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A Foolproof Approach to Homemade Osso Buco
After college, I worked at a fine-dining Northern Italian restaurant, where osso buco was one of our most beloved signature dishes. To this day, I can’t think of anything more luxurious than fall-apart tender beef shanks served with creamy risotto. 😋
For years, I assumed osso buco was best left to the pros—it felt far too fancy to make at home. But after perfecting a number of braised dishes over the years, I finally decided to give it a try, and let me tell you: it’s so much easier than it seems!
If you’ve been nervous to try making osso buco, this foolproof recipe is for you. The process is very similar to other PWWB reader favorites, like my Red Wine Braised Beef: simple ingredients, straightforward technique, and restaurant-quality results. Anyone can make beef osso buco! 🙌🏼
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What is Osso Buco? A Luxurious Yet Simple Italian Classic
Osso buco, meaning “bone with a hole,” is a classic Italian dish where bone-in shanks—typically veal—are gently braised with vegetables, fresh herbs, and wine. As the shanks cook, the marrow from the bones bastes the meat, creating a luscious, deeply flavorful sauce. A true hallmark of Northern Italian cuisine!
This recipe takes a slightly different approach, swapping veal for beef shanks—a less authentic but more accessible option here in the U.S. Since beef’s heartier flavor stands up to bolder ingredients, you’ll notice a few other tweaks—like red wine and extra tomatoes, which add depth and balance to the dish.
And while saffron-infused risotto alla Milanese is the classic pairing, I love serving beef osso buco with wide-cut ribbons of egg pappardelle, which are perfect for soaking up the rich sauce.
In the end, it’s an approachable dish that delivers stunning results. To make it truly shine, it all starts with sourcing high-quality beef shanks and preparing them properly—let’s dive into how.
Sourcing and Prepping Beef Shanks for Osso Buco
“Osso buco” refers to the cross-section of bone-in shank from the lower leg, a cut prized for the rich marrow at its center. Beef shanks are the foundation of this recipe, and tracking them down is well worth the effort! If they’re not available at your local grocery store, check with a butcher or Italian market—often times, you can call ahead to place a special order.
Can’t find beef shanks? ⇢ No worries! Try my popular Slowly Simmred Short Rib Ragu or Braised Beef Ragu instead. Both recipes use a similar line-up of ingredients and cooking techniques but with cuts of beef that are easier to source at most grocery stores.
Prefer to use veal shanks? ⇢ Go for it! You’ll need to make a few adjustments to this recipe (e.g. swap red wine for white wine, reduce the cooking time, etc.)—check the Recipe Notes, below, for full details.
Once you’ve sourced your shanks, just a few simple prep steps will set you up for beautifully braised, flavorful osso buco: snip, secure, and season.
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Buy Now → How to Make Braised Beef Osso Buco
While it might seem fancy, this braised beef osso buco recipe comes together in just 3 simple steps: browning, deglazing, and simmering. Most of the cooking is entirely hands-off, and the result is absolute magic—tender, flavorful beef in a rich, aromatic sauce that’ll make you feel like a rockstar.
Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add the beef shanks to a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. The meat should sizzle instantly, forming a beautifully browned crust. Flip the shanks every 4-5 minutes to sear all sides—even the skinny edges!—then transfer to a plate and set aside.
Why? ⇢ Thanks to a chemical process called the Maillard reaction, searing deepens the beef’s rich flavor, forming the foundation for the entire dish.
Soffritto—carrots, celery, and onions—is the Italian holy trinity of flavor. Add the vegetables to the pot, cooking for 15-20 minutes until deeply browned—almost caramelized! Then, stir in garlic and tomato paste, and cook another couple of minutes until fragrant.
Why? ⇢ Browning the soffritto leaves flavorful browned bits of fond on the bottom of the pot, which will infuse the osso buco braising liquid with BIG flavor. Resist the urge to rush this step—the result is worth it!
Pour red wine into the pot and scrape up the browned bits of fond using a wooden spoon. Let the wine simmer and reduce, infusing the soffritto with bold flavor.
🍷Best wine to use? ⇢ Opt for a bold, drinkable red, like a medium-bodied Chianti or Merlot. 🚫Prefer not to cook with alcohol? ⇢ Just replace the wine with good-quality beef stock!
Add fresh rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, tomato passata, and beef stock. Nestle the browned beef shanks back into the pot, ensuring they’re almost completely submerged in the braising liquid.
👩🏻🍳Tip! ⇢ Tie the herbs together with kitchen twine for easy removal later.
Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook for about 3 hours, spooning the sauce over the beef shanks every hour to keep them juicy. If the liquid reduces too quickly, add more stock.
Alternate Cooking Methods
I love slowly simmering beef osso buco on the stovetop, but the oven or slow cooker/Crockpot are also excellent for achieving meltingly tender results—while freeing up stove space! Short on time? An electric pressure cooker like the Instant Pot works too, though it’s my least preferred method. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for full instructions.
Serve with Pappardelle and Gremolata
Osso buco is traditionally served with risotto alla Milanese, a creamy saffron-infused risotto. Here in the States, beef osso buco is often paired with mashed potatoes or polenta—but I can never resist the chance to make pasta! 🥰
Wide-cut egg noodles like pappardelle are a gorgeous pairing for beef osso buco. The hearty ribbons are the perfect canvas for the bold braising sauce. My forever go-to is DeLallo’s Egg Pappardelle—it’s made in Italy with farm fresh eggs for beautiful golden color and rich flavor.
The #1 mistake I see home cooks make when preparing a pasta dish is simply plopping sauce on a plate of cooked pasta. Please don’t do this! For restaurant-worthy results, always simmer your al dente pasta with the sauce before serving. To learn more, check out my complete guide for How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time.
Congratulations—you just made Restaurant-Worthy Beef Osso Buco! 👩🏻🍳🧑🏻🍳👨🏻🍳 Luxurious, flavorful, absolutely stunning, and the best part? It was way easier than your dinner guests will ever realize—don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me! 😉
If you give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
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Foolproof Braised Beef Osso Buco (Restaurant-Worthy!)
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Prep Time: 25 minutes -
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Cook Time: 4 hours -
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Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes -
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Yield: serves 4-6 -
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Category: Main Dishes, Pasta Recipes -
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Method: Braised (Stovetop) -
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Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
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Impress everyone with Slowly Braised Beef Osso Buco—a restaurant-worthy classic Italian dish that’s surprisingly easy to make at home! Bone-in beef shanks become meltingly tender as they gently simmer with simple vegetables, fresh herbs, tomatoes, and red wine, creating a rich, bold sauce.
Serve over creamy risotto Milanese for a traditional pairing—or toss with pappardelle pasta for an extra cozy dinner. Perfect for at-home date nights, holiday gatherings, or wintery Sunday suppers!
Check the recipe notes for oven-braised, slow cooker and Instant Pot directions.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds beef osso buco (bone-in beef shank steaks, see Recipe Notes)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 large carrots, peeled as desired and diced
- 2–3 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 4.6 ounces double-concentrate tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 3–4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 10–12 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 cup tomato passata (or 14 ounces crushed tomatoes)
- 1–2 cups low-sodium beef broth/stock or water
- 8.8 ounces pappardelle or pasta of choice
- for serving, as desired: finely grated parmesan cheese, gremolata (below), etc.
for the gremolata:
- ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
Instructions
For the Braised Beef Osso Buco:
- Prep: About 30 minutes – 1 hour before you’d like to begin cooking, pull the beef osso buco from the refrigerator. Use a paper towel to pat all sides of the beef shanks as dry as possible. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, snip through the outer membrane of each osso buco in 4-5 spots around the meat. If desired, wrap kitchen twine around the outside of each osso buco, securing with a tight knot. Season liberally with kosher salt and ground black pepper – a good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of osso buco. Set aside to warm to room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients (chop the soffritto, measure liquid ingredients, etc.).
![An overhead shot of four prepared raw beef shanks atop butcher paper on a textured off-white surface. Small dishes of salt and pepper sit alongside them.]()
- Brown the beef: Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot with lid or Dutch oven (at least 5-qt capacity) over medium-high heat. Once hot and simmering, carefully add the seasoned beef – work in batches, if necessary, to avoid overcrowding the pot. Cook 4-5 minutes per side, until deeply browned – don’t forget to brown the skinnier edges, too! Once seared, transfer to a plate and repeat with any remaining osso buco.
![An overhead shot of two browned bone-in beef shanks in a large white pot atop a textured off-white surface alongside two raw beef shanks on butcher paper.]()
- Brown the soffritto: If needed, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and reduce heat to medium. Add the soffritto vegetables (carrots, celery, and onion). Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the soffritto is deeply browned, 15-20 minutes.
![An overhead shot of softened vegetables with a wooden spoon in a large white pot atop an off-white textured surface.]()
- Cook the aromatics and deglaze: Add the garlic and tomato paste to the pot, stirring to coat the soffritto mixture. Cook 2-3 minutes, until browned and fragrant. Deglaze the pot by slowly pouring in the red wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine is nearly cooked off.
![An overhead shot of browned and deglazed vegetables in a large white pot atop an off-white textured surface.]()
- Build the braised osso buco: Tie the fresh herbs together using kitchen twine (or finely chop if you do not have twine), then add to the pot with the bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, and stock/broth or water (I start with about 1 cup, then add more as needed as the osso buco simmers). Stir to combine well, then nestle the browned beef shanks in the pot.
![An overhead shot of osso buco prepared to braise in a large white pot atop an off-white textured surface.]()
- Braise the osso buco: Bring the pot up to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cover and braise for 3 -3 ½ hours. To ensure an even cook, spoon sauce over the beef shanks every hour or so and add extra stock/broth/water to the pot if the sauce reduces too much. The osso buco is ready when the meat is tender, shredding easily with the twist of a fork.
![An overhead shot of braised osso buco in a large white pot atop an off-white textured surface.]()
![An overhead shot of prepared osso buco garnished with parsley on a white plate atop an off-white textured surface. The plate is surrounded by dishes of parsley, parmesan and pepper, and two glasses of red wine.]()
For the Osso Buco Pasta:
- Boil the pasta: About 20 minutes before the osso buco is ready, begin cooking the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pappardelle. Cook to al dente according to package directions, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once cooked, carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot to reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and set aside. Carefully drain the pasta. Learn more! ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time!
![An overhead shot of cooked pappardelle pasta in a colander over a large pot atop an off-white textured surface.]()
- Prepare the gremolata: Add all listed ingredients to a small bowl. Season with a good pinch of salt. Mix to combine well. Set aside for serving.
![An overhead shot of gremolata being prepared in a large glass bowl atop an off-white textured surface.]()
- Toss the osso buco pasta: Transfer the braised beef shanks to a plate, then add the cooked pasta to the pot with the osso buco sauce. Toss to combine well – the sauce should evenly coat the pasta. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if the sauce needs to loosen up a little; increase the heat if it needs to tighten up a little. Cook 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to meld with and absorb some of the osso buco sauce.
![An overhead shot of a woman's hand using a pair of tongs to toss pappardelle pasta with osso buco sauce in a large white pot atop a textured off-white surface.]()
- Serve: Portion the osso buco pasta into individual pasta bowls, placing a braised beef shank over top. Finish with gremolata and grated parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
![An overhead shot of osso buco served over pasta and garnished with parsley and parmesan in a shallow black bowl atop a textured off-white surface. A second bowl of pasta, small dishes of parmesan and parsley, and a glass of red wine sit alongside it.]()
Notes
Ingredient Notes:
- Beef vs. veal osso buco (Italian for “hole in the bone”) refers to the meaty cross-section of bone-in veal or beef shank. This Northern Italian dish is traditionally prepared with veal osso buco, which is indeed delicious but also a bit more difficult to come by here in the States, which is why I’ve written this recipe for beef osso buco. If veal is accessible to you, feel free to use it in this recipe — just be sure to swap the red wine for white wine and adjust cooking time as needed (delicate veal braises more quickly than hearty beef).
- Sourcing tips and a note on recipe portions: Your Italian market may regularly stock osso buco, but I’ve had the most success special ordering beef osso buco from my local butcher. Four osso buco typically amounts to the four pounds needed for this recipe. Assuming you want a restaurant-style presentation of one bone per serving, the recipe yields four very generous/hearty portions, but it can easily be stretched to serve a crowd of 6-8.
- Osso buco swaps: If you cannot find osso buco, the closest swaps are beef short ribs. For best results, choose meaty ribs with nice marbling. Using bone-in short ribs creates more depth of flavor, though boneless short ribs work just as well in this recipe. If you have trouble finding beef short ribs, feel free to use beef chuck roast instead, slicing the roast into 4-6 hearty pieces.
- Passata is uncooked Italian tomato puree made by running plum tomatoes through a food mill to remove the seeds and stems – a great shortcut ingredient to keep stocked in your pantry! If you cannot find passata, canned crushed tomatoes work well too – you’ll need about ½ of a standard 28-ounce can for this recipe; reserve any remaining for making another sauce, soup/stew, or pizza night.
- Suggested red wine: Use a bold red wine that stands up to the rich flavor of the beef shanks. No need to use the nicest wine here, but it should definitely be drinkable since it provides the base flavor of the braising liquid. I suggest a nice, medium-bodied Chianti or Merlot. If you do not want to cook with alcohol, swap wine for more beef stock, noting that your osso buco sauce may be a little less aromatic than described.
Alternate Cooking Methods:
- Oven-Braised Osso Buco: Prep the recipe according to Steps 1-5, above. Rather than braising on the stovetop, transfer the covered pot to a 325 degree F oven. Braise in the oven for 3 – 3 ½ hours, until the beef shanks are fall-apart tender, then finish the osso buco pasta as described in Pasta Steps 1-4.
- Crockpot / Slow Cooker Osso Buco: Prep the recipe according to Steps 1-4, above*. Transfer the browned beef shanks and deglazed aromatics to the slow cooker. Build the braising liquid as directed in Step 5. Slow cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours, then finish the osso buco pasta as described in Pasta Steps 1-4. (*Note: If your slow cooker has a searing/browning feature, you can use it to cook the entire recipe (Steps 1-6) in the slow cooker.)
- Electric Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot Osso Buco: Use the Instant Pot’s “Sauté” setting to cook the recipe according to Steps 1-5, above. Cover and seal the pressure cooker. Cook on manual high pressure for 40 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before carefully flicking the valve to its “venting” position to vent out any residual pressure. Finish the osso buco pasta as described in Pasta Steps 1-4.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing:
- Osso Buco Pasta Storage and Reheating: Leftover osso buco pasta will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through, adding a splash of stock or water as needed to loosen up the osso buco sauce to your desired texture.
- Make-Ahead Osso Buco Storage and Reheating: Osso buco is the perfect make-ahead recipe because it stores so well – it gets even better as it sits and its flavors meld together! To store, prep the osso buco through Step 6 of Recipe Directions, above. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To serve, reheat the osso buco on the stovetop. Once simmering, finish according to Pasta Steps 1-4.
- Freezer Instructions: Osso buco is also incredibly freezer-friendly. To freeze, transfer the beef shanks and any leftover sauce to a freezer container. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Reheat on the stovetop until warmed through and adjust as needed – if the sauce is a little watery at first, simply allow any residual water simmer out; if it is too thick, simply add in a splash of water or stock until your desired consistency is reached. Once simmering, finish according to Pasta Steps 1-4.
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