Greek Recipes
Greek Lamb Shanks & Lemon Potatoes
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
2 hours 30 minutes
Yield
4 -5 lamb shanks
🍋 This fall-off-the-bone Greek lamb shank recipe with Lemon Potatoes will transport you straight to the Mediterranean! Tender meat and garlic-infused potatoes roasted in a bright lemony sauce – impressive enough for guests but simple enough for Sunday dinner.
Hosting a dinner party or just craving some serious Greek comfort food? This lamb shank recipe delivers restaurant-quality flavor with surprisingly little active cooking time! A classic Greek dish that your family will love, combining succulent lamb infused with garlic and rosemary with the best crisp potatoes.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Greek Lamb Shank Recipe & Lemon Potatoes
- Impressive: These lamb shanks look like they came from a high-end Greek restaurant.
- Perfect Pairing: The tangy potatoes pair beautifully with the rich lamb.
- One-Pan Wonder: Everything in this lamb shank recipe cooks together, meaning less cleanup and maximum flavor infusion.
🍲 Ingredients
Lamb Shanks – These meaty cuts become incredibly tender when slow-cooked, practically falling off the bone. Lamb is packed with high-quality protein, vitamin B12, zinc, and iron, which support muscle development and immune function. The marrow in the bones also adds richness to the sauce as it cooks.
Lemons – The star of this lamb shank recipe is the Greek lemon sauce that flavors both the lamb and potatoes. Lemons are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants that help boost immunity and fight inflammation. The bright acidity cuts through the richness of the lamb, creating that distinctive Greek flavor profile that makes this dish so special.
👩🍳 How to Make This Greek Lamb Shank Recipe & Lemon Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients: juice of 3 lemons 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano, 2 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp chicken stock paste and 2 cups water. Set aside.
- On a plate pat the lamb shanks dry with a paper towel. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the lamb shanks in the large baking dish. Pierce each of the lamb shanks 3-4 times on the top side with a sharp knife and then insert a quarter garlic clove and small piece of a rosemary sprig into each cut.
- Add the cut potatoes and lamb to a large baking dish.
- Add 10 smashed cloves of garlic to the dish and pour the sauce all over, tossing to coat everything well.
- Cover the lamb shanks with a piece of parchment paper and then cover the entire baking dish with foil and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 2 hours on the middle oven rack check at the 1 hour mark and add 1 more cup water if the sauce level is getting low.
- After 2 hours, remove the baking dish from the oven and remove the foil and parchment paper. Spoon some of the pan sauce over the top of the lamb shanks.
- Place back in the oven uncovered and cook until the potatoes are fork tender and the lamb has browned nicely and is falling off the bone, about 30-45 more minutes. Check at the 30 minute mark as some ovens are hotter than others.
- Optional: brown the lamb a bit more on a low broil once done cooking if desired.
- Serve potatoes with a lamb shank and spoon over any sauces leftover from the baking dish.
- Garnish with fresh baby tomatoes and mint if desired.
- Pair with our Tzatziki Sauce and Simple Greek Salad for the ultimate Greek plate!
🗒 Tips and Tricks
- Moisture: The parchment paper under the foil prevents the acidic sauce from reacting with aluminum.
- Potatoes: Cut potato pieces uniformly so they cook at the same rate.
- Cooking: When checking if the lamb is done, it should easily pull away from the bone. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should reach at least 145°F.
🗒 Substitutions
Missing a few ingredients for this lamb shank recipe? Try these simple swaps:
- Herbs: Fresh thyme or oregano can replace rosemary for a different flavour profile.
- Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes work best, but russet or red potatoes are good alternatives.
- Stock: Vegetable or beef stock paste can be used as a substitute for chicken stock paste.
🗒 Best served with
- Spicy Greek Feta Dip (Tirokafteri)
- How to Make the Perfect Greek Salad
- Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono Soup)
- Greek Stuffed Vegetables (Gemista)
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover lamb shanks and potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavor actually improves overnight!
🤔 Common Questions
The meat in this lamb shank recipe should be very tender and almost falling off the bone. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should reach at least 145°F.
The potatoes cook in the acidic lemon sauce, which slows down their softening. The long cooking time allows them to absorb the delicious flavors while reaching the perfect texture.
Lamb shanks are ideal because they have a good amount of connective tissue that breaks down during slow cooking, creating tender meat and a rich sauce.
Yes! Carrots, onions, or bell peppers can be added along with the potatoes. Just be aware that they’ll become very soft due to the long cooking time.
Greek Lamb Shanks & Lemon Potatoes
Your Greek mommy that is. 😍 Step into my kitchen to learn how to make yummy Greek food. 🍽️💃
Ingredients
For the lamb shanks
- 4-5 lamb shanks
- 3 large garlic cloves, quartered
- 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- kosher salt and ground pepper
For the Greek lemon sauce
- 3 lemons, juiced
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp chicken stock paste
- 2 1/4 cups water plus 1 cup more if needed
For the potatoes
- 5 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges then quartered (1 – 1 1/2 inch pieces)
- 10 small garlic cloves, smashed
For serving
- fresh baby tomatoes and fresh mint for garnish
- tzatziki sauce (use our tzatziki recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients: juice of 3 lemons 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano, 2 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp chicken stock paste and 2 cups water. Set aside.
- On a plate pat the lamb shanks dry with a paper towel. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the lamb shanks in the large baking dish. Pierce each of the lamb shanks 3-4 times on the top side with a sharp knife and then insert a quarter garlic clove and small piece of a rosemary sprig into each cut.
- Add the cut potatoes and lamb to a large baking dish.
- Add 10 smashed cloves of garlic to the dish and pour the sauce all over, tossing to coat everything well.
- Cover the lamb shanks with a piece of parchment paper and then cover the entire baking dish with foil and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 2 hours on the middle oven rack check at the 1 hour mark and add 1 more cup water if the sauce level is getting low.
- After 2 hours, remove the baking dish from the oven and remove the foil and parchment paper. Spoon some of the pan sauce over the top of the lamb shanks.
- Place back in the oven uncovered and cook until the potatoes are fork tender and the lamb has browned nicely and is falling off the bone, about 30-45 more minutes. Check at the 30 minute mark as some ovens are hotter than others.
- Optional: brown the lamb a bit more on a low broil once done cooking if desired.
- Serve potatoes with a lamb shank and spoon over any sauces leftover from the baking dish.
- Garnish with fresh baby tomatoes and mint if desired.
- Pair with our Tzatziki Sauce and Simple Greek Salad for the ultimate Greek plate!
Notes
- Pair with our Tzatziki Sauce and Simple Greek Salad for the ultimate Greek plate!
- If you love this recipe try our Greek Roasted Leg of Lamb with Lemon Potatoes
