A mouth-wateringly delicious and fork-tender slow cooker osso buco recipe. It’s super simple to make with easy-to-find ingredients. Use whichever meat you have on hand – beef shank, pork or traditional veal. Enjoy with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles!
Recently, during one of our active weekends at the Crumbs’ homestead, I was in the mood to treat my family to something really good – a slow cooker casserole. I wanted it to look “knock-your-socks-off” fancy (like the kind you get at an expensive Italian restaurant) yet seriously easy for me to make.
Enter slow cooker osso buco (also commonly spelled osso bucco and ossobuco – they’re all the same to me!)
This wonderful slow cooker osso buco recipe is so simple that it uses the same ingredients as minestrone soup (using beef broth instead of chicken).
Traditionally, osso buco is made with veal, but I had beef shank on hand (so never mind running out to spend $14.99 a pound on veal while you have beef or pork at home). Use what you have!
The beef shank turned out so well in this dish – what you’ll get is fork-tender beef, carrots, celery, tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs in a rich and delicious gravy. Plus you get to enjoy the healthy and hearty bone marrow that slowly cooks into the gravy. YUM!
Trust me, your family will be begging to have slow cooker osso buco for lunch the next day!
Easy Osso Buco Recipe Ingredients
- olive oil
- beef shank (or pork, or veal)
- salt
- ground black pepper
- onion
- celery
- carrots (mix and match veggies – whatever you have on hand works!)
- cloves
- tomato paste (freeze ahead of time)
- crushed tomatoes
- beef broth
- fresh rosemary
- fresh thyme
- chopped fresh parsley, optional for garnish
See recipe card below for complete ingredient measurements
How To Make Italian Osso Buco
Step 1. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet (I love my cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Season the beef shanks (or pork, or beef) with salt and sear on all four sides until they’re nicely browned but not cooked through. No time to sear? See recipe notes for a tip!
Step 2. Place your seared beef shanks (or pork, or veal) in your slow cooker insert.
Step 3. Add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, black pepper, rosemary and thyme. Mix by stirring.
Step 4. Cover your slow cooker and set to high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Once cooked and ready to serve, discard sprigs of thyme and rosemary.
Note: If desired, garnish with freshly chopped parsley before serving.
Slow Cooker Osso Bucco Recipe Notes
- Use beef shank, pork or traditional veal for this recipe – whatever meat you have on hand.
- No carrots? No problem. Whatever veggies you have on hand, green peppers for example, also go well with the onions, tomatoes and celery.
- If you are short on time, you can always skip the searing step and go right to the slow cooker. Of course, the searing step deepens the flavor and locks in the juices, but it’s not a deal-breaker if you need to skip this step. Your dish will still be delicious!
What to Serve Ossobuco With?
Try serving osso buco with mashed potatoes, Instant Pot rice, or any noodle of your choice!
FAQs for Slow Cooker Osso Buco
What is the best cut of meat for osso bucco?
The best cut of meat to use for an osso buco (osso bucco or ossobuco) dish is shanks. Although veal is traditionally used, this slow cooker recipe works really well with whatever meat shanks you have on hand – pork, beef or veal.
Why is my osso bucco tough?
Osso bucco (osso buco) is best when you slow cook it for a long time. I really love to cook it for 8 hours on low. The minimum time to cook, for fork-tender meat, it in my opinion is 4 hours on high.
Do you eat the marrow in osso buco?
Some people might want to take the marrow out before cooking, but I would definitely recommend you leave it in to slow cook in the gravy. Osso buco is so flavorful and savory (and healthy) when it is cooked with the bone marrow.
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
- Perfectly tender slow cooker ribs
- Slow cooker beef stew
- Beef stroganoff
- Balsamic beef pot roast
- Slow cooker chicken shawarma
- Slow cooker pumpkin chili
- Classic slow cooker pot roast
30 Minute Dinners Sample Meal Plan
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A mouth-wateringly delicious and fork-tender slow cooker osso buco recipe. It’s super simple to make with easy-to-find ingredients. Use whichever meat you have on hand – beef shank, pork or traditional veal. Enjoy with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4- 8 Hours
- Total Time: 4- 8 Hours + 10 minutes prep
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Main meals
- Method: Slow cooker / crock pot
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 beef shanks (or pork, or veal), 1 1/4 inches thick (2 pounds total)
- 1 tsp salt
- ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup chopped onion
- ⅓ cup chopped celery
- ⅓ cup chopped carrots
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste (freeze ahead of time)
- 1 ¼ cups canned crushed tomatoes
- ¾ cup beef broth
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet (I love my cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Season the beef shanks (or pork, or veal) with salt and sear on all four sides until they’re nicely browned but not cooked through. No time to sear? See recipe notes for a tip!
- Place your seared beef shanks (or pork, or veal) in your slow cooker insert.
- Add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, black pepper, rosemary and thyme (if you are not searing your meat, add your salt here too). Mix by stirring.
- Cover your slow cooker and set to high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Once cooked and ready to serve, discard sprigs of rosemary and thyme.
- Note: If desired, garnish with freshly chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
Use beef shank, pork or traditional veal for this recipe – whatever meat you have on hand.
No carrots? No problem. Whatever veggies you have on hand, green peppers for example, also go well with the onions, tomatoes and celery.
If you are short on time, you can always skip the searing step and go right to the slow cooker. Of course, the searing step deepens the flavor and locks in the juices, but it’s not a deal-breaker if you need to skip this step. Your dish will still be delicious!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 296
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I would love to know if anyone has tried a pressure cooker version of this! I don’t have a slow cooker anymore.