco (Braised Beef Shanks Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds beef shanks cut into 3-4 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 large white onion sliced into rings
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- one 540 millilitres can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If you want, dredge the beef shanks through flour and coat it. ( I skip this to keep it lower carb)
- Melt the butter in a large oven safe braising pan over medium to medium-high heat.
- Fry the beef shanks in the butter until browned on the outside.
- Remove the beef shanks to a plate, and keep warm.
- Add the onion slices to the skillet; cook and stir until the onion is tender. Add in the garlic and the carrots and fry until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan at this point. Stir in the beef broth and the tomatoes.
- Return the beef to the pan, making sure the shanks are submerged in the sauce.
- The best way to cook now is to place the lid on top and cook the shanks in a 300 °F for 4-5 hours, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
- For stove top, cover and simmer on the stove top over low heat for 2-3 hours, checking and moving the meat occasionally to ensure that the bottom is not burning.
Notes
- I keep this lower carb by NOT dusting the shanks in flour, you can dredge them through flour before frying them if desired.
- I prefer my shanks to be velvety and falling apart, you can cook it until it’s tender but the shanks remain together like a steak more. The choice is yours.
- Serve with gremolata for a traditional dish.
- This goes well over polenta, as is traditional as well
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Shelley Spence says
Every time we butcher, my husband salivates when we put shanks in freezer. One of his all time favorites!! Thanks for sharing a simple, but outstanding recipe. Snowing today and this is in oven for tonight. Kudos!!
Kenneth MFisher says
I cannot find beef shanks in any of the “regular ” markets but they are always there at the Hispanic markets in my neighborhood.
George Gosko says
Slow cooked and served with garlic mashed potatoes. Excellent. Meat was tender and sauce surprisingly enjoyable.
Sandra says
This is my go to recipe for osso bucco, which is something I seldom made UNTIL this recipe. Now I come home to osso bucco waiting for me in the fridge – thanks to my husband. He loves it so much he always wants me to make it,so he makes sure he buys the meat regularly, so I can make it for him.
Karlynn Johnston says
That’s exactly like me! I never ate it until I developed this recipe for it, and now it’s a favorite of ours. A real hidden recipe treasure!
Kurt says
I’ve made this recipe a few times, and always find I have to double the liquid in order for it to be close to covering the shanks. 1 cup of liquid just doesn’t cut it. But, great flavor overall.
Chris says
Hubster loved this dish! I served it with mash potatoes and it definitely is going into the lineup. Only mods were adding celery and the only tomatoes I had on hand were Rotel with chilies. It was wonderful.
Karlynn Johnston says
Glad that you like them!
Meka says
The only mods I did were adding more seasoning after I put all the ingredients in the pot, and I couldn’t find beef shanks, so I used short beef ribs. I also used whole baby carrots, and they held together pretty well. I didn’t debone them or anything, and I cook the meat for about four hours and 30 minutes so they pretty much fell off the bone anyway. This was an absolute hit in my house, even my picky youngest kid ate it right up!
Sandra Comer says
Wow, this was spectacular! I did use red wine, an instant pot, and served over parmesan polenta. Since we very rarely see beef shanks for sale I rushed back to Safeway and bought all 5 packages for future meals.
Kim Reynolds says
Hi there, I have made this recipe several times and it’s amazing!
I want to double the recipes, but only have one heavy cast iron Dutch oven. Can I do this in my regular Lagostina Dutch oven? Will it turn out the same or should I try to find another pot.
Danielle Hask says
Do you drain the canned tomatoes?
Stacie Rokosny says
I made this for my in-laws for dinner. I received compliments throughout the meal. The only substitution I made was I swapped out the beef broth for chicken broth. I cooked it the length of a pro football game (it did go into OT, I’d say it was 3 1/2 hours). I served it over mashed potatoes and I did make the gremolata (it’s worth the extra few minutes). Great recipe- perfect for prepping ahead of time so you can still watch the game!