Slow Cooker Osso Bucco
This Slow Cooker Osso Buco is a simple yet elegant Italian recipe made with veal shanks braised in white wine, tomatoes, and herbs until they fall apart. Traditionally, Osso Bucco is cooked on the stovetop and simmered for hours, but our slow-cooker version makes the process stress-free. It’s a comforting Italian dinner you can make ahead of time and serve when you want to impress your family and friends.
If you’ve never had osso bucco, you’re in for a treat. I first had the traditional braised veal shanks in Italy, and it was a meal to remember. The shanks are seared first and then braised at a low temperature for many hours until the meat is buttery tender and falling off the bone.
I made the recipe at home for the first time a couple of years ago, simmering the shanks on the stove. Since then, I’ve revised the recipe to use the slow cooker for braising. This makes it truly hands-free, allowing me to go about my day and come home to the most decadent meal.
When it comes to entertaining, this crock pot osso bucco is one dish that’s ready to impress. And thanks to the slow cooker method, you can make other side dishes or actually enjoy your dinner party without spending the whole night in the kitchen. If you love comforting Italian food, be sure to also try our viral Ricotta Meatballs or Steak Pizzaiola.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Perfect recipe for entertaining. This is an impressive dish, but made so easy since you are using the slow cooker to do the work for you.
- Make ahead for a weeknight meal or holiday occasion. This slow cooker osso buco is great to make even a day in advance because the flavors meld together. It also reheats beautifully.
- Restaurant-quality recipe right at home. We always thought osso bucco was too difficult to make in our own kitchen, but with this simple method, it’s approachable and easy.
Jenn’s Tip: If you are making this for dinner, it’s the perfect dish to prep in the morning before you go about your day. The slow cooker needs 8 hours to really make these veal shanks tender, so it’s the ideal no-stress entertaining recipe. Plus, it makes your house smell so good too.
What is Osso Bucco?
This is a traditional Italian recipe that’s made from beef or veal shanks. They are usually seared and then braised on the stovetop, but in our recipe we make it hands-free by using the slow cooker for the braising part of the recipe.
Osso bucco originated in the Lombardy region of Italy, around Milan, and is known for being a fancier recipe you’ll often find at a nice Italian restaurant.
Ingredients
- Veal shanks: You want your veal shanks to be about 1½ inches thick (3½ to 3¾ pounds total). It’s best to visit your local butcher to make sure they are high quality and cut to the correct size.
- Kosher salt: The key to any great meat dish is to season well with salt.
- All-purpose flour: This is an optional step of dredging the shanks lightly before searing to make an extra deep golden crust. The flour also helps to slightly thicken the sauce later. But you can also skip this step.
- Olive oil: Fat for searing the shanks.
- Butter: The second fat used for searing, but also adds richness to the sauce.
- Carrot, onion, and celery: This is called mirepoix in classic Italian cooking and is the vegetable combination that is sauteed to add lots of flavor.
- Garlic: Infuses every bite with rich garlic goodness.
- Tomato paste: Adds rich concentrated tomato flavor and caramelizes nicely in the sauce.
- Canned crushed or Italian plum tomatoes: Helps to make the broth and add nice, bright tomato notes.
- Dry white wine: Use a wine you would drink, this adds depth to the sauce.
- Beef stock or broth: The base of the sauce that adds that comforting and decadent flavor.
- Fresh thyme sprigs: Fresh is best, but if you are in a pinch, dried thyme works well too.
- Bay leaves: Add warm flavor to the sauce.
For the Breadcrumb Gremolata:
- Panko breadcrumbs: The base of this gremolata, we like using panko since it has more texture than regular breadcrumbs.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: The fat for toasting the breadcrumbs until golden brown.
- Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley: Fresh herb flavor in every bite.
- Lemon zest: Adds brightness to the gremolata.
- Small garlic clove: We love adding garlic to everything, even the breadcrumbs.
How to Make Slow Cooker Osso Bucco
- Bring the veal to room temperature 30–45 minutes before cooking. Pat dry with paper towels so it browns evenly.
- Season the shanks with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
- Heat 3-4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter (about ¼ cup total) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the veal shanks on both sides, 3–4 minutes per side, until golden. Work in batches if needed to avoid crowding. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- For an easier prep, pulse the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic together in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the mixture to the same skillet. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.
- Pour in the white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the pan. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes. Pour everything into the slow cooker over the veal.
- Add the beef stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours, until the meat is tender and beginning to fall off the bone.
- Taste the sauce about two-thirds of the way through and again at the end, adding more salt as needed. Remove bay leaves. If the sauce is thin, transfer it to a saucepan and simmer 5–10 minutes to thicken slightly.
For the Breadcrumb Gremolata:
- Heat 1–2 teaspoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toast, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool slightly. Stir in parsley, lemon zest, and garlic clove. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to combine.
- Spoon the sauce over each veal shank and top with breadcrumb gremolata. Serve with mashed potatoes, risotto, or creamy polenta.
Expert Tips
- Sear the meat and cook the vegetables before adding into the slow cooker. This gives you that restaurant-style flavor right at home with minimal work. Searing the veal shanks first adds so much flavor to the meat before they braise.
- If your sauce is too thin after cooking, you can place it into a saucepan on the stove and allow it to simmer and reduce slightly until thickened. Classic osso bucco sauce doesn’t need to be thick, it’s usually thinner in consistency.
- Serve the slow cooker osso bucco over mashed potatoes, risotto, or polenta. The rich sauce is delicious spooned over the top.
- Cook low and slow. For a tender, melt in your mouth texture, cook on low for 7–8 hours. This allows the collagen in the veal shanks to break down slowly. You can cook on high for about 4 hours if you’re short on time, but the texture will be slightly firmer.
- Buy high-quality veal shanks. Ask your butcher for fresh, center-cut veal shanks about 1½ inches thick. A good butcher will cut them to order, which makes a noticeable difference in tenderness and flavor. Thicker shanks take longer to break down, making them perfect for the slow cooker.
- Don’t skip patting the veal dry. Before browning, make sure the meat is completely dry using paper towels. This helps it get a nice, deep golden sear and adds lots of flavor to the sauce.
- Chop your vegetables using the food processor. For a quick prep, pulse the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic together in a food processor until finely chopped. It saves time and keeps everything the same size for even cooking.
Storage
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.
Freezing is a good option as well. Crockpot osso bucco can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
This is a great dish to make in advance since it reheats beautifully. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce if needed.
FAQs
Yes, just make sure you sear the veal shanks on the stovetop as well as cook the vegetables. You’ll use the slow cooker to braise the meat for many hours at a low temperature until it falls off the bone.
You want to cook it at a low temperature for a long amount of time. In the slow cooker it’s best on low heat for 7 to 8 hours, making it great for meal prep or stress-free entertaining.
The classic recipe uses veal shanks. You can get these from your local butcher, be sure they are similar size and thick, if possible, since they will yield the best result.
More Comforting Italian Recipes
- Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
- Meatballs with Ricotta Cheese
- Steak Pizzaiola Recipe
- Pumpkin Risotto Recipe
Slow Cooker Osso Buco
Equipment
- slow cooker (6 quart) 6 quart
- large skillet or sautee pan
- Food processor optional
Ingredients
- 4 veal shanks about 1½ inches thick (3½ to 3¾ pounds total)
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ cups canned crushed or Italian plum tomatoes
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1½ cups beef stock or broth
- 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
For the Breadcrumb Gremolata
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ½ small garlic clove finely minced (about ¼ teaspoon)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring the veal to room temperature 30–45 minutes before cooking. Pat dry with paper towels so it browns evenly.
- Season the shanks with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
- Heat 3-4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter (about ¼ cup total) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the veal shanks on both sides, 3–4 minutes per side, until golden. Work in batches if needed to avoid crowding. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- For an easier prep, pulse the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic together in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the mixture to the same skillet. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.
- Pour in the white wine, scraping up the browned bits from the pan. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes. Pour everything into the slow cooker over the veal.
- Add the beef stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours, until the meat is tender and beginning to fall off the bone.
- Taste the sauce about two-thirds of the way through and again at the end, adding more salt as needed. Remove bay leaves. If the sauce is thin, transfer it to a saucepan and simmer 5–10 minutes to thicken slightly.
For the Breadcrumb Gremolata
- Heat 1–2 teaspoons olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toast, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool slightly. Stir in parsley, lemon zest, and garlic clove. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to combine.
- Spoon the sauce over each veal shank and top with breadcrumb gremolata. Serve with mashed potatoes, risotto, or creamy polenta.
can yo recommend another cut of meat to use other than veal
Hi Lucille,
Great question! I’ve only tested this recipe with veal shanks, but you could try a similar slow-braising cut like bone-in short ribs. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the cooking time, so I’d use the recipe as a guide and cook until the meat is soft and falling off the bone. If you do try it with short ribs, I’d love to hear how it turns out for you!