Ultimate Oxtails On The Stove Recipe

If you want to prepare the perfect hearty stew for a cold day, then you should delve right into the world of Spanish recipes.

Our oxtails on the stove provide a simple take on the recipe for oxtail stew, with a shorter cooking time but the same fantastic finished result.

Continue reading this article and learn how long to cook oxtails on the stove, how to serve and store this dish, and the best ways to customize this delicious Spanish-style oxtail recipe.

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

• Oxtail stew with vegetables

• Oxtail rasta pasta

• Portuguese oxtail stew

Background of the Dish

This beef oxtail recipe was created in the 1900s, once almost every household in Andalusia had a stove, making it one of the best cooking methods to have a tender oxtail stew.

While the addition of red wine is optional, it plays a crucial role in tenderizing the oxtails and contributes to the intricate flavor profile of both the meat and the resulting gravy.

Today, oxtails on the stove have evolved into a staple dish in Southern Spain, delighting people throughout the winter season.

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Things You’ll Need for Oxtails On The Stove

To prepare this Spanish oxtails recipe you will need oxtail, red onion, bell pepper, beef broth, garlic cloves, and optionally red wine as the main ingredients.

For oxtails recipes with different cooking methods, you can check our fantastic instant pot oxtail or the delicious fried oxtail recipe.

Ingredients

• 2kg oxtails
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups (480ml) beef broth
• 1 can (420gr) diced tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 2 bell peppers (any color)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 cup (240ml) red wine (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Oxtails On The Stove – Step by Step Guide

1. To start with this Spanish oxtail recipe, peel and slice the onion and bell peppers, discarding the seeds. Peel and chop the onion and celery stalks into small pieces. Lastly, peel and mince the garlic cloves. Set them aside.

2. After that, pat the oxtails dry with paper towels and cut them into bite-sized cubes. Season on both sides.

3. Now, grab a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the oxtails on all sides in batches, until golden brown. Remove the browned oxtails and set them aside.

4. Using the same pot, add more olive oil if needed, and sauté the sliced red onion and bell peppers for 7 minutes. Also, add the minced garlic, chopped carrots, and celery. Sauté for an additional 3 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

5. Optionally, pour in the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. It is an optional step in this easy oxtails recipe, but it does enhance the flavor of the oxtails on the stove.

6. To continue with the best oxtail stew recipe, return the oxtail pieces to the pot and add beef broth, diced tomatoes (with their juice), bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary.

7. Now, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer the oxtails on the stove for 2 to 2.5 hours or until they are tender. Stir occasionally and add more broth if needed.

8. Once the oxtails are tender, do a taste test on the oxtail stew and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

9. To finish this oxtail stew recipe, simply serve the oxtails warm and enjoy.

Substitution of Ingredients

The main ingredients for oxtail stew are beef broth, a mix of vegetables, oxtail, and a mix of herbs and spices, so you have plenty of room to do some modifications among those categories.

For example, if you don’t like the vegetables listed for this easy oxtail stew, or you simply want to include others, then some that will work are potatoes, sweet potatoes, white onion, etc.

Since this is the best recipe for oxtail stew it does call for red wine as an optional ingredient, but in the case that you don’t want to use it we recommend adding about an extra 1/2 cup of broth.

If you were looking for a different type of dish but you still want to enjoy a nice tender oxtail recipe, then we have other Spanish oxtail recipes that will do the trick such as the curry oxtail recipe and the easy oxtail soup recipe.

Tips on Serving Oxtails On The Stove

Once you finish preparing the oxtails on the stove, you will be able to serve a delicious oxtail stew, warm, for lunch or dinner.

To add more freshness to this simple oxtail stew recipe, you can top the dish with chopped herbs like dill, cilantro, parsley, or coriander.

Just like other oxtail stew recipes, it is a must to serve them with slices of your favorite bread so that you can soak it in the flavorful stew gravy.

For a more creative take, you can use the meat from this Spanish oxtail stew recipe to make a delicious sandwich, combined with some fresh veggies like lettuce and tomatoes or go with the more exotic recipe like the oxtail fried rice.

You should give a go to our oxtail pepper soup and the oxtail bone broth recipe, two delicious oxtail recipes to add to your cookbook.

Lastly, you can take inspiration from other perfect pairings like oxtails and rice or oxtail and butter beans, and serve this stew with those sides.

How to Store Oxtails On The Stove

Once you finish cooking oxtails on the stove, let them cool to room temperature, which will take from 30 to 60 minutes, and then place them in a covered freezer-safe container.

After that, you will be able to store the oxtail stew for up to 3 days in the fridge or 45 days in the freezer (add a label on the container so you don’t go over that time).

To reheat it, place the oxtails on the stove over medium-low heat and heat them for 20 to 45 minutes, adding more liquid (water or broth) if needed.

Luckily, we have more easy oxtail stew recipes for you if you are a meal prep enthusiast, so feel free to check out our delicious oxtail stew with potatoes or go for a traditional oxtail recipe.

Recipe Card: Oxtails on the Stove

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