Slow Cooker Spiced Tomato Lamb Shanks + Carrots & Turnips
A hands-off, cold-weather winner: lamb shanks braised until spoon-tender in a spiced tomato broth, with hearty carrots and turnips that soak up all the goodness. Big flavor, minimal effort.
Back to full listIngredients
- Simple Truth® Natural Lamb Shank (1 lb) 1 lb (about 2 small shanks) $8.49 sale (reg $8.99)
- Simple Truth Organic® Whole Carrots bag (2 lb) or Organic Carrots bunch 3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces $2.99 (2 lb bag) or $2.50 (bunch)
- Turnip 1 medium (about 10–12 oz), peeled and chunked $2.49/lb
- Organic Jumbo Yellow Onion 1/2 large onion, diced $1.49/lb
- Garlic 3 cloves, minced Simple Truth Organic® Garlic Bulbs 3 ct $1.99
- Crushed tomatoes (canned) 1 cup (not provided)
- Chicken or beef broth (or water + bouillon) 1 1/2 cups (not provided)
- Ground cumin 1 tsp (not provided)
- Smoked paprika 1 tsp (not provided)
- Cinnamon (optional but great) 1/8 tsp (not provided)
- Bay leaf (optional) 1 (not provided)
- Olive oil 1 tbsp (not provided)
- Salt & black pepper To taste (not provided)
- Lemon (optional for finishing) 1/2 (not provided)
Instructions
- Prep: Pat dry 1 lb lamb shanks and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Dice 1/2 large onion. Mince 3 garlic cloves. Cut 3 carrots into 1-inch pieces. Peel and chunk 1 medium turnip.
- Brown (stove, optional but recommended): Heat a skillet over medium-high with 1 tbsp olive oil. Brown lamb shanks 2–3 minutes per side until well-colored. Transfer to slow cooker. (If skipping browning, add lamb directly to slow cooker and increase spices slightly.)
- Build base: In the same skillet over medium, sauté the diced 1/2 onion with a pinch of salt 3 minutes. Add 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and 1/8 tsp cinnamon; cook 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup crushed tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups broth, scraping up any browned bits.
- Slow cook: Pour tomato-broth mixture over lamb in the slow cooker. Add carrots and turnip chunks plus 1 bay leaf (optional). Cook on LOW 6–7 hours (or HIGH 3–4 hours) until lamb is very tender.
- Finish: Taste broth and adjust salt/pepper. If you want it brighter, squeeze in juice from 1/2 lemon. Skim any excess fat from the surface.
- Serve: Spoon lamb and vegetables into bowls with plenty of sauce. If you have bread or cooked grains at home, they’re great for soaking up the braise (optional).
Health notes: ~700–950 kcal/person depending on fat content and portion. Very filling, high protein and iron; lots of veg if you keep a generous carrot/turnip ratio. Skim surface fat after cooking for a lighter bowl.
Drink pairing: Braised lamb loves reds with structure and spice: Syrah/Shiraz (peppery, dark-fruited) is classic, or Rioja Crianza (tempranillo) for savory oak and lift. If you can find it locally: a Washington Syrah is an excellent match and often great value.