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Jamaican Oxtail

A rich, slow-simmered Caribbean stew featuring tender, marinated oxtails cooked until fall-off-the-bone soft in a savory sauce with allspice, thyme, brown sugar, vegetables, and butter beans.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 48 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: DINNER

Ingredients
  

  • Oxtails: 3 pounds
  • Worcestershire sauce: 3 tablespoons
  • Brown sugar: 3 tablespoons
  • Allspice: 1 teaspoon
  • Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
  • Large onion: 1 peeled and chopped
  • Garlic: 4-5 cloves minced
  • Large carrots: 3-4 peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • Bell peppers: 2 seeded and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • Scotch bonnet pepper or habanero pepper: 1 whole
  • Bay leaves: 2
  • Fresh thyme leaves: 2 tablespoons or 2 teaspoons dried
  • Ketchup: 2 tablespoons
  • Apple cider vinegar: 1 tablespoon
  • Beef broth: 2 cups
  • Canned butter beans drained: 16 ounces
  • Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon
  • Chopped scallions: 1/2 cup
  • Salt and pepper: To taste

Equipment

  • Large Baking Dish
  • Large Pot or Dutch Oven (heavy-bottomed)
  • Large Spoon

Method
 

  1. Marinate the Oxtails: In a large baking dish, combine Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, allspice, salt, and pepper. Toss the oxtails to coat well. Let them marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for best flavor.
  2. Brown the Oxtails: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Brown the oxtails in batches for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and set them aside.
  3. Sauté Aromatics: Add the chopped onions and minced garlic to the pot, sautéing until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
  4. Build the Stew: Return the browned oxtails to the pot. Add the carrots, bell peppers, whole scotch bonnet pepper (do not burst it), bay leaves, thyme, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and beef broth. Stir well to combine.
  5. Simmer: Cover the pot and cook on medium-low for 2-3 hours until the meat is fall-apart tender and the sauce begins to thicken slightly.
  6. Add Beans and Thicken: Drain the butter beans and toss them with the cornstarch. Stir the beans into the stew. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes to fully thicken the stew.
  7. Serve: Remove the bay leaves and the whole scotch bonnet pepper before serving. Garnish generously with chopped scallions and serve hot with rice.

Notes

Scotch Bonnet: Leave the pepper whole for flavor; breaking it open will make the stew extremely spicy.
Tenderness: True Jamaican oxtail is cooked until the meat easily falls off the bone. If it's not tender after 3 hours, continue simmering until it is.
Pressure Cooker: This recipe can be made much faster (around 45-60 minutes) in a pressure cooker after the browning step.
Serving Suggestion: Traditionally served with rice and peas (rice and kidney beans).

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