This Jamaican oxtail is fall-off-the-bone tender, slow-braised in a rich, glossy gravy with butter beans, thyme, allspice, and a scotch bonnet for that real island heat. The Instant Pot gets you there in about an hour instead of three, and I'll give you the stovetop way too.
Recipe Highlights
- Marinate Time: 1 hour, up to overnight (the longer, the better)
- Cook Time: About 1 hour in the Instant Pot, or 2 to 3 hours on the stovetop
- Servings: 4 to 5
- Key Ingredients: Oxtail, browning, allspice, thyme, Scotch bonnet, butter beans
- Who This Recipe Is For: Anyone craving authentic Caribbean comfort food, made easier with a pressure cooker.
- Variations: Stovetop- or slow-cooker-friendly; adjust the Scotch bonnet for more or less heat.
Oxtail was always our special-occasion dish, the pot that meant somebody was celebrating. It used to be the cheap cut nobody wanted, and now it's a treat, so when I make it, I make it right. The smell of thyme and allspice filling the kitchen still takes me straight back. Below, I'll show you how to get that deep, restaurant-style gravy and meat that slides right off the bone.
If you love Caribbean cooking, try my green seasoning, Jamaican brown stew fish, and escovitch fish. Serve the oxtail with rice and peas or mujadara to do it properly.
What Is Oxtail?
Despite the name, oxtail isn't from an ox. It's the tail of a cow, a tough, collagen-rich cut that turns meltingly tender and silky when slow-cooked. As it braises, the collagen breaks down, thickening the gravy naturally, which is why oxtail makes its own rich, glossy sauce. It needs time and low heat, which is exactly why the pressure cooker is such a help here.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fall-off-the-bone tender: Slow-braised until the meat slides off the bone.
- Rich island gravy: Thyme, allspice, browning, and Scotch bonnet build deep Caribbean flavor.
- Faster in the Instant Pot: About an hour instead of three, with the same tenderness.
- Made your way: Instant Pot, stovetop, or slow cooker all work.
Recipe Ingredients
- Oxtail: The star. Trim excess fat so the gravy isn't greasy.
- Browning: For that deep, dark Caribbean color.
- Fresh herbs: Thyme and green onion.
- Aromatics: Garlic and onion.
- Scotch bonnet: The signature island heat. Use whole for mild, chopped for more kick.
- Vegetables: Tomatoes, carrots, green and red bell peppers.
- Butter beans (or lima beans): Creamy and classic, added at the end.
- Seasonings: Allspice, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, salt, chicken bouillon, brown sugar.
- Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, cornstarch.
Substitutions and Variations
- No Scotch bonnet? Use a habanero for similar heat, or leave it out for a mild version. A little hot sauce works too.
- Butter beans: Swap for lima beans (they're the same thing), navy beans, or cannellini beans.
- Browning: If you don't have browning sauce, sear the meat extra well and add a little extra brown sugar for color. The gravy will be lighter but still delicious.
- No Instant Pot? Use the stovetop method (2 to 3 hours on medium-low) or a slow cooker (6 to 8 hours on low).
- More vegetables: Add Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, or extra carrots for a heartier pot.
- Green seasoning: Stir in a spoonful of green seasoning for an even deeper, more authentic flavor.
How to Make Jamaican Oxtail
- Clean the oxtail. Wash and rinse with water, lemon, and vinegar. Trim the excess fat and pat dry. This is a Caribbean step that cleans the meat and freshens the flavor.
- Marinate. Mix the oxtail with the browning, garlic, Worcestershire, allspice, paprika, salt, bouillon, cayenne, brown sugar, and thyme until well coated. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for the deepest flavor.
- Sear. Set the Instant Pot to sauté, add oil, and sear the oxtail on each side until browned, about a minute per side. It won't be fully cooked yet. Save the leftover marinade. Remove and set aside.
- Build the base. Add the tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, and tomato paste. Stir to deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits, and cook a few minutes until softened. Season with a pinch of salt and bouillon.
- Pressure cook. Return the oxtail with the reserved marinade, Scotch bonnet, bay leaves, and water. Stir, cancel sauté, then pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. Let the steam release naturally.
- Finish. Switch back to sauté. Add the green onion, butter beans, and carrots. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer for about 5 minutes until the gravy thickens. Serve with rice and peas or any side you love.
Stove Top Method
Follow the same steps in a heavy pot, then cover and cook on medium-low for 2 to 3 hours, checking often and adding water as needed, until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.
Recipe Tips
- Trim the fat so your gravy is rich, not greasy.
- Marinate overnight when you can. It makes a real difference.
- Control the heat: leave the Scotch bonnet whole for gentle warmth, chop it for more fire, and remove the seeds to tame it.
- Don't skip the browning step. Searing the meat and deglazing build the deep flavor.
- Use a natural release so the meat stays tender.
- Add green seasoning if you have it for extra authentic flavor.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. The flavor actually deepens overnight. Thaw in the fridge and reheat gently in a pot with a splash of water to loosen the gravy.
Recipe FAQs
Oxtail is the tail of a cow, a collagen-rich cut that becomes fall-off-the-bone tender and makes its own silky gravy when slow-cooked.
In an Instant Pot, about 30 minutes at high pressure plus natural release, roughly an hour total. On the stovetop, it takes 2 to 3 hours, and in a slow cooker, 6 to 8 hours.
It's a traditional Caribbean step to clean the meat and remove any debris or strong odor before seasoning.
You can, but the gravy will be lighter in color. Browning gives that signature dark, rich Jamaican look and flavor, so searing the meat well helps make up for it.
More Caribbean Recipes to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Jamaican Oxtail recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Jamaican Oxtail
Equipment
Ingredients
To Marinate the Oxtail
- 1.5 lb Oxtail
- 1 teaspoon Browning
- 3 Garlic cloves minced or diced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Allspice
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Chicken bouillon or beef, vegetable bouillon
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper or Scotch bonnet
- 1 tablespoon Brown sugar
- 4 sprigs Thyme 1 teaspoon dried
For The Oxtail Stew
- 1 medium Onion
- ½ Red bell pepper diced
- ½ Green bell pepper diced
- 2 Green onion sliced
- 2 Tomatoes diced
- 16 oz Butter beans rinsed
- 1 cup Baby carrots or chopped whole carrots
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 2-3 Bay leaves
- 4 tablespoon Cooking oil
- 3 cups Water plus 3 tablespoon for mixing cornstarch
- Pinch of Salt and Bouillon
Instructions
- Wash and rinse oxtail with water, lemon and vinegar. Trim excess fat and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Marinate the oxtail with all the above ingredients and mix well with your hand until it is well-coated.
- Cover and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight. The longer it marinates, the better.
- Set the instant pot or pressure cooker on sauté. Add the oil and sear each side of the oxtail for 1 minute till brown. It won't be fully cooked at this point. Save the drippings of the marinade in the mixing bowl for later.
- Remove the oxtail from the pot and set aside.
- Add the tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, and tomato paste and keep stirring until they release liquid to deglaze the pot.
- Season with a pinch of salt and bouillon, and sauté veggies for 3 minutes until soft.
- Add the oxtails, drippings from the pan, bay leaves and water. Stir well.
- Cover the pot, press cancel to leave the sauté option and pressure cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Allow the steam to release by itself.
- Open the lid, and change the option to sauté. Add the green onion, butter beans, and carrot.
- Mix the cornstarch with water in a separate bowl and add to the pot. Stir well and let it simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens.
- Serve with rice and peas or any side.
If Using A Stove Top
- Repeat all the above steps, replace the pressure cooker with a stovetop pot, and cook on medium heat for 2-3 hours.
- Check the pot often and add water if needed until it's tender and fall off bone.
Video
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Bilikis says
This is irresistible.Thanks for the recipe ma
JAAMY says
Hi, I am just trying out your recipe, I don’t seem to notice tomato paste in ingredient list but it is mention in method. Maybe I am just blind. It happens more than I would like. 🙂 how much tomatoe paste do I add?
Hi, I just updated it. It's 2 tbsp, sorry about that.
JAAMY says
No worries and thank you. Very delicious recipe.
Bilikis says
It looks so delicious
Bilikis says
This recipe looks so delicious
Carrie Nichols says
I haven't tried the recipe yet..I'm looking forward to trying. Will let you know. Looks delicious!
Please do.
Charles Monroe says
I tried it and it turned out very good, really delicious
Thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed it.