SWEET & SPICY SLOW COOKER VENISON SHANKS

Delicious slow cooker venison shanks braised with red wine, chilies, herbs, oranges, and dates.

Once shredded off the bone, the versatility of the shank meat is virtually endless. I like to roll the shredded meat inside of filo dough, fry or bake them until crispy. You can reduce the braising liquid until slightly thickened and use it as a glaze or dip. The flavors have a bit of a Middle Eastern flair to them, but pair well with just about any starchy accompaniment, such as rice, pasta, couscous, or sweet potatoes.

Looking for more low and slow dishes? Browse my collection of venison slow cooker recipes. And before you get started, check out my guide on how to cook venison shanks with processing tips.

Tips for Slow Cooking Venison Shanks

Cooking Times:

Cooking times can vary greatly when slow-cooking venison shanks in a crockpot. They can be tender in 8 hours and sometimes up to 12 hours; you need to check on them to get the peak tenderness.

A good rule of thumb is if the shanks aren’t tender when you check them, cook for another hour and repeat as needed. You can also braise the venison shanks in a baking dish in the oven set at 325 degrees F or in a pressure cooker instead of using a slow cooker.

Should You Cut Shanks?

The shanks used for this recipe can be left whole or cut into disks like I do for my venison Osso Buco. Whole shanks will take longer to cook, but the results are similar. I prefer to leave them whole to minimize my time butchering at home.

Searing Venison Shanks:

While this recipe calls for searing the venison shanks before slow-cooking them in the crockpot, it is optional. Skipping the searing step will result in a little loss of flavor, but it will still be a tasty dish. If you have time, after the shanks are cooked, you can brown them under your oven’s broiler instead of searing them beforehand.

More Venison Recipes

Below are some of my most popular recipes. If those aren’t what you’re looking for, take a look at my complete venison recipes guide.

• Slow Cooker Venison Stew
• Slow Cooker Venison Shoulder
• Venison Chops
• Bbq Venison
• Venison Neck Roast
• Ground Venison Recipe Guide

Lastly, if you make this slow-cooker venison shank recipe, be sure to leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out the photos of recipes you’ve made.

SLOW COOKER VENISON SHANKS

Author: Larry White

5 from 19 votes

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Course Main Course

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 hours hrs

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 venison shanks
• ▢ kosher salt
• ▢ ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 to 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• ▢ 1 carrot, peeled and sliced thickly
• ▢ 2 medium onions, quartered
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• ▢ 1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
• ▢ 1 medium orange, quartered
• ▢ 2 cinnamon sticks
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• ▢ 8 pitted dates
• ▢ 3 cups chicken stock
• ▢ 2 cups red wine

Instructions

• Dry the venison shanks off with paper towels and season them with salt and black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the cooking oil. Once the cooking oil is hot and starts to shimmer, add the shanks and deeply down on all sides. Work in batches if needed to prevent the shanks from steaming in the pan.
• Remove the shanks from the pan and place them in the slow cooker. Turn the heat to low and add the red wine to the pan. Using a sturdy spoon or spatula, scrape up any brown bits that are on the bottom of the pan. Once the bottom of the pan appears to be relatively clean, remove from the heat and pour over the shanks. (You can also skip this step and continue to step 3).
• Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, cover and cook on the low setting for around 10 to 12 hours. If you’re nervous they won’t be tender enough, you can cook them for as long as 15 hours without losing much quality in the final dish.

NOTES

Making a Sauce:

After the shanks are cooked, you can make a sauce from the cooking liquid. Strain out 3 to 4 cups of the braising liquid into a pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce it by half of its volume (around 2 cups).

Now is an excellent time to add a few extra pitted dates for sweetness and texture to the final dish. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed. You can also whisk in some melted butter for extra richness to the sauce.

Garnishes:

To spruce things up a bit, you can add orange segments, warm pitted dates, orange zest, and fresh herbs like parsley, mint, or fennel fronds.

 

 

Make this recipe?Mention @Larry__White or tag #WildGameGourmet!