This French onion antelope shank recipe pairs the rich, comforting flavors of classic French onion soup with tender, slow-braised antelope meat. The caramelized onions and savory sauce create a luxurious dish that feels both rustic and indulgent. Perfect for a special occasion or when you want to highlight antelope in a unique way, this recipe showcases the beauty of slow cooking and simple, elegant flavors.
Recipe Highlights
Slow-Cooked Perfection: Slow-cooking tough antelope shanks at a low temperature results in fall-off-the-bone tenderness with a luxurious texture and flavor. Recipes like this are a great way to use your shanks instead of tossing them into the grind pile. This recipe may turn shanks into one of your favorite cuts of meat! For alternative ways to use shanks try my venison stew recipe or stout-braised antelope shanks.
Rustic Elegance: A sophisticated yet approachable dish perfect for special dinners or hearty family meals.
Rich Flavor: The tough connective tissues and silver skin in the antelope shank meat melt into silky smooth collagen during the braising process, adding richness to the meat and sauce.
Ingredients
- Antelope Shanks: This recipe uses the whole shank (all 4 of them actually!) from an average-sized antelope (pronghorn). You can use the shanks from any other big game animal, as long as you can fit them in your crock pot. You can also use any other bone-in cut of meat. For an elegant recipe using cross-sections of the shank, check out this elk osso buco recipe.
- Onions: When caramelizing onions, I like to use julienned (cut from root to tip) yellow onions. Cutting them this way ensures they keep their shape during the long cooking process. This is especially important since they will also be braised for a long time in this recipe.
- Other Ingredients: I like to use cream sherry for French onion dishes like French onion soup and French onion meatballs. You can also use red wine or white wine for this recipe. Fresh thyme sprigs and garlic also add key flavor elements to French onion dishes.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
Recommended
Crock Pot
A slow cooker is perfect for fall-apart tender shanks. You can also use a large Dutch oven or for faster cooking you can use a pressure cooker.
How to Make French Onion Antelope Shanks
Most of the hands-on time for this recipe is for caramelizing the onions but I promise the flavor is worth the effort!
- Step 1: Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add butter to the pan and let it melt. Add julienned onions, garlic cloves, and thyme to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and stir to coat.
- Step 2: Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until onions are softened, stirring every 3-5 minutes.
- Step 3: Reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 45 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown. Stir every 3-5 minutes to keep the onions from burning.
- Step 4: While the onions are cooking, prepare the shanks. Pat them dry with a paper towel and season the shanks all over with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned shanks in the bottom of the crock pot. You may have to saw the bones to make sure they fit.
- Step 5: Add sherry to the pan and increase the heat to medium. Bring it to a simmer and simmer until the sherry is mostly absorbed into the onions, about 10 minutes.
- Step 6: Sprinkle flour over the onions and stir to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Step 7: Add 2 cups of stock to the pan and bring it to a simmer.
- Step 8: Turn off the heat and pour the onion mixture over the shanks in the crock pot.
- Step 9: Add the remaining 4 cups of stock to the crock pot or enough liquid to fully cover the shanks. Add bay leaves to the crock pot. You can place the crock pot insert in the fridge overnight or cook it right away.
- Step 10: Turn the crock pot on high for 2-3 hours. Then, turn it down to low and cook for 5-6 hours, or until the shanks are tender and the meat falls off the bones. Remove the shanks to a plate.
- Step 11: If the sauce is not at your desired thickness, pour it into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Step 12: Remove the meat from the bones and discard any connective tissue. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and return it to the crock pot.
- Step 13: Pour the sauce back into the crock pot.
- Step 14: Serve the shredded meat with sauce and onions over mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, etc. Enjoy!
Pro Tip
For the best flavor, take your time caramelizing the onions. A slow, steady cook over low heat brings out their natural sweetness and creates a deep, rich base for the dish. It’s worth the patience!
Storage
Leftover shank meat can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Add a few cups of the braising liquid to the meat to keep it moist. After the meat and sauce cool, it should be fairly solid due to the gelatin. Once it's solid, you can also vacuum seal it and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you love having easy meals on hand in the freezer like me, check out my list of freezer-friendly wild game recipes.
Serving Suggestions
French onion antelope shanks are rich and savory, making them ideal for pairing with sides that complement their deep flavors. Creamy mashed potatoes or polenta with a touch of parmesan work beautifully to soak up the flavorful broth, while a crusty baguette or Dutch oven sourdough bread is perfect for dipping.
For vegetables, roasted vegetables or a light salad with homemade honey mustard dressing are a great pairing. A bold red wine is perfect to pair as well to cut the richness of the dish. Enjoy!

Antelope Shank FAQs
Antelope shanks come from the lower leg portion of the animal and are rich in connective tissue, making them ideal for slow cooking methods like braising.
Yes, venison, elk, lamb, or beef shanks are excellent substitutes you don't have antelope. Other bone-in cuts of meat will work as well! The cooking method remains the same.
Typically I recommend searing meat before braising to enhance the flavor. However, shanks are a difficult shape to sear and they do not need to be seared for this recipe.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment at the bottom of the page! This provides helpful feedback to me and fellow readers. And if you want more delicious wild game recipes, subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
French Onion Antelope Shanks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb antelope shanks (I used 2 front shanks and 2 hind shanks)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 8 cups yellow onions, julienned (cut root to tip; about 5 large onions)
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup cream sherry
- 6 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 6 cups wild game stock, divided (or beef stock)
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add butter to the pan and let it melt.
- Add julienned onions, garlic, and thyme to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until onions are softened, stirring every 3-5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 45 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown. Stir every 3-5 minutes to keep the onions from burning.
- While the onions are cooking, prepare the shanks. Pat them dry with a paper towel and season the shanks all over with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned shanks in the bottom of the crock pot. You may have to saw the bones to make sure they fit.
- Add sherry to the pan and increase the heat to medium. Bring it to a simmer and simmer until the sherry is mostly absorbed into the onions, about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour over the onions and stir to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add 2 cups of stock to the pan and bring it to a simmer. Turn off the heat and pour the onion mixture over the shanks in the crock pot.
- Add the remaining 4 cups of stock to the crock pot. Add more stock if necessary to make sure the shanks are fully submerged. Add bay leaves to the crock pot.
- You can place the crock pot insert in the fridge overnight or cook it right away.
- Turn the crock pot on high for 2-3 hours. Then, turn it down to low and cook for 5-6 hours, or until the shanks are tender and the meat falls off the bones. Remove the shanks to a plate.
- If the sauce is not at your desired thickness, pour it into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Remove the meat from the bones and discard any connective tissue. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and return it to the crock pot. Pour the sauce back into the crock pot.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe uses the whole shank (all 4 of them actually!) from an average-sized antelope (pronghorn). You can use the shanks from any other big game animal, as long as you can fit them in your crock pot. You can also use any other bone-in cut of meat. For an elegant recipe using cross-sections of the shank, check out this elk osso buco recipe.
- When caramelizing onions, I like to use julienned (cut from root to tip) yellow onions. Cutting them this way ensures they keep their shape during the long cooking process. This is especially important since they will also be braised for a long time in this recipe.
- For the best flavor, take your time caramelizing the onions. A slow, steady cook over low heat brings out their natural sweetness and creates a deep, rich base for the dish. It’s worth the patience!
- I like to use cream sherry for French onion dishes like French onion soup and French onion meatballs. You can also use red wine or white wine for this recipe. Fresh thyme sprigs and garlic also add key flavor elements to French onion dishes.
Comments
No Comments