Slow Cooker Massaman Lamb Shanks

🤍 Recipe Highlights

I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the slow cooker massaman lamb curry recipe in the points below:

• Set and forget: we need about 15 minutes to get everything ready to make the dish. From there we throw everything into the slow cooker and let things cook. We are 'hands free' for the majority of the recipe.
• Comfort food: heading out to your local Thai restaurant is fun and guaranteed to please. The bill sometimes is not! Learning to make massaman lamb shanks in your slow cooker enables you to enjoy this fantastic recipe at home at half or less than the cost of eating out or ordering in 😉👌.
• Slow roasting: there is a reason why slow roasting and slow cooking of meats is so popular. This technique results in tender lamb shanks that a quick oven bake doesn't achieve. Thai curries are known for their depth of flavor and using the slow cooker to make them means we are onto a winner!

🥗 Ingredients

The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.

As you can see the recipe calls for:

• Salt and pepper: salt and black pepper to season the dish.
• Brown sugar: to add a touch of sweetness to the curry.
• Fish sauce: you will find this with the vinegars in the supermarket.
• Cinnamon: 1 x cinnamon stick for its aromatic contribution. This will be with the herbs and spices in the supermarket.
• Lime juice: I use bottled lime juice to keep things easy.
• Star anise: this will also be found where the herbs and spices are.
• Curry paste: this is store bought massaman curry paste. It is the key to creating a rich massaman curry sauce. The brand I use is called 'Ayam'. Another popular choice is maesri curry paste.
• Chicken stock: this combines with the coconut milk to make the curry sauce.
• Coconut milk: full fat is the best version to use. This will ensure that the coconut milk doesn't split as it cooks.
• Onion: 1 medium to large onion, finely diced.
• Potatoes: baby potatoes are recommended. This is because we only need to cut the larger ones in half and the smaller ones can be kept as is (whole).
• Plain flour: we use this to thicken the massaman curry sauce.
• Lamb shanks: you will see that I use 4 for the recipe. It will also work if you want to use 2 larger lamb shanks.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:

• Stock or broth: in place of the chicken broth, you can use beef broth (beef stock) if you wish to.
• Sugar: you can use white sugar in place of the brown sugar if you wish to. Or you can omit the sugar entirely if you want to.
• Other proteins: you can make this recipe with beef if you want to (see the Beef Massaman Curry for reference on how to do that). Or use beef short ribs in place of the beef chuck for an alternative cut of meat.
• Other cuts: or you can use diced lamb if you want to in place of the lamb shanks).
• Serving suggestions: in place of the coconut rice you can use Jasmine rice if you wish too. You can also use peanuts in place of the cashews. Roasted and salted will taste the best!

👩‍🍳 How to Make Slow Cooker Massaman Curry Lamb Shanks

To make massaman lambs in the slow cooker we start by preparing the vegetables. Use a sharp knife and cutting board to slice the larger baby potatoes in half then peel and dice the onion.

🍳 Instructions

• Prepare the potatoes (Photo 1)
• Dice the onion (Photo 2)
• Add the lamb shanks, flour, salt, pepper, curry paste (Photo 3)
• Layer the potatoes (Photo 4)

Add the raw lamb shanks to the slow cooker then sprinkle the flour, salt and pepper over the top. Dollop in the massaman curry paste and use a pair of tongs to toss the shanks. We want them to be coated in this mixture.

Once this is done, use the tongs to remove the lamb shanks (temporarily) and place them into a bowl.

Next layer the potatoes into the base of the slow cooker and sprinkle the diced onion across the top. You can see what this will look like in the photos below.

• Add the diced onion (Photo 5)
• Place the lamb shanks on top (Photo 6)
• Add the liquids and sugar (Photo 7)
• Add the cinnamon and star anise (Photo 8)

🍽 Serving Suggestions

I like to serve the lamb shanks with coconut rice. It is an easy pairing reminiscent of Thai restaurants. The rice that you see in the photos throughout the post and video is my Microwave Coconut Rice. This will take less than 15 minutes to bring together and can be done in the final stages of the slow cooker cook period.

Then all we need to do is garnish the dish. Sprinkle in some fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, red chilli, cashews and lime wedges.

It is an easy combination and perfect way to take the dish to the serious yum stage 😉👌.

👍 How to Guide

💡 Tasty Tips

Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:

• Potatoes: as the baby potatoes are so small, we only need to slice the larger ones in half. Keep the smaller ones whole.
• Cooking oil: you will see that I do grease the slow cooker insert. I like to do this to ensure that nothing sticks and that the insert will be easier to clean up!
• Flour: I use the flour in the recipe to thicken the sauce. Another alternative is to create a slurry with corn starch (I do this in the Slow Cooker Curried Sausages recipe for reference).
• Love slow cooking? Then you might like to try the Slow Cooker Pork Belly, Slow Cooker Cheese And Bacon Bread, Slow Cooker Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, Slow Cooker French Onion Beef, Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks And Potatoes, or the Slow Cooker Chicken And Corn Soup.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes

If you are looking for further inspiration for the main meal of the day, then I have plenty of ideas for you to explore! Try one or all of the following easy family recipes:

• More slow cooker recipes: Slow Cooker Curried Sausages, Slow Cooker Savoury Mince, Slow Cooker Dahl, Slow Cooker Osso Bucco, Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese.
• More lamb recipes: Greek Leg Of Lamb, Crumbed Lamb Cutlets, Lamb Fried Rice.
• Other proteins: Sticky Pork Rashers, Pork Mince Fried Rice, Thai Minced Pork, Pork Mince Noodles.
• Easy family meals: Savoury Mince Pasta, Tuna And Rice Casserole, Chicken And Rice Tray Bake, Baked Chicken Drumsticks And Rice.
• Noodles and pasta: Chorizo Pasta Bake, Soy Sauce Noodles, Garlic Spaghetti, Chicken Yaki Udon.

It is time to get our slow cooker massaman lamb shanks on my friend! You can also find all of my dinner recipes or slow cooker recipes in the one spot.

Adrianne

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