Jamaican Oxtail Stew
Jamaican oxtail stew is fork-tender beef and satisfyingly creamy butter beans in a spicy gravy. This humble dish with Jamaican curry spices and pleasant heat will spice up your life and widen your horizons.
The last time I visited Jamaica, I made it a point to try all the recipes I could fit in. We also took as many cooking classes as we could to learn tricks from the locals.
And this dish was at the top of my list because I used to work not too far from a Jamaican restaurant in LA, and ate oxtail stew there regularly. It wasn’t good for my wallet or my waistline, but my belly was purring with pure joy!
Why Oxtails Make Great Stew
Oxtails don’t get as much love in the States as other beef cuts, but they should. Being a well-used muscle means it has plenty of collagen and benefits greatly from simmering low and slow in a braising liquid. The flavor is also more intense, making a wonderful broth perfect for smothering your rice and peas.
Oxtail used to be a cheap cut due to its high fat content and longer cooking time. But now it has become a gourmet dish, and the price has skyrocketed. So we enjoy this recipe on special occasions when our local butcher has them available.
How to Make Jamaican Oxtail Stew
- Season the oxtails, sear them, and add the aromatics and the rest of the seasonings.
- Toss in the green onions, add water, cover, and simmer until tender. Pour in the butter beans, add the hot pepper, heat through, and enjoy.
Recipe Tips and Twists
- I love nibbling the bones – a cultural thing. However, you can 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.
- For extra veggies, some wonderful readers have added carrots, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, mushrooms, mustard greens (during the last 20 minutes of cooking), and stewed tomatoes (added with the broad beans). Keep sharing your tweaks, please.
- Oxtail needs low heat and lots of time to break down the collagen and tough muscle fibers. If they still seem a little tough after 3 hours (5 hours at high altitude), just give them more time, and perhaps more liquid. The meat should be practically falling off the bone.
Using the Instant Pot
Although I haven’t personally made this recipe in my Instant Pot, our beautiful readers took the time to leave some instructions.
- Start with the “Sauté” setting for the first three steps and carefully brown the oxtail pieces on both sides – 2-3 minutes per side.
- Remove the oxtail and sauté the onions, green onions, garlic, thyme, allspice, Worcestershire, and smoked paprika, stirring for about a minute.
- Next, throw in the scotch bonnet pepper, tomato paste, bouillon, and curry powder, and stir for another minute.
- 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.
- After the pressure releases, add the beans and simmer them for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the butter beans are heated.
Make-Ahead and Storage 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.
Store leftovers for 3-4 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.
What to Serve With Jamaican Oxtail Stew
This amazing stew is perfect with rice and beans, fried plantains, and fried cabbage as traditional sides. 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
This post was first published in November 2015 and has been updated with a video, new tips, and fresh photos.
[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”]
Jamaican Oxtail Stew
Ingredients
Oxtail Marinade
- 2-4 pounds (1-2kg) oxtail, cut up into medium pieces
- salt as desired (¾-1 teaspoon per pound is average)
- 1-2 teaspoons (2-4g) white pepper or black pepper
- ½ teaspoon (3g) minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons (2g) fresh thyme
- 1-2 teaspoons (2-4g) bouillon powder
The Stew
- 2-3 tablespoons (28-42ml) cooking oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (8g) minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons (2g) minced thyme
- 5-6 whole allspice berries (optional)
- 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 a cube (optional)
- 1 teaspoon (2g) curry powder (more to taste)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 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 pieces with salt, pepper, minced garlic, thyme, and bouillon powder. Tightly cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. When ready to cook, remove from the fridge (see notes).
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat until hot, and then sear the meat, frequently stirring while scraping any browned bits off the bottom until browned.
- Add the onions, garlic, thyme, and allspice, then stir for about a minute. Follow with the Worcestershire sauce, browning sauce, tomato paste, bouillon, curry powder, and green onions, and stir for another minute.
- Then add 4-6 cups of water (start with 4 cups, adding more if 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 for 20-30 minutes and adjust salt to taste. Garnish with sliced green onions and enjoy.
Tips & Notes:
- A lot of bouillon powders have MSG, so if you prefer to avoid it, replace the water with beef broth and leave the bouillon out.
- If you need this to come together quicker, you can skip the marinating time.
- Feel free to add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika for more flavor.
- 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 have had this recipe saved in my bookmarks for over 5 years. It’s my go to base recipe when I make oxtail. I have made it exactly as you wrote and it’s delicious. sometimes it’s a little different, not the exact same recipe based on what I have on hand but it always turns out wonderful and I suggest it to anyone who wants some good oxtail. Thanks for posting this.
I’m so glad you like it. Yes, I encourage people to adjust the ingredients to what they have. Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Loved it instructions easy to follow and more affordable than going to all the restaurants that you like it’s way easier to make the meals at home and taste great
Thank you 🙂 That makes my day.
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 how you customized it. I love it when people share their tweaks.
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!
You can absolutely use other similar stew beef cuts. It turns out great.
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!