Jamaican Oxtail Stew Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jul 23, 2025 
This Jamaican Oxtail Soup Recipe is easy to prepare on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, or in an Instant Pot. It features fresh veggies and a kick of spice for a savory, delicious, and comforting dish!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Oxtail stew with veggies is a fabulous cold-weather and holiday dinner party dish… It is rich and hearty, a little spicy, and unique enough to serve to dinner guests.
Plus, this Jamaican Oxtail recipe can be made on the stovetop in a few hours, in an Instant Pot in a bit over an hour, or simmered in the slow cooker all day for an effortless evening meal. The result is a fork-tender hearty soup that tastes both comforting and exciting at the same time!
Why You’ll Love Jamaican Oxtail Stew
- Comfort food hero – This meaty oxtail stew is the ultimate soul-warming comfort dish that’s perfect for a weeknight meal and future meal prep planning!
- Burst of Caribbean flavors – This dish is loaded with rich and vibrant Jamaican flavors that are spicy, sweet and savory.
- One pot wonder – Whether you make this over the stovetop or in an Instant Pot, all you need is one pot for a fuss-free cleanup!
For a cozy, hearty dish that delivers every single time, then this oxtail stew is perfect recipe for you!
Ingredients and Tips
- Oxtails – Use pre-sliced oxtail bones.
- Worcestershire sauce – Use for a deep, savory flavor.
- Brown sugar – Adds a bit of sweetness.
- Allspice – This is a key spice for classic oxtail stew.
- Vegetables – You’ll need chopped onion, carrots, minced garlic, seeded and chopped bell peppers and a scotch bonnet pepper.
- Herbs – Use dried bay leaves and thyme leaves.
- Ketchup – Ketchup will add a hint of tangy taste.
- Beef broth – Or you can use bouillon with water
- Canned butter beans – I prefer to use drained lima beans.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Turn up the heat – Make this dish even spicier by adding an extra scotch bonnet pepper or sprinkling in a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Veggies – Mix in some leafy greens like spinach, collard greens or kale towards the end.
- Other protein – If you can’t find oxtail, or you’re just not a fan of it, opt instead for beef short ribs or beef shank!
- Vegetarian twist – Turn this stew into a vegetarian version by swapping the beef with mushrooms and jackfruit.
- Beans – Use cannellini beans or chickpeas instead of butter beans.
How To Make Jamaican Oxtail Stew
Whether you make this over the stovetop, in a slow cooker or in an Instant Pot, this delicious and hearty Jamaican Oxtail Stew takes just a bit of time and slow simmering before you can dig in to the most tender spoonful of savory flavors!
Find the full Jamaican Oxtail Stew recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Tips For Success
- Make sure to brown the oxtail pieces well in order to get that rich caramelized flavor. Don’t rush this step!
- Don’t forget to toss the beans with cornstarch. This cornstarch slurry will thicken the broth in the stew.
- Rest before serving. This will allow the flavors to settle and the sauce to thicken a bit more.
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Place cooled stew in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing Leftovers – You can store portions of this stew in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating Leftovers – Reheat in a pot or saucepan over medium or medium-high heat. If needed, add extra broth or water.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this Jamaican Oxtail Stew the classic way, in a bowl over steamed white rice. However, you can also enjoy this with coconut Caribbean Rice or with Jamaican Peas and Rice. Don’t forget to garnish with sliced fresh green onions…and a some extra gravy!
You can also soak up all the juicy and savory flavors by enjoying this stew with some plantains, Roti or Corn Bread!
Jamaican Oxtail and Beans Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds oxtails
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 3-4 large carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 2 bell peppers seeded and chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper habanero
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 2 tsp dried
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups beef broth
- 16 ounces canned butter beans drained
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the oxtails in a large baking dish. Poor in the Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of allspice. Toss well to coat the ox tails in the seasonings.
- Place a large 6-8 quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pot. Once hot, place half the oxtails in the pot and brown for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Move the oxtails around the pan so the sugar doesn’t burn on the bottom. Remove the ox tails and repeat with the remaining second batch. Remove all the oxtails from the pot.
- Add the onions and garlic to the pot. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then place all the browned oxtails back to the pot. Top them with the chopped carrots, bell peppers, one whole scotch bonnet pepper, bay leaves, thyme, ketchup, and apple cider vinegar. Pour the beef broth over the top. Cover with a heavy lid and cook on medium-low for 2-3 hours, until the oxtail meat is fork-tender.
- Drain the butter beans and toss them with cornstarch. Stir the beans into the stew. Simmer another 5-10 minutes.
- Sprinkle of scallions, and serve as-is or with a side of rice.
Notes
- For the Instant Pot: Sauté the oxtails and veggies as directed. Then pressure cook on high for 40 minutes. Stir in the beans and cornstarch at the end and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- For the Slow Cooker: Saute the oxtails and veggies as directed, on the stovetop. Move everything to the slow cooker and set on high for 7-8 hours, or on low for 12-14 hours. Stir in the beans and cornstarch at the end and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Storing Leftovers – Place cooled stew in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing Leftovers – You can freeze portions of this stew for up to 3 months.
- Reheating Leftovers – Reheat in a pot or saucepan over medium heat. If needed, add extra broth or water.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Intensely flavorful oxtail stew is a classic Jamaican dish, and it’s not hard to see why it is so loved! Perfectly caramelized and tender oxtails are cooked low and slow with carrots, peppers, and bold aromatics.
This traditional recipe is quite simple to make but creates an intense deliciousness that’s impossible to resist. If you aren’t already familiar with the ingredients, you might be a bit intimidated by the idea of oxtail. However, I promise the protein is very easy to work with! When cooked, the pieces have a texture and taste similar to beef short ribs.
Yes! It actually tastes even better if you make this stew ahead of time!
It was awesome,and very delicious the smell and taste is savory, i will make it again and again, thank you for sharing your recipe..
Delicious! I bought oxtail for the first time and used this recipe, it was beautiful, so quick & easy too. I’ve just used this again but with pork ribs instead of oxtail in my sc for dinner tonight so hoping it will be just as nice!
How spicy is this?
My husband and I can handle a lot of heat, but our kids are just easing into it. I don’t want it to be too hot that they don’t want to eat it.
Hi Julie,
There is one whole spicy pepper in the pot… You can use half a scotch bonnet (without the seeds) for a little heat, or omit it altogether. Hope this helps! :)
So good! So flavorful. Couldn’t get enough oxtail so I used beef shank. It turned out delicious. I used a slow cooker, it took a good 12 hours but then the meat fell off the bones. So much tastier than traditional beef stew. Will definitely make again.
You didn’t say whether to cook on high medium or low for 2 to 3 hours.
Hi Judy,
It can stay on medium, as long as it’s not boiling too vigorously. If so, lower the heat to medium-low.
I followed this recipe and the dish came out Spectacular and So Delicious! The blast of flavor was everything I was looking for! For the first time ever making this I was so pleased and proud of this dish, I will definitely be making again!
I made this in the instapot: this was so flavorful and delicious! I can’t wait to have my leftovers! :) thank you!
This was so incredible!! It was so good that I totally forgot to even do the butter beans or the cornstarch to thicken, we just dug into this and the smell of the oxtails when they were searing at first was super sweet and yummy I wanted to eat it right then. lol. Thank you for sharing this!! It’s going into my recipe rotation.
Pure comfort food! I never thought I would enjoy oxtail so much. This recipe is a keeper!
This stew has so much flavor! Just what I needed on a cool night. Delicious!
I was a little leery of giving this a try, but I was surprised by how much we all loved it! It is fun to expose my kids to new ways of eating, and different cultures, so thank you!
I’ve never had oxtail before, and it was kinda intimidating to think about how to cook it, but this recipe is super easy and extremely tasty!