The BEST Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs oxtails
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon browning
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion
chopped
- 4 green onions
chopped
- 1 Tablespoon garlic
chopped
- 2 whole carrots
chopped
- 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
seeds and membrane removed and chopped
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 16 oz can Butter Beans
drained
Directions
- 1
Rinse oxtails with water and vinegar and pat dry. Cover oxtails with brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, all-spice, and browning and rub into oxtails.
- 2
Set Pressure Cooker on High Sauté and once hot, add vegetable oil. Next, add your larger oxtail pieces to the pot, flat side down about ¼ inch apart, and brown on each side.
- 3
Remove oxtail after browning and place in bowl.
- 4
Deglaze your pressure cooker by adding about 2 Tbsp of beef broth to the insert. Take a wooden spoon and deglaze your pot by removing the brown bits at the bottom. Then add your yellow onions, green onions, carrots, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper. Stir and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onions have softened.
- 5
Add dried thyme, oxtails, remaining beef broth, and ketchup to the pressure cooker insert.
- 6
Press “Cancel” on your Instant Pot. Cover and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Once timer is done, allow pressure cooker to naturally release.
- 7
Once all pressure has released, open lid and remove oxtails and vegetables, leaving liquid behind. Turn Pressure Cooker on sauté. Once liquid begins to simmer, create a corn starch slurry by combining corn starch and water to a separate bowl. Stir into simmering liquid. Add drained butter beans into pressure cooker and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, until liquid is slightly thickened and butterbeans are warmed.
- 8
Add oxtails and vegetables back to the pressure cooker. Serve and enjoy :)
- 9
Prepare the recipe as instructed up until the oxtails need to be browned. Brown oxtail over medium-high heat on the stovetop in a skillet. Once oxtail are browned, deglaze skillet by adding 2 Tbsp of beef broth. Add onions and carrots to skillet and stir until onions have softened. Add these ingredients to the slow cooker as well as all remaining ingredients, except the butter beans. Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or until oxtail is tender. 30 minutes before serving, create a cornstarch slurry by combining corn starch and water to a separate bowl. Stir into slow cooker along with the drained butter beans.
- 10
Follow the instructions above and then rather than placing in a slow cooker or pressure cooker, cook it on the stove on medium low heat for about 3 hours, stirring occasionaly or until oxtails are tender. Add the butter beans when there is about 30 minutes left on the cook time.
The BEST Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
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About this Recipe
Craving a truly satisfying, melt-in-your-mouth stew that transports you to the Caribbean? This recipe for Jamaican Oxtails delivers rich, tender meat and savory butter beans, cooked to perfection and ideal for a hearty dinner.
What sets this Jamaican Oxtails recipe apart is its promise of perfectly tender oxtail, achieved through versatile cooking methods including the Instant Pot, electric pressure cooker, stovetop, and slow cooker. The thoughtful blend of savory seasonings like allspice, browning, and a hint of scotch bonnet creates an incredibly deep, complex flavor in every bite.
You can expect incredibly succulent oxtail that falls off the bone, enveloped in a rich, deeply flavored sauce. The creamy butter beans add a delightful contrast in texture and a subtle sweetness that rounds out the savory profile. With aromatic green onions, garlic, and the warmth of allspice and thyme, each spoonful offers a taste of authentic Caribbean comfort. While the flavors are robust, the dish finishes with a balanced warmth from the optional scotch bonnet or habanero pepper.
To tailor the spice level to your liking, you can easily adjust the amount of scotch bonnet or habanero pepper used, or omit it entirely for a milder stew. If you're looking for an even richer color, you can slightly increase the browning agent to achieve your desired intensity.
This rich, comforting stew is perfectly suited for a satisfying family dinner or a special occasion that calls for deeply flavorful Caribbean cuisine. Pair it with rice and peas or plain white rice to fully savor the delicious, tender oxtail and its rich gravy.