Top 7 Oxtail Recipes

By
Catherine McCord
Catherine McCord
Catherine McCord
Catherine McCord is an accomplished chef, author, businesswoman, and media personality. She focuses on healthy foods for families.
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Updated on 03/20/19

Oxtails are the tail of the cow. They may not be a cut of beef you'd normally think to use, but if you skip oxtails, you're really missing out—they make wonderful soups and stews.

Here are eight delicious oxtail recipes for soups, stews, and main courses. Choose from soul food oxtail, Spanish oxtail, and eastern European oxtail recipes.

If you have difficulty finding oxtails in your locale, you can substitute meaty veal or beef neck, short rib, shank or other various soup bones, but don't expect quite as robust a flavor. As with any recipe, feel free to modify these to meet the needs and tastes of your own family.

  • 01 of 07

    Braised Oxtail

    Braised oxtail

    Joff Lee / Getty Images

    If you're just learning how to cook oxtails, you can't go wrong with this recipe for braised oxtail. It explains how to cook this cut of meat extremely slowly in order to make it tender and succulent.

  • 02 of 07

    Country Oxtails Dinner

    Stewed Oxtail

    dirkr / Getty Images

    This recipe which combines oxtails, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, seasonings, and vegetables makes for a delicious family meal. You'll want to prepare the oxtail the night before but also allow time before dinner to add vegetables to the dish.

  • 03 of 07

    Garden Barley Oxtail Soup

    oxtail, soup, recipes, vegetables, beef, stew, barley, receipts

    Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

    Garden barley oxtail soup is comfort food at its absolute best. You'll start this soup in the slow cooker (which helps to make the meat more tender) and then finish cooking it on the stove. Plan on at least a full day for this to cook ... but it will be completely worth it.

  • 04 of 07

    Eastern European Oxtail Barley Soup

    Eastern European Oxtail Barley Soup

    The Spruce / Barbara Rolek

    Here's another version of oxtail barley soup, this one heralding from eastern Europe. It's similar to the sow cooker recipe above, but includes fewer vegetables and takes less time to make.

    Continue to 5 of 7 below.
  • 05 of 07

    Crockpot Oxtail Stew

    Crock Pot Oxtail Stew

    The Spruce

    The prep time for this hearty crockpot/slow cooker oxtail stew is literally about 15 minutes, so if you allow a bit of extra time in the morning, you can add all the ingredients to the crockpot and have stew for dinner that night.

  • 06 of 07

    Braised Oxtails Soul Food

    Oxtails and veggies

     DebbiSmirnoff/Getty Images

    Combining braised oxtails with carrots, parsnips, and turnips makes for delicious soul food. Serve this recipe with rice or with mashed potatoes.

  • 07 of 07

    Italian Oxtail Stew (Guazzetto)

    Roasted oxtails with carrots and onions

     NightAndDayImages/Getty Images

    Guazzetto means "splashed with wine" in Italian, and this stew does include a healthy dose of red wine. Italian oxtail stew traditionally is served over pasta (although mashed potatoes, polenta, or even cubes of bread will do in a pinch).