Osso Buco With Gremolata & Risotto
May 18, 2025
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If there’s one dish that feels like a warm hug from Nonna, it’s Osso Buco with gremolata and risotto. This iconic Milanese recipe is pure comfort. It has fall-apart tender veal or beef shanks slow-cooked in a rich tomato and red wine sauce, nestled into a golden bed of saffron risotto. And just when you think it couldn’t get any better, along comes the gremolata of fresh herbs, garlic and lemon to cut through the richness and wake everything up.
Love slow cooked comfort foods? Then you will love my beef short rib ragu or slow cooked lamb souvlaki!
If you’re after a dish that tastes like it’s come straight from Nonna’s kitchen, this is it. Osso Buco with gremolata and saffron risotto is pure comfort food. It’s the kind of meal that warms you from the inside out. The veal or beef is slow cooked until it’s fall apart tender, resting in a silky and rich tomato and white wine sauce that’s been simmered slowly to bring out every bit of flavour. And just when you think it can’t get any better, the gremolata comes in with fresh parsley, lemon zest and garlic to cut through the richness and add the perfect zesty finish.
Now I’m not going to lie to you. This dish is a labour of love. It takes time and patience but the end result is more than worth it. It’s the kind of recipe that fills your home with the most incredible smells and has everyone wandering into the kitchen asking what’s for dinner.
Whether you’re cooking it for a cozy Sunday meal, a dinner party or just because you feel like spoiling yourself, this is one of those dishes that turns an everyday dinner into something truly special.
Ingredients needed
This dish might look fancy, but the ingredients are beautifully simple and classic. Everything works together to create rich, deep flavour with a fresh burst at the end thanks to the gremolata. While there are a few components, each one plays an important role in building that comforting, slow-cooked magic.
- Veal or beef shanks: This is the traditional cut used in Osso Buco and gives the dish its signature tenderness and flavour. The marrow in the bone melts into the sauce, adding richness. If veal is hard to find, beef shin or even thick-cut beef osso buco cuts are a great substitute and still deliver that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Red wine: Used to deglaze the pan and build the base of the sauce. It adds depth and richness. You don’t need anything fancy, but make sure it’s something you’d enjoy drinking too. A dry red such as Pinot Noir will work well here.
- Beef stock: A good quality beef stock is essential for giving the sauce a deep, savoury backbone. It helps the flavours develop as the meat slowly braises and ties the whole dish together.
- Herbs: Bay leaves and thyme are the herbs of choice here—they slowly infuse the sauce with a subtle earthy aroma that ties everything together.
- Saffron risotto: I take you through a step by step detailed recipe on how to make this!
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations & Modifications
Osso Buco is a traditional dish, but there’s always room to make it your own. Whether you're adjusting for what you have on hand or making it work for dietary preferences, here are some simple swaps and tweaks.
- Swap Veal for Beef or Lamb: Veal shanks are traditional, but they’re not always easy to find. Beef shin or beef osso buco cuts are fantastic substitutes and still give that melt-in-your-mouth result. Lamb shanks will give the dish a slightly different flavour but still work beautifully.
- Use White Wine Instead of Red: While red wine gives the sauce depth and richness, you can also use a dry white wine for a lighter, slightly brighter flavour. It pairs really well with the gremolata.
- Make It Gluten-Free: This recipe traditionally uses a light dusting of flour on the shanks before searing. It helps create a golden crust and slightly thickens the sauce as it cooks. That said, you can absolutely skip the flour or swap it for a gluten-free alternative like rice flour or cornstarch. It won’t affect the flavour—just the final texture of the sauce slightly.
- Serve With Polenta or Mashed Potatoes: While saffron risotto is the traditional side, creamy polenta or a bed of buttery mashed potatoes are just as perfect to soak up that beautiful sauce.
how To Make Osso Buco With Gremolata & Risotto
Don’t be intimidated—Osso Buco is much simpler than it looks. I’ll walk you through it step by step, from searing the shanks to building that rich sauce and finishing with a bright gremolata. And everything you need to know about how to make the saffron risotto can be found on a seperate post!
Step 1: Tie veal shanks with string and season with salt and pepper on both side.
Step 2: Coat both sides with flour. Tapping off any excess flour.
Step 3: Fry both sides of veal until fgolden and brown.
Step 4: Cook carrots, celery, onion and garlic until softened and sweetened.
Step 5: Add the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes or until deep red. Deglaze the pot with the red wine. Add the meat back into the pot and cover with beef stock. Add the bay leave and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bake in the oven for 2.5 - 3 hours.
Step 6: Carefully remove the osso buco and garlic from the pot. Through a fine mesh strainer placed over a bowl, strain the sauce. Transfer the sauce to a large frypan. Squeeze out the garlic cloves into the sauce and stir through. Add the butter and stir through. Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce has slightly thickened and is silky and smooth. Return the meat to the sauce and baste.
Step 7: Add all ingredients for the gremolata into a bowl and mix until well combined.
Step 8: Serve osso buco on a bed of saffron risotto and with the gremolata spooned over the top.
Expert Tips
- Tie the shanks with kitchen twine: This helps the meat hold its shape and prevents it from curling during the long, slow braise. It also makes for a neater presentation.
- Make shallow cuts in the meat: If you don’t have twine, use a sharp knife to make 2–3 small slices through the connective tissue around the edge of the shanks. This also helps stop them from curling as they cook.
- Sear the meat properly: Take the time to get a deep, golden crust on the meat before braising. This adds so much flavour to the final dish and helps build a richer sauce. Don’t overcrowd the pan—work in batches if needed.
- Strain the sauce for a silky finish: For a more refined version, you can strain the sauce after braising to remove the vegetables and herbs, leaving you with a smooth, glossy finish. This isn’t how Nonna would make it—but if you’re going for something a little more restaurant-style, it’s a great extra step. Totally optional, so skip it if you prefer a more rustic feel.
FAQ's for Osso Buco
Osso Buco is a traditional Italian dish made with cross-cut veal shanks that are braised slowly in a sauce of wine, stock, tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery and herbs. It’s typically finished with gremolata and served with saffron risotto.
Yes, absolutely. While veal is the traditional cut, beef shin or beef osso buco cuts work just as well and are often easier to find. The result will still be tender, rich and full of flavour.
Flouring the meat before searing helps create a golden crust and slightly thickens the sauce. However, it’s completely optional. You can skip it or use a gluten-free flour alternative like rice flour or cornstarch if needed.
Gremolata is a fresh topping made from finely chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest. It’s sprinkled over the Osso Buco just before serving to add brightness and balance out the richness of the braised meat.
A dry red wine such as Chianti, Sangiovese or Pinot Noir works beautifully in Osso Buco. You can also use dry white wine if you prefer a lighter flavour.
The classic pairing is saffron risotto (risotto alla Milanese), but you can also serve it with creamy polenta, mashed potatoes or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Yes, Osso Buco works beautifully in both. For the slow cooker, sear the meat and sauté the vegetables first, then transfer everything to the cooker and braise on low for 6–8 hours. For a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, follow the same searing steps, then cook on high pressure for about 45–50 minutes with a natural release. Both methods will give you tender meat and a rich, flavourful sauce with less hands-on time.
Serve
Osso Buco is best served warm and straight from the pot, when the meat is meltingly tender and the sauce is rich and velvety. The traditional way to enjoy it is over a bed of creamy saffron risotto, which soaks up all that beautiful sauce and adds a touch of elegance. But it’s just as delicious served with buttery mashed potatoes, soft polenta or even a slice of crusty bread for mopping up every last drop. Don’t forget the gremolata on top—it adds a fresh, zesty kick that ties everything together perfectly.
Store
Osso Buco stores beautifully and often tastes even better the next day as the flavours continue to develop. Let it cool completely, then transfer the meat and sauce to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months. When reheating, gently warm it on the stovetop over low heat until the sauce is bubbling and the meat is heated through. If the sauce has thickened too much, just add a splash of stock or water to loosen it.
Gremolata can also be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The flavours of the lemon zest, garlic and parsley will continue to develop, making it even more vibrant the next day. Give it a little stir before serving, and you're good to go.
More comfort food to love
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Osso Buco With Gremolata & Risotto
Ingredients
Osso Buco
- 5 veal or beef osso buco, 300g / 10oz each
- 1 cup flour, white all purpose
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 brown onions, sliced
- 1 garlic bulb, top sliced off
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- 4 oz tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 4 cups beef stock
- 4 bay leaves
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 3 tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper
Gremolata
- 1 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced or grated
- 1 cup olive oil, extra virgin
- salt and pepper
Saffron Risotto
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1 cup white wine
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- 3 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Osso Buco
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 320°F / 160°C
- Prep meat: Tightly tie butchers string around the shanks. Season both sides of the shanks with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Lay the flour onto a baking tray and coat both sides of the shanks in flour, tapping off any excess flour.
- Cook meat: In a large heavy based pot, that is also oven safe, on a medium - high heat, bring the olive oil to heat. Sear each side of the veal for 2 - 3 minutes or until golden and brown. Remove from the pot.
- Cook aromatics & bake: Turn the heat to low - medium. In the same pan, add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic bulb and cook for 8 - 10 minutes or until softened and sweet. Turn the heat to high and add the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes or until deep red and almost sticking to the bottom of the pan. Deglaze the pot with the red wine and cook for 2 minutes or until most of the wine has been absorbed by the vegetables. Turn the heat to medium. Add the meat back into the pot and cover with beef stock. Add the bay leave and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bake in the oven for 2.5 - 3 hours or until the beef is tender and falling a part.
- Finish sauce: Carefully remove the osso buco and garlic from the pot. They will be super tender and may fall a part if not handled gently! Place them onto a plate. Through a fine mesh strainer placed over a bowl, strain the sauce. Transfer the sauce to a large frypan. On a medium heat, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Squeeze out the garlic cloves into the sauce and stir through. Add the butter and stir through. Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce has slightly thickened and is silky and smooth. Turn the heat to low.
- Baste: Return the osso buco to the sauce and baste with the sauce for several minutes.
- Serve: Serve immediately on a bed of saffron risotto and with the gremolata spooned over the top.
Saffron Risotto
- Fry aromatics: In a large fry pan on a medium heat, bring the olive oil to heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 2 minutes or until softened and fragrant.
- Toast rice: Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes or until the rice turns opaque. Add in the wine and keep stirring with the rice until all of the wine has been absorbed by the rice.
- Add stock: Reduce the heat to medium. One cup at a time, add in the chicken stock and stir through until all the stock is absorbed. Repeat this step 5 more times until you have used up all of your stock. Your rice will start to become plump as it continues to cook and absorb the stock. It should take roughly 25 minutes to cook. When you have added your last cup of stock you want only 80% of the liquid to be absorbed.
- Saffron: Add the saffron threads to the rice and stir through until the rice turns a rich yellow colour.
- Butter and cheese: Turn the heat off and stir through the butter and cheese until you have a silky and glossy texture. Season with salt and pepper.
Gremolata
- Combine: Add all ingredients into a large bowl and stir through until well combined. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Notes
-
- Tie the shanks with kitchen twine: This helps the meat hold its shape and prevents it from curling during the long, slow braise. It also makes for a neater presentation.
-
- Make shallow cuts in the meat: If you don’t have twine, use a sharp knife to make 2–3 small slices through the connective tissue around the edge of the shanks. This also helps stop them from curling as they cook.
-
- Sear the meat properly: Take the time to get a deep, golden crust on the meat before braising. This adds so much flavour to the final dish and helps build a richer sauce. Don’t overcrowd the pan—work in batches if needed.
-
- Strain the sauce for a silky finish: For a more refined version, you can strain the sauce after braising to remove the vegetables and herbs, leaving you with a smooth, glossy finish. This isn’t how Nonna would make it—but if you’re going for something a little more restaurant-style, it’s a great extra step. Totally optional, so skip it if you prefer a more rustic feel.
- Veal or beef: Veal shanks are traditional, but they’re not always easy to find. Beef shin or beef osso buco cuts are fantastic substitutes and still give that melt-in-your-mouth result.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Cozy and comforting!!! My family and I adore this recipe. Thanks!
This is truly a beautiful comfort dish! I make this on special occasions as it feels so special. So delicious!!