Jamaican Oxtail Stew – out-of-this-world delicious oxtail stew braised with butter beans in a flavorful deep gravy spiced up primarily with allspice, thyme, paprika, Scotch bonnet pepper, curry powder, and browning sauce. It’s fall-off-the-bone tender. A must-have on fall/winter rotation!
If there is one Jamaican dish that is extremely popular and a favorite of many, this Jamaican Oxtail Stew with butter beans surely bags the top spot. It is truly loved by many, myself included. As a matter of fact, it has gotten me in trouble plenty of times.
I use to work not too far from a Jamaican restaurant and would order it 3-4 times a week. Let’s just say, ordering it more often is not a wise decision for my wallet nor my waistline. But I can certainly tell you my belly is purring with joy!
What is an Oxtail?
I know here in the U.S. oxtails don’t get that much love compared to other cuts of meat but it should. And you should put it on your food bucket list and try it at least once. Furthermore, it’s tail-end delicious, finger-licking good. AND you are going to want to nibble on the bone and beat yourself for not trying it out sooner.
But what is an oxtail?
For those who are new to this term, an oxtail refers to a tail of a cow that is skinned and cut into sections. Each section is composed of a tailbone with some marrow in the center with gelatinous meat that works great for soups, stocks, and braises.
At one point, oxtail was considered as staple meat to underprivileged families due to its high-fat content, longer cooking time and cheap price. But as the years went by, the prices skyrocketed. That’s why I usually stock up on them if they’re on sale.
What’s in a Jamaican Oxtail Stew?
There are just two words that could sum up this oxtail recipe – SOUL SATISFYING! It has become a favorite of mine and most of my readers through the years. 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.
For this incredibly delicious and easy Jamaican Oxtail Stew, you’ll need the following below:
- cooking oil
- oxtails cut up in medium pieces
- onion, garlic, thyme
- smoked paprika
- ketchup /tomato paste
- whole Scotch bonnet pepper or habanero
- green onions
- whole pimento seeds or allspice (see notes)
- Worcestershire sauce
- curry powder (see my Homemade Curry Powder HERE)
- canned butter beans (may swap for lima beans or large white beans)
- browning sauce (optional), bouillon powder or cube (optional), salt
What Else Can You Add in this Oxtail Recipe?
Want some extra veggies in this braised oxtail? Sure! Feel free to add some extra veggies just like what some of our readers here have done. They’ve added:
- carrots
- potatoes
- sweet potatoes
- corn
- mushrooms
- mustard green (added at the last 20 minutes of cooking)
- stewed tomatoes (at the end together with broad beans)
How Long Does it Take to Cook Oxtail?
Oxtails are great for braising and require a long cooking time — usually about 2-3 hours. Slow cooking breaks down the connective tissue and renders it tender and allows it to fall off the bone. Which is what I recommend, especially for first-timers.
Unless you are like me, I like it with some bite to it and love to suckle and nibble the bones – a cultural thing. Additionally, if you can have the butcher cut the oxtail into medium pieces, that’d be good. It helps cut down on the cooking time. Oh, and make sure you pick out the ones with less visible fat.
Can You Cook Oxtail Stew in a Pressure Cooker?
Although I haven’t personally tried making this recipe in a pressure cooker, our wonderful readers took their time to leave some instructions on you to cook oxtail stew in a pressure cooker.
- Start with the “Saute” setting for the first three steps in the recipe box and carefully browning the oxtail pieces on both sides – about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Remove the oxtail, and saute the onions, green onions, garlic, thyme, allspice, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, stir for about a minute.
- Next, throw in scotch bonnet pepper, tomato paste, bouillon, and curry powder, stir for another minute.
- Return the browned oxtails and deglaze your pressure cooker with water or stock and switch to pressure cook for 40-45 minutes, depending on the size of the oxtails. Lastly, add the beans and continue to simmer it on the stovetop for about 5-10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and butter beans are warmed.
Can You Cook This in a Slow Cooker, too?
Yes, you can! Simply follow the instructions as described in the recipe box. Then adjust water to about 2 -3 cups, and add to the slow cooker. Slow cook for about 5 hours or more, depending on the oxtail size and preference until tender.
What to Serve with Jamaican Oxtail Stew?
- Caribbean Rice and Beans (with video)
- Coconut Rice (with video)
- Cornmeal Coo Coo
- Grits Recipe
- Jamaican Pigeon Peas and Rice
- Skillet Cornbread (with video)
More Jamaican Recipes You’ll Love
Want to try more scrumptious Jamaican recipes? You’re in for a treat!
- Jamaican Jerk Chicken (with video)
- Cornmeal Porridge (with video)
- Slow Cooker Jamaican Beef Stew
- Easy Jamaican Curry Chicken (with video)
- Easter Spice Bun (with video)
- Jamaican Beef Patty or Meat Pies (with video)
How to Make Jamaican Oxtail Stew
Season oxtail with, salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat, until hot, and then add the oxtail sauté stirring, frequently, any browned bits off the bottom of the pot, until oxtail is brown. If desire drain oil and leave about 2-3 tablespoons
Add onions, green onions, garlic, thyme, all spice, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, stir for about a minute. Throw in scotch bonnet pepper, tomato paste, bouillon and curry powder, stir for another minute.
Then add about 4-6 cups of water, it’s best to start with 4 cups, then add as needed.
Bring to a boil and let it simmer until tender (depending on the oxtail size and preference) about 2- 3 hours, occasionally stirring the saucepan.
About 20-30 minutes before you remove from the stove add broad beans. Adjust the thickness of soup with water or stock
Season with salt according to preference.
Watch How to Make It
This post was first published in November 2015 and has been updated with a video and some cooking tips and notes.
Jamaican Oxtail Stew - out-of-this-world delicious oxtail stew braised with butter beans in a flavorful deep gravy spiced up primarily with allspice, thyme, paprika, Scotch bonnet pepper, curry powder, and browning sauce. It's fall-off-the-bone tender. A must-have on fall/winter rotation!
- 2 -3 tablespoon cooking oil
- 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 ketchup /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
-
Season oxtail with, salt and pepper. Set aside
-
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat, until hot, and then add the oxtail sauté stirring, frequently, any browned bits off the bottom of the pot, until oxtail is brown. If desire drain oil and leave about 2-3 tablespoons
-
Add onions, green onions, garlic, thyme, all spice, worcestershire,smoked paprika, stir for about a minute. Throw in scotch bonnet pepper, tomato paste, bouillon and curry powder, stir for another minute.
-
Then add about 4-6 cups of water , it's best to start with 4 cups , then add as needed . Bring to a boil and let it simmer until tender (depending on the oxtail size and preference) about 2- 3 hours, occasionally stirring the saucepan.
-
About 20-30 minutes before you remove from the stove add broad beans. Adjust thickness of soup with water or stock
-
Season with salt according to preference.
- Want to marinate the oxtail before cooking? You can do so, especially if you have lots of time in your hand. Just marinate it using minced garlic, minced thyme, pinch of curry, onions, salt and pepper. One of our readers also lightly marinate it with Badia Complete Seasoning instead of salt and pepper, a teaspoon of browning sauce and a tablespoon of beef bouillon powder.
- If you want a really dark color like the ones you would sometimes see at a Jamaican restaurant then go ahead and use browning sauce. Add the browning sauce after you saute the onions.
- If you have particularly fatty oxtail be sure to spoon out the thin layer of fatty oil, about 1 hour into boiling. Not traditional but sometimes a necessity especially with non-organic cows.
- When simmering the oxtail stew for 2-3 hours, put the lid on. It helps to cook faster.
- If you only have the ground allspice on hand, you can swap a teaspoon of it for the pimento seeds.
- Scotch bonnets are very hot. So leave it whole or if you're not a fan of heat, add it towards the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. You can find Scotch bonnet pepper in Caribbean and African Markets or sub it with habanero peppers.
- 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. With that said, one of the other readers have used corn starch slurry towards the end with good results.
- Don't like adding beans? Feel free to omit it. Or replace it with veggies like carrots and potatoes, instead.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
This recipe is hands down the best oxtail recipe I’ve ever cooked!! So delicious!! My husband didn’t really like oxtail until I made him this recipe and now he dreams about this sauce!
Pure perfection!! Hands down my most favorite thing to eat. Thank you so much for sharing this AMAZING recipe 🙂
WOW! THIS IS BRILLIANT
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback, Crystal 🙂 !
Absolutely love this dish, This is my third time making it for my family and they love it !!! the only thing I do different is I add beer to mine for that earthly flavor and coconut milk to cut the scotch bonnet spice cause my wife can’t do spicy foods but overall amazing and its definitely a two person recipe if you just want to spend some time in the kitchen with that special person !! IJS enjoy!
I’ve been looking for something like this for years
Absolutely love this dish, This is my third time making it for my family and they love it !!! the only thing I do different is I add beer to mine for that earthly flavor and coconut milk to cut the scotch bonnet spice cause my wife can’t do spicy foods but overall amazing and its definitely a two person recipe if you just want to spend some time in the kitchen with that special person !! IJS enjoy!
Great recipe, the result was delicious and I’m not a great cook. Made it for my Indonesian family in Jakarta and they loved it. Also used the Jamaican curry powder recipe which definitely make a difference. Didn’t have fenugreek but still fine. Looking forward to trying some more of your recipes. Thank you!
Great! Thanks.
I just made a vg version, that tastes awesome. Thank you !
I can’t wait to make this during my winter break, it sounds delicious!! I love oxtail so much that around spring of this year while shopping for fresh beef short ribs, another favorite, I heard the butcher tell a customer that someone will be coming out with some freshly cut oxtail for him. Short ribs be dammed! Poor guy, I followed him until the butcher came out with the oxtails. He bought a few pieces. Because I was following him, I was able to obtain the rest of the tail! And yes, what was once used only by people without means, like my family growing up, it has become so expensive!!!
What can be used in place of the allspice? I can’t get that here
This oxtail recipe is great. why are oxtails so expensive
what other meat could I use>
I know right? They sure are . You could use any bone in beef .
For certain, no other part of the cow taste like the tail. No bone-in-beef can compare even if you follow the same recipe to a T.
Can I use a pressure pot to reduce cook time
Hi, Onyeka. I haven’t tried it personally using a pressure cooker. But some of our readers here have shared that the following:
“I sautéd and pressure cooked in my instant pot for 25 mins and finished on the stove which worked perfectly!! ”
“The first time I did this recipe i pressure cooked for 45 minutes. I also added ginger, soy sauce, and 2 chopped carrots. I think I used dry large Lima beans and put in with the rest of the ingredients. My family loved it so much that when the meat finished they put the sauce with beans leftovers over rice and we’re still raving the next day. I’m cooking it again tonight again but with canned butter beans. So I will probably take it off pressure after 40 minutes and then add the beans and continue to simmer.”
Hope this helps. Please do let me know how it turned out for you. Happy cooking!
Absolutely! The only way I cook them…saves so much time. Use the saute function for the first steps, then switch to pressure cook. I cook them at least once a week. ❣
I absolutely love this recipe! It’s a hit with everyone who gets to taste. I can’t seem to find Scotch Bonnet peppers where I reside. I use the Manzanillo Yellow Pepper and it came out good. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious Dish. Keep the Oxtail recipes coming!
So happy to hear this kay. Thanks for the feedback .
The bomb.com / Sooo addicting 🙂
My wife and I are putting together this recipe again the first time we cooked it it was outstanding, delicious, fulfilling..we have this recipe saved for future use.
Thank you taking the time to share with my wife and I your recipes.
Thank you Paul! It is my pleasure sharing these recipes with you all!
omg this recipe was truly amazing. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Awesome!
This is the best recipe ever. Thank you for sharing!!!!!
I agree!!
I about had a Meg Ryan moment the minute the first bite hit my mouth. Seriously good!
As a Jamaican, I have cooked Oxtail and butter beans for years. Your inclusion of Worcestershire sauce and a little curry powder increase the deliciousness of this dish.
I’ve been craving Jamaican oxtail for soo long and I am so glad I came upon your recipe!! This recipe was damn good!! I’m stuffed and I’m still craving some more !!
I just made this wonderful recipe tonight and oh my gosh, bloody amazing! Thank you so much. Our two happy tummies thank you too. Wonderful food!xxxx
One of the easiest and tastiest recipes. Family loves it and my daughter is cooking it by herself. Thanks
So delicious! I make this once a year and my family always looks forward to it!
Has anyone every made this in a pressure cooker?
The first time I did this recipe i pressure cooked for 45 minutes. I also added ginger, soy sauce, and 2 chopped carrots. I think I used dry large Lima beans and put in with the rest of the ingredients. My family loved it so much that when the meat finished they put the sauce with beans leftovers over rice and we’re still raving the next day.
I’m cooking it again tonight again but with canned butter beans. So I will probably take it off pressure after 40 minutes and then add the beans and continue to simmer.
Thank you Imma!
Aweosme! Thanks for taking time out this share this with us Lauren
Made this for the 2nd time tonight and it was even better that the first. Easy directions, had all ingredients on hand. Thank you for sharing
and it was even better this time Leftovers tomorrow. YUM!
Just made this and the whole family were begging for more.
Thanks for this
Love this recipe. Been using it for years. Thanks Imma and for the FB videos as well . Absolutely love them
I want to make your Jamaican Ox Tail Stew. I only have ground Allspice how much would I use for this delightful dish? I love all the dishes I have tried from your site.
6 allspice berries grinds to about a teaspoon’s worth, depending on their size. I’ve made this recipe twice now and it’s very tasty indeed.
I cooked it it march 2019 and it wad great I loved it not just myself but others who I shared it with, thanks for your recipe and I am about to cook some right this minute..
Hi! Love all of your recipes! Should I double all of the ingredients for double the amount of oxtails?
Made this for the first time and it is exactly as I remember it from growing up in Toronto and many Jamaican restaurants! Thanks for sharing!
I decided to make Oxtail Stew for the first time, Googled, and I found your site again! I will be using your recipe for reference when I make mine.
Just so I understand, when you say “1 Whole Scotch bonnet pepper” you mean to leave it whole (I can see where chopping it up would overpower the rest of the ingredients).
Thanks again!
Yes, leave it whole, do NOT chop it up. Scotch Bonnets are very HOT. I’m Jamaican so I know.
GREAT♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
I only have three things to say
WOW,
Thank you,
Are you married??because anyone that has this recipe in there aresenol can cook.
Has anyone cooked them using a crockpot?
Yes! I definitely like browning my oxtails before I place into the crockpot.
How would you do this recipe if using a crockpot instead of the stove?
Hi Jenna, check out this slow cooker oxtail here .https://www.africanbites.com/slow-cooker-oxtail-soup/
Made this for the first time and struggled to find what I thought would be an authentic Caribbean recipe. Thought I would give it a try. Absolutely delightful!!! The dish reminds me of my grandma 100%. I sautéd and pressure cooked in my instant pot for 25 mins and finished on the stove which worked perfectly!! This is my new go to recipe and my husband and 2 girls also devoured it.
Hi Imma,
Stumbled across this reciepe on pintrest and so glad I did. I havd made this now about 3 times and it is AWESOME every single time. My husband and I love carribean food and often would get oxtails at our fav jamacian spot but after making this dish he now will only eat oxtails when I make them thanks to you. A winner and keeper for sure. Thanks for posting and sharing. Big ups
My first time making oxtails and they were off the CHAIN!!! Thank you Imma, You are the BESt!!!
Tried this recipe for the first time tonight. Used the prescribed amount of ingredients and started with 4 cups of water. Although the flavours are there which are excellent I found the recipe to be too soupy.
Awesome! Made previously, but not in a while. Used canned Lima beans at the end. Put a cup of burgundy vino rinsing a bottle of Heinz Ketchup in as well as more curry (you can’t even taste it) and Tobasco sauce (10 “hits”) lol Also celery, carrots and small red potatoes, one extra onion! Thank you for being my guide this time!
This is one of my favorite dishes and I can’t wait to try this recipe this weekend! Would it be too much to alter the recipe a bit and add potatoes and carrots?
Feel free to add extra veggies. Enjoy!
I believe you saved my marriage with this recipe! Tried it for the first time and then again a few days ago. Needless to say it was a complete success and loved by my family! Thank you ever so much!
Just made this soooo delicious. Put two scotch bonnets because I love the heat and flavour.