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    Home » Meat Recipes » Oxtail Stew

    Oxtail Stew

    Last updated: Aug 17, 2023 · Recipes developed by Vered DeLeeuw and nutritionally reviewed by Rachel Benight MS, RD · This website generates income via ads and uses cookies.

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    This rich and flavorful slow cooker 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.

    Slow cooker oxtail stew in a white serving dish.

    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
    • Recipe Card

    Ingredients

    The ingredients needed to make an oxtail stew.

    Here's a list of the ingredients needed to make this hearty stew. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below:

    • Bone-in oxtails: I get them at Whole Foods. Sometimes I need to special-order them.
    • 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.
    • Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, reduce the amount you use by half.
    • Garlic powder: You can also use fresh minced garlic.
    • Cornstarch: A small amount to help thicken the stew. This is optional.

    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 (Photo 1).
    • Whisk the remaining ingredients except for the cornstarch. Pour them over the oxtails. (Photo 2).
    • Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. (Photos 3-5).
    • 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. (Photo 6).
    A six-photo collage showing the steps for cooking an oxtail stew in the slow cooker.

    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.

    Different sizes of raw oxtails on a white platter.

    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 stew in the slow cooker on the low setting for 8 hours for the best results.

    Where can you find oxtails?

    I get them at my local Whole Foods. They are usually available in the meat department, although sometimes I need to special-order them. They are also available online at US Wellness Meats.

    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.

    The parts of an oxtail: marrow, meat, and fat.

    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 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.

    Oxtail stew served in a white oval dish.

    More Slow-Cooked Meat Recipes

    • Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks
      Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks
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      Keto Pot Roast
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    • Beef cheeks served on a white plate.
      Slow Cooked Beef Cheeks

    👩🏻‍🍳 I aim to publish a new recipe once or twice a month. Want these recipes in your inbox? Subscribe today! You can unsubscribe at any time.

    Recipe Card

    Slow cooker oxtail stew served in a white dish and garnished with parsley.
    4.99 from 1062 votes
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    Slow Cooker Oxtail Stew

    This rich and flavorful oxtail stew is 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
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    Ingredients

    • 3 lb. 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 oz 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.

    Add Your Own Notes

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    Nutrition per Serving

    Serving: 5oz meat without bones | Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 799mg | Sugar: 4g
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    DisclaimersMost of our 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 our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes.

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    About the Author

    Vered Deleeuw 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.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Miranda

      September 26, 2023 at 9:10 am

      5 stars
      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

        September 26, 2023 at 3:06 pm

        Glad you liked it, Miranda! Thank you for leaving a comment.

        Reply
    2. M. Hager

      August 21, 2023 at 3:11 pm

      5 stars
      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

        August 21, 2023 at 3:42 pm

        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

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    Healthy Recipes Blog was founded in 2011 by Vered DeLeeuw. It features real-food recipes with a focus on low-carb and gluten-free ingredients. All recipes are nutritionally reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. Contact us at HealthyRecipesBlog@gmail.com.


    👩🏻‍🍳 I aim to publish a new recipe once or twice a month. Want these recipes in your inbox? Subscribe today! You can unsubscribe at any time.

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