Ultimate Oxtail Dumplings Recipe from Spain

As you may already know by now, we are the biggest fans of Spanish recipes, but we also love to venture into those that invite us to blend cuisines from different regions of the world.

If you’re looking to innovate and take your tapas or appetizer game to the next level, then we invite you to try the fantastic oxtail dumplings recipe: it’s budget-friendly, super easy to make, and its flavor is unmatched.

Reading this article, you will learn how to make this recipe from scratch with other recommendations for storing the dish, the best ways to serve it, and the changes you can make to the ingredients.

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Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Spanish oxtail recipes? Have a look at my other posts: 

• Oxtail Ragu Recipe

• Braised oxtail

• Oxtail noodle soup

Background of the Dish

The dumplings are believed to have originated independently in various cultures, but historical records indicate that the first dumpling recipes were created in Asia, mainly in China, and later brought to Southern Europe.

While the region already had dishes similar to dumplings, it wasn’t until the 1980s that experimentation with fusions between Asian and Andalusian cuisine began.

This led to the use of tender oxtail meat as the filling for the dumplings.

Even in the present, this fusion of cuisines continues to be one of the most creative and innovative, giving rise to a delicious dish perfect for serving as a tapa or appetizer.

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Things You’ll Need for Oxtail Dumplings

To make oxtail dumplings you need oxtail, carrot, onion, garlic cloves, flour, water, and soy sauce as the main ingredients.

Ingredients

For the Oxtail Filling:

• 1 kg oxtail
• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 cup (240ml) red wine
• 2 cups (480ml) beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil for cooking

For the Dumpling Wrapper:

• 2 cups (240gr) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (240ml) boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• Red chili flakes to taste (optional)

How to Make Oxtail Dumplings – Step by Step Guide

1. For the first step on the best-ever oxtail recipe, you have to peel and chop the onion, celery stalks, and carrot into small pieces. Peel and mince the garlic cloves.

2. After that, pat the oxtail dry with kitchen paper and cut it into bite-sized cubes. Season them with paprika, salt and pepper. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Brown the oxtail pieces on all sides.

3. Then, add chopped onions, minced garlic, diced carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook until the vegetables get a soft texture. Pour in red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Also, add beef broth and bay leaf.

4. Now simmer on low heat for 1 to 2 hours or until the oxtail is tender and falls off the bone. Shred the oxtail meat and mix it with the reduced cooking liquid. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Set aside to cool for a bit.

5. In the meantime, prepare the dumpling wrappers. Combine flour and salt in a bowl and gradually add boiling water, stirring continuously until a dough forms. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth, then cover and let it rest for 30 minutes. Roll the dough into a thin sheet and cut out circles using a round cutter.

6. After that, place a spoonful of the oxtail filling in the center of each wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half and seal the edges, creating a half-moon shape. You can pleat the edges for a decorative touch on these Spanish dumplings.

7. For the next step in this Spanish oxtail recipe, steam the oxtail dumplings for about 15-20 minutes, or until the wrapper is cooked through.

8. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce for the oxtail dumpling. For that, mix soy sauce, Sherry vinegar, honey, sesame oil, grated ginger, minced garlic, and red chili flakes in a bowl.

9. For the final step in this authentic oxtail recipe, drizzle the fusion sauce over the steamed oxtail dumplings and serve them warm.

Substitution of Ingredients

The ingredients for these oxtail dumplings are super easy to find, but still, there are some changes that you can make to them.

For example, you can prepare the wrappers with gluten-free flour or use store bought dumpling wrappers (they have gluten-free alternatives for those too).

If you have leftovers from other beef oxtail recipes (such as the roasted oxtail recipe or the Spanish oxtail stew) then you can use that meat for the filling of the dumplings.

If you aren’t the biggest fan of the sweet soy sauce with ginger and garlic, then there are other dumpling sauce recipes that you can try such as the spicy Spanish romesco sauce, a green Spanish mojo sauce, or the classic Spanish garlic sauce.

Tips on Serving Oxtail Dumplings

With these oxtail dumplings, you will have the perfect appetizer to enjoy at any time of the day: during lunch, dinner, or even as an afternoon snack.

To serve them, you just have to place the oxtail dumpling on a large plate or serving tray and drizzle the homemade sauce on top, or as an alternative pour the sauce on a small bowl and let your guests use it as much as they want.

Just like other recipes for dumplings, you can top these with sesame seeds, or freshly chopped herbs such as cilantro, parsley, thyme, rosemary, etc.

In this Spanish style oxtail recipe, we included the traditional dumpling sauce, but you can use your favorite one or try different ones such as the peanut satay sauce, mango salsa dipping sauce, and wasabi mayo.

If you are looking for a main dish, then feel free to check other Spanish recipes that we have for you such as the oxtail pasta recipe and the oxtail stew with potatoes.

The oxtail stew with vegetables is another great dish that you can make if you want something nutritious and comfy.

How to Store Oxtail Dumplings

Once you finish preparing these oxtail dumplings you can either serve them right away or store and enjoy them later.

In that case, let the dumplings cool to room temperature and place them in an airtight covered container, then you can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 30 days.

After that, let them thaw overnight in the fridge and we recommend that you reheat them in the oven at medium heat or on the stove with some olive oil to add some crispiness to the outside.

Lastly, you can choose to prepare the beef oxtail recipe and store the meat filling to use it to make the dumplings later: in that case, you can store it in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 45 days and after you thaw it you can use it in the dumplings. 

Other Spanish oxtail recipes that you can prepare and store for a long amount of time are the oven baked oxtail recipe and the Spanish oxtail soup recipe.

Recipe Card: Oxtail Dumplings

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