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.
The best oxtail recipe mind you I’m a novice, making it again today, thank you!
hahaha. You are inching towards “pro” if you are making it again 🙂 ! Glad you like it. Thanks for the feedback!
I’ve made this recipe twice and both times were delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe!
You’re welcome, Dawn :)! Thank you for the feedback!
Imma, this was so unbelievably good. I grew up eating oxtail. It was a special treat.
This recipe, is absolutely amazing. Added some pumpkin near the beginning at the recommendation of my Jamaican grandmotherto give it a touch of texture and sweetness. Cooks right now by the time it’s finished. Ended up simmering for about 5 hours. Had some giant pieces in there. Subbed Cannelini beans.
One of the best recipes I’ve ever found online. Highly recommend.
Hi Niko. Wow, with the pumpkin… that sounds delicious!! I must try that sometime. I am glad you loved. Thanks for sharing 🙂 !
This was so flavorful!! I wouldn’t change or add anything to your recipe. It was perfection. I did it in a crockpot and followed your suggestion of 2 cups of water. While I loved the tenderness of the oxtails, it was the sauce/gravy that blew it away!!! Wow!! I will have no problem using the rest of the sauce over rice or mashed potatoes. Thank you for sharing !!
I love spices and it seems you do too! Thank you for your greate comments. Enjoy
superb meal,finger licking goodness, thank you for the receipe
Awesome!! Glad you loved it 🙂 !
Going on week 4 of COVID-19 stay at home order, I’ve decided to venture out and cook dishes I haven’t tried. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I loved making my 1st oxtail stew, and my 9yr picky eater son loved it even more. I posted a picture on my social media sites and everyone kept saying yummy.
WooHoo!! Happy to hear it was hit. Thanks for sharing!!!
I tried this recipe and it was so good ! I was nervous because I have never made oxtail before but grew up eating it two different styles : Jamaican and Haitian. So being able to make it one out of two delicious ways is a pat on my back thanks to you and Hubby’s lips were smacking !
P.S you should take on a Haitian recipe ! Our cuisine is delectable 🙂
Yes it is. I have on my to make list slow cooker kalua pork. Can’t wait . Thanks for taking time out to share this with us.
So I have been cooking oxtail and beans for a while and everybody will eat it and ask for more I just did it real quick nothing strenuous but as we are in lock down mode during the Corona pandemic I have decided to renew my mind and cook using recipes I found yours I cooked it your way well all I can say is THANK YOU and as my 4 year old would say it is bellycious. This is definitely one for keeps. I will search out other receipes. I am 4 weeks in on the lock down and I have cooked all I know to cook and we were getting bored.
I tried this recipe for the first time it was great. I left out the heat but it was still delicious. Thanks I did cornbread on the side didn’t use the beans but the potatoes. Yum
Really Yum, Oxtail is truthfully my favorite, I could probably eat it any which way. Glad you had fun with the recipe and made it your own.
Really Yum, Oxtail is truthfully my favorite, I could probably eat it any which way. Glad you had fun with the recipe and made it your own.
Awesome! One of the of the best oxtail recipes ever.
Served with pigeon peas and rice.
I am glad you tried it out. I have had several great comments. I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe.
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 🙂
I tried this recipe for the first time it was great. I left out the heat but it was still delicious. Thanks I did cornbread on the side didn’t use the beans but the potatoes. Yum
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 !
First time ever making oxtail anything . And this was absolutely amazing ! Very easy and straightforward recipe. Definitely will be trying some of your other recipes. I really can’t believe I made this. Thanks !
High Five! Yes you did. Thanks for the feedback.
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.
I use fresh turkey necks sometimes. It’s delicious either way.
Awesome ! Thanks for sharing.
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 🙂