The BEST Jamaican Oxtails Recipe (Made With Butter Beans)

Words cant explain how pumped I am to share this Jamaican Oxtail recipe with yall. Jamaican oxtails are probably one of the few things I can eat for a week straight and not get tired of.

These oxtails are so savory and delicious, juicy, tender, with a sauce that will have you sucking the juice out the bones. This is definitely a classic Jamaican oxtails recipe Jamaicans will be proud of.

What are Jamaican Oxtails?

Jamaican oxtails are a dish created by Jamaicans and a part of Jamaican cuisine. Jamaican oxtails are typically seasoned with seasonings like complete seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, Jamaican allspice, and black pepper, then marinated with browning seasoning, Worcestershire, and sometimes soy sauce.

Then the oxtails are cooked in a large pot and simmered in broth or water with a variety of vegetables, typically onions, scallions, bell peppers, sometimes tomatoes and celery, and topped off with thyme sprigs and scotch bonnet pepper. These ingredients and processes are what make Jamaican oxtails different from regular oxtails.

Origin of my love for Jamaican Oxtails

My love for oxtails goes waaaay back to my adolescent years. First off, I’m from Philadelphia, and if anyone knows anything about Philly, it’s your typical Northeastern city. Filled with restaurants of every cuisine known to man.

And outside of Chinese stores, Rican/Dominican papi stores, and Italian Pizza shops, Jamaican and African stores are the most common; they’re everywhere. And so the bottom line is, Jamaican food is easily accessible to us here.

I had my first Jamaican oxtails platter probably around 18 or so from this Jamaican 🇯🇲 restaurant called Actree on 76th and Woodland Ave in Southwest Philly. So if you visit Philly and love Jamaican food, they’re one of the best.

I remember having Jamaican Curry chicken as early as 10 years old. A Jamaican sister in our church who passed in ’96 made some of the best curry chicken. My mom would have her make some for us. I remember having Curry goat and jerk chicken, too.

These are all popular Jamaican foods sold in Jamaican shops. Now I’ve had oxtails and gravy a few times, but don’t remember having Jamaican Oxtails. But once I finally did, I fell in love with them and would order them often.

The problem is, and this is not a knock on Jamaican restaurants, but it’s common knowledge, they’re stingy with their oxtails. 😡 They give you a whole lot of rice and cabbage, but 5 little oxtails, mainly bones and gravy, and want to charge you $14🤦🏾‍♂️

That’s when I decided to start buying oxtails and learned how to make them myself. You get way more for your money. So I’ve been doing that for a while now, and I think I finally perfected it. So check my recipe out. All the ingredients and tools you need are listed below.

What you need:

• Meat: Oxtails. Try to find oxtails medium to small in size. Make sure they’re not cut too large.
• Seasonings: Seasoning Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Paprika, Jamaican All Spice, Brown Sugar, and Black Pepper, and Brown Sugar.
• Condiments: Ketchup, Soy Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, and Browning seasoning sauce.
• Vegetables & Herbs: Yellow Onions, Scallions, Green Peppers, Red Peppers, Tomatoes, Celery, Minced Garlic, Ginger Paste, Thyme Sprigs, Scotch Bonnet, Bay leaves, and Butter beans.
• Thickener: All-purpose flour or cornstarch can be used.
• Liquids: Beef Broth and water. You can use just one or the other, but I like to use a combination of both. Look for low-sodium beef broth.
• Fat: Extra Virgin Olive Oil

How to Make The BEST Jamaican Oxtails

1. Place the oxtails in a large mixing bowl, add all the seasonings, and toss well.
   
   
   

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2. Add the ketchup, soy sauce, worcestershire, browning seasoning, and flour, then stir well.
   
   
   

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3. Place a large pot over medium-high heat.
4. Add the olive oil and preheat for 1 minute.
5. Sear the oxtails: Add the oxtails and sear for 10 minutes, tossing periodically.
   
   
   

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6. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables into small pieces, and cut the scotch bonnet in half.
   
   
   

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7. Reduce the heat to medium, then pour in the water and/or broth, and stir well.
8. Add all the chopped vegetables, including the minced garlic, ginger paste, and scotch bonnet.
9. Add the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
10. Cover them with a lid, leaving a crack on the side.
    
    
    

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11. Simmer for 3-1/2 to 4 hours and stir periodically.
12. Add in the butter beans during the last 5 minutes, then turn the fire off.
    
    
    

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Tips for best results:

• Add water to the bowl in which you seasoned the oxtails. You do this because you want all the leftover seasonings and condiments added to the dish.
• If your pot cannot handle all 3 qts of water, let it simmer down, then add the remaining water when there is room.
• Cover the oxtails with a lid. This is what makes them nice and tender. Leave a crack on the side so the liquid doesn’t overflow.
• Stir periodically, every 20 minutes or so, and every 5 minutes during the last 30 minutes of cooking when the gravy tends to thicken, to prevent the oxtails from sticking to the pot.
• Make sure you purchase or have a nonstick pot on hand. This will also help prevent your oxtails from sticking to the pot at the end of cooking. 
• Do not cook them too long, as they will become too tender and break apart like stew meat.

Serving suggestions:

• Butter beans: Oxtails and beans go together like peanut butter and jelly. Their soft, creamy texture complements savory oxtails and makes them a great side dish.
• Rice and red beans: Rice tastes great with gravy. It’s a good combination, and rice and beans are often served as a side dish on oxtail platters at Jamaican restaurants.
• Macaroni and cheese: Baked macaroni and cheese is frequently served as a side dish for oxtail Jamaican platters at Jamaican restaurants. The cheesy baked mac and cheese, paired with the gravy of the oxtails, makes for a great combination that tastes fantastic together.
• Sweet Candied Potatoes: Candied sweet potatoes taste great with the savory gravy of oxtails. That sweet and spicy combo in food is always a hit.
• Fried Cabbage: If you’re looking for a vegetable, fried cabbage or steamed cabbage is also commonly eaten with oxtails, and the pair tastes great together.

Storage and reheating

• How to store the oxtails: Place them in a Tupperware-like bowl and cover with a lid. Then, store them in the refrigerator.
• Can you freeze the oxtails? Yes, oxtails freeze very well. You can store them in a Ziploc bag and place them in the freezer. They can last up to 9 months in the freezer. Just make sure they’re tightly sealed to prevent freezer burn.
• How do you reheat Jamaican oxtails? The best way is to reheat them in a pot covered with a lid over low heat until they’re hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Where do you buy oxtails? You can find oxtails at butcher shops, where they sell and cut meat. Some local grocery stores have a meat section in the back of the store where you can order some, and some are sold in packs in supermarkets.
• How long do they last? As long as they’re in the refrigerator and well covered, they can remain fresh for up to five days. If stored in the freezer, they can last for months.

Tools:

• Large Mixing Bowl: You’ll need a big mixing bowl to season the oxtails in.
• Knife: Have a sharp knife to chop up all the vegetables.
• Large Pot: You need a large pot because we’re making a lot of oxtails. Make sure it has a lid, as this helps keep the oxtails nice and tender.
• Big Spoon: Have a big spoon to stir the oxtails and to stir the oxtails while they cook
• Measuring Cups: You need these to accurately measure some of the condiments, vegetables, water, and broth.
• Measuring Spoons: Make sure you have measuring spoons to measure the seasonings accurately.

Okay, guys. I hope y’all love these oxtails as much as I do. It’s truly one of a kind! Jamaican oxtails cannot get any better than this recipe. This is as close to the oxtails you get from your local Jamaican store as it’s going to get. You’ll be making these at home pretty often, trust me. 

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Enjoy, later!

PBJ~

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