Oxtail Stew
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This rich Oxtail Stew recipe features tender meat braised in a rich and flavorful gravy. Made with incredibly straightforward step-by-step instructions, this is a recipe you will master for your first try even if it’s you’re first time working with oxtail.
The Best Oxtail Stew Recipe
Oh, oxtail stew! This is a favorite that many people haven’t had the pleasure of tasting. Oxtail meat isn’t easily found in North American grocery stores. Whenever I see it out in my travels, I always grab some even if they weren’t on my weekly dinner list. However, most butcher shops will carry it.
This stew is braised low and slow right on your stovetop with fresh ingredients and rich flavors. I guarantee your whole family will be oxtail superfans after giving this recipe a try!
What Are Oxtails?
This ingredient isn’t incredibly popular in North America, but it should be! They’re quite literally just cattle tails cut into small pieces. You’ll typically see oxtails braised low and slow. With this cooking preparation, they become incredibly tender, very similar to short ribs.
So if you like short ribs, you’ll love oxtail! The flavor is rich, beefy, and they’ll soak up any flavors you cook them down with. Truly a culinary treat! If you have never had the pleasure of trying oxtail, get ready for a new favorite dish.
- Olive oil – Sunflower, safflower, avocado, grape seed, or vegetable oils can be used instead.
- Oxtails – Make sure they’re fully thawed before starting.
- Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
- Onion – White or yellow work best.
- Green onion – Use more or less as per your preference, this is for garnish only.
- Garlic & ginger – Fresh is best!
- Tomato paste – Make sure it’s the paste – not sauce or pureed.
- Habanero – Use more, less, or none as you prefer. You can also use different varieties of peppers depending on your tolerance. One small habanero pepper will provide plenty of spice for this stew.
- Seasonings – Allspice, smoked paprika, thyme, bay leaves.
- Soy sauce – You can also add a bit of Worcestershire if preferred.
- Beef broth – Other types of broth will work, but beef broth will give the deepest flavor.
- Lima beans – Butter beans, or white/navy beans will also work.
- Cornstarch – To thicken your stew.
- Sear the oxtails: Heat the olive oil in a large braiser or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the oxtails with salt and pepper, and sear them on all sides until browned. You may need to do this in batches. Transfer the oxtails to a plate and set the oxtails aside.
- Sauté: Add the onion to the pot and cook until translucent and softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and habanero, then stir and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the allspice, smoked paprika, soy sauce, tomato paste, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the paste browns slightly.
- Braise: Add the oxtails back to the pot. Stir in the beef broth, thyme, bay leaves and bring the pot to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cover with a lid slightly cracked. Simmer for 2 hours, remove the lid and stir in the butter beans, then simmer for another 30-45 minutes uncovered.
- Finish: Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Whisk the cornstarch with 1 tbsp water to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the pot and increase the heat to medium, stirring until the mixture thickens. Garnish with freshly chopped green onion.
How To Serve Oxtail Stew
Traditionally, this recipe would be served over “rice and peas”, a dish made with spiced white rice and kidney beans. You can simply serve it over white rice if you’re looking for something nice and easy. There will be plenty of flavor in your stew!
You can also serve it over some potatoes, egg noodles, or even just enjoy the stew all on its own. If you’d like some variety on the table I would suggest homemade bread to help soak up that delicious stew along with a refreshing salad. Give these recipes a try:
- Rye Bread
- No Knead Bread
- Artisan Bread
- No Knead Skillet Bread
- Chickpea Tomato Salad
- Avocado Tomato Salad
- Kale and Quinoa Salad
How To Store Leftovers
Transfer your leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat in the microwave, or on the stovetop. In a skillet, saucepan, or pot, heat the stew over medium heat. You can add more beef broth if needed. Let everything simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the oxtails are warmed through.
Your stew will also last 6-12 months frozen in an airtight container. While it’ll work best to let the stew thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating, you can reheat it straight from the freezer using either the microwave or stovetop.
Other Delicious Recipes To Try
- Slow Cooker Short Ribs
- Crockpot Beef Stew or Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Braised Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce
- Guinness Braised Short Ribs
- Braised Lamb Shanks
- Braised Greek Chicken Thighs
- Hungarian Goulash
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Oxtail Stew
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3-4 pounds oxtails
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 habanero (diced)
- ¼ teaspoon allspice (ground)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium)
- 4-6 cups beef broth (low sodium)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (chopped)
- 2 bay leaves
- 15 ounce lima beans (rinsed and drained, or butter beans or white/navy beans)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 green onions (chopped)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Sear the oxtails. Heat the olive oil in a large braiser or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the oxtails with salt and pepper, and sear them on all sides until browned. You may need to do this in batches. Transfer the oxtails to a plate and set the oxtails aside.
- Sauté onion garlic and spices. Add the onion to the pot and cook until translucent and softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and habanero, then stir and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the allspice, smoked paprika, soy sauce, tomato paste, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the paste browns slightly.
- Braise the oxtails. Add the oxtails back to the pot. Stir in the beef broth, thyme, bay leaves and bring the pot to a boil. You want to have enough broth to cover most of the oxtails, so start with 4 cups and add more as necessary. Turn the heat to low and cover with a lid slightly cracked. Simmer for 2 hours
- Add beans and finish cooking: Remove the lid and stir in the butter beans, then simmer for another 30-45 minutes uncovered.
- Finish: Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Whisk the cornstarch with 1 tbsp water to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the pot and increase the heat to medium, stirring until the mixture thickens. Garnish with freshly chopped green onion.
Equipment
Notes
- Transfer your leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat in the microwave, or on the stovetop. In a skillet, saucepan, or pot, heat the stew over medium heat. You can add more beef broth if needed. Let everything simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the oxtails are warmed through.
- Your stew will also last 6-12 months frozen in an airtight container. While it’ll work best to let the stew thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating, you can reheat it straight from the freezer using either the microwave or stovetop.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
This came out great and was very easy to follow
I’m glad to hear that your oxtail stew turned out great and that the recipe was easy to follow!
My mom used to make it like this. She used to add potatoes, not the beans. I too left out the beans and left my onions in slices. I served it over yellow rice, with corn bread and mix vegetables. Delicious Thank you!
That sounds like a wonderful and heartwarming variation! Serving it over yellow rice with cornbread and mixed vegetables must have been delightful. It’s always special when a recipe can bring back cherished memories.
Followed recipe to a t so glad for a different spin on bones
So glad you enjoyed it!
So I just made this and it’s amazing I doubled the recipe for my family of ten added carrots 20 mins before I added the Lima beans and it was delectably delicious
So glad you enjoyed the oxtail stew! Your additions sound delicious!
Absolutely delicious! Recipe followed exactly. The habanero was the perfect heat and the sauce was so rich. Had over rice. Next time I’ll put over roasted butter potatoes and carrots.
Haven’t tried it yet, but like the recipe – the searing, sauteing, braising. Would probably use edamame beans instead.
I’m thrilled that you like the recipe and the approach to building flavors through searing, sautéing, and braising! Edamame beans sound like a fantastic and creative substitution – they would add a nice pop of color and a slightly nutty flavor to the stew. Please let me know how it turns out with the edamame; I’m really interested to hear how you enjoy it!
Hi Jo, this recipe is outstanding. Like another reviewer, I saw oxtails at Costco and bought it. I didn’t have a recipe and did a general google search. I’m glad I ran across your Oxtails Stew recipe. The only change I did was omit the beans and added carrots and potatoes. Everything else as per written.
Hi Jo, is the habenero fresh or dried? I live in Melbourne Australia and can only manage to find dried ones.
Looking forward to making this in the coming weeks, since its still winter here.
I will be putting it in the oven, I saw a comment below where they put in the oven at 160 for 2.5 hrs.
In this recipe, I used a fresh habanero. However, if you can only find dried ones, they should work just fine. Simply rehydrate the dried habanero by soaking it in warm water for about 20 minutes before using it in the recipe.
Your plan to cook the oxtail stew in the oven sounds fantastic! An oven setting at 160 degrees Celsius (about 320 degrees Fahrenheit) for 2.5 hours should result in tender and flavorful oxtail. Just be sure to keep it covered to ensure that it doesn’t dry out.
Great recipe! I used 4 lbs. oxtails I got from Costco and they were great. Will probably trim a little fat off of them next time because there was a quite a bit. Used a heavier corn starch slurry to thicken because we wanted it a bit more gravy-like and it was perfect! Served over mashed potatoes and got rave reviews. Cannot wait to make this again. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe!!!
My pleasure!
Outstanding! I used a Scotch Bonnet pepper instead of Habanero and used a can of cannellini beans. Really turned out well spiced and enough, though not too much, heat. Have made it twice and will do so again!
looks delish! Are the lima beans canned or dried?
They’re canned!
One of the best oxtail recipes I’ve made! My family and friends love it! I followed your suggestion for making it in a crockpot. I seasoned and browned the oxtail and added everything to it. I cooked it on low for 6 hours and added the slurry and cooked it for another hour on low. Added more slurry and turned it to high for the last hour.
So glad you liked it!
ok im going to try this for Christmas 🙂
Flawless!
This turned out wonderful! I didn’t even get a chance to take a picture as it was eaten so quickly! Amazing recipe.
Athena NY NY