Our Southern oxtail recipe is a soul food favorite that will remind of you being back at grandma’s house for Sunday dinner! Tender oxtail smothered in a flavorful gravy with green bell peppers and onion, and seasoned with all the best soul food seasonings. Serve it with white rice or one of our soul food side dishes!
Follow our easy, step-by-step cooking process updated with pictures and video!
Marrekus loves this Southern oxtail recipe! As you know, my husband grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, where oxtails are a soul food staple. He always talks about how much he enjoyed going to his grandma’s house and the smell of her ox tails cooking on the stove.
These oxtails are smothered in gravy and slow cooked in a Dutch oven so they turn out nice and tender and full of flavor. Whether you’re a fan of Southern cooking or trying soul food for the first time, this oxtail recipe will quickly become one of your favorite recipes. You might also like our smothered chicken thighs recipe or smothered pork chops.
For more dinner recipes, we’ve got a round up of our best soul food sunday dinner ideas, so be sure to check it out!
What we love about this recipe
- It’s flavorful: Oxtails already taste amazing, but our Southern oxtail recipe tastes even better thanks to the seasonings we use.
- It’s fall-off-the-bone tender: These oxtails are so succulent and they have a nice, melt in your mouth quality because they’re so tender.
- It’s made with delicious gravy: This is my favorite part because the rice soaks up all the brown gravy. I always go back and spoon more of the gravy on top!
What are oxtails?
Oxtails come from the tail of a cow (get it, ox tail!). They have a rich, beefy flavor and a tender texture when cooked for a long time, very slowly. It’s often is used in recipes like oxtail stew, oxtail soup, and oxtail chili, basically dishes that have to cook for hours.
Oxtails have been a staple in soul food cooking for generations because it was really cheap back in the day, and considered a “throw away” cut of meat. Nowadays, a the price of oxtails at the grocery store is around $30 for a pack!
Jamaican Oxtails vs. Southern Oxtails
People always ask what’s the difference between Jamaican oxtails and Southern oxtails.
- Southern oxtails are smothered in gravy with bell peppers and onions, and seasoned with seasoned salt, black pepper, etc. They’re usually served with rice, mashed potatoes, or cornbread.
- Jamaican oxtails are cooked with Caribbean flavors like allspice and scotch bonnet peppers, which make them a bit spicier. They’re served gravy, carrots, rice, and peas or butter beans (lima beans).
Ingredients
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Oxtail seasoning
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt: If using a different type, like table salt or Morton’s kosher, or you’re just worried about the saltiness, start with half the amount and adjust to taste.
- Seasoned salt: Lawry’s is our go to, but you can make your own blend. Lawry’s also makes a salt free all purpose seasoning.
- Sazón: Sazón might not be “Southern” (it’s a popular seasoning in Latin American cooking), but it’s really flavorful, so that’s why we use it. Sazón does contain salt, so adjust the amount to your preference to avoid over-salting the dish.
- Italian seasoning: Usually a mix of oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary. It adds herby flavor.
- Granulated garlic, granulated onion: For savory flavor. Garlic powder and onion powder tend to clump up so we prefer to use granules instead, but it’s up to you.
- Black pepper, white pepper: For a little spice.
- Lemon pepper: For zesty flavor.
The best way to make Southern style oxtails
Detailed instructions for cooking oxtails can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Season with oxtail seasoning.
Step 2: Sprinkle flour over oxtails, making sure the pieces of oxtail get a good coating. Shake off any excess flour.
Step 3: Sear oxtail pieces in hot oil (vegetable oil or olive oil) over medium-high heat until they’re browned on all sides. Then remove from pot and set aside.
Step 4: Reduce to medium heat, then whisk in flour
Step 5: Then add beef stock or beef both.
Step 6: Stir in more seasonings, and whisk until a smooth rich gravy develops that is a caramel brown color.
Step 7: Add sliced onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Then, place seared oxtails back in the pot stir
Step 8: Slow cook oxtails in the oven for several hours, until they’re fork tender. The cooking time may vary, but takes about hours.
How to tell when oxtails are done cooking
Oxtails are done when they’re tender and pull away easily from the bone. To check, poke the meat with a fork or knife. If it goes in and out easily, then you’ve got tender meat and oxtails are ready. You can also check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to make sure they are at least 190°F to 200°F.
What goes good with oxtails
Our Southern oxtail recipe is best with gravy and rice. They also go good with authentic soul food side dishes like collard greens, candied yams, and this delicious Southern mac and cheese recipe.
Recipe tips for the best results
- Use quality ingredients: You want your oxtails to have a nice size (think larger pieces) and a good amount of meat on them.
- Stir the gravy: When adding the flour to make the gravy, do it gradually to prevent lumps. Continue whisking until the consistency is smooth and it has a nice golden brown color.
- Low and slow cooking: Cook oxtail in the oven at 325°F to help tenderize the oxtail meat. This allows the collagen in the oxtails to break down and makes it more flavorful.
Troubleshooting
Here are a few problems you might encounter when making Southern oxtails:
- Gravy is too thick: Gradually add more beef broth or water to the gravy, stirring constantly until you reach your desired consistency.
- Oxtails are too salty: Taste and adjust before adding more seasoning or salt during cooking, and taste the gravy and adjust as needed. You can always add more salt later if needed, but it’s really hard to fix a salty dish.
Frequently asked questions
We hope you love this Southern oxtail recipe as much as we do! Have questions or comments? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below, and be sure to share this post with friends and family.
Southern Oxtail Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds beef oxtails
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour divided
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil e.g. vegetable oil, olive oil
- 3 cups beef stock or beef broth
- 1/2 sweet onion sliced (or 1 small yellow onion)
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- Cooked rice for serving
Oxtail Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt start with less and adjust to taste if using any other type of salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon spoon seasoned salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of Sazón
Tools and Equipment
- Large heavy duty roaster or dutch oven
- Balloon whisk or sauce whisk
Instructions
- Make Oxtail Seasoning: In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, pepper, seasoned salt, granulated garlic, granulated onion, lemon pepper, ground white pepper, Italian seasoning, and Sazón. Stir all the ingredients together until well combined.
- Season oxtails with 2 tablespoons seasoning mixture.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over oxtails; shake off any excess flour.
- Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a large heavy-duty roaster or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once oil is hot and shimmering, add seasoned oxtails.
- Sear and turn oxtails until they are browned on all sides. Then remove them from pan and set aside.
- Leave oil in the pan and whisk in 1/2 cup flour.
- Pour in beef stock and add 1 tablespoon of oxtail seasoning. Keep whisking until gravy is smooth and takes on golden brown color.
- Lower heat to medium and add onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
- Return seared oxtails back to pot and give them a gentle stir.
- Cover pot and place in preheated oven set at 325°F.
- Cook oxtail, letting them simmer and stew in oven for 2 hours and 45 minutes up to 3 hours. Oxtails are typically done when they reach an internal temperature of 180-200°F (82-93°C).
- Remove oxtails from oven and spoon gravy generously all over.
- Allow them to cool for 10 minutes then serve over white rice.
You know what you doing when you added that Goya pack. Back then your grandmother didn’t use that. Nowadays we use that, so that was an added bonus from you
Love rhis recipe
Very tender and creamy. As you said, these are the best yet good job.👍🏽💯🫶🏼🙂
Goya aint southern!!! sorry. But it does make the food taste good.
Sure it is. All over the south people cook differently. New Orleans vs Memphis vs Houston vs Jackson Mississippi, the same dish will be prepared using different seasonings. There is no one “southern” style cuisine. Each region is influenced by settlers in that area as well as regional food availability.
Awesome recipe. I have been cooking my oxtails in the oven for years. For easy clean up I use a oven bag.
I really think this recipe sounds excellent and I’m going to add it to my oxtail recipes
Well cooked oxtail makes my head big and my ego even bigger. Do not refrigerate or freeze. Must be served smoking hot.
Love ox tail recipes. I cook soul food along for family.thank you.
That’s awesome! We will add more oxtail recipes soon 🙂
I would love to see more recipes,Thank You so much
I’ve never tried oxtail, but this post has me determined to! It looks so comforting and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
I usually braise the oxtail in a savory soy-based broth until it achieves a tender texture. I have yet to try the Southern style, but it sounds delicious. I can’t wait to give it a try soon!
Thanks, Yu! Oooh, the soy-based broth for oxtails sounds delicious!
This dish brings old traditions and memories back. A dish perfect to have when the entire family is together. My comfort meal for sure. Yum
My husband was really excited to make this oxtail recipe because he enjoys oxtail but had no idea how to make it. He said this recipe was exactly what he was hoping for. It turned out tender and savory!
This is an amazing recipe! Gotta try making this one tomorrow and enjoy it for myself, thank you for this!
Amazing recipe! I haven’t tried this but i will soon! It looks really good!
I’m a big oxtail fan and often make it the Roman way and use it as a ragu for pasta. I enjoyed trying out a different recipe this time. Super good and so tasty! The meat just fell off the bones and was so tender!
I’ve only had oxtails once before but I would love to try this. My mom grew up eating oxtails so I think she would appreciate this dish. Looks so good!
I’ve only ever made a few recipes with oxtail so I was excited to try this. It was so good. The ultimate comfort food and perfect for the cold weather we had this week here in Toronto!
This was our second time cooking oxtail and following this recipe step by step just made it so easy to cook it to perfection. The gravy is absolutely delicious too!
I served oxtail with fluffy white rice and broccoli and there were no leftovers! Will definitely be making your recipe for my family again. Thank you!
I LOVE oxtails but I’ve never made them at home before. This recipe was absolutely delicious and perfect for a homemade cozy meal while we were snowed in over the weekend.
I love this recipe! I recommend reducing the kosher salt amount in half. The gravy was too salty for my taste, but otherwise, a delicious flavor!
Thanks, Marti!
What is sazón
Hi Pam! Great question. “Sazón” is a seasoning blend commonly used in Caribbean and Latin American cuisine. A typical sazón blend includes a mix of spices such as garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, coriander, annatto (achiote) powder for color, and sometimes other ingredients like oregano and salt or MSG.
It’s used in this recipe as an all-purpose seasoning to enhance the overall taste of the dish.
Store-bought brands that make sazón seasoning include Knorr, Goya, and Badia.
Absolute best oxtails I’ve EVER had OR made!!!
THANK YOU!!!
Wow – this is one of the best oxtail recipes I’ve ever made! The seasoning, though salty, is very, very good! Next time, I’ll cut the salt in half or even leave it out – adjusting seasoning at the very end. The oxtails come out of the oven perfectly cooked and falling off the bone tender.
Thank you, Lori! We’ve updated the recipe to include notes for making this recipe less salty. Glad you enjoyed it!
This was the best oxtail recipe I’ve come across. Very tender meat and the recipe was so easy to follow. I will be making this again.
Thank you, Eileen! That means so much. We love this oxtail recipe too 😉
I followed your recipe exactly as written. The oxtails came out very tender and had lots of good flavor. I will definitely keep this recipe. My family and I enjoyed!!!
Hi Melanie, we are so happy that you love our oxtail recipe! This is definitely one of our favorites <3