Description
This authentic Jamaican oxtail recipe uses low-sodium soy sauce as the secret tenderizer, combined with slow braising and Caribbean spices to create melt-in-your-mouth, fall-off-the-bone oxtail in just 4 hours.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs oxtail pieces
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, whole
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp pimento seeds (allspice)
- Juice of 1 fresh lime
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse oxtail with water and vinegar, then pat dry. Season with salt and pepper and let sit 10 minutes.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sear oxtail pieces 30–40 minutes until browned on all sides.
- Add onion, garlic, and thyme; sauté 3–4 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in carrots, brown sugar, soy sauce, broth, pimento seeds, and Scotch bonnet. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Return oxtails to skillet, cover, and simmer on low for 2–3 hours until tender. Adjust heat to maintain gentle bubbling.
- Finish with lime juice in final 10 minutes. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Choose oxtail with good meat-to-fat ratio. Don’t rush searing—deep browning builds flavor. Cook low and slow for tenderness. Dish improves if made ahead, as flavors develop overnight.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Caribbean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (200g)
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
Keywords: authentic jamaican oxtail, caribbean oxtail recipe, slow braised oxtail, ox tail stew