Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks with Desert Quandong Sauce

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-04 · Updated 2026-06-04

Lamb shanks braised until tender and served with a tangy, fruity sauce made from Australian quandongs, a native desert fruit. This Australian-inspired slow-cooker recipe, ready in about 200 minutes, pairs lamb shanks, olive oil, yellow onion, diced for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 550 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 4 (about 2 lbs total) lamb shanks
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup (or substitute with tart plum puree) quandong fruit puree
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

The slow cooker we’d leave this in all day → Best Slow Cookers in 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Season 4 lamb shanks with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper, then brown them on all sides for about 5 minutes total until golden. Remove and set aside.
2. Step 2: In the same pot, add 1 large diced yellow onion, 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, and 4 minced garlic cloves. Sauté for 7 minutes until vegetables soften and become fragrant.
3. Step 3: Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then deglaze the pot with 1 cup dry red wine, scraping up browned bits. Add 2 cups beef broth, 1 cup quandong fruit puree, and 2 sprigs fresh rosemary.
4. Step 4: Return the lamb shanks to the pot, cover with a tight lid, and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the lamb is tender and falling off the bone. Remove rosemary sprigs before serving with the rich sauce.