The Most Authentic Jamaican Oxtail Recipe

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Jamaican Oxtail is a foundational and classic recipe in many Jamaican households. It’s made by seasoning and marinating oxtails in a flavourful array of Jamaican herbs and spices, then they are braised and slow cooked down until fall of the bone tender.

Try my Jamaican Rice and Peas, or my Easy Jamaican Pigeon “Gungo” Peas and Rice for classic and delicious side options. You can also try my Vegan Jamaican Bulgur Wheat & Peas for a healthier alternative.

Authentic Jamaican Oxtail Recipe

This is one of Jamaica’s most iconic, most known and classic recipes. When you think Jamaican cuisine, it’s almost impossible not to mention Jamaican oxtail stew. Typically served with Jamaican Rice and Peas, and coleslaw this recipe does not miss!

Growing up, oxtail was always reserved for special occasions such as Christmas, Thanksgiving and Sunday dinners after church. Oxtail was never apart of the midweek dinner lineup.

Thinking back, it could be because this was a dish that needed time to marinate overnight and simmer on the stove top. Or, perhaps it was simply way too expensive – this is a topic we can debate over another time!

Regardless of when, where, or why this dish was being served I always knew when I saw the serving dish full of oxtail, butterbeans and gravy it would be a good meal.

Here’s Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• 4 Different Cooking Methods – you can prepare oxtail traditionally on the stovetop, or low and slow in the slow cooker, fast but still flavourful in the pressure cooker or even in the oven.
• Tender and Flavourful – the best part of this recipe is how deeply flavourful and fall off the bone tender this meat is.
• The Perfect Main – this oxtail recipe can be served with a variety of side dishes such as rice and pasta. It can also be stuffed into patties, put on pizza, or simply eaten by itself!
• Traditional: This is a very authentic Jamaican Oxtail recipe. It does not call for Worcestershire sauce or red wine. Instead you will use browning seasoning, beef broth, about 1 tablespoon seasoned salt, and other seasonings

What is Oxtail?

Oxtail is a gelatin rich meat from the tail of either beef or veal cattle (for Jamaican recipes, oxtail is only sourced from cows). It’s gelatin rich nature is due to the connective tissue, and large amount of collagen present.

Collagen is a protein that makes up most of the connective tissue. Therefore, it can be coined a superfood for aiding in healthy bones, cartilage, teeth and gums.

Oxtail is also high in fat so it’s an ideal source of energy for those on a ketogenic (keto), paleo, low carb or carnivore diet.

How to Cook Browned Oxtails

There are a number of ways to cook oxtails, and each culture/region has their particular style. However, regardless of the dish, the method of “long and slow” is a constant theme.

Due to the high amount of bone and cartilage it needs to be stewed, braised or slow cooked which releases amazing flavour. Pressure cookers and slow cookers are therefore ideal cooking terminals for this type of meat.

How to Prepare Oxtail Meat for Cooking

Prep Oxtail I – Trim and Rinse

1. Using kitchen shears, trim any excess fat. Then, place oxtails in a large bowl and add cool water with either some vinegar or lemon juice.
2. Using your hands, gently rub the pieces of meat together to remove any debris or excess fat. Then, rinse, drain and pat dry the oxtails.

Prep Oxtail II – Season

1. To the large bowl with the oxtails, add fresh seasoning – garlic, escallion, ginger, green and red bell peppers and onion. Then add the browning, soy sauce, seasoning salt or all purpose seasoning, garlic powder (or minced garlic), onion powder, black pepper and salt.
2. Cover and allow to marinate in fridge overnight, or at least a few hours.

4 Methods – Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Stovetop and Oven)

Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Method

1. Brown Oxtails – set Instant Pot to “SAUTE” on HIGH and add vegetable oil or olive oil. When hot, add your oxtails, and brown on each side for about 5 minutes , then remove and set aside.
2. Pressure Cook – when done browning your meat, change setting to “PRESSURE COOK” on HIGH for 45 minutes and add beef broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot insert and add and back all the oxtail pieces including the fresh seasonings and vegetables on top.
3. Make Oxtail Gravy -remove oxtails and set the instant pot to “SAUTE” on HIGH. Once liquid begins to simmer, add ketchup and butter (lima) beans. Allow to simmer for a few minutes or until gravy has thickened to your liking and butterbeans are warmed through.
4. Thicken Gravy – if needed, add in cornstarch slurry to thicken gravy, then return oxtails back to the instant pot, give a gentle stir to combine meat, gravy, and beans, serve the jamaican oxtail stew while hot and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Method

1. Heat a large shallow pan over medium high heat and add vegetable oil. When pan hot, place your oxtails and brown on each side, then remove and set aside.
2. Place all the browned oxtail pieces into the slow cooker then, add the fresh seasonings and vegetables on top. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 6-8 hours or high heat setting for 4-5 hours.
3. When 1 hour remaining on the timer, open lid and carefully stir in ketchup and butter beans. Close lid and allow to continue slow cooking until timer ended. Then, if needed spoon off any excess oil, and add in cornstarch slurry to thicken gravy. Give a gentle stir to combine meat, gravy, and beans, serve while hot and enjoy!

Stovetop Method

1. Heat a large dutch oven over high heat and add vegetable oil. When pan hot, add the oxtails (shaking off the fresh seasonings and herbs) and cover with a heavy lid. This is the browning(searing) process.
2. The oxtail will eventually spring its own “water” or liquid, when this has drawn down (almost like frying) add all the vegetables and fresh seasonings/herbs, 2 cups beef stock and 2 cups water to the pot. Covers and allow to cook on medium heat for approx. an hour. You will need to continue adding a combination of beef stock/water until meat tender.
3. When the oxtail is fork tender, add in butter beans, ketchup and additional seasonings (fresh and dried) to taste. If needed, add in cornstarch slurry to thicken gravy, give a gentle stir to combine meat, gravy, and beans, serve while hot and enjoy!

Oven Method

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Then, heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and add vegetable oil.
2. When pan hot, place your oxtails (shaking off the fresh seasonings and herbs), starting with the larger pieces first, flat side down and brown (sear) on each side, then remove and set aside if working in batches. This step is optional.
3. When all meat browned, add back to the dutch oven with all the vegetables and fresh seasonings/herbs. Cover with a heavy lid, and place in preheated oven for 2 to 3 hours. Periodically check back, to ensure the pot hasn’t dried out. If it has, add a combination of beef stock/water until meat tender.
4. When the oxtail is fork tender, add in butter beans, ketchup and additional seasonings to taste. If needed, add in cornstarch slurry to thicken gravy, give a gentle stir to combine meat, gravy, and beans, serve while hot and enjoy!

History of Oxtail

Oxtails used to be considered “throwaway” meat, ironic right? It can be dated back to slavery days, when African slaves were given only the leftovers or the “throwaway” parts of animals that the plantation owners did not eat. Such as, the tail of ox/cattle.

What Does Oxtail Taste Like?

Oxtail meat tastes like beef, comparably to short ribs with a more tender texture. When slow cooked, or cooked down until fall off the bone tender makes for a deeply rich and flavourful dish.

Tips for Buying the Best Oxtail

Oxtails are typically sold cut into round, crosswise sections. They range is size (larger pieces and smaller pieces), as the tail naturally gets narrower towards the end.

Freshness is essential, so it should have no scent. The fat should be white, the bone white in the center (due to the cartilage), and the meat bright red.

You may find some oxtails in the freezer section of supermarkets, however fresh is always best.

Should Oxtails be Washed (Rinsed) Before Cooking?

This is one of the most debatable topics. However, how I was raised (Jamaican/Caribbean), we ALWAYS wash or rinse our meat. Whether it is chicken/poultry, beef, pork, or seafood.

It is definitely up to personal preference, however I prefer to at least rinse off my oxtail with a little vinegar or lemon/lime. This helps to remove any debris (bone or cartilage fragments), and fat.

Ingredients You Need for Beef Oxtail

• Oxtails – 2 pounds of fresh oxtails, trimmed of fat, rinsed, and dried. Frozen then thawed will work as well.
• Garlic –  this adds a beautiful aroma and great flavour to this dish. Use fresh garlic, minced or grated for a more pungent taste.
• Escallion – also known as green onion or scallion, crushed, using the handle end of a chefs knife if needed.
• Ginger – this is a underestimated ingredient, but melds so well with the other ingredients.
• Thyme – this fresh aromatic and flavourful herb is essential in many jamaican dishes, and definitely great in this one as well.
• Green and Red Bell Pepper – any colour variety of sweet pepper will work.
• Onion – use sweet or yellow cooking onions.
• Scotch Bonnet Pepper – finely chopped, optional, as desired. This packs a good spicy punch, and flavour to the soup. Alternatively, you can use habanero peppers or your favourite variety of pepper.

Seasonings

• Browning – You will use about 1 teaspoon. This is simply an optional colour-enhancer and is simply put browned brown sugar.
• Soy Sauce – add about 1 teaspoon to add colour as well as flavour.
• Seasoning Salt – or all purpose seasoning/ spice herb blend
• Garlic Powder – for added flavour.
• Onion Powder – for added flavour.
• Salt and Black Pepper – season to taste, using more or less as desired.
• Brown Sugar – used for a touch of sweetness and to mellow out the spice of the scotch bonnet pepper.

Other Ingredients

• Ketchup – used for taste and to flavour the stew. You can also add tomato paste or tomato sauce
• Beef Broth – this is used to deglaze the pot, after browning the oxtail as well as provide enough liquid to make the gravy.
• Butter Beans – drained and rinsed, also referred to as lima beans. You can also add broad beans as a substitution.
• Vegetable Oil – to sear oxtails, any kind of neutral cooking oil such as avocado oil, canola or peanut oil will work

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Brown (Sear) Meat – this is the best way to amplify the flavour. This process caramelizes the natural sugars in the meat and forms a rich flavourful brown crust on the surface of the meat.
• Butter (Lima) Beans – ensure you drain and rinse beans before adding to oxtail.
• Bring Marinated Meat to Room Temp – allow the refrigerated oxtail to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
• Leftovers – if you know anything about next day oxtail, then you know it’s truly a taste of heaven. Add the cooked oxtail stew to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator.

How to Make Oxtail Gravy

To make the very delicious oxtail gravy, you can do so by thickening the natural juices/liquid made during the cooking process. You can also add additional fresh and dried seasonings to taste, ketchup, beans, carrots and spinners after the oxtails are cooked.

To thicken the gravy make a cornstarch slurry using the following recipe:

1. Add one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water.
2. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together and pour into your gravy while stirring to avoid clumps.

You may need to add more slurry, or less depending on how thick you like your gravy. That being said, add the slurry in slowly and wait for gravy to thicken before adding more.

How to Prep Ahead

Oxtail is best prepared and served on the same day (although it does make great leftovers as well). However, you can prep your fresh ingredients a day ahead. Note, the oxtail should be seasoned and marinate in the fridge overnight or at least a few hours prior to cooking.

Storage Instructions

• To Store (Fridge) – once cooled, add oxtails and gravy to an airtight container, preferably glass and cover with a lid. Store in fridge for up to 3 days.
• To Store (Freezer) – once cooled, add to a freezer safe container and store in freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating Instructions

• To Reheat from Frozen – place container in fridge overnight to thaw then proceed with one of the methods listed below.
• Stovetop – heat a pot over medium heat and add meat, beans and gravy. Once heated and warmed through, remove from stove, serve and enjoy.
• Microwave – using a microwave-safe dish, add oxtail, beans and gravy. Cover with a microwave-safe lid or paper towel and warm until heated through.

Oxtails in Instant Pot with Gravy and Butterbeans

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

The are many slight variations to the ingredients in this recipe.

Scotch Bonnet Pepper – when using scotch bonnet pepper, you can keep them whole which provides the most flavour and the least amount of heat. You can also just cut off a piece of the pepper (removing the seeds) and this will give you flavour and the amount of heat you desire, alternatively you can completely omit using the peppers (the other ingredients will more than compensate for flavour).

Here are a few add in you can consider:

• Carrots
• Spinners
• Bay Leaf
• Broad beans instead of butterbeans

What to Serve What to Serve with Beef Oxtail?

Serve this Jamaican oxtail recipe with a rice dish such as this Jamaican Rice and Peas, or my Easy Jamaican Pigeon “Gungo” Peas and Rice. You can also try mashed potatoes or my Vegan Jamaican Bulgur Wheat & Peas for a healthier alternative.

How to Make Spinners

Ingredients

• 1 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/4 tsp Salt

Instructions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, add flour and salt then gradually add water and use your hand to knead and form the dough for the spinners. Dough should be soft but not sticky and wet.
2. Pinch or cut off 6 to 8 equal sized pieces. Use the palms of your hands to make long thin dumpling style spinners. Set each spinner aside.

See My Story Below for Step-by-Step Instructions!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Interested in more Jamaican Recipes? Check These Out!

• Easy Jamaican Pigeon “Gungo” Peas and Rice
• Jamaican Pickled Vegetables (Escovitch Sauce)
• Jamaican Curry Goat
• Brown Stew Fish
• Jamaican Festival Recipe
• Jamaican Escovitch Fish
• Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
• Jamaican Rice and Peas
• Jamaican Fried Dumpling
• Jamaican Curry Shrimp (Seafood)
• Vegan Jamaican Bulgur Wheat & Peas (Rice & Peas Remix)
• Jamaican Rasta Pasta
• Quick & Easy Jamaican Jerk Chicken

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