This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Rich and flavorful braised oxtails are easy to make and sure to impress. This stew features tender, fall-apart beef in a bold broth with hearty pieces of carrots and fresh herbs.
Need some more beef recipes? Our favorites are beef birria, carne guisada, and oven-baked beef ribs.
Why You Will love this recipe
- Simple Ingredients: The ingredients are simple, but this meal creates an impact with big, bold flavors.
- Tender Meat: thanks to slowly cooking and braising the meat, the beef is tender, juicy, and ready to fall off the bone.
- Adaptable: switch up the veggies included in the stew, such as potatoes or celery. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice, or serve as a stew.
Ingredients
- Oxtails: A delicacy cut of beef from the tail of the cow. It is typically cut into 2 inch chunks. This cut of meat has a large amount of collagen which melts away when slow cooked, giving tender bites of meat. The end result is rich tasting, melt in your mouth tender bites of beef.
- Wine: Use a dry red wine such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.
How to Cook Oxtails
- Pat the oxtails dry and season with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add the oxtails to the pot and sear on all sides, cooking about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate once seared.
- Add the carrots and onion to the pot and sauté while stirring, until onions are softened, approximately 4-5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste.
- Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Bring this to a simmer.
- Pour in the beef broth, add the oxtails, garlic, herbs and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover with lid and turn heat to low, gently simmer for 2 hours. Check every 30 minutes to stir and add additional broth if needed to keep the meat covered in liquid.
- Remove the lid and cook an additional 45 minutes to an hour to allow the sauce to reduce, meat should be tender.
Storage Information
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: allow the oxtail stew to cool, then pour into a freezer safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- Reheating: pour the stew into a dutch oven and heat over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until the meat is warmed through.
What to serve with oxtail stew?
Braised Oxtails
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds oxtails
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced
- ½ cup onion diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 head garlic top cut off to expose cloves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- fresh herbs
Serving
- mashed potatoes or rice
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium high heat.
- Pat the oxtails dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Working in batches, add the oxtails to the pot and sear on all sides, cooking about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove to plate once seared.
- Add the carrots and onion to the pot and sauté while stirring, until onions are softened, approximately 4-5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste.
- Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Bring this to a simmer.
- Pour in the beef broth, add the oxtails, garlic, herbs and stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, cover with lid and turn heat to low, gently simmer for 2 hours. Check every 30 minutes to stir and add additional broth if needed to keep the meat covered in liquid.
- Remove the lid and cook an additional 45 minutes to an hour to allow the sauce to reduce, meat should be tender.
- Taste and add additional salt if needed.
- Serve the oxtails over mashed potatoes and spoon additional sauce over the top.
- Top with fresh herbs for garnish.
Notes
-
- Pressure Cooker: this is a perfect meal to prepare in an instant pot to create fork tender bites of meat. Sear the meat on the sauté setting, add the remaining ingredients and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Slow Cooker: since this meat benefits from long cook times, slow cookers are great. After searing in a skillet, add the ingredients to the slow cooker and let cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender.
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: allow the oxtail stew to cool, then pour into a freezer safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- Reheating: pour the stew into a dutch oven and heat over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until the meat is warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 695kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 73g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 249mg | Sodium: 1555mg | Potassium: 346mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5247IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 10mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Photography and styling by the talented ModernFarmhouseEats.com
This looks delicious, after getting rverythibg into my Dutch oven could I slow cook this inside the oven instead of the stove?
Yes! You can cook this at a low temperature inside the oven.
I tried making braised oxtails the other night. The tails would not break apart. There was some meat inside, but I could not get it out. It was mostly gristle. I made a fantastic bone broth, but we couldn’t eat it as a dish. The tails were given to us for free. Do you think they were just from an older animal? Have you ever experienced this? I simmered them for about 1.5 hrs. Maybe not long enough?
If this happens enough, just continue to cook the oxtails. They are a tough piece of meat and benefit from cooking slowly.