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    You Are Here Home » Entree Recipes

    Published: Mar 29, 2023 Updated: Mar 29, 2023 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

    Smoked Lamb Shanks

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    smoked lamb shank with potatoes and salad

    These amazing smoked lamb shanks are easy to prepare, tender, and juicy. They are a great option for Easter dinner or any day, for that matter! Marinated in cilantro chimichurri sauce, they're bursting with flavor. The best part? This smoked lamb recipe only requires 2 ½ to 3 hours of smoking time!

    smoked lamb shank with potatoes and salad

    These smoked lamb shanks are so flavorful! That's because the cilantro chimichurri sauce makes all the difference! It imparts a ton of flavor to the lamb shanks. This marinade can also be used to make smoked leg of lamb, but it would require longer smoking time.

    Because lamb shanks have a lot of connective tissue and sinuous fibers, most recipes call for smoking the shanks low and slow. Luckily that doesn't have to take all day!

    Unlike smoked brisket, lamb shanks don't require a ridiculous amount of time to smoke. In fact, 2 to 3 hours is all it takes to get the lamb shanks to an ideal internal temperature of 145℉ — 150℉.

    Jump to:
    • 🧐Why This Recipe Works
    • 🛒What You Need For This Recipe
    • 🔖Recipe Ingredients And Substitutions
    • 🍖How To Smoke Lamb Shanks
    • 🍽Serving Suggestions
    • 🤷🏻‍♀️FAQs
    • 👩🏼‍🍳Pro Tips
    • 🥩Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🧐Why This Recipe Works

    • This is a very straightforward recipe, perfect for beginners.
    • Lamb pairs well with mint, making chimichurri sauce the ideal marinade.
    • Unlike many other smoked meat recipes, lamb shanks only require 2 to 3 hours of smoking time.
    • Lamb leftovers can be used to make gyros, Mediterranean pizza, and so much more!

    🛒What You Need For This Recipe

    For the chimichurri, you will need the following ingredients.

    cilantro chimichurri sauce ingredients

    🔖Recipe Ingredients And Substitutions

    • Lamb: Four lamb shanks, weighting around 5 to 6 lbs.
    • Chimichurri: Chimichurri is a spicy Argentinian sauce that's usually served with lamb or other grilled meats. To make it, you'll need fresh parsley, cilantro, oregano, and mint along with spicy peppers, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. You can experiment with different fresh herbs, for example, rosemary, and thyme.
    • Beer: If you decide to braise the lamb shanks, you'll need one bottle of beer or beef broth.
    • Optional: Since the sauce is seasoned, I didn't add additional spices besides salt and black pepper. However, a pinch of ground cloves, allspice, or paprika can be used to season the lamb shanks.

    🍖How To Smoke Lamb Shanks

    Step 1: Prepare two batches of cilantro chimichurri by doubling the recipe. If you can't handle the heat, you can leave the peppers out and add more mint or oregano.

    chimichurri in a spoon over a jar

    Step 2: Use a sharp filleting knife to remove silver skin and tendons from the shanks. Season the shanks with salt and black pepper then pour half of the chimichurri sauce over them. Work the sauce mixture into the shanks and allow them to marinate for a minimum of four hours, preferably overnight.

    raw chimichurri marinated lamb shanks

    Pro Tip: Bring lamb to room temperature before smoking it otherwise it will lengthen the cooking time.

    Step 3: Fill your pellet smoker with pellets and preheat to 225℉. Choose super smoke if you have that option. 

    pellets in traeger

    Pro Tip: I prefer cherry when smoking lamb, but you can also try other flavors like pecan, mesquite, oak, or hickory.

    Step 4: Place lamb shanks directly on the grate and insert temperature probe into the thickest part of one of the shanks, without touching the bone. Smoke until they reach 140-150℉, depending on your preference.

    probe in raw, marinated lamb shanks
    4 raw lamb shanks on the grill

    Pro Tip: Resist the temptation to lift the lid. Each time you do, it will allow the heat to escape and add to the cooking time. My lamb shanks took 3 hours to reach 150℉ (medium).

    Step 5: Remove lamb shanks and allow them to rest, covered, for at least 15 minutes before serving them with the remaining chimichurri sauce.

    smoked lamb shanks on a traeger grill

    Braising the Lamb (optional)

    If you want to braise the lamb, place the shanks in a pan and pour one bottle of beer (or an equal amount of broth or wine) over them. Cover the pan with foil, seal, then smoke until they reach an internal temperature of 200℉.

    lamb in a pan with beer

    Pro Tip: We tested it both ways and preferred the lamb smoked in the range of 145-150℉. When smoked to an internal temperature of 200℉, the meat started to break down as if overcooked.

    🍽Serving Suggestions

    The smoked shanks can be served with mushroom and prawn risotto, vermicelli rice, or tabouli salad. Parmesan roasted rainbow carrots or Traeger smoked potatoes are also great side options!

    🤷🏻‍♀️FAQs

    How long should you smoke lamb for?

    How long you should smoke lamb depends on the cut of meat. For shanks, smoke for 2 ½ hours until the lamb reaches 145-150℉. If you want to braise the shanks, smoke in liquid of choice for an additional 1 to 1 ½ hours at 225℉.

    What temperature do you smoke lamb?

    It's best to smoke lamb low and slow, at 225℉ until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 135℉ for rare or up to 150℉ for medium.

    What should the internal temp of smoked lamb shanks be?

    The internal temperature of smoked lamb shanks should be around 145℉.

    What is the best wood for smoking lamb?

    Cherry is a great choice for smoking lamb. Other great options include pecan, oak, and hickory.

    smoked lamb shank with potatoes and salad

    👩🏼‍🍳Pro Tips

    • Slice any leftover lamb into thin slices and fry in a hot pan to make gyros. Stuff in pita pockets and serve with yogurt sauce.
    • Make individual-sized smoked pizzas with leftover lamb.
    • Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, in an airtight container.
    lamb shanks on the grill

    🥩Related Recipes

    If you enjoy this smoked lamb recipe, you may want to try these other great lamb recipes too!

    • instant pot Irish lamb stew in a white dish
      Instant Pot Lamb Stew
    • okra stew over rice and scallions
      Bamya (Middle Eastern Okra Stew with Lamb)
    • shish kabob on skewers
      Lamb Shish Kebab with Grilled Vegetables
    • lamb with cherry sauce
      Lamb Loin Chops Recipe (with cherry reduction)

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    smoked lamb shank with potatoes and salad

    Smoked Lamb Shanks

    Delicious, tender smoked lamb shanks marinated in spicy cilantro chimichurri sauce.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner, entree, lunch
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 3 hours hours
    Marinating Time: 4 hours hours
    Total Time: 7 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 People
    Calories: 250kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Equipment

    • Smoker

    Ingredients

    • chimichurri sauce (see recipe)
    • 4 lamb shanks (about 5 lbs)
    • 2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions

    • Prepare two batches of cilantro chimichurri by doubling the recipe. If you can't handle the heat, you can leave the peppers out and add more mint or oregano.
    • Use a sharp filleting knife to remove silver skin and tendons from the shanks. Season the shanks with salt and black pepper then pour half of the chimichurri sauce over them. Work the sauce mixture into the shanks and allow them to marinate for a minimum of four hours, preferably overnight.
    • Fill your pellet smoker with pellets and preheat to 225℉. Choose super smoke if you have that option. 
    • Place lamb shanks directly on the grate and insert temperature probe into the thickest part of one of the shanks, without touching the bone. Smoke until they reach 140-150℉, depending on your preference.
    • Remove lamb shanks and allow them to rest, covered, for at least 15 minutes before serving them with the remaining chimichurri sauce.

    Notes

      • Bring lamb to room temperature before smoking it otherwise it will lengthen the cooking time.
      • I prefer cherry when smoking lamb, but you can also try other flavors like pecan, mesquite, oak, or hickory.
      • Resist the temptation to lift the lid. Each time you do, it will allow the heat to escape and add to the cooking time. My lamb shanks took 3 hours to reach 150℉ (medium).
      • Slice any leftover lamb into thin slices and fry in a hot pan to make gyros. Stuff in pita bread and serve with yogurt sauce.
      • Make individual-sized smoked pizzas with leftover lamb!
      • Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1shank | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 1310mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathy Fisher says

      March 29, 2023 at 12:24 pm

      5 stars
      This lamb was perfect. And the chimichurri sauce was beyond delicious...I licked the plate clean. My apologies to Gracie (our hound).

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        March 29, 2023 at 1:23 pm

        Hi Kathy,
        I'm so glad you enjoyed the smoked lamb & chimichurri sauce. Thank you so much for your review!

        Reply

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