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This rich and flavorful oxtail stew is lovely on a bed of mashed cauliflower for the perfect comfort food meal!
The leftovers keep well for several days and taste better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to meld together.
I love slow-cooked meats like pot roast or beef back ribs. But there's something unique about this oxtail stew. It is incredibly flavorful! Wonderfully fatty, tender meat that literally falls off the bone. It's one of my favorite winter meals. Comfort food at its best!
You will love this recipe if you like rich and aromatic beef stews. And the fact that you can make it right in your slow cooker - pretty much set it and forget it - is a huge bonus.
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- Variation
- Oxtail Stew Instructions
- Expert Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing Leftovers
- More Slow-Cooked Meat Recipes
- Foodie Newsletter
- Recipe Card
Ingredients
Here's a list of the ingredients needed to make this oxtail stew recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below:
- Bone-in oxtails: I usually get them at Whole Foods. Sometimes, I need to special-order them. They're also available online.
- Soy sauce: Or you can use a gluten-free alternative.
- Sesame oil: I like to use toasted sesame oil in this recipe. It's so flavorful!
- Rice vinegar: White wine vinegar works too. I don't recommend using distilled white vinegar. It's too acidic.
- Honey: Just one tablespoon. It doesn't make the oxtails sweet - it merely balances out the other favors. You can use a sugar-free alternative if you wish.
- Hot sauce: Much like the honey, this is not about making the dish spicy. It's more about adding a layer of flavor. I like to use sriracha sauce.
- To season: Kosher Salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. You can substitute the garlic powder with three cloves of fresh minced garlic.
- Cornstarch: A small amount to help thicken the stew.
Variation
Sometimes, when pressed for time, I don't bother using the Asian-style ingredients listed in the recipe card. Instead, I sprinkle the oxtails with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and ground cumin.
I place them in the slow cooker pan, add ¼ cup of water, close the lid, and cook on low for 8 hours. The result is just as good, although it has a different flavor profile.
Oxtail Stew Instructions
The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Place the oxtails in your slow cooker pan.
Whisk the remaining ingredients except for the cornstarch. Pour them over the oxtails.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Reduce the cooking liquids over medium heat, adding a slurry of cornstarch and water to help them thicken.
Serve the oxtails with the rich sauce.
Expert Tip
Since the oxtail is the tail of cattle, the pieces you'll get at your butcher's come in different sizes - the larger pieces are from the top of the tail, while the smaller ones are from its end. You can see the difference in the photo below.
Despite the difference in sizes, you can cook all these pieces together, and they'll all come out perfectly tender.
Recipe FAQs
Are oxtails really the tail of an ox?
They used to come from the tails of oxen, hence their name. But nowadays, they come from cattle of both genders.
Much like internal organs (such as beef tongue, beef cheeks, or beef heart), eating them is an excellent way of utilizing the entire animal, the ethical choice for meat-eaters.
Do you have to brown oxtails before cooking?
No. Simply place them in the slow cooker pan without browning them first. They come out perfectly cooked and wonderfully tender.
How long does it take for oxtails to get tender?
This meat is tough, but slow cooking makes it tender, and the fat softens and melts. I cook this oxtail stew in the slow cooker on the low setting for 8 hours.
What is in the middle of oxtail?
In the middle of an oxtail, you'll find the bone and bone marrow. Around it are meat and fat. As you can see in the photo, the fat is trimmed by the butcher, but there's still a fair amount of it surrounding the meat; in addition, you can see the marbling - the intramuscular fat inside the meat.
Serving Suggestions
Since it's a wonderfully saucy dish, I like to serve this oxtail stew on top of something that would absorb those juices, such as:
- Mashed cauliflower
- Cauliflower rice
- Zucchini noodles
- Spaghetti squash noodles
- Mashed butternut squash
I also like to add a green vegetable, such as:
- Roasted asparagus
- Roasted broccoli
- Roasted green beans
Storing Leftovers
The leftovers keep well in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. In fact, like many slow-cooked stews, they taste better the next day since storing allows the flavors to meld.
I reheat them gently in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
More Slow-Cooked Meat Recipes
- Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks
- Keto Pot Roast
- Boneless Short Ribs
- Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks
Recipe Card
4.99 from 1087 votes
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Oxtail Stew
This rich and flavorful oxtail stewis lovely on a bed of mashed cauliflower for the perfect comfort food meal!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Total Time8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 317kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
Ingredients
- 3 pounds oxtails raw, bone-in
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (or a gluten-free alternative)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce such as sriracha
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
Place the oxtails in your slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, hot sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Pour over the oxtails and stir to coat.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, until the meat is very tender.
Temporarily transfer the cooked oxtails to a platter. Strain the liquids from the slow cooker into a measuring cup. Return the oxtails to the slow cooker, cover with the lid, and set to WARM.
Skim the fat layer off the top of the cooking liquids. Pour them into a medium saucepan. Heat the cooking liquids over medium heat. Whisk the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir it into the saucepan. Keep cooking the sauce, whisking often, until it has thickened into a rich glaze, 3-5 minutes.
Remove the oxtails from the slow cooker onto a serving platter. Top them with the sauce and serve.
Video
Notes
- This recipe yields about 20 ounces of cooked meat without bones.
- If too much fat remains in the cooking liquids, the glaze will separate when you try to reduce it. Sometimes, I place the cup with cooking liquids in the freezer for a few minutes. It enables the fat to solidify somewhat, and then it's easier to remove.
- The leftovers keep well in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. In fact, like many slow-cooked stews, they taste better the next day since storing allows the flavors to meld. I reheat them gently in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
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Nutrition per Serving
Serving: 5ounces meat without bones | Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 799mg | Sugar: 4g
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Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
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More Meat Recipes
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About the Author
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.
Reader Interactions
Comments
JBL
Made it today and we all loved it. Next time, i will probably add carrots and potatoes.Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate it.
Reply
Jan
Hi,
I’m just wondering, due to the ingredients, is this an Asian-inspired version or does it taste more like a beef stew I would make? Sorry to be a pest! 🙂 It looks wonderful!! Many thanks in advance!Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
No worries, Jan! That's a great question. It doesn't taste like an Asian dish. I use Asian ingredients to add a rich, umami flavor.
Reply
Chanel
Hi!
If I don’t have a slow cooker can I use a porcelain croc pot in the oven? What temp would I use?
Thanks!
ChanelReply
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Chanel,
I'm sorry - I only tested this recipe in the slow cooker.Reply
Miranda
This oxtail stew was superb. So rich and flavorful! My entire family loved it - we had no leftovers! Next time, I'll double the recipe. 🙂Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you liked it, Miranda! Thank you for leaving a comment.
Reply
M. Hager
I just made this last night. The only changes I made were to add 2 cups of water because I was using frozen oxtails and the Crock Pot manual said to add at least a warm cup of water to prevent thermal shock and I added 2 Tbs of table salt because I doubled the recipe and forgot the amount was different for table salt. Oops!I let it go until the meat was falling off the bones, then pulled all the meat off and portioned it for my meals. While doing that, I couldn't resist sucking on all of the bones.
The only thing that didn't go right for me was the sauce at the end. Because I doubled the recipe, I also doubled the cornstarch that I added. I suspect I didn't need near as much. Either that or the drippings needed to be allowed to separate more before trying to reduce it. It essentially turned into fats and tar. The tar tasted good, but no way to mix it in with the meat.
Had one serving for lunch today and the meat was incredibly rich and wonderful. This recipe will be done again.
I may try it with other meats/cuts of meat.
Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! I just made it this week. It's a family favorite. I suspect the glaze separated because too much fat remained in the cooking liquids. Sometimes it helps to place the cup with cooking liquids in the freezer for a few minutes. It enables the fat to solidify somewhat, and then it's easier to remove. I'll go ahead and add this tip to the recipe notes.
Reply
