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This authentic Jamaican Oxtail Recipe yields the most flavourful, tender, fall-off-the-bone braised beef. Make this traditional Jamaican dish in the pressure cooker, slow cooker, stovetop, or oven.
Once you learn how to make Jamaican oxtails, you have to try my Oxtail Pizza, Oxtail Patty, and Oxtail Sandwich next!
Table of Contents
- Authentic Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
- Here’s Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- What is Oxtail?
- The History of Jamaican Oxtail
- Ingredients to Make Jamaican Oxtails
- Tips for Buying the Best Oxtail
- How to Make Jamaican Oxtails and Gravy
- How to Prepare Oxtail Meat for Cooking
- 4 Methods for Jamaican Oxtail Recipe – Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Stovetop and Oven
- How to Make Oxtail Gravy
- Tips for Making the Best Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
- How to Store & Reheat
- What to Serve What to Serve with Beef Oxtail
- See My Story Below for Step-by-Step Instructions!
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
- Interested in more Jamaican Recipes? Check These Out!
- The Most Authentic Jamaican Oxtail Recipe Recipe
Authentic Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
Oxtails are one of Jamaica’s most iconic and classic recipes but it’s also my favourite Jamaican dish. When I was growing up, oxtail stew was always reserved for special occasions like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Sunday suppers after church.
It wasn’t part of midweek dinners, probably because it needed to marinate overnight and simmer on the stovetop, or maybe it was just too expensive. But now that I’m grown with a family of my own, I love to make this comfort meal with butterbeans, and plenty of gravy!
Here’s Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- 4 Different Cooking Methods: Depending on how much time I have and what mood I’m in, I can prepare oxtail traditionally on the stovetop, low and slow in the Crockpot, fast but still flavourful in the pressure cooker, or even in the oven.
- The Perfect Main Dish: This entree can be served with a variety of side dishes and I’ll share some of my favourites. It can also be stuffed into patties, put on pizza, placed between bread, 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.
The History of Jamaican 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.
Ingredients to Make Jamaican Oxtails
- Oxtails: Use 2 pounds of fresh oxtails, trimmed of fat, rinsed, and dried. Frozen then thawed will work as well.
- Aromatics: Garlic (minced or grated), ginger, escallion (crushed green onion or scallion), and onion (sweet or yellow cooking onions).
- Seasonings: Fresh thyme, finely chopped Scotch bonnet pepper (optional for spice, or substitute with habanero or your favorite pepper), seasoning salt (or all-purpose seasoning), garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper to taste.
- Vegetables: I use green and red bell peppers, but any variety of sweet peppers will work.
- Flavour Enhancers:
- Browning: Browning is simply charred brown sugar. I have an easy recipe for it.
- Soy Sauce: About 1 teaspoon for color and flavor.
- Ketchup: Adds taste and flavor to the stew. Tomato paste or tomato sauce can also be used.
- Brown Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness and mellows out the spice of the Scotch bonnet pepper.
- Liquids: Beef broth is used to deglaze the pot after browning the oxtails and provides enough liquid to make the gravy.
- Beans: Butter beans (drained and rinsed), also known as lima beans. Broad beans can be used as a substitute.
- Oil: Vegetable oil for searing the oxtails. Any neutral cooking oil, such as avocado oil, canola oil, or peanut oil, will work.
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.
How to Make Jamaican Oxtails and Gravy
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
Trim and Rinse
- 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.
- 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.
Season
- 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.
- Cover and allow to marinate in fridge overnight, or at least a few hours.
4 Methods for Jamaican Oxtail Recipe – Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Stovetop and Oven
Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Method
1. Brown the 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!
Stovetop Method
- Prepare oxtails as noted in steps 1 and 2. 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 brown (sear) on all sides, then remove and set aside.
- Add all the vegetables and fresh seasonings/herbs to the pot, saute for about 3-4 minutes, then add back the oxtails. Add 4 cups of water then cover and allow to cook on medium-high heat for approx. an hour to two hours. You will need to continue adding water gradually (up to 10 cups additional) until meat tender.
- When the oxtail is fork tender, add in butter beans, ketchup and additional seasonings, to taste, if needed. Give a gentle stir to combine meat, gravy, and beans, simmer until gravy reduced and thickened, then serve while hot and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Method
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
Oven Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Then, heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and add vegetable oil.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
How to Make Oxtail Gravy
To make delicious oxtail gravy, thicken the natural juices from cooking by adding fresh and dried seasonings, ketchup, beans, carrots, and spinners after the oxtails are cooked.
To thicken the gravy:
- Make a cornstarch slurry with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water.
- Mix thoroughly and pour into the gravy while stirring to avoid clumps.
- Add more slurry slowly if needed, allowing the gravy to thicken before adding more.
Tips for Making the Best Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
- Season then marinate in the fridge overnight for the best results. If you can’t do it overnight, marinate for at least a few hours prior to cooking.
- Sear the meat before slow cooking. 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.
- Remember to drain the butter beans. Rinse them too before adding to oxtail. Make this mistake and it will alter the taste of the dish.
- Bring marinated meat to room temp. Allow the refrigerated oxtail to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- This tastes better the next day. If you’re lucky enough to have leftover Jamaican oxtails, then you know it’s truly a taste of heaven. Once the flavours have had some time to meld, it’s even richer.
How to Store & Reheat
To Store:
- Fridge: Cool, then add oxtails and gravy to an airtight container. Store for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Cool, then place in a freezer-safe container. Store for up to 3 months.
To Reheat:
- From Frozen: Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Stovetop: Heat a pot over medium heat, add meat, beans, and gravy. Warm through and serve.
- Microwave: Place oxtail, beans, and gravy in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and heat until warm.
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.
See My Story Below for Step-by-Step Instructions!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Soaking oxtail before cooking helps to remove debris, bone or cartilage fragments, and excess fat. In Jamaican and Caribbean cultures, most people prefer to rinse their meat with vinegar or lemon/lime for cleanliness and to enhance the overall flavour of the dish.
Depending on the method of cooking the time varies. If you are cooking on the stovetop or oven it can take anywhere between 2 hours to 4 hours. If using slow cooker, between 4 to 8 hours, and the pressure cooker cuts the time down significantly to about 1 1/2 hours.
Due to the high amount of bone and cartilage it needs to be stewed, braised or slow cooked which releases amazing flavour and tenderizes the meat. Pressure cookers and slow cookers are therefore ideal cooking terminals for oxtails.
Absolutely not. There are so many ways oxtails can be prepared depending on culture and location. Countries in South America, West Africa, China, Spain, Korea and Indonesia are some to name a few.
Jamaican oxtail is typically seasoned with Caribbean spices like thyme, allspice, and Scotch bonnet peppers, and often includes browning sauce and butter beans. It is braised until tender and served with rice and peas. Southern oxtail, however, is slow-cooked with onions, garlic, and celery, seasoned with bay leaves and paprika, and commonly served with mashed potatoes or collard greens.
Omit the sugar, browning ketchup and bean and swap with low carb/keto friendly alternatives.
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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The Most Authentic Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot
- Slow Cooker optional, for slow cooker method
- Stovetop/Oven Friendly Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven optional, for oven or stovetop cooking method
- Large Mixing Bowl to season and marinate oxtail
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Oxtails, trimmed, rinsed and dried
- 4 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 2 stalks Escallion, green onion, crushed
- 1 tsp Ginger, fresh, grated
- 3 sprigs Thyme, fresh
- 1/2 Green Bell Pepper, small
- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, small
- 1/2 Onion, small
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper, finely chopped, optional, as desired
- 1 tsp Browning
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Seasoning Salt, or all purpose seasoning/ spice herb blend
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt, more or less to taste
- 1 tbsp Ketchup
- 1/4 cup Beef Broth, optional (if using pressure cooker method)
- 1 can Butter (Lima) Beans, drained and rinsed, optional
- 2-4 tbsp Vegetable Oil, to sear oxtails
Instructions
Prep Oxtail I – Trim and Rinse
- 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. 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
- 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, brown sugar, seasoning salt or all purpose seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and salt. Cover and allow to marinate in fridge overnight, or at least a few hours.
Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Method
- Set Instant Pot to "SAUTE" on HIGH and add vegetable oil. When hot, add 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.
- When done browning your meat, change setting to "PRESSURE COOK" on HIGH for 45 minutes (see notes section) 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. Once timer has ended, very carefully turn the float valve to “VENTING”, and wait until all of the steam has released and the valve has dropped. Then, remove the lid.
- 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.
- 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 while hot and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Method
- Prepare oxtails as noted in steps 1 and 2. Then, heat a large shallow pan over medium high heat and add vegetable oil. 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.
- Place all the browned (seared) oxtail pieces into the slow cooker (larger pieces at bottom) 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.
- 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
- Prepare oxtails as noted in steps 1 and 2. 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 brown (sear) on all sides, then remove and set aside.
- Add all the vegetables and fresh seasonings/herbs to the pot, saute for about 3-4 minutes, then add back the oxtails. Add 4 cups of water then cover and allow to cook on medium-high heat for approx. an hour to two hours. You will need to continue adding water gradually (up to 10 cups additional) until meat tender.
- When the oxtail is fork tender, add in butter beans, ketchup and additional seasonings, to taste, if needed. Give a gentle stir to combine meat, gravy, and beans, simmer until gravy reduced and thickened, then serve while hot and enjoy!
Oven Method
- Prepare oxtails as noted in steps 1 and 2. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Then, heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and add vegetable oil. 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.
- 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.
- 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!
This oxtail is better than what I typically buy at our favorite Jamaican spot! Thank you for saving me some money and boosting my confidence because I hadn’t successfully made oxtail before finding your recipe!
Yay!! This is wonderful to hear Jazz!
I forgot to ask this. Those peppers are really hot. What would be less hot. Also I saw that someone add Wortershire sauce. How would that be incorporated in the recipe?
No problem – ok, so 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). Lastly, you can use habanero pepper but this is also quite spicy. Best bet is to omit, or only use a little piece (no seeds). As for Worcestershire sauce – this isn’t an ingredient we use in traditional Jamaican oxtail, but is added sometimes to enhance flavour. It’s not needed here but feel free to add (same time you’re adding the soy sauce/browning).
I’ve never made oxtail myself but now I will be making them nonstop. This was absolutely perfect in the instant pot!
Amazing Jessica! So happy to hear!
This Jamaican Oxtail recipe looks delicious. Will try it for New Year’s. I really appreciate that you gave 4 different cooking methods. And explained the rational for the ingredients. This is the most informative recipe that I’ve seen.
Hi Daphne! This is amazing feedback to hear – I wanted this recipe post to be as informative as possible so I’m glad I delivered! Thanks so much for this – I hope you have the best holiday season!
Is the brown sugar used to cut the heat? I’m the recipe I don’t see when to add it.
Hi Shanee, you will add the brown sugar the same time you’re adding the browning and soy sauce. It’s used to mellow out the heat from the scotch bonnet peppers if using and also adds a touch of sweetness which makes the oxtail gravy so so so good!
Funny how my mom tells me back when she was a kid the butcher shops would throw the oxtails away or give them away nobody wanted them now they’re $10 a pound or more
I’m telling you! Now its a delicacy, can’t even afford it some days! Hahah! A whole message can preach from the history of oxtails!
Hi, I’ve got my oxtail marinating right now, but I just wanted make sure about something.
I’m making 3lbs of oxtail, and advising to the recipe I would only need 1/3 cup of beef broth. Am I reading that correctly? Seems like a small amount for what’s going into the instant pot. I just want to make sure so I don’t run into problems or ruin things when I cook them 🙂
Hi Sam! You won’t need any more than 1/3cup, as it pressure cooks the natural juices will release in combination with broth which will be the base to make your gravy! Let me know if you have any more questions!
Nailed it! Thanks so much for this awesome recipe. My husband is a big fan of oxtail and since they are now sold at Costco, I really wanted to learn how to cook them properly. As they were cooking, I knew this recipe was on point from the look and aroma that I recognize from the oxtail purchased from Janaican restaurants. Hubs said they were good so this is the recipe I’ll be using. Thank you!!!