Jamaican Oxtail Stew (Plus Video)
Jamaican Oxtail Stew Recipe is out-of-this-world delicious oxtails braised with butter beans in a flavorful gravy. Spiced up with allspice, thyme, paprika, Scotch bonnet pepper, curry powder, and browning sauce for fall-off-the-bone tender goodness. A must-have on your fall and winter rotation!
If there is one all-out famous favorite Jamaican dish, this Jamaican oxtail stew with butter beans surely bags the top spot. Most people, including myself, truly love this exquisite dish. In fact, it has gotten me in trouble plenty of times.
I used to work not too far from a Jamaican restaurant and would order it 3-4 times a week. It wasn’t good for my wallet or my waistline, but my belly was purring with pure joy!
What Is Oxtail Stew?
I know in the U.S., oxtails don’t get as much love as other cuts of meat, but they should. So put Jamaican-style oxtail stew on your bucket list and try it at least once. Furthermore, it’s so finger-licking good you’ll want to nibble the bone and beat yourself up for not trying it sooner.
Getting to the nitty-gritty—oxtails are cows’ tails. The butcher usually cuts them into sections for easier handling. And oxtail is good for you because it has lots of marrow and collagen, making it great for soups, stocks, and braises.
Oxtail used to be a staple for underprivileged families due to its high fat, longer cooking time, and low price. But as the years passed, it became a gourmet dish, and prices skyrocketed. So I usually stock up on them if they’re on sale.
What Goes in Jamaican Oxtail Stew
Just two words sum up this oxtail recipe – soul-satisfying! It has become an indisputable favorite for many of my readers and me. In fact, it is one of the most raved recipes here on the blog. If you’re still on the fence, please take the time to read the lovely reviews below, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
- Oxtails – If the star of this show isn’t in your local supermarket (try asking someone in the meat department), check out an ethnic market or your local butcher at a specialty meat shop. Beef neck bones or shank is the next best option.
- Seasonings – Onion, garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, ketchup or tomato paste, Scotch bonnet pepper or habanero, allspice, Worcestershire sauce, and homemade curry powder all contribute to a super delicious flavor explosion. Feel free to adjust these beauties to your taste. You can even leave out the hot ones for a kid-friendly version.
- Butter Beans – Also called lima beans, they’re soft and melt-in-your-mouth for a soul-satisfying crowd-pleaser. You can swap them out with any large white beans, like cannellini or Great Northern beans.
- Browning Sauce – This optional ingredient is a color enhancer. It’s basically browned sugar, so it balances any tartness leftover from the tomato paste and adds the gorgeous chocolate brown color. Leave it out if you’re avoiding sugar.
How to Make Jamaican Oxtail Stew
- Rub the oxtail with salt and pepper, and set aside. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat until hot, and then saute the oxtail, frequently stirring while scraping any browned bits off the bottom until the oxtail pieces are browned. If desired, drain the oil, leaving 2-3 tablespoons. (Photos 1-2)
- Seasonings – Add onions, green onions, garlic, thyme, allspice, Worcestershire sauce, and smoked paprika, then stir for about a minute. Throw in the Scotch bonnet pepper, tomato paste, bouillon, and curry powder, and stir for another minute. (Photos 3-4)
- Pour in Water – Then add about 4-6 cups of water; it’s best to start with 4 cups, then add as needed. (Photo 5)
- Cook it Low and Slow – Bring to a boil and simmer until tender (depending on the oxtail size) for about 2-3 hours (4-5 hours at high altitude), occasionally stirring so it doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Add the Beans – About 20-30 minutes before removing it from the heat, add the broad beans. Adjust the thickness with water or stock. (Photo 6)
- Final Touch – Simmer for 20-30 minutes, and adjust salt to taste.
Recipe Variations
- More Veggies Please – Want some extra veggies in this braised oxtail? Some readers have added carrots, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, mushrooms, mustard green (last 20 minutes of cooking), and stewed tomatoes (with the broad bean).
- Jamaican Chicken Stew – To replace beef with chicken, reduce cooking time to half an hour. Then add the broad beans and cook for another half hour.
Tips and Tricks
- I like these guys with something to bite into and love nibbling the bones – a cultural thing. However, you can ask the butcher to cut them into medium pieces, let the stew cool, and then remove the meat from the bones. Save the bones for bone broth, put the boneless beef back in the pot, reheat, and serve.
- Asking the butcher to cut them into smaller pieces reduces cooking time. Just make sure you pick out the ones with less visible fat.
- Oxtail needs low heat and lots of time to get tender. Cook them on a loooww simmer, and if they still seem a little tough after three hours, just give them more time. The meat should be practically falling off the bone.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Stews are great for making ahead. After the stew has cooked, let it cool and store it in the fridge for a day or two. Or you can freeze it for 3-4 months.
Serving and Storage
Jamaican oxtail stew is oh-so-good steaming hot over a bowl of rice or mashed potatoes.
Store leftovers for three or four days in an airtight container in the fridge or 3-4 months in the freezer. Thaw the oxtail stew overnight in the refrigerator if frozen, then reheat in a saucepan on low until heated through.
FAQs
Yes, you can! Simply follow the instructions in the recipe box. Reduce the water to 2-3 cups and add to the slow cooker. Slow cook for 3-5 hours or more, depending on the oxtail size and preference, until tender.
Oxtails are great for braising and require a long cooking time — 2-3 hours (4-5 hours at high altitudes). Slow cooking breaks down the connective tissue, creating fall-off-the-bone tender meat.
Although I haven’t personally made this recipe in my Instant Pot, our beautiful readers took the time to leave some instructions.
1. Start with the “Saute” setting for the first three steps and carefully brown the oxtail pieces on both sides – 2-3 minutes per side.
2. Remove the oxtail and saute the onions, green onions, garlic, thyme, allspice, Worcestershire, and smoked paprika, stirring for about a minute.
3. Next, throw in the scotch bonnet pepper, tomato paste, bouillon, and curry powder, and stir for another minute.
4. Return the browned oxtails, deglaze your pressure cooker with water or stock, and switch to pressure cook for 40-45 minutes, depending on the size of the oxtails.
5. Lastly, add the beans and continue simmering them for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the butter beans are heated.
What to Serve With Jamaican Oxtail Stew
This amazing stew is perfect with Caribbean rice and beans or mashed potatoes. Garlicky bread rolls or cornbread are also some great pairings. Then wash it down with a sorrel drink and serve a slice of rum cake for the grand finale.
More Fabulous Jamaican Recipes You’ll Love
- Jamaican Jerk Chicken
- Cornmeal Porridge
- Easy Jamaican Curry Chicken
- Easter Spice Bun
- Jamaican Beef Patty or Meat Pies
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”qRCsS2QU” upload-date=”2018-08-06T19:57:54.000Z” name=”Jamaican Oxtail Stew” description=”Jamaican Oxtail Stew- This braised oxtail with butter beans not only have a complex note from allspice but also that familiar garlic, thyme, scotch bonnet and onion medley. Fall of the bone tender.” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
This post was first published in November 2015 and has been updated with a video, additional write-up, fresh photos, and a video
Jamaican Oxtail Stew
Ingredients
Oxtail Seasoning
- 2-4 pounds (900-1800g) oxtail, cut up into medium pieces
- salt as needed
- 1-2 teaspoons (2-4g) white pepper or black pepper
- ½ teaspoon (2.5g) minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons (2g) fresh thyme
- 1-2 teaspoons (2-4g) bouillon powder
- 2 green onions, diced
Jamaican Oxtail Stew
- 2-3 tablespoons (28-42ml) cooking oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (8g) minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons (2g) fresh thyme, chopped
- 5-6 whole allspice berries
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons (5-10g) browning sauce (optional)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) tomato paste or ketchup
- 1 tablespoon (8g) beef bouillon powder or cube (optional)
- 1 teaspoon (2g) curry powder or more to taste
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 4-6 cups (960-1450ml) water
- 1 15-ounce can butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 whole scotch bonnet or habanero
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Rub the oxtail with salt, pepper, minced garlic, thyme, bouillon powder, and green onions. Tightly cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. When ready to cook, remove from the fridge and shake off any visible onions or herbs from the oxtail meat. Set aside. (See notes 1)
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat until hot, and then sear the oxtail, frequently stirring while scraping any browned bits off the bottom until the oxtail pieces are browned. If desired, drain the oil, leaving 2-3 tablespoons.
- Add onions, garlic, thyme, and allspice berries, then stir for about a minute. Toss in the browned oxtails, followed by Worcestershire sauce, browning sauce, tomato paste, bouillon powder, curry powder, green onions, and stir for another minute.
- Then add 4-6 cups of water (start with 4 cups, then add more as needed).
- Bring to a boil and simmer until tender (depending on the oxtail size) for 2-3 hours (4-5 hours at high altitude), occasionally stirring so it doesn't stick to the pan.
- About 20-30 minutes before removing it from the heat, add the broad beans and scotch bonnet pepper. Adjust the thickness of the soup with water or stock.
- Simmer 20-30 minutes, and adjust salt to taste.
Tips & Notes:
- If you don’t have enough time, skip marinating the oxtail meat or simply season it with salt and pepper. (as seen in the video). Feel free to add ½ teaspoon of paprika when making the stew for a smokey, peppery taste.
- If you don’t have browning sauce, leave it out altogether.
- I like these guys with something to bite into and love nibbling the bones – a cultural thing. However, you can ask the butcher to cut them into medium pieces, let the stew cool, and remove the meat from the bones. Save the bones for bone broth, put the boneless beef back in the pot, reheat, and serve.
- Asking the butcher to cut them into smaller pieces reduces cooking time. Just make sure you pick out the ones with less visible fat.
- Oxtail needs low heat and lots of time to get tender. Cook them on a loooww simmer, and if they still seem a little tough after three hours, just give them more time. The meat should be practically falling off the bone.
- To thicken the gravy, add a few slices of potatoes and let it cook longer. It usually just thickens up if you cook it longer. That said, one reader uses a cornstarch slurry towards the end with good results.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
I made the oxtails tonight. Awesome recipe. I added green bananas & corn on the cob cut into slices. Definitely a winning recipe. Thanks
Wonderful! Thank you for the feedback :)!
When did you add the green bananas? Thanks!
This is the best Oxtail recipe to date.
Hi Reginald.
I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the Oxtail recipe and found it to be the best you’ve tried so far! Oxtail dishes have such a rich flavor and comforting quality, so it’s great to know this recipe hit the mark for you. Thank you for trying it out and for your kind feedback. Keep enjoying your culinary adventures!
I like this recipe a lot! I’ve done a few variations and it always turns out great. I use Better Than Bouillon beef base in the water instead of powdered bouillon and that seems to work fine. I put in some molasses instead of browning sauce too. Love to serve it with coconut rice!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Ervin! So glad you loved it!
The scotch bonnet pepper made this meal so hot it was inedible. Even our family member who loves spicy food couldn’t eat a single bite. It smelled delicious but we had to throw it away.
Hi Jen,
I’m really sorry to hear that the dish turned out too spicy for you and your family. Scotch bonnet peppers are indeed very potent, and their heat can vary from pepper to pepper, making it a bit of a wild card in recipes.
If you’re willing to give the recipe another try, I’d recommend a few adjustments:
Remove the Seeds and Membrane: The seeds and the white membrane inside the pepper are where most of the heat resides. Removing these can significantly reduce the spiciness.
Only keep the pepper in the pot for about 30 minutes in the pot to infuse it with flavor or leave out the pepper .
Substitute with a Milder Pepper: If you’re concerned about the heat but still want some spiciness, you could use a milder pepper like a jalapeño or even a small amount of cayenne pepper.
If you find that the stew is still too spicy, a dollop of sour cream or a splash of coconut milk can help counteract the heat.
Again, I’m really sorry the recipe didn’t turn out as you hoped, but I appreciate your feedback and hope these tips will help for a more enjoyable experience next time.
I love this recipe I will try it
Amazing!!!!! That looks absolutely delicious!! Glad you loved it. Looking forward to you trying more of my recipes.
i love this Jamaican stew. It tastes absolutely delicious and is my favourite way to cook oxtail. I have been making this for a few years now and it is always a treat to eat. Many thanks for sharing this recipe with the world. I cook mine in a slow cooker for 8 hours and it fills the whole house with a lovely aroma – great to come home to.
Thank you:) There’s more to come, so stay tuned
lady you are the most beautiful and wonderful
Thank you so much dear! Much love:)
Nice one
Thank you so much dear! It’s good to have you hear:)
I’ve made this twice now, and it is excellent! Very rich and flavorful.
Amazing to hear that, Thank you! Stay tuned to have more excellent recipe 🙂
This is the best recipe! Ever! I literally triple the recipe because my whole family loves it. The flavor is astounding. I usually use only one habenero and some Jamaican curry scotch bonnet hot sauce for some added flavor since scotch bonnets are hard to come by.
Thank you for showing your love and sharing your experience. You made my day, Much Love!!!
Hi. Thank you for all your recipes. I’ve tried a few & they are all delicious. Just one question, Do you still have the older recipe ? My family absolutely loves that one.
Hi Luz,
So happy to hear this . Here is the older recipe
1- 2 pounds oxtail cut up medium pieces
1 onion chopped
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1- teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 Whole Scotch bonnet pepper
2 green onions chopped
5-6 Whole pimento seeds (allspice),
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1- teaspoon curry or more adjust to preference
15 ounce can butter beans , rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon browning (optional)
1 Tablespoon bouillon powder or cube (optional)
Salt to taste
. Cooking method is pretty much the same. The major difference is seasoning the chicken before browning, using scotch bonnet pepper and more browning sauce .
Happy Cooking
Thank you so much!!!!!’nnnnn
Great to see your love for the old recipes too. Thanks
Thank you for all you do. Do you happen to still have the old recipe? It was my go to for oxtail for years, unfortunately I never saved it. I prefer it to this one.
Made this in a slow cooker on low for 7 hours, added a diced potato and the beans then cooked for 90mins more on low. Cooled and took meat off the bone. Used 5 cups of water which gave three good portions plus two mugs of soup – stick blended. Reheated meat in a pan. Great taste.
Great to hear that you customized it. Try some other recipes you would love them too.
Oxtails haven’t gotten much love in the US historically. They were originally considered a throw-away piece of meat, eaten mostly by slaves and people of color in other countries. Until recently, there was not a lot of talk about their delicious, so Imma is correct.
Anyway, I’ve made this recipe twice and will make it again tomorrow. I came to check that I had all the ingredients necessary. It is by far the best recipe I’ve used.
Just made the oxtails recipe going to try it now! I love your website!
Thank you, Lisa, for stopping by. Please do let me know how this one turns out for you. Happy cooking!
Hi!,
I’m a huge fan of your website! I was wondering can you prepare beef stew meat the same way? I would think it would give the same flavor with a much cheaper cut of beef. Thanks.
Terrell, you read my mind!
Alright, we note your request as a suggestion. Once we worked on the recipe you will definitely have it on the blog. Thank you!
I can’t wait to try it. Just reading your instructions makes my mouth water. I would like to make this for Easter. Thank you tips and notes. This is my first time writing to you
Hi, Karen. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I’m so excited for you to try this one. Please do let me know how it turns out for you. Enjoy!
Nice recipe with some good add-ins.
YOU WROTE: “I know oxtail meat doesn’t get that much love here in the U.S”.
I guess you don’t know much about the US. Or, maybe you were referring to your customer base.
Oxtail doesn’t get any love in the states. A lot of my friends and family don’t like the fattiness or the fact that it is oxtail. More for me and my peeps that know good food! I’m looking forward to making this tonight!