Let’s get one thing straight: oxtail stew is not your average Tuesday night dinner—it’s more like a soulful, slow-cooked love song to your insides. We’re talking about that rich, deep, melt-off-the-bone kind of magic that takes its sweet, sweet time—but boy, is it worth every aromatic minute. This isn’t just food; it’s an edible hug with jazz hands.
Now, before you freak out about the word oxtail —yes, it’s literally the tail of an ox (or cow, really), but trust me, it’s a hidden gem in the world of nose-to-tail cooking. Once it hits the pot, oxtail stew turns into something so tender and luscious, your spoon will thank you. And if you’ve never tried it, welcome to the flavor party. There’s wine. There’s spice. There’s…a whole mood.
This quirky little number starts with a base of sautéed white onions, celery, carrots, and green pepper—aka the veggie squad that lays down the flavor foundation like a jazzy rhythm section. Then we throw in our showstoppers: cumin, star anise, and cinnamon. Yes, you read that right. These bold aromatics bring a hint of warmth, a kiss of sweet spice, and a little mystery that’ll have your dinner guests leaning in like “wait…what is that?”
And of course, we don’t skimp on the thyme—because thyme is always on our side (sorry, not sorry for that pun). We hit the pot with a generous glug of red wine, because this stew deserves a little drama and depth. Think full-bodied, slow-simmered, French countryside meets Caribbean spice rack vibes.
Whether you’re meal-prepping for the week, flexing for your foodie friends, or just trying to level up your oxtail stew game, this oxtail recipe is here to bring bold flavor and a whole lot of personality to your pot. It’s cozy, quirky, and 100% slurp-worthy. Just don’t forget the crusty bread—you’re gonna want to soak up every last drop.
I’ve done most of the work, so just follow the recipe step by step and I promise you you’ll want to be my new best friend. All YOU have to do is decide what starch you’ll be enjoying with the oxtail stew.
Ingredients
- 1,3 kg beef oxtail
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh chilies chopped
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp paprika
- half star anise
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1 large white onion diced
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 3 medium carrot chopped
- 2 green pepper chopped
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 28 g chicken stock pot Knorr
- 400 g canned diced tomatoes
- 1 cup of good red wine
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sear the oxtail meat well by browning it on all sides in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Brown in batches, depending on the size of your saucepan. This creates beautiful color and renders out some of the fat - discard the fat or keep it in the fridge for a future dish but use within a week. Do not add any additional oil when browning the meat as oxtail is already quite fatty (usually). Set aside.
- Add the olive oil, garlic, chilies, cinnamon, paprika, star anise, cumin, and thyme in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot and cook for 3mins uncovered. Add the carrots, celery, green pepper, and onion to the pot and cook for another 10mins uncovered, and cook until softened. Add the tomato paste and sugar and cook for another 10mins uncovered.
- Add the browned oxtail (and any residual juice from the meat), diced tomatoes, stock cube, red wine, and 1,2 liters of water to the pot and mix well. Cover the pressure cooker and cook for at least 3 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and almost falls off the bone. Remember to stir every 20-30 minutes and add additional water towards the end of the cooking process because you do not want the oxtail to burn as the sauce becomes thicker and thicker.
- In the last 30mins of cooking time, you may prepare your starch for the meal, whether this is mash, rice, couscous, etc. Also, once the stew is done, I take a paper towel and remove most of the unwanted oil lying on the surface of the stew.Regarding the starch, I decided on making some parmesan mash with ours and drizzled over some of my homemade basil pesto!
