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Easy Recipe For Oxtails And Gravy

Making Spanish recipes with oxtails is the best way to ensure a healthy diet filled with nutrients while also satisfying your appetite with a hearty dish.

We know that the recipe for oxtails and gravy will soon become one of your favorites because it encompasses all the flavors of the traditional dish, enhanced with a mesmerizing and rich gravy.

Continue reading this article, and you will learn how to make oxtail gravy from scratch, along with tips for storing, serving, and ingredient substitutions that you can follow.

a pin with an oxtail dish made with the recipe for oxtails and gravy and served on a plate

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Background of the Dish

recipe for oxtails and gravy that's served on a white plate

The recipe for oxtails and gravy has its roots in traditional Andalusian cuisine, as it was created to be a new take on the classic Rabo de Toro dish.

This recipe calls for regional ingredients, such as oxtail, red wine, garlic, and onion, but it is different from other oxtail recipes because it has a thicker sauce.

The thick sauce is the delicious gravy that adds an extra layer of moisture to the tender oxtail, and it makes for a match made in heaven.

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Things You’ll Need for Recipe For Oxtails And Gravy

To make this recipe for oxtails and gravy you will need beef broth, oxtail, onion, garlic cloves, carrots, red wine, and a mix of herbs and spices.

This Spanish style oxtail recipe does call for a slow cooking method (it takes from 3 to 3.5 hours), but if you don’t have that much time then you can make our delicious quick oxtail recipe.

broth in a glass bowl with onion and oxtails next to it for the recipe for oxtails and gravy

Ingredients

  • 2kg oxtails
  • 1 cup (240ml) red wine
  • 2 cups (480ml) beef broth
  • 1/2 cup (60gr) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 2 carrots
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

How to Make Recipe For Oxtails And Gravy – Step by Step Guide

man chopping garlic for the recipe for oxtails and gravy
  1. For the first step on this oxtails recipe, you just have to preheat your oven to 180°C (or 356°F).
  1. Then, it is time to prepare the veggies. For that, peel and slice the carrots. Also, peel and chop the onion, and mince the garlic cloves. Lastly, cut the tomatoes and bell peppers into small pieces, discarding the seeds.
  1. After that, pat the Spanish oxtail dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge each beef in the flour, shaking off the excess.
  1. Now grab a large, oven-safe pot or Dutch oven and heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the oxtails on all sides until they develop a nice crust (you can do it in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot). Remove the oxtails and set them aside.
  1. Using the same pot (with more oil if needed) sauté the chopped onion until translucent. Add minced garlic, diced red and green bell peppers, and sliced carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables get a soft texture.
  1. Then, pour in the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Allow the wine to evaporate and reduce by half.
  1. For the next step in this oxtail recipe, return the browned oxtails to the pot. Add beef broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Stir well to combine.
  1. Now, bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the pot, and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake the oxtail and gravy for 3 to 3.5 hours or until the meat gets tender and falls off the bone.
  1. Once everything is finished cooking, remove the pot from the oven. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the gravy. Do a taste test and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
  1. Your recipe for oxtails and gravy is now ready. Serve the Spanish style oxtails warm, spooning the flavorful gravy over the top of each plate. 

Substitution of Ingredients

a closeup of a recipe for oxtails and gravy in a clay bowl

Now that you know how to make gravy for oxtails, there are some ingredient substitutions that you can make on this dish, which also make it the best recipe for oxtails.

For example, you can make this recipe for oxtails and gravy with beef or vegetable broth, and feel free to use your favorite mix of veggies, adding others like potatoes, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes.

To add an extra kick of flavor to this Spanish oxtails recipe, you can take inspiration from the spicy oxtail recipe or the Portuguese oxtail stew and add a couple of tablespoons of hot sauce or piri piri sauce.

If you prefer making a Spanish oxtail recipe that doesn’t have alcohol at all, then we recommend that you try and make our delicious oxtail recipe without wine, as the gravy on this recipe needs red wine.

Tips on Serving Recipe For Oxtails And Gravy

recipe for oxtails and gravy served with potatoes on a wooden board

As soon as you finish making this recipe for oxtails and gravy, you will have a versatile oxtail dish ready to be served.

First, you can serve the oxtails and gravy as the main dish for any meal, always with a nice slice of your favorite bread to dip it into the sauce.

To add more flavor to this easy oxtail recipe you can top the dish with fresh chopped herbs, such as parsley or cilantro, or a good amount of grated parmesan cheese.

For a different approach, you can use this oxtail gravy as a hearty pasta sauce, so you can serve it with your favorite cooked pasta noodles, or try the oxtail fried rice.

Don’t hesitate to try our smothered oxtail recipe that’s just a delight and it’s also easy to make.

Lastly, you can take inspiration from the oxtail casserole and serve this dish with roasted or steamed vegetables or go for more classic sides such as Spanish mashed potatoes, mixed green salad, etc.

How to Store Recipe For Oxtails And Gravy

How to Store Recipe For Oxtails And Gravy. An open fridge with various vegetables and fruits in plastic containers.

This oxtails with gravy recipe is the best oxtail recipe because you can store it both in the fridge or freezer, and it won’t lose its freshness or original flavor.

Once you finish making the oxtail stew recipe you have to let the dish cool to room temperature and place it in a covered container, with a lid or plastic wrap.

Then, take the oxtails with gravy to the fridge where you can store them for up to 3 days, or to the freezer where they’ll last 45 days.

Once you are ready to reheat your baked oxtails and gravy, you can do it in the oven on low to medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes, until they are warm and tender again.

Aside from this recipe for oxtails and gravy, we have other recipes that you can prepare and store for later, such as the fantastic basque oxtail stew and the mesmerizing oxtail and butter beans.

Recipe Card: Recipe For Oxtails And Gravy

Yield: 6

Easy Recipe for Oxtails and Gravy

red wine braised oxtail served in a white plate and made with the oxtail marinade recipe. Granada in Winter

Making Spanish oxtail recipes is the best way to ensure a healthy diet filled with nutrients while also satisfying your appetite with a hearty dish.

We know that the recipe for oxtails and gravy will soon become one of your favorites because it encompasses all the flavors of the traditional dish, enhanced with a mesmerizing and rich gravy.

Continue reading this article, and you will learn how to make oxtail gravy from scratch, along with tips for storing, serving, and ingredient substitutions that you can follow.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2kg oxtails
  • 1 cup (240ml) red wine
  • 2 cups (480ml) beef broth
  • 1/2 cup (60gr) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 2 carrots
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. To start with this recipe for oxtails and gravy, preheat your oven to 180°C (or 356°F).
  2. Peel and slice the carrots. Peel and chop the onion, and mince the garlic cloves. Cut the tomatoes and bell peppers into small pieces, discarding the seeds.
  3. Pat the Spanish oxtails dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge the oxtail beef in the flour.
  4. In a large, oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the oxtails on all sides until they develop a nice crust. Remove the oxtails and set them aside.
  5. In the same pot, add more oil if needed, and sauté the chopped onion until translucent. Add minced garlic, diced red and green bell peppers, and sliced carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes until the vegetables get a soft texture.
  6. Pour in the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Allow the wine to evaporate and reduce by half.
  7. To continue with this oxtail gravy recipe, return the browned oxtails to the pot. Add beef broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Stir well to combine.
  8. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the pot, and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for 3 to 3.5 hours or until the oxtails are tender and falling off the bone.
  9. After that time, remove the pot from the oven. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the gravy. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  10. Serve the Spanish style oxtail warm, spooning the flavorful gravy over the top.

Notes

To switch things up on this oxtails and gravy recipe, add more spices, such as chili flakes, turmeric, extra cayenne pepper, etc.

Instead of cooking them as oven baked oxtails and gravy, you can prepare this simple oxtail recipe in the pot and stove over medium to low heat.

Besides that, make sure to serve the dish from this oxtail and gravy recipe with a slice of your favorite bread to soak in all that gravy.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 790Total Fat 56gSaturated Fat 9.3gCholesterol 37mgSodium 226mgCarbohydrates 63.6gFiber 16.9gSugar 9.3gProtein 22.7g

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