How to Cook Oxtails in the Oven

How to cook oxtails in the oven with vegetables perfectly. Baked and roasted in a dutch oven to fork tender will make you want seconds. If you loved our slow cooker oxtails you’re going to love this one too.

Oxtail Baked

So you had this at a nice restaurant once and wondering how to cook oxtails at home, I have the answer. Maybe you were in Jamaica or Hawaii and the seasonings on it just made it out of this world delicious. You can get pretty close to it right here in the states with the right mix.

Why is Oxtail so tasty?

There is a lot of marbeling and collagen in this cut which means lots of flavor. Usually made into a stock or oxtail stew you can also enjoy them as is so you can really taste the richness of the protein. Simmered for hours and hours in a dutch oven with veggies and lots of garlic, salt, thyme and all the things. You’re in for a treat with this one.

Baked Oxtails

Ok so you don’t have to use a cast iron pot to make this but it sure does make things easier. This way you could make oxtails on your stove or the oven. We are going to explain instructions for the latter of the two here today. A heavy pot and lid provides a great place for this tough meat to steam and get to become fork tender.

How Long Does it Take for Oxtails to get Done?

This is not something you can make quickly. Set aside several hours no matter what cooking method you choose to use. As you can see, the meat is trapped within the bone, fat and collagen. It needs lots of time to break down and tenderize. You will need a minimum of 3 hours or longer to get them just right, don’t rush the beast. 😉

Do you have to soak Oxtails?

Some people do like to blanch oxtails like you would bell peppers before stuffing them. This will remove any impurities that may be present. That is not entirely necessary to do so and will subdue the natural flavors of the meat.

What is Oxtail Seasoning Made of?

There isn’t one recipe for an oxtail dry rub of sorts. Everyone would likely have their own “secret recipe”. If you remember eating this at a restaurant you may have been able to identify some of the oxtail seasonings on it and you could go with those. What we used on this batch consisted of;

1. I mince up some of my roasted air fryer garlic first off, that goes in and on everything I make
2. Thyme
3. Salt and pepper
4. Allspice
5. You could add some dry Sriracha, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for heat if you wanted, we leave ours mild
6. OR you can just buy a bottle of oxtail seasoning here

Baked Oxtail Recipe

You can see it all ready to go here below. Beyond that you should rinse oxtail cuts and prep with all the seasonings you love on meat in general.

How Long to Bake Oxtails in Oven

I have a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for how to cook oxtails in the oven. Here is a quick rundown o fhow to get them to fall off the bone status.

• Preheat oven to 300° F. Remove the oxtails from their packaging and dry with paper towels. Combine spices and spread all over.
  • Add minced garlic to top of oxtails. Add the oxtails into your baking pan or large dutch oven.
• Place small potatoes and cut up carrots around the oxtails with sliced onions over the top.
  • Add about 2 cups of water or broth to cover the bottom of the pan and about 1″ deep to create steam.
• Cover the pot with a lid. Bake for about 3 hours or until they are tender.

There will be some drippings in the bottom of the pot. You could make brown gravy with that by removing all the food and leaving the liquid in the pot. Set on the stovetop on medium high heat. When it bubbles whisk some of that with 1 tbsp cornstarch and whisk until as thick as you’d like.

Dutch Oven Oxtail

There is no need to brown the oxtails beforehand for this, they will get browned right in the pot. You could enjoy the veggies as is or if you prefer mashed potatoes you could separate those and squash. They’ll be pretty darn tender enough to do so if you prefer them softer vs. just eating them as is.

It comes out a bit like slow cooking them, which is wonderful too, but some prefer to use their oven so I wanted to provide instructions for both. Crockpot link is at the top of this post for you.

Once they are fork tender you can remove off the bone and make Korean oxtail soup out of it. I hope that explains well how to cook oxtails in the oven for you. Enjoy my friends!