Oxtails and Butter Beans

These Oxtails and Butter Beans are made with oxtails, onions, garlic, ginger, pepper, green onion, butter beans and simmered to perfection.

The combination of the pepper, sugar, and butter beans is to die for. This is everything you would want in a beef stew. It is so comforting and can be made in half the amount of time in a pressure cooker. I have provided both stockpot and pressure cooker instructions below. The flavors of this are so genius I am obsessed that Jamaican Oxtails were created. Buying this as a restaurant can easily cost you $20, so making it at home for the family can save you so much more money.

If you have been looking to make oxtails and don’t know where to start, look no further. These oxtails are made by baking them in a heavy-based oven-safe pot with a well-fitting lid. The oxtails will be so tender, full of flavor, with the meat falling off the bone. I love cooking meat on the bone because the bone is what provides such a rich flavor. 

If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Lentil Soup with Leeks or my Spinach Soup.

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

• Oxtails
• Brown Sugar
• Onion
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Scotch Bonnet Pepper
• Thyme
• Allspice
• Green onion
• Tomato paste
• Soy sauce
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Flour
• Butter Beans

See recipe card for Oxtails and Butter Beans.

Instructions

Season oxtails with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven on high heat. Add brown sugar to pot and melt, stirring with a wooden spoon, until dark. When the sugar is melted, add 2 tablespoons hot water and stir.

Add the oxtails to the pot, coating with the watery sugar mixture until coated, and browned. Remove the oxtails on a plate.

Add the onions, garlic and ginger to the pot, along with the pepper, the thyme, the allspice and the green onion, and stir to combine. Allow to cook until softened, approximately 5 minutes.

Return the oxtails to the pot along with any accumulated juices and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer and then lower heat cover, and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir and cook, covered, for another hour.

Add the tomato paste and the flour and stir aggressively, until the flour isn’t clumpy.  Add butter beans and stir until they’re hot. Garnish with extra scallions and enjoy.

Pressure Cooker Instructions

Season oxtails with salt and pepper. Hit sauté for 20 minutes on your pressure cooker and wait for it to get hot. Add brown sugar to pot and melt, stirring with a wooden spoon, until dark. When the sugar is melted, add 2 tablespoons hot water and stir.

Add the oxtails to the pot, coating with the watery sugar mixture until coated, and browned. Remove the oxtails on a plate.

Add the onions, garlic and ginger to the pot, along with the pepper, the thyme, allspice and green onion, and stir to combine. Allow to cook until softened, approximately 5 minutes.

Hit cancel. Return the oxtails to the pot, soy sauce, Worcestershire, and 2 cups water. Pressure cook on high heat for an hour. Let it naturally release.

Open the pot and add the tomato paste and the flour and stir aggressively, until the flour isn’t clumpy.  Add butter beans and stir until they’re hot. Garnish with extra scallions and enjoy.

Substitutions

Oxtails: Make sure the oxtails are cut into segments by your butcher. At almost any whole foods, you can buy oxtails fresh or frozen, and either will work.

Garlic: You can use fresh garlic for best flavor or garlic from a jar.

Ginger: I love using fresh ginger for this recipe and can be found close to the garlic at your local grocery store.

Scotch Bonner pepper: If you are able to find these, definitely get it. I always have trouble finding scotch bonnet peppers, so I use a habanero instead.

Butter beans: Butter beans are essential for this recipe, but if you are having trouble finding them, you could use cannellini beans instead.

Flour: If you want this recipe to be keto or low carb, try using almond flour instead of all-purpose flour.

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or hot sauce at the end.
• Deluxe - add parmesan cheese, hot sauce or lime juice at the end.
• Kid friendly - add crushed potato chips (ketchup chips!)

Check out this Picadillo Soup Recipe.

Equipment

If you are using an Instant Pot, use this one. It is huge and so versatile. As for the dutch oven, you can use your Le Creuset or Amazon has a good one too.

Storage

This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or frozen for up to three months.

Top tip

Make sure the oxtails are cut into segments by your butcher. At almost any whole foods, you can buy oxtails fresh or frozen, and either will work.

Oxtails and Butter Beans

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• Author: Maxine Dubois
• Total Time: 1 Hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

These Oxtails and Butter Beans are made with oxtails, onions, garlic, ginger, pepper, green onion, butter beans and simmered to perfection.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 pounds oxtails, cut into segments
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 yellow or white onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 Scotch bonnet pepper or habanero pepper, whole with stem off
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 bunch green onion, chopped only green part (save some for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (or almond flour for keto)
• 1 15 oz can butter beans, rinsed and drained
• Salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Stovetop:

1. Season oxtails with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven on high heat. Add brown sugar to pot and melt, stirring with a wooden spoon, until dark. When the sugar is melted, add 2 tablespoons hot water and stir.
2. Add the oxtails to the pot, coating with the watery sugar mixture until coated, and browned. Remove the oxtails on a plate.
3. Add the onions, garlic and ginger to the pot, along with the pepper, the thyme, the allspice and the green onion, and stir to combine. Allow to cook until softened, approximately 5 minutes.
4. Return the oxtails to the pot along with any accumulated juices and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer and then lower heat cover, and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
5. Add soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir and cook, covered, for another hour. Add the tomato paste and the flour and stir aggressively, until the flour isn’t clumpy.  Add butter beans and stir until they’re hot. Garnish with extra scallions and enjoy.

Pressure cooker:

1. Season oxtails with salt and pepper. Hit sauté for 20 minutes on your pressure cooker and wait for it to get hot. Add brown sugar to pot and melt, stirring with a wooden spoon, until dark. When the sugar is melted, add 2 tablespoons hot water and stir.
2. Add the oxtails to the pot, coating with the watery sugar mixture until coated, and browned. Remove the oxtails on a plate.
3. Add the onions, garlic and ginger to the pot, along with the pepper, the thyme, allspice and green onion, and stir to combine. Allow to cook until softened, approximately 5 minutes.
4. Hit cancel. Return the oxtails to the pot, soy sauce, Worcestershire, and 2 cups water. Pressure cook on high heat for an hour. Let it naturally release.
5. Open the pot and add the tomato paste and the flour and stir aggressively, until the flour isn’t clumpy.  Add butter beans and stir until they’re hot. Garnish with extra scallions and enjoy.

Notes

• Oxtails: Make sure the oxtails are cut into segments by your butcher. At almost any whole foods, you can buy oxtails fresh or frozen, and either will work.
• Garlic: You can use fresh garlic for best flavor or garlic from a jar.
• Ginger: I love using fresh ginger for this recipe and can be found close to the garlic at your local grocery store.
• Scotch Bonner pepper: If you are able to find these, definitely get it. I always have trouble finding scotch bonnet peppers, so I use a habanero instead.
• Butter beans: Butter beans are essential for this recipe, but if you are having trouble finding them, you could use cannellini beans instead.
• Flour: If you want this recipe to be keto or low carb, try using almond flour instead of all-purpose flour.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 Hour
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: Jamaican

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.