Recipes

Lamb Shanks in Adobo

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 15 mins

| Cook Time: 1.5 Hours

| Total Time: 1 hour 45 mins

You may need: Mexican Adobo

Discover The Recipe

Savory, comforting and perfect for busy weeknights or weekend dinner parties alike, indulge in our Lamb Shanks in Adobo recipe—a dish that encapsulates a vibrant tapestry of Mexican flavors. Mexican cuisine, renowned for its bold spices and lively palate, reflects a heritage steeped in Spanish influence, spanning from comforting quesadillas to the grandeur of these tender Lamb Shanks in Adobo. Now, let's talk adobo—a culinary connection spanning former regions under the Spanish Empire, each infusing their local twist into this earthy, reddish-brown sauce. Mexican adobo, a harmony of native dried chili peppers and spices, serves as both marinade and foundation for soups and stews, embodying robust flavors in every drop.

Our Mexican Adobo blend is a tribute to authentic Mexican tastes, anchored by the quintessential ancho chili peppers that lend a distinctive red hue and mild earthy-peppery flavor. A dance of cinnamon, fennel seed, and Mexican oregano elevates this blend, enriching it with aromatic nuances. Our chefs create a tantalizing sauce combining our bespoke Mexican Adobo spice with aromatics, citrus juice, and apple cider vinegar—the result is a tangy, savory, mildly spicy broth for the lamb shanks to tenderly braise in, low and slow. Serve these succulent shanks beside creamy mashed potatoes or repurpose the flavorful leftovers as taco fillings, ensuring the celebration of Mexican flavors continues another day.

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks
1 tsp salt, plus 2 tsp to season sauce
¼ tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups orange juice
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Piquant Post Mexican Adobo
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar also works
2 bay leaves
For garnish: chopped cilantro

To serve: creamy mashed potatoes

Notes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Season lamb shanks generously with 1 tsp salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottom, oven-safe pan over Med-High heat. Sear the lamb shanks on all sides until golden brown ~ 3 mins per side (work in batches if necessary). Remove the shanks and set aside.

Lower the heat to Med-Low. Add the garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, Piquant Post Mexican Adobo spice, apple cider vinegar, bay leaves and 2 tsp salt and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce to Low and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally to thoroughly mix spices and dissolve sugar.

Remove bay leaves from sauce. Nestle the lamb shanks in the sauce in a single layer. The sauce should reach halfway up the shanks so add a bit of water if necessary.

Cover the pan and transfer it to the oven to cook for 1 hour. Remove it from the oven and gently flip the lamb shanks and cook uncovered for 30-45 mins or until the meat is tender. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with mashed potatoes.

Alternatives & Substitutions

Lamb Shanks in Adobo are succulent, savory, and surprisingly simple to make. It’s a mostly hands-off dish that yields a ton of flavor from the earthy, rich ancho chili sauce. Add some chopped carrots to make it an even heartier stew.
For our plant-based friends, substitute the lamb shanks with a meaty mushroom medley. Interested in more plant-based adobo recipes? Try our Adobo Tofu Tacos, our Napales Asado Salad, and Jackfruit Adobado Tostadas.
For seafood lovers, try our Adobo Scallops Tostadas. Our Mexican Chile Verdes and Adobo Chicken Enchiladas are both also fantastic.
Be sure to leave comments and feedback on your meals and experiments in the comments for others to read.