This slow cooker oxtail stew makes a delicious hearty and warming meal. Let your slow cooker work its magic and transform a few oxtail bones and a handful of vegetables into a thick and delicious meaty stew. A bowl of this slow-cooked oxtail stew is just what you need to chase away the winter blues.
Years ago, oxtail was a very cheap cut of meat and was classed as offal. Nowadays, as the shops have caught on to the fact that people like oxtail, the price has sky-rocketed, and it now costs the same as a good piece of topside.
It can be quite difficult to get hold of though (remember, a cow only has one tail). You may have to place an order with your butcher. But once you've got your hands on it, you can turn an oxtail into the most fabulously meaty stew, with the thickest and most flavoursome gravy that you can imagine.
Because of the nature of the cut, there is not too much meat on an oxtail so you will need quite a lot per person. There is a large bone running down the inside of the tail, surrounded by meat that contains a lot of gelatin and collagen. This melts during the long slow cooking process, flavouring the gravy and leaving the meat tender and succulent.
This is one of the first recipes I published almost 5 years ago, and I've updated it to include clearer process shots. The original recipe also included mushrooms which I've decided weren't really necessary. If you want to add mushrooms when you make it, please go right ahead!
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It's all about the 'sticky bones'
To my mind, the best bit about eating this slow cooker oxtail stew is picking up the juicy bones and sucking the sticky, meaty, gelatinous deliciousness from the ends. This is not a meal for the faint-hearted. This is a meal where you roll up your sleeves, grab a pile of serviettes and get well and truly stuck in.
Oxtail has to be one of my favourite meats to eat. It's juicy and succulent and full of flavour. And it lends itself perfectly to a slow-cooking method. After a few hours in a slow cooker, the oxtail is so soft it practically falls off the bone.
Pair this with a mound of vegetables and potatoes and you have a meal that will satisfy the most voracious of appetites. Or if you want to try something different, leave the potatoes out of the slow cooker and serve the oxtail stew on a mound of delicious traditional Scottish rumbledethumps.
Oh yes, this is comfort food at its finest. Bring on winter!! Bring on the oxtail!!
Ingredients
The ingredients given in the recipe will be sufficient for 4 people.
- Oxtail - I tend to buy beef oxtail by the size of the bones rather than the weight of the pack. I normally allow one large bone per person with one or two additional smaller bones. The bones in the picture will easily feed 2 people - allow extra pieces if you are feeding more people.
- If you do want to buy your oxtail by weight, then you should bear in mind that oxtail is about 50% bone. You will need more oxtail by weight than you would for boneless meat such as steak. There can also be quite a lot of visible fat on the pieces of oxtail which should be mostly trimmed away. For these reasons, I would allow 6 to 7 oz (or 170 to 200 grams) of oxtail per person. The oxtail pictured here weighed 350 grams or 12 ounces.
- Stock - this is beef stock which can be made with a beef stock cube dissolved in one cup of water.
- Vegetables - for the vegetables I like to use carrots, onions, celery and finely shredded cabbage. The cabbage softens in the slow cooker and helps both thicken the gravy and provide a delicious flavour.
- Potatoes - use waxy potatoes if possible as these hold up well to the slow cooking process. You can peel larger potatoes and cut them into chunks; if you are using smaller baby potatoes you may prefer to wash them and leave them unpeeled. It's up to you! I normally grate one of the potatoes as this helps thicken the gravy.
- Tomatoes - once again, it doesn't matter what tomatoes you use. I had some cherry tomatoes which needed using up; if you've got larger tomatoes, cut them into small pieces.
- Tomato puree - adds additional tomato favour to the stew. You may know it as tomato paste. It is simply concentrated tomatoes and is normally found in either tubes or cans.
- Worcestershire sauce - adds a touch of savouriness to the gravy.
- Red wine - adds richness to the gravy. Use a full-bodied red wine such as Shiraz or Pinotage. If you don't want to cook with alcohol, use extra stock instead.
- Flour and salt - for coating the oxtail before browning it.
- Olive oil - used to brown the oxtail before it is put into the slow cooker. Browning the meat adds extra flavour.
**You can get the exact ingredient quantities for an oxtail stew that will feed 4 people on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables
If you do this first it makes everything easy!
- Peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks. Keep one of the potatoes aside and grate it using the largest holes of a cheese grater. You will need approximately one cup of grated potato.
- Peel the onion, cut it into quarters and separate it into individual petals. Set the onion aside.
- Cut the tomatoes into a small dice - there's no need to remove the skin unless you prefer to.
- Peel the carrots and cut them into pieces. Rinse the celery and slice it into 1-inch pieces.
- Slice the cabbage thinly.
Step 1: Place the grated potato, the potato pieces and all the other vegetables (except the onions) into the slow cooker.
Step 2: Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and use it to coat the pieces of oxtail.
Step 3: Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the pieces of oxtail, turning with a fork or pair of tongs, until it is nicely browned on all sides. Transfer to the slow cooker on top of the vegetables.
Step 4: Fry the onions gently in the same pan you used for the oxtail (add an extra splash of oil if necessary) until they are starting to turn translucent. Stir well to pick up any bits left in the pan from browning the oxtail.
Step 5: Transfer the browned onions to the slow cooker, arranging them around the meat.
Step 6: Combine the stock, red wine, Worcestershire sauce and tomato puree in a jug and pour it over the ingredients in the slow cooker. You may also like to add a little salt at this point.
Step 7: Cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook on high for 6 to 7 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
Step 8: Remove the meat and most of the vegetables to a large casserole dish. Use a large spoon to help you as the meat will most likely be falling off the bone.
Step 9: Leave the cooking juices and some of the vegetables in the slow cooker.
Step 10: Blend the cooking juices and vegetables with a stick or immersion blender until thick and smooth.
Step 11: Pour the gravy over the oxtail and vegetables in the casserole dish and serve. Any gravy that does not fit into the casserole dish can be transferred to a jug or gravy boat and served alongside the stew in case anyone wants extra gravy.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your oxtail stew always turns out perfectly:
- The meat and vegetable quantities are a guide only - use what you think will be sufficient for your family.
- When browning the meat, do not overcrowd the pan - brown the meat in batches and transfer each batch to the slow cooker once it has browned.
- You can use whatever vegetables you happen to have available. Just remember that the harder root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots can withstand the long slow cooking time and can be added at the beginning. Softer vegetables such as squash, broccoli and cauliflower will not take as much cooking and should be added halfway through.
- Taste for seasoning at various points and adjust by adding extra salt to your own taste.
- If you have added a grated potato, you will probably find the gravy thickens sufficiently. If you need to thicken the gravy you can do this by stirring in a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a tablespoon of cold water. Turn the slow cooker up to high while you do this so the cornflour has time to cook and thicken.
- I used one cup of stock and half a cup of red wine. The tomatoes and cabbage will release a lot of liquid so you probably won't need more than this. If you want to make extra gravy, add an additional cup of stock.
- Any leftover gravy can be reheated for lunch the next day and served as a soup with a slice of crusty bread. Trust me on this one - it's delicious (and nutritious)! Homemade oxtail soup anyone?
Equipment
You will need a slow cooker! I use one that has a setting for either low, medium or high heat. I've found that I tend to use either high or low. I also don't have one with a timer and a 'keep warm' feature. I'm at home most of the day so I tend to just keep my eye on it. If you're at work or away all day you might want to find a slow cooker with these additional features.
For cutting up the vegetables you will need a sharp knife and a chopping board, and for blending the gravy you will need a stick blender or immersion blender. Of course, you don't have to blend the gravy - if you like a chunky gravy you can just thicken it with cornflour.
Storage
You can make this slow cooker oxtail stew up to three days in advance and store it in the refrigerator in a covered container. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove when you are ready to serve it.
Leftovers can be stored in a similar manner.
You can also freeze the stew in a rigid plastic container for up to 3 months. Allow it to defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat it in a saucepan on the stove.
As I mentioned above, any leftover gravy makes a delicious soup when served with a slice of crusty bread.
FAQ
Yes, you can make this stew in a pressure cooker.
Follow the recipe instructions until the meat and onions have been browned, then place the meat and onions in the pressure cooker and cover with the prepared stock (do not add the other vegetables at this stage).
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your own pressure cooker.
For my pressure cooker, I set the timer to the 'Stew' function and cook for 30 minutes. This will allow the meat to cook first.
After 30 minutes, release the pressure and add the vegetables. Set the timer to the 'Stew' function and cook for another 30 minutes.
Please note that timings will vary depending on your particular pressure cooker.
If you have leftover oxtail stew you can turn it into a ragu. Just remove the bones, making sure to scrape all the delicious meat off first. Cut any large pieces of potato into smaller pieces. Boil spaghetti in a pan of salted water until cooked - approximately 7 minutes. Heat the leftover stew in a saucepan and serve over the spaghetti.
Save for later
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Related recipes
Visit my soups, stews and casserole recipes page for more delicious ideas. Here are a few beef stew recipes you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Slow-cooker oxtail stew
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Cheese grater
- Frying Pan
- Stick blender or immersion blender optional
Ingredients
- 2 pounds / 900 grams oxtail
- 1 large onion peeled, quartered and separated into petals
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery washed and sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 3 large potatoes peeled and cut into pieces
- 1 medium potato grated
- ¼ small white cabbage shredded
- ½ cup full-bodied red wine optional - use extra stock instead
- 1 beef stock cube dissolved in 1 cup boiling water per stock cube
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree/tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons flour for coating the meat
- ½ teaspoon salt to season the flour
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil for browning the meat
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cornflour optional - for thickening if necessary
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables
- Peel the large potatoes and cut into large chunks. Grate the medium potato using the largest holes of a cheese grater. You will need approximately one cup of grated potato.3 large potatoes, 1 medium potato
- Peel the onion, cut it into quarters and separate it into individual petals. Set the onion aside.1 large onion
- Cut the tomatoes into a small dice - there's no need to remove the skin unless you prefer to.2 medium tomatoes
- Peel the carrots and cut them into pieces. Rinse the celery and slice it into 1-inch pieces.1 large carrot, 2 stalks celery
- Using a sharp knife, cut the cabbage into shreds.¼ small white cabbage
Make the stew
- Place the grated potato and potato pieces, the tomatoes, celery, cabbage and carrots into the slow cooker.
- Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and use it to coat the pieces of oxtail.2 pounds / 900 grams oxtail, 1 to 2 tablespoons flour, ½ teaspoon salt
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the pieces of oxtail, turning with a fork or pair of tongs, until it is nicely browned on all sides. Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker on top of the vegetables.1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fry the onions gently in the same pan you used for the oxtail (add an extra splash of oil if necessary) until they are starting to turn translucent. Stir well to pick up any bits left in the pan from browning the oxtail.
- Transfer the browned onions to the slow cooker, arranging them around the meat.
- Combine the stock, red wine, Worcestershire sauce and tomato puree in a jug and pour it over the ingredients in the slow cooker. You may also like to add a little salt at this point.½ cup full-bodied red wine, 1 beef stock cube, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons tomato puree/tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt
- Cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook on high for 6 to 7 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
Make the gravy
- Remove the meat and most of the vegetables to a large casserole dish. Use a large spoon to help you as the meat will most likely be falling off the bone.
- Leave the cooking juices and about 1 cup of cooked vegetables in the slow cooker.
- Blend the cooking juices and vegetables with a stick or immersion blender until thick and smooth.
- Pour the gravy over the oxtail and vegetables in the casserole dish and serve. Any gravy that does not fit into the casserole dish can be transferred to a jug or gravy boat and served alongside the stew in case anyone wants extra gravy.
Notes
- The meat and vegetable quantities are a guide only - use what you think will be sufficient for your family.
- When browning the meat, do not overcrowd the pan - brown the meat in batches and transfer each batch to the slow cooker once it has browned.
- You can use whatever vegetables you happen to have available. Just remember that the harder root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots can withstand the long slow cooking time and can be added at the beginning. Softer vegetables such as squash, broccoli and cauliflower will not take as much cooking and should be added halfway through.
- Taste for seasoning at various points and adjust by adding extra salt to your own taste.
- If you have added a grated potato, you will probably find the gravy thickens sufficiently. If you need to thicken the gravy you can do this by stirring in a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a tablespoon of cold water. Turn the slow cooker up to high while you do this so the cornflour has time to cook and thicken.
- I used one cup of stock and half a cup of red wine. The tomatoes and cabbage will release a lot of liquid so you probably won't need more than this. If you want to make extra gravy, add an additional cup of stock.
- Any leftover gravy can be reheated for lunch the next day and served as a soup with a slice of crusty bread. Trust me on this one - it's delicious (and nutritious)! Homemade oxtail soup anyone?
- You can make this oxtail stew up to three days in advance and store it in the refrigerator in a covered container. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove when you are ready to serve it.
- Leftovers can be stored in a similar manner.
- You can also freeze the stew in a rigid plastic container for up to 3 months. Allow it to defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat it in a saucepan on the stove
- As I mentioned above, any leftover gravy makes a delicious soup when served with a slice of crusty bread.
- Follow the recipe instructions until the meat and onions have been browned, then place the meat and onions in the pressure cooker and cover with the prepared stock (do not add the other vegetables at this stage).
- Consult the manufacturer's instructions for your own pressure cooker.
- For my pressure cooker, I set the timer to the 'Stew' function and cook for 30 minutes. This will allow the meat to cook first.
- After 30 minutes, release the pressure and add the vegetables. Set the timer to the 'Stew' function and cook for another 30 minutes.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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