Sous Vide Osso Buco (Beef Shank) Recipe — Tender, Melt-in-Your-Mouth

My sous vide osso buco turns out fall-off-the-bone tender and is easier than you might expect. When you want a restaurant-quality Italian meal at home, this osso buco sous vide recipe delivers. Below you’ll find clear guidance on how long to cook osso buco using a sous vide immersion setup or a Ninja Foodi, plus tips for sous vide beef shank preparation, serving ideas, and nutrition information. This sous vide beef shank makes a satisfying, high-protein Sunday dinner.

Sous vide cooks food sealed in a bag in a precisely temperature-controlled water bath. If you don’t own a vacuum sealer, a zip-top freezer bag with the air pressed out works fine. Sous vide temperatures are well below boiling and rely on long cook times to transform tougher cuts into tender, flavorful results—making braising candidates like osso buco ideal for this method.

If you’ve been intimidated by sous vide, this recipe is approachable. Follow the step-by-step instructions to make tender sous vide beef shanks. You’ll be surprised at how straightforward a restaurant-quality beef osso buco sous vide can be.

Essential equipment:

• Sous vide immersion circulator (or Ninja Foodi with sous vide function)
• Gallon-size zip-top freezer bag or food-safe vacuum-seal bag
• Skillet for browning and softening vegetables
• Sharp knife and a whisk

If you prefer to avoid cooking in plastic, vacuum-sealed bags are an alternative, but quality food-grade bags are safe for normal sous vide temperatures. If you’re using a sous vide cooker, you’ll want a separate skillet to brown the meat and cook the aromatics before sealing.

Finely dice the onion, carrot, and celery into roughly ¼-inch pieces so they soften quickly. Mince the garlic.

Dredge the shanks lightly in flour to help with browning. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet or the Ninja Foodi on high sauté, then brown the shanks 3–5 minutes per side until nicely seared. Remove the shanks and set aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and add the diced carrot, celery, and onion. Cook 2–3 minutes to soften—do not brown.

Stir in tomato paste, wine, stock, rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Cook 2–3 minutes to combine and reduce slightly. Transfer the sauce to a bowl to cool while you prepare the sous vide bath; clean the Foodi if you used it for sautéing.

How long and at what temperature? Sous vide the beef shanks for 24 hours at 175°F (79.4°C). This timing and temperature produce tender, shreddable shanks. Veal shanks are more delicate and may require a shorter cook time.

After 24 hours, remove the shanks carefully and let them rest 5–10 minutes. Pour the bagged sauce into a skillet or cleaned Ninja Foodi, sprinkle in xanthan gum, and whisk to thicken. The sauce will thicken within 3–5 minutes on high sauté.

❓ Osso buco internal temperature?

The safe minimum internal temperature for beef, pork, lamb, or veal is 145°F (63°C). With sous vide’s long cooking time you should reach and maintain safe temperatures throughout the meat, but you can verify doneness with a thermometer if desired.

🌡️ Reheating Osso Bucco

Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Reheat in the microwave on high for 2–3 minutes, or warm gently on the stovetop; keep the sauce separate if you prefer and reheat it before serving. For longer storage, freeze the meat and sauce in freezer bags with the air removed.

😋 What to serve with osso buco?

Traditional accompaniments include creamy polenta or risotto alla Milanese. Other good options:

• Mashed potatoes
• Pasta
• Cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option

Also add a green vegetable—steamed green beans, sautéed spinach, broccoli, or braised kale work nicely and balance the rich meat and sauce.

• 2 beef shanks 10–12 ounces (283–340 g) each
• salt and pepper
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ¼ small onion
• ⅓ medium carrot
• ½ stalk celery
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• ⅓ cup red wine
• 1 cup chicken or beef stock
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
• lemon zest (optional)

• 1. Dice the onion, carrot, and celery into ¼-inch pieces and mince the garlic.
• 2. Pat shanks dry, season with salt and pepper, optionally snip the membrane, and tie with twine if desired.
• 3. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
• 4. Brown shanks in 1 tablespoon oil, 3–5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
• 5. Sauté vegetables in the remaining tablespoon oil until softened, 2–3 minutes. Add tomato paste, wine, stock, herbs, and garlic; cook 2–3 minutes. Cool the sauce.
• 6. Heat the sous vide bath to 175°F (79.4°C).
• 7. Place shanks and cooled sauce in a gallon bag or vacuum bag. Remove air using the water displacement method or a vacuum sealer, then fully submerge.
• 8. Sous vide beef shanks 24 hours at 175°F (79.4°C). Veal may need less time.
• 9. Remove shanks, let rest 5–10 minutes. Heat sauce, whisk in xanthan gum to thicken (3–5 minutes).
• 10. Make gremolata (parsley + lemon zest) and finish the dish: plate shanks, spoon sauce, and sprinkle gremolata.

💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule

This recipe makes a generous, comforting main—great for special occasions. Beef shanks provide high-quality protein and iron; swap flour for a gluten-free or low-carb alternative if needed. Nutrition info below refers to one beef shank with sauce.

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FAQs

How to make an osso buco pressure cooker recipe?

You can adapt many braising recipes for a pressure cooker. If using frozen osso buco, skip the browning step and plan for longer simmering if using a stovetop braise.