Easy Oxtails and Rice Recipe from Spain

Do you want to try and make new dishes that will be delicious and can also be made on a budget? Then get ready to learn more about one of the cheapest and tastiest Spanish recipes that you can find.

We are talking about the oxtails and rice recipe, one that blends to perfection the best flavors of Andalusia, and that you don’t need any cooking skills to prepare it.

Keep reading this article and you will learn how to make oxtails and rice, we will also give you some helpful tips for storing, serving, and ingredients replacements that you can make to this dish.

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

• Oxtail ragu recipe

• Oxtail dumplings

• Red wine oxtail stew

Background of the Dish

Andalusian cuisine has a long tradition of resourcefulness and making the most of available ingredients, and the oxtail is a cut of meat that fits into the slow-cooking techniques that are used for Spanish stews.

In Southern Spain, oxtail recipes were prepared in times of economic challenges or scarcity, as people turned to less expensive cuts of meat to create flavorful and satisfying dishes without breaking the budget. 

Nowadays the oxtails and rice recipe has become one of the best Spanish rice recipes because it combines some of the most used ingredients in the region, such as rice, oxtail, bell peppers, onion, garlic cloves, tomatoes, and olive oil.

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Things You’ll Need for Oxtails and Rice

To make this dish you will need some of the ingredients that you can find in any of the Spanish oxtail recipes, such as oxtail, onion, garlic, wine, and olive oil, along with others like rice and beef broth.

For the equipment, all that you need to prepare these oxtails and rice is a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, you can also cook it in a pressure or slow cooker, adapting the cooking times on each case.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg pounds oxtail
• 6 cups (1.5l) beef broth
• 1 cup (120gr) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 1 can (425gr) cooked peas
• 2 cups (400gr) bomba or arborio rice
• 1/2 cup (120ml) dry red wine
• 1 onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• Salt and black pepper to taste

How to Make Oxtails and Rice – Step by Step Guide

1. For the first step in this Spanish beef oxtail recipe, you just have to prepare the vegetables. Peel and chop the onion, mince the garlic cloves, and dice the bell peppers and tomatoes (discarding the seeds). Set them aside.

2. After that, pat the oxtail dry with paper towels and cut it into 2-inch pieces. Season the pieces with salt and pepper and dredge them in flour (shaking off excess). You can use gluten-free flour for this step if necessary.

3. Then, grab a large heavy-bottomed pot or a Dutch oven and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the oxtail pieces on all sides until golden, then remove and set aside.

4. Using the same pot, add the chopped onion, minced garlic, and diced bell peppers. Sauté until the vegetables get a soft texture.

5. Now, stir in the diced tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until they release their juices.

6. For the next step in one of the best oxtail recipes, add the rice to the pot, stirring to coat it with the vegetables and oil.

7. Then, pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze and incorporate any flavorful bits. You could skip this step if you prefer avoiding alcohol, but it takes easy Spanish rice recipes to a whole new level.

8. After that, return the browned oxtail pieces to the pot. Pour in the beef broth, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and saffron threads. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Just like other authentic Spanish rice recipes, you can add fresh herbs at this point such as rosemary, dill, and cilantro.

9. For the next step, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the oxtail is tender and the rice is cooked. 

10. Now in the last 15 minutes of cooking for the oxtails and rice, drain the liquid from the canned peas and add them to the pot. Stir gently to combine.

11. Then, check the texture of the meat and once it is tender, remove the pot from heat. Discard any large bones and skim off excess fat.

12. Taste the oxtails and rice and add more seasoning or spices if necessary. Serve the dish warm and enjoy, optionally topped with fresh herbs such as parsley and cilantro, or grated cheese.

Substitution of Ingredients

The main ingredients for this recipe are oxtails with rice and peas, yet there is some room for changes that you can make to adapt this recipe to your preferences.

For example, you can use any type of vegetable for the oxtails and rice, such as adding carrots, jalapeño peppers, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, etc, or avoiding those that you don’t like. 

Just like most of the recipes for oxtails and rice, the best type of rice is bomba or arborio, but any medium-grain rice will work for this recipe, and you can even lean into other types such as brown or wild rice.

Besides that, you can follow other ways on how to cook oxtails and rice, such as preparing an instant pot oxtail and using instant rice to reduce the cooking time of the recipe.

Tips on Serving Oxtails and Rice

The oxtails and rice are usually served as a main dish, for lunch or dinner, and it is more popular during the colder seasons but you can enjoy it all year round.

This is a pretty nice oxtail recipe by itself, but to improve the finished result you can serve it with grated cheese (such as manchego or parmesan cheese) on top, or your favorite chopped fresh herbs.

Taking inspiration from other oxtails and rice recipes you could drizzle some sauces on top to add an extra kick of flavor, such as basil pesto, hot sauce,  balsamic glaze, etc.

If you, or some of your guests, can’t eat rice -or simply don’t like it- then you can prepare a small portion of your favorite noodles and serve them like the oxtail pasta recipe as an alternative.

How to Store Oxtails and Rice

Storing the oxtails and rice is super simple, and you can do it both in the fridge or freezer depending on what you need.

For that, once you finish making the recipe, let the dish cool to room temperature (it might take from 30 to 45 minutes) and then place it in a covered airtight freezer-safe container.

After that, you can store the oxtails and rice in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 45 days, just make sure to label it so that you don’t go over that date.

If the taste or texture of your dish seems off after storing it then it is better to avoid consuming it.

Other healthy oxtail recipes that you can prepare and store for later are the braised oxtail and the fantastic tender oxtail recipe.

Recipe Card: Oxtails and Rice

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