There’s something about cooking up a batch of this Jamaican oxtail recipe on a lazy Sunday afternoon that just feels so right. Back in the day, oxtails were a budget go-to for families. But oh my goodness, times have changed and so have the prices. Oxtail ain’t as budget-friendly anymore… But the flavor? Bomb! If you pull together this recipe with the homemade jerk sauce and cook them tails until the meat falls off the bone, it will be worth every penny. Serve along with rice and peas, fried plantains and get your whole life.
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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“This was absolutely delish! I make oxtails the traditional American way, but I decided to switch it up. I love your brown stew chicken recipe, so I decided to see if you had one for oxtails. I’m so glad I did!!!!!!”
—CELESTIAL H.
How to make Jamaican Oxtails
Step 1: Grab a medium saucepan and whisk together all the sauce ingredients over medium heat. Once it bubbles up, turn the heat down to low. Let it simmer until it thickens up.
Step 2: Season those oxtails with salt and pepper, then give them a light dusting of flour.
Step 3: Heat up the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oxtails and brown them on all sides. Be sure not to crowd the pot – brown them in batches if you need to. Once they’re browned, place them on a plate lined with paper towels.
Step 4: Take your habanero and use the sharp end of a knife to puncture each side, making small slits.
Step 5: In the same pot, sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery, stirring occasionally. Add in the habanero and red bell pepper, mixing them well with the other veggies. Toss in the bay leaves, half the salt, pepper, and allspice. Let it all cook together for a few minutes, stirring as needed.
Step 6: Pour in the red wine and deglaze the pot, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all those tasty bits from the bottom. Stir in the Jerk BBQ Sauce, beef broth, and the rest of the spices. Mix it all together, then add the oxtails and fresh thyme.
Step 7: Cover with a heavy lid and bake for about 4 hours. The oxtails should be fork-tender, and the sauce should be the consistency of a thin BBQ sauce.
Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Jerk BBQ Sauce
- 18 oz bbq sauce bottle of your choice
- 1/4 cup mild jerk paste Walkerswood or Grace store bought brand
- 1 tbsp worcheshire sauce
- 3 tbsp pineapple juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tbsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1 cup ketchup
For the Oxtails
- 5 lbs oxtails
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 habanero pepper
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves diced
- 1 medium carrot peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp allspice
- 1 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 cups Jerk BBQ Sauce recipe below
- 1 cup beef broth
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
For the Sauce
- Whisk together all ingredients in a medium saucepan situated over medium heat. Allow to come to a bubble and then reduce the heat to low. Allow to simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately or allow to cool slightly and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
For the Oxtails
- Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees. Season oxtails with salt and pepper. Dust oxtails with flour. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven pot on medium. Add the oxtails and brown on all sides. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. If necessary brown in batches. Remove oxtails to a paper towel laden plate.
- Take the habanero and using the sharp end of a knife puncture each side of the chili creating small slits/incisions.
- Saute the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery for 4-5 minutes. Stir as needed.
- Add the habanero and red bell peppers, mixing them in well with the other vegetables. Add the bay leaves, half the salt, pepper, and all spice seasonings. Let cook 2-3 minutes, mixing as needed.
- Add the wine to the pot and deglaze using a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits.
- Add the bbq sauce, beef broth and remaining spices. Mix well, then add the oxtails and fresh thyme.
- Cover with heavy lid and bake for 4 hours. Oxtails should be fork tender. Sauce should have the consistency of a thin bbq sauce.
Notes
- Room Temperature Meat: Start by letting those oxtails reach room temperature before cooking. Y’know what they say, cold meat makes for a tough dish!
- Cook it Slow: Plan for a minimum cook time of 4 hours for tender, flavorful oxtails. Patience is key here, y’all. The long, slow braise is what makes the meat fall-off-the-bone tender.
- Trim Excess Fat: Trim off any overly fatty bits from the oxtails ahead of time or skim off the rendered fat during cooking. This helps keep the dish from getting too greasy.
- Deglaze the Pot: As you sauté the veggies, make sure to scrape up all those brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Those little bits are flavor gold, so don’t skip this step!
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Room Temperature Meat: Start by letting those oxtails reach room temperature before cooking. Y’know what they say, cold meat makes for a tough dish!
- Cook it Slow: Plan for a minimum cook time of 4 hours for tender, flavorful oxtails. Patience is key here, y’all. The long, slow braise is what makes the meat fall-off-the-bone tender.
- Trim Excess Fat: Trim off any overly fatty bits from the oxtails ahead of time or skim off the rendered fat during cooking. This helps keep the dish from getting too greasy.
- Deglaze the Pot: As you sauté the veggies, make sure to scrape up all those brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Those little bits are flavor gold, so don’t skip this step!
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Serving Suggestions
- Ackee and Saltfish: Jamaicans love this recipe so much, it became Jamaica’s National dish.
- Curry Goat This is necessary if you are creating a full Jamaican spread.
- Vinegar Coleslaw: This is a nice refreshing side to pair with the heartiness of the oxtail recipe.
- Rum Cake: The perfect end to this oxtail feast. It don’t get more Caribbean than this.
Recipe Help
You can find oxtails in most grocery stores, but they’re especially abundant at ethnic markets (Asian, Caribbean, Hispanic, African American). Big chains like Walmart and Costco usually have them too. Check both the frozen and refrigerated meat sections, but they’re often in the latter. If you have a local butcher, give them a heads-up, and they’ll usually reserve some for you.
Relatively to what they used to cost, oxtails are at a premium. Back in the day, you could get them for $3 per pound. Nowadays here in Austin, they run $7 or $8 per pound. Now, those aren’t short rib prices, but still, I’m campaigning to make oxtails cheap again.
You sure can! Whip up the Jerk BBQ sauce whenever you feel like it and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll stay fresh for up to a week.
More Beef Recipes
- Braised Short Rib Recipe
- Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs Recipe
- Italian Pot Roast
- How to Cook Beef Ribs (Beef Ribs Recipe)
- Beef Stew Recipe
A HUGE Thank You to Marwin Brown of Food Fidelity for Guest Posting!!
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No like this is the BEST oxtail recipe. I do clean my oxtail a little different and I used passion fruit juice since that’s what I had and it came out SO GOOD. Love this recipe.
Great recipe! They were delicious and tender. Easy steps to follow.
A tablespoon of allspice seems like alot. Did you mean teaspoon?
Absolutely wonderful!!! Thank you for sharing!!
My mom makes oxtails and they’re so, so good. I’m going to try and make this it have my mother cook. She loves to cook! Thank you fit this recipe it looks scrumptious❤️❤️
Actually, the “Southern Staple” is a take on a Jamiacan classic. Oxtail is a Jamaican dish that goes as far back as the time of exiled slaves on the island.
The cool thing is that most of the things that we call Jamaican, Southern, or even Afro Latin come directly from Africa. We are all the same people. Can’t wait to try these. Ordering all of my ingredients now.
Exactly! My family is from Bermuda and oxtail goes backkkkk in my family.
Caribbean spin on the Southern recipe – does it get any better than this? 🙂 Delicious Oxtail recipe that I can’t wait to try!
I love learning new things about food that I didn’t know. I had no idea what an oxtail was until today. This post is a great read and recipe. Looking forward to trying something new.
So much amazing flavor in this oxtail recipe! Love serving with homemade mashed potatoes.
Wow! you had me at jerk sauce. I love Caribbean cooking and can’t wait to give this a try. Thanks for sharing.
I love oxtails dishes too, but they can be super expensive. This looks like a dish worth the splurge though. 🙂
What would be the best substitute for oxtail? If using a cut like beef short ribs, could I follow the same directions or is there anything to do differently? Recipe sounds delish, I’m just not quite adventurous enough to try this cut of beef yet! Thanks so much for your wonderful recipes!
Beef shanks or beef short ribs are both great options to replace.
You can buy a box of Oxtail for $54.00-$64.00 if your in NYC. 15lbs come in the box. You can buy the box and freeze the rest for another time!!