Beef shank is one of the best-kept secrets at the butcher — cheap, flavourful, and absolutely incredible when you give it the sous vide treatment. Perfect for a lazy weekend cook, a dinner party where you want to impress without the stress, or any time you want a proper comfort food feast. Eighteen hours in a water bath transforms it into something rich, sticky, and fall-off-the-bone tender. Minimal effort, maximum payoff.
Table of contents
Easy Sous Vide Beef Shanks
These shanks are packed with collagen that slowly melts into rich gelatin when cooked low and slow, and sous vide is the perfect method for it. Cook at 175°F for 18 hours for fall-off-the-bone tenderness, or go 135°F for 48 hours if you want more of a steak-like texture with real bite. A quick blast in a hot oven crisps the outside and you’re done.
Step To Sous Vide Your Beef Shank
Step 1: Prepare Your Shank
Make sure you trim the tendon from the bottom of the shank. Then give it a rub with your seasoning to tenderize it, then create your marinade. Combine soy sauce, olive oil, a dash of wasabi, lime juice, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper. Note, if you’re using steak, you can sous vide it from frozen.
Step 2: Prepare Your Sous Vide
Fill your pot with water, attach your sous vide, and set the temperature. For a fall-off-the-bone texture, set it at 175°F and to achieve a texture like a steak, set it to 136°F
Step 3: Vacuum Seal The Shanks
Place the meat in a vacuum-sealed bag with the marinade and seal it shut. (While you can use a glass jar, they are more suited to desserts or cooking grains.)
Step 4: Cook Your Shanks
Place the sealed bags in the water and clip the bag to the side of the pot. If you’re going for steak texture, you want to cook for 48 hours at 135°, and if you’re going for the fall off the bone texture, 18 hours at 175°F
Step 5: Preheat Your Oven
Place your oven on its highest setting
Step 6: Remove The Meat
Take your meat out of the water bath and remove it from the bag and pat dry.
Step 7: Roast Your Shank
Place the beef shank on a tray and roast for 18-25 minutes. Then remove it, let its rest for 10-15 minutes, and serve.
Sous Vide Beef Shank Time and Temperature Guide
The two paths in this recipe produce very different results. Amazing Food Made Easy’s beef shank guide notes that shank is such a tough cut that temperature choice fundamentally changes the eating experience — a lower, longer cook produces something steak-like while a higher temperature delivers the braise-style tenderness most people expect from shank.
| Goal | Temp | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall-off-the-bone | 175°F | 18 hours | Tender, braised texture — meat releases from bone |
| Steak-like | 135°F | 48 hours | More bite, holds together when sliced |
| Osso buco style | 175°F | 24 hours | Deepest collagen breakdown, richest gelatin |
More Sous Vide Recipes
Sous Vide Beef Shank
Equipment
- sous vide
Ingredients
- 4 whole beef shanks
Marinade
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp wasabi
- sea salt
- cracked pepper
Instructions
- Make sure you trim the tendon from the bottom of the shank. Then give it a rub with your seasoning to tenderize it, then create your marinade. Combine soy sauce, olive oil, a dash of wasabi, lime juice, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Fill your pot with water and attach your sous vide, then set your temperature. For a fall off the bone, texture set it at 175°F and to achieve a texture like a steak, set it to 136°F
- Place meat in a vacuum-sealed bag with the marinade and seal shut. (While you can use a glass jar, they are more suited to desserts or cooking grains.)
- Place the sealed bags in the water and clip the bag to the side of the pot. If you’re going for steak texture, you want to cook for 48 hours at 135° and if you’re going for the fall off the bone texture 18 hours at 175°F
- Place your oven on its highest setting
- Take your meat out of the water bath and remove it from the bag and pat dry.
- Place the beef shank on a tray and roast for 18-25 minutes. Then remove it, let its rest for 10-15 minutes, and serve.
Smoke On!
Charlie
Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).
I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!
You can read more about me on our About Us page.
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