Name: Creole Oxtail Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 2 guajillo chiles; 4 cups hot water; 1 teaspoon cumin; 2 teaspoons dry oregano; 2 teaspoons dry thyme; 2 teaspoons coriander; 29 oz. tomato sauce; 3-4 lbs. oxtails; 2 tablespoons avocado oil; 1 ½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning; 1 medium onion (chopped); 1 bell pepper (chopped); 3 celery stalks (chopped); 6 garlic cloves (chopped fine); 2 bay leaves; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley; 4 green onions (sliced thin)

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My Creole Oxtail Stew recipe features oxtails braised in a rich gravy for an out-of-this-world meal. These oxtails are tender, flavorful, and falling off the bone! Whether you're looking for comfort food on a rainy day or the main course for your next dinner party, this oxtail recipe guarantees to please.

Here are some side dishes to serve with these yummy oxtails: Boursin Mashed Potatoes, Coconut Rice, Southern Baked Mac and Cheese, Jasmine Vegetable Rice, Healthy Baked Sweet Potato, and Collard Greens.

Recipe Video:

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Recipe Video:
Oxtail Stew Key Ingredients
How to Make Creole Oxtail Recipe
Store Leftovers
Recipe Pro, Substitutions, Tips, and Tricks
FAQ
More Beef Recipes
Before You Begin
📖 Recipe

If you've never cooked with oxtails before, Creole Oxtail Stew is the perfect place to start. Oxtails often get overlooked because they seem like a "difficult" cut, but once you braise them properly, they transform into some of the most tender, flavorful bites of beef you'll ever taste—think beef short ribs, but with even deeper, richer flavor thanks to all that collagen.

Between the fall-off-the-bone meat and the bold, savory Creole gravy, this stew is a home run every time. I always serve it with rice, so not a single drop of that sauce goes to waste. Crusty bread works just as well—trust me, you'll want something to mop up that liquid gold.

This is one of those dishes people talk about when they say a meal was "so good they licked the plate clean." And they mean it. The flavors only get better as it sits, so if you end up with leftovers, consider yourself blessed. Honestly, I recommend making more than you think you need—the pot goes empty fast.

Unlike my Jamaican oxtail stew, this Creole version keeps things simple: no tomato paste, butter beans, browning sauce, or allspice berries. Instead, the depth comes from Cajun seasoning, sautéed aromatics, and the natural richness of the oxtails themselves. We don't even need beef broth—the high-collagen bones create their own luxurious stock as they cook, and that, combined with the toasted chile stock, builds an incredible gravy without extra fuss.

For convenience, I make mine in the Instant Pot, which guarantees fork-tender oxtails with far less babysitting than stovetop braising. The result is just as rich and soulful, but in a fraction of the time.

If your mouth is watering already, good—you're in the right place. Let's dive in and make this unforgettable Creole Oxtail Stew.

Oxtail Stew Key Ingredients

To make this comforting, gluten-free dish, you will need the following key ingredients:

Beef Oxtail

Oxtails get incredibly tender when braised in a flavorful stew, like this recipe, and have a flavor profile similar to beef short ribs. You're going to love them! Be sure to trim away any significant chunk of fat from around the tail. This will become mushy during cooking.

Cajun Seasoning

If you can't find this, Cajun seasoning works excellently as a substitute, but I recommend using my Savory seasoning. In addition to the Creole seasoning, you will need dried oregano, dried thyme, coriander, cumin, bay leaf, kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh parsley.

Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauce serves as the base of our flavorful stew, along with a bit of chili water to thin it out.

Holy Trinity

We'll be using the holy trinity of Cajun-Creole cooking, a combination of onions, celery stalks, and bell pepper, and fresh garlic for this dish. The vegetables add a ton of flavor and aromatics.

Guajillo Chiles

These have a sweet, tangy, and smoky flavor that brings a lot to this dish. These provide more flavor than using beef broth or any other stock in the slow cooker.

How to Make Creole Oxtail Recipe

Unlike my Jamaican oxtail stew, you will not need any butter beans or cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. The tomato sauce handles the thickening, and you don't need beans in this Creole version.

Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan (or skillet) over medium-high heat and toast Guajillo chiles for 15-30 seconds per side, then place in hot water for 20 minutes.

Season oxtails with Creole seasoning evenly on all sides.

In the same saucepan, heat it until it smokes slightly. Then add oil to the skillet and cook oxtails for 3-4 minutes on each side, followed by 30 seconds on all sides.

Transfer the oxtails from the saucepan to the Instant Pot. In the same skillet, add onions, bell pepper, celery, salt, and pepper; cook for 2 minutes, then add bay leaf and minced garlic.

Remove the chiles from the hot water and add them to a blender with the chile water. Add tomato sauce, and spices, then blitz for 1 minute until the sauce is smooth.

All ingredients in the Instant Pot before cooking.

Pour sauce over oxtails in the Instant Pot, then seal the lid and set to pressure cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. The oxtails should be fork-tender when done.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and green onions, and serve with coconut rice or mashed potatoes with some sweet tea.

Store Leftovers

After the oxtails cool, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for 7 days.

You can make the oxtails in advance and place them in an airtight container. Keep in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw 48 hours before using.

Turn the heat to medium, add all ingredients to a medium saucepan, cover, and cook until the mixture starts to boil. About 10 minutes or less. It depends on how much you're reheating. You can also reheat your oxtails in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.

Recipe Pro, Substitutions, Tips, and Tricks

Here are some of my top tips and tricks to help you make this fork tender oxtail stew:

For the best flavor, season your oxtails the night before or before you go to work. This will allow the seasoning to reach all the way to the bone!
Clean your oxtail pieces with distilled vinegar, lime juice, or baking soda. All the above will clean and remove impurities from the oxtails before cooking.
I like a thinner gravy for this recipe; however, if you want a thicker gravy, remove the oxtails and stir in another 15 oz. can of tomato sauce to thicken it.
I like to use avocado oil instead of olive oil because of its high smoke point. When you're searing these oxtail pieces, the temperature can get hot fast. A high smoke point keeps the oil from burning and prevents bitter flavors.
If you want to make these on a stove instead of the pressure cooker, use a large Dutch oven and cook the oxtail stew, covered, for 3-4 hours over medium-low heat until tender.
Make sure you sear the oxtails on all sides before tossing them into the Instant Pot. Searing your oxtails is a critical step in achieving a fantastic depth of flavor. That color equals flavor: beef cooked without first being seared tends to come out looking a bit gray and bland.
Not sure where to get Guajillo chiles? You should be able to find them in the Mexican section of the International aisle in most grocery stores. They should be pliable, so don't get them if they break when bent.
I like to let the Instant Pot slowly release steam on its own for 20-30 minutes, then flip the nozzle to quick-release the rest. Using a slow-release helps the oxtails absorb more of the delicious flavor from the stew.
If you don't have my Savory Low-Sodium Cajun seasoning, you can use my homemade Creole seasoning.
Looking for more heat? Add some jalapenos, serranos, scotch bonnet peppers, habanero peppers, or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the tomato sauce, or add a few dashes of hot sauce to the dish just before serving.
For a great pop of color at the end, garnish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped Italian parsley.
You can bake these oxtails in the oven for 2 ½ - 3 hours at 300°F(148 °C), depending on their size. Bring them to a boil, cover them, then bake in the oven; be sure to flip them halfway through. Pop them in a slow cooker or crockpot on low for 5-6 hours.
Feel free to add two tablespoons of worcestershire sauce to your sauce. A ¼ cup of your favorite red wine will also add some flavor to this rich stew.
You can use fresh thyme sprigs instead of dried thyme. Six sprigs equal two teaspoons.
Make sure to watch my recipe video below. The video includes all the step-by-step instructions you need to make these Creole Oxtails the right way.

FAQ

Here are the answers to the most-searched questions about oxtail stew.

Is stewed oxtail good?

Yes—stewed oxtail is incredibly flavorful, especially in a Creole oxtail stew. If beef stew had a royal family, oxtail stew would sit at the top, followed closely by braised beef short ribs. Oxtails are loaded with collagen that melts during slow cooking, creating a silky, almost buttery sauce. The meat becomes fall-off-the-bone tender, making it one of the most comforting and deeply savory stews you can cook.

How long does it take to cook oxtail stew?

A traditional oxtail stew takes 2½ to 4 hours, depending on the size of the oxtails and the cooking method. The goal is for the meat to be fork-tender and the collagen to melt into the sauce. Pressure cookers and Instant Pots can reduce the cooking time to 45–60 minutes, but slow simmering gives the best flavor.

What is the best method to cook oxtail?

The best method is slow, moist heat—braising, stewing, or pressure cooking. Oxtails need time for the tough connective tissue to break down. For oxtail stew, browning the meat first, then simmering it in a seasoned broth with aromatics, delivers maximum richness and depth of flavor.

What kind of meat is oxtail?

Oxtail is the tail of a cow, and it's prized in cuisines around the world for its rich flavor and high collagen content. When cooked low and slow, that collagen melts, giving the stew its signature silky, velvety texture.

How to make a good oxtail stew?

A great oxtail stew starts with proper browning—searing the oxtails develops deep, beefy flavor. Then build layers: sauté aromatics like onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; add tomatoes, herbs, and stock; and let it simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce is full-bodied. Creole seasoning brings the stew to life with just the right balance of heat and herbs.

Which cooking method is best for oxtail?

Braising is the gold standard. The combination of browning and slow simmering maximizes flavor while turning tough meat into buttery tenderness. Slow cookers and pressure cookers work well, too, but stovetop or oven braising gives the most traditional texture for Creole oxtail stew.

Why do you soak oxtail before cooking?

Some cooks soak oxtails in cold water—or water with a splash of vinegar—to help remove blood and impurities. This step can give you a cleaner-tasting broth and reduce the amount of foam that rises during cooking, especially when making stew or stock.

What vegetables go well with oxtails?

Oxtail stew pairs beautifully with root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, turnips, and sweet potatoes. Classic Creole additions include onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and sometimes tomatoes for body. Greens like collards or mustard greens also complement the stew's richness.

Creole oxtail stew is a perfect introduction for newbies or lovers of oxtails. This recipe is easy and delicious, so if you're not sure where to start in the world of cooking with this type of meat, try it out!

More Beef Recipes

If you have a taste for red meat, try my other recipes.

Before You Begin

Before getting started, here are the steps I use to get organized.

Step 1: Wash and drain your oxtails, then pull out the remaining ingredients.

Step 2: Measure everything out into individual bowls.

Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for one of the best oxtail stew recipes you've ever prepared.

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