Instant Pot Oxtail Stew

Instant Pot Oxtail Stew has a Jamaican inspired flavor and the most tender oxtails. This Oxtail stew recipe has a rich, fragrant flavor with a savory sauce that pairs perfectly with rice. This stew is a comforting, hearty meal that's full of depth and tradition. The oxtails are so tender you won't need a knife.

Oxtail Stew in the Instant Pot

Cooking Oxtails in the Instant Pot ensures a perfectly braised, tender result.

The oxtails are pressure cooked to perfection, absorbing the bold flavors of spices like allspice, thyme, and garlic, while simmering in a mix of beef broth, and savory seasonings.

Instapot Oxtails are best when served over some hot cooked rice, or even mashed potatoes.

What is in Oxtail Stew?

It's always a good idea to gather and prep all of the ingredients before you start the cooking process. This way you won't be chasing ingredients while something is at risk of scorching.

This version of Oxtail Stew has an aromatic Jamaican Inspired flavor. The spices can be switched out if you prefer a different flavor.

This recipe for oxtails has a flavorful marinade made up of brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, allspice, pepper, and browning sauce (which is optional if you don't have any).

The stew has oxtails, onion, green onion, garlic, tomato paste, flour, carrots, spicy pepper (habanero or scotch bonnet), bay leaves, beef broth, ketchup, tomato sauce, thyme, and optional butter beans.

How to Make Oxtail Stew in the Pressure Cooker

1) Rinse off the oxtails, then mix together the marinade ingredients.

2) Marinate the oxtails as long as you can before cooking, for the most flavor.
3) Brown the meat in oil and butter (sorry, no photo).
4) Sauté the onions and garlic. Then stir in the tomato paste.

5) Add the flour and stir.

6) Add the carrots, scotch bonnet pepper (seeds removed), and bay leaves. Then stir in beef broth, ketchup, tomato sauce, thyme.
Be sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
7) Add the oxtails and any drippings back into pot.

8) Pressure cook per instructions on recipe card below.
9) Add beans, if using, and sauté to cook them. Thicken per instructions, if desired.

Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Instant Pot Creamy Tortellini Soup

Storing Leftover Oxtail Stew

Place any leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to five days.

5 from 1 vote

Print

Instant Pot Oxtail Stew

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Natural Release

20 mins

Total Time

1 hr 40 mins

 

Instant Pot Oxtail stew is a rich and flavorful dish that has tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat and an aromatic, savory sauce. The oxtails are pressured cooked to perfection, absorbing the bold flavors of the spices.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Jamaican

Keyword: oxtails, stew

Servings: 4

Calories: 532 kcal

Author: Sandy Clifton

Ingredients

Marinade

• ¼ cup Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Ground Allspice
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Browning Sauce, kitchen bouquet or other

Stew

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 ½ pounds Oxtails, rinsed
• 1 cup Chopped Onion
• 4 Green Onions, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• ½ cup Carrots, cut into rounds
• 1 Scotch Bonnet or Habanero Pepper chopped, seeds removed
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 3 cups Beef Broth
• ½ cup Ketchup
• ½ cup Tomato Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Ground Thyme

Optional

• 1 16 ounce can Butter Beans, drained

Instructions

Make the Marinade

1. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, ground allspice, black pepper, and browning sauce. Mix well.

Marinate the Oxtails

1. Add the rinsed oxtails to the marinade and toss to coat evenly. Let them marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator for deeper flavor.

Sear the Oxtails

1. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and when hot, add the olive oil and butter.

2. Working in batches, sear the oxtails on all sides until browned, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove the oxtails and set them aside.

Sauté the Aromatics

1. Add the chopped onion, green onions, and minced garlic to the pot. Sauté for 2–3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
2. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes. Then sprinkle in the flour, mixing well to coat the aromatics, and cook for another minute.
3. Add the carrots, chopped scotch bonnet pepper (seeds removed), and bay leaves to the pot. Stir to combine.

4. Pour in the beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to get up any browned bits. Then add the ketchup and tomato sauce. Stir in the ground thyme and reserved marinade, ensuring everything is well mixed.

Pressure Cook the Oxtail Stew

1. Place the seared oxtails back into the Instant Pot, ensuring they are mostly submerged in the liquid.
2. Close the lid and set the valve to the Sealing position.

3. Select Pressure Cook or Manual mode and set the timer for 45 minutes on High Pressure.

4. Once the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15–20 minutes. After that, carefully turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure.

5. Open the lid and stir in the drained butter beans. if using.

6. Switch the Instant Pot back to Sauté mode and simmer the stew for 10–15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. You could also make a cornstarch slurry to thicken (2 Tablespoons each cornstarch and cold water, mixed and stirred into simmering pot until thickened).

7. Taste the stew and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper if needed. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Plate the Dish

1. Serve the oxtail stew hot over steamed white rice, Jamaican rice and peas, or alongside fried dumplings.

Recipe Notes

Instant Pot Oxtails are best when served over some hot cooked rice.

Store leftovers in airtight container up to 5 days in the refrigerator.