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.
So I felt compelled to tell you about the many disasters I faced while making this recipe. 1st issue, the butcher wouldn’t cut my oxtails for me to medium size, 2nd I grabbed peppercorn instead of pimento seeds (no Allspice on hand so I used Pumpkin Spice (lol!). All was going well, I was enjoying that flavor of the broth until…. I realized I forgot to remove the pepper before it got too soft. It burst and did that spice things up tremendously. I attempted to cut it I LOVE spicy but my family not so much. At this juncture I’m way off course from the original recipe. I made coconut rice and corn bread muffins as well. I got good reviews but the consensus was that it was definitely spicy. Good thing is I will not be deterred. I have more oxtails in the freezer. Will be trying again soon. Hopefully without any additional disasters (he he he) :-).
OH BOY!!! This has got me cracking up! I have put put sugar instead of salt before and left the pepper in my cooking too many times and only hubby could eat it. TOO SPIcy. I can relate. At some point I would have given up but you kept on going .I love your tenacity. You go girl. Next time you are going to NAIL IT.
I am very happy to find your website! My husband is from Jamaica, so I am trying to learn how to cook his soul food 🙂
I have a bottle of Scotch Bonnet Sauce (Grace). Can I use it instead of a whole scotch bonnet pepper? In that case, how much do you think I should put it?
You sure can. It all depends on how much heat you can handle. When using bottle pepper sauce I add them towards the end and taste as I go. Or just serve on the side.
You may not know this but you are my best friend. Thank you thank you thank you, this recipe is amazing. I used 1 tsp of ground allspice and may have added more than a tbsp of ketchup. Also i felt it needed more beans so I added a second can to add more protein. You rock Immaculata.
HIGH FIVE BESTIE! I am SO HAPPY to hear you enjoyed this, thanks so much for letting me know!
About to try it,really looks amazing.
Thanks! Do let me know how it works out for you!
Imma should i cover with lid while simmering or leave uncovered. Thank You
Hi Ray! Cover while simmering makes it cook faster – prevents the steam /heat from escaping while cooking. Happy Cooking!!!!
I am having oxtail as one of our main dishes for Chrisrmas dinner and will try your recipe. From all the feedback I have read about your recipe I am positive I will be very satisfied with the outcome.
Cooking in general is not my favourite but this looks like a foolproof recipe and I cannot wait to try it
I will let you know how it turns out…wish me luck Imma 🙂
No luck needed Carol- You are going to NAIL IT!!! It’s really quite easy. Nothing complicated .
Have a Very Merry Christmas and Happy Cooking !!!!
The ox tail soup recipe was awsome! No scotch bonnet peppers at the supermarket so I used two habanero peppers, I hope its close enough. Putting the peppers in whole worked out great – no hot fingers to burn my eyes and they gave a little heat to the broth. I can’t wait to try your Jerk chicken recipe!
Hi John! Thanks for the Feedback! Yes, Habanero peppers are close enough. Sometimes it’s hard to get a hold of scotch bonnet peppers. Happy Cooking!!!
the scotch bonnet stays whole to keep the heat down? I hear ox tails and rice and peas call for that pepper. I like heat but i hear scotch bonnets are VERY spicy.
Thank You for any response,
I can’t wait to try it!!
Yes, they are . However, if you keep the Scotch pepper whole it reduces the heat while still adding flavor to it. Or you can add it towards the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. I do it all the time. Not everyone is a heat seeker.
Gee Whiz Y’all, I cannot find oxtail in Virginia Beach, VA! First tasted a most wonderful oxtail stew while in S. Africa 2 years ago. Dying to try it at home! if any one can advise a resource for true oxtail.
Wonderful recipe! I’m currently cooking my 3rd batch of ox tails in the last month since finding this recipe! My husband and kids absolutely love it and so do I! Thanks so much! I follow the recipe very closely but the only thing is I couldn’t find was a scotch bonnet pepper. The first 2 times I used a little chili powder for some heat. This time I ordered scotch bonnet powder online. If you were to use scotch bonnet powder how much would you use just to give it that special kick. I didn’t want to go overboard so I just used a little this time! I’d like to know before I cook the 4th batch which will probably be next week knowing my husband lol. Thanks 🙂
My pleasure Marva! So happy to hear it’s been great so far. When kids are involve I do not use more than 1 teaspoon hot pepper. Since it is dried scotch bonnet pepper you can use 1/2 teaspoon when you add the onions brown for added flavor . Then towards the end if you want more kick to it . Take some out set aside for the kids and add 1/2 teaspoon or more . Taste as you go. Hope this helps
Thank you! About to cook another batch now 🙂
Awesome!!!
I absolutely love oxtail and enjoy making it. I am known for my oxtails:) I found your site when googling to see if I forgot an ingredient. Amazing site, BTW. You photos are lovely. I am thinking of doing a food blog and I want to incorporate recipes and various restaurants while I travel which is often. I hope my blog would be this nice.
I never realized that the browning sauce is what gives it the dark and rich color. So that was certainly a good tip. I added the green onions which I normally don’t do. I had a habernaro pepper. I didn’t add the curry but will try that next time, I am sure that gives it a nice kick. I use a pressure cooker and it still takes hours, lol. I use beef broth instead of water and I suppose I am only using one can (I think in the past I used to use more). Didn’t use the tomato paste. I used fresh tomatoes. Next time I will try your recipe exactly as you have it.
Hi Amber! Am sure you are going to do just fine. Am surprise to hear your oxtail takes that long in the pressure cooker. Mine takes about 15 minutes tops . From when the pressure kicks in. Do let me know how it works out for you. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
I made this tonight, but in my usual fashion, i changed it up alot. I added a 1/4 teaspoon of cumin, bumped the tomato sauce up to 6 oz.. Added 2 dashes of red hot sauce. Changed the pepper from a scottish bonnet, to a jalapeño. I was scared it’d be too hot, and my family wouldn’t eat it. My oxtails were precut, and too big, so i added 8 cups of water vs the 6. This immediately turned this from a stew, to more of a soup. My onions were of the medium variety, so i put 3 into the dish. Halfway through the cooking, I started thinking of the history of stews, and how they were considered “poor people” food (we ate a lot of stew as I was growing up FYI), so i decided to add 4 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch squares. Ive always loved curry, and potatoes, and im glad i added them. This dish turned out to be amazing. Although i strayed from your original recipe, i want to thank you for the original idea. Its now my families favorite dish.
Sorry. I meant to expand on the “poor people food” comment. Stew was always something we would have, and my mom would throw in leftovers. She was always trying to find ways of using our leftovers in new ways, and stretching our household food budget. She had learned this from her mother, who grew up in oklahoma during the dust bowl era. There are soooo many stew recipes, and most i believe originated from similar circumstances. Again, loved the dish, and thank you again
It definitely is was looked upon as a “poor’s man food”. I don’t think so anymore. To me, nothing is as Comforting and Rich as oxtail ! “Rich Man’s Food ” doesn’t even come close! In my humble opinion. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. Happy Cooking!!!
I made this a few weeks back and my entire family loved it!! So delicious!! I did let it cook for an extra hour because I love my meat really tender tho. Just made it again today. Oxtails are simmering as we speak. Love this recipe!!
Yay!!! Thanks for taking the time let me know.
Oh yeah I didn’t use the measurements you put I’m from NEW ORLEANS WE DONT MEASURE NOTHING!! LOL THANKS AGAIN
Your instructions are to the T honey..I followed exactly what you said and whala!!!!! Tasty this is my first time making oxtails..I really appreciate your help.Thankyou so much!!
Yaaay! Glad it turned out great for you, Nikki! Thanks for dropping by.
I had the pleasure of making this today!!! OMG DELICIOUS AND ITS NOT EVEN DONE YET!! I went to buy the ox tails and who would have ever thought I would run into a Jamaican cook!! I showed him your recipe n he helped me get the items I needed. He didn’t tweak it at all he just told me to get whole tomatoes and add ginger with the curry powder because it wasn’t an original curry. HE ALSO TOLD ME THIS US HIW WE COOK IT WHERE IM FROM THE RECIPE IS GOOD!! I CAN’T WAIT FOR 4:30 TO COME SO I CAN GRUB!! I MADE POTATO SALAD WITH IT!! THANKS FOR GIVING ME A TASTE OF JAMAICA!!
You are WELCOME! Thanks for giving it a try! Next time make my homemade Jamaican curry powder. You going to love it even more.
Just finished a big bowl of this with your Caribbean rice and beans recipe and DAMN was it delicious! Just the right amount of heat to keep me coming back for more, the meat so tender, pulling right off the bone and leaving that glorious sticky feeling on your lips. I can’t wait for the leftovers tomorrow!
I let it simmer for about 3.5 hours. I did thicken it a touch, took a cup of the broth and made a slurry with 3 tablespoons of flour and simmered for 15 minutes after adding it back to the pot. That was my only tweak. Turned out amazing. This is gonna be a regular dish at my house. Thanks for the great recipe! Much love!
My Pleasure! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. And so appreciate your detailed feedback. Thanks again Joe.
Fantastic recipe.
Must be tried!!
Cooking my second large batch now.
Going to check out your other dishes and make.
Thanks so much!
My Pleasure !!! Glad you gave it tried . Happy Cooking!!!
Hello,
I made this, and mine still seemed pretty watery after cooking for almost 3 hours. Should I be boiling it longer before the simmer?
You probably have to keep cooking until it thickens up. You may cut down on the liquid next time.
I prepared everything in a pan on the stove top. I used your curry powder. Once I had browned everything in the pan, I dumped it all into my slow cooker using 3 cups of water. After 6 hours of cooking on high I still had a lot of gravy left and the flavor was lacking so I transferred everything back to the pan and reduced the liquid. I also had to add another teaspoon of curry power and about half more teaspoon of powdered allspice. It turned out fantastic!
Going to try again with goat meat.
Great Idea to use goat meat! Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback. Really appreciate it.
This recipe has taught me a few things about complex flavors and how to build them. The aroma in my house was EXTRAA!!! DELISHIOUS smells. Its still cooking right now so im sure its a hit! It’s my boyfreinds favorite thing to eat!!