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Osso buco is one of those dishes that seem super intimidating because all fancy restaurants have it on their menu. The name is fancy but that’s the only thing that’s fancy about it. Everything about osso buco is simple especially the preparation of it in a slow cooker. I guess everything but the flavor. That is quite possibly the best part when you first take a bite into this slow cooker osso buco.
This slow cooker osso buco recipe comes from Gina Homolka, blogger of Skinnytaste and NYT best-selling author (twice) for her cookbooks! This recipe comes from her latest cookbook, Skinnytaste Fast and Slow, and already one of my favorites in my large collection of cookbooks. I love the variety of recipes in it but most importantly, all the quick recipes for busy weeknights and also the slow cooker recipes. Who doesn’t love a good slow cooker recipe?
Not to mention her recipes are healthy, as well, which is in line with her blog’s philosophy: delicious, healthy, low fat, family-friendly!
This slow cooker osso buco was phenomenal. Fork tender and full of flavor. As Gina says, “as it cooks over the course of the day, the house becomes filled with a savory ‘welcome home’ aroma.”
Special occasion or cravings for that restaurant dish, you can’t go wrong with making this at home in the slow cooker and being in the comfort of your own home!
Slow Cooker Osso Buco
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 pieces veal shank, each about 1 1/4 inches thick (about 2 pounds total)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup (53 g) chopped onion
- ⅓ cup (34 g) chopped celery
- ⅓ cup (43 g) chopped carrots
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ¼ cups (303 g) canned crushed tomatoes
- ¾ cup (178 ml) beef broth
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 large sprig fresh rosemary
- Chopped fresh parsley, for topping
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Season veal shanks with salt then sear all four sides until browned but not cooked through. Add to the insert of a slow cooker.
- Then add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, black pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Stir to mix a bit.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Discard sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top prior to serving, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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So as a home welcoming, a family friend and his wife went away on vacation to the Bahamas, they’ll come home to this very dish with this very recipe. Served over white rice, as a thank you for everything they’ve done for me. Will let you know how it turns out. Thanks in advance.
This was very good! I made it exactly as written and left it in my crockpot for 10 hrs on low. The meat fell off the bones and was sooo good. We put it over rice and it was great.
Dinner was ready when we arrived home and the house smelled great!
Can you make this from frozen? I have beef osso bucco
yes, you should be able to! just might have to cook slightly longer since it’ll be real thick and frozen
@Julie Chiou, you should never cook frozen meat in your slow cooker. At the low temp of a slow cooker bacteria can run rampant.
can this be made with pork shanks
I haven’t tried that before so I’m not sure how it would turn out
@Julie Wampler,
My wife and I spend the winter in Mexico and slow cooker osso buco is a staple in our house. Veal shanks are (pretty much) unheard…but every grocery store carries pork shanks.
Long story short, although the pork shanks are generally shorter than the desired (2″) length, they work great with this recipe.
Glen & Janis Parrott
Looks delicious. I have one beef center cut shank that weighs 1.33 lbs. How do you think it would work to halve your recipe? Thank you.
You can easily halve this! There is a ticker next to ‘servings’ and you can just halve that number.
Hello! I do not eat veal – would you recommend making this with beef shanks? Any modifications that you can think of? Thank you!
Beef shanks would definitely work! No modifications I can think of. Unless your shanks are huge and thick, I think you’re okay with the time and amounts of everything.
Thanks for this recipe, smaller amount is better cos I’m only feeding two. Suggestion (for you and all recipe sites): include the number of servings a recipe makes–the betteff to calculate nutritional whatnot.
Your photographs are gorgeous, mouthwatering!
But girl? Shine yo’ silver!?
Hi, I do include the number of servings. If you didn’t see above, it says 4 servings. Additionally, thank you for your compliments on my photography! But, antique silverware is part of food photography and we food photographers actually source out antiqued and rusted silverware to give the photos a certain depth of aesthetic feel. Sorry that bothers you.
This was delicious and even better the next day. My first time and cooked stove top 3hrs. Next time I’ll try slow cooker method. Also topped with an orange gremolata. Yummy!
Yum!!
Please add me to your recipe email list.
Hi Debbie, you can do that here: http://eepurl.com/c9IQIL
Masterpiece! That s the feedback I got from following this recipe. Thks