Slow Cooker Oxtail Stew with Lima Beans and Spinach
Super easy to make and deliciously fall of the bone-rich Oxtail Stew with Lima Beans and Spinach! You will fall in love with this rich beefy stew and pair it with your favorite root-boiled vegetables or grains.
Slow cooking is the best method to cooking oxtail. Whether you are cooking the oxtail in a slow cooker, stove or oven, the result is always fall off the bone GOOD! A good pot is always good to have when cooking in an oven or a stove, like a Dutch oven.
Beef oxtail is one of my favorite parts of the beef to cook. Yes, the oxtail is from a cow and not an ox. When cooked, it creates a rich sauce that is delicious with rice as it is the way most Caribbean people enjoy it. It is also good with mashed potatoes or dumplings.
How to buy and prepare oxtail for cooking
Oxtail is one meat cut that has always been expensive here in the US. Whether you go to a small or larger supermarket, the price is always high. But that does not steer oxtail stew lovers from enjoying one of the best comfort beef stew years round.
When buying oxtail, always look for lean meat. There is a lot of fat attached to the meat most of the time, and you’re practically paying more for fat than meat. If purchasing it whole from a butcher, kindly ask to remove some of the fat before putting it on the scale. Many of them may not do it, but it is always good to ask.
Cooking the tail whole is not recommended. Always make sure that the tail is cut into 2-4 inch slices – this way, they will perfectly fit into your cooking pot or pan.
Oxtail does not require much to prepare. As mentioned before, remove some of the fat, and clean the meat the way you want. In the Caribbean, as you know, we use lemon/lime and water or vinegar with water.
How to make this Oxtail Stew with Lima Beans and Spinach in the Slow Cooker
First, let go through the ingredients.
- Beef oxtail, most fats removed and sliced about 2 – 4 inch and cleaned
- Can of Stewed Tomatoes – buy organic if you can
- Roasted Bell Peppers, roughly chopped, you can roast your own bell peppers or buy a jar.
- Celery stalk, sliced
- Red Onion, sliced – contains more flavor than white onion. It has more health benefits also.
- Garlic cloves, fresh is always better.
- Thyme, dried thyme, or fresh thyme leaves – does not matter.
- Oregano, dried is fine to use.
- For Chicken bouillon seasoning, I use Osem Consomme Chicken because it contains less sodium compared to other brands. You can also use it instead of Maggie Bouillon.
- Thai Curry Paste, either red curry paste or garlic curry paste – I rarely use Thai Curry Paste in my cooking because I don’t have much use for it. It gives this dish more flavor than I expected.
- Lemon juice, fresh is always better but bottled is fine
- Oil, optional – you may choose to add oil if the oxtail is very lean.
- Warm water – always use warm water or hot water so the taste and flavor do not change.
- Coconut Amino Liquid, the best substitute for soy sauce substitution. I don’t use this type of seasoning a lot. I have been using it mostly in meat dishes.
- Salt and pepper or Mrs. Dash Original for more flavor.
- Fresh Spinach, add towards the end of cooking.
- Lima beans, a frozen item found in the frozen aisle of your local supermarket. You may substitute for frozen green peas or butter beans.
How to make the oxtail stew slow cooker
- Clean the oxtail and remove some of the fat.
- Place the oxtail inside the crockpot.
- Add all the ingredients, including stewed tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, chicken bouillon, Thai Curry Paste, lemon juice, and oil if using.
- Cook on high for 3 hours
- Add spinach and lima beans, and season to taste
- Continue cooking for another hour.
- Serve hot with bread, rice, or boiled plantains, potatoes, yam, or yucca.
Additional tips and notes
- Oxtail is in singular form because this recipe only required one. If you want to make, more adjust the seasoning.
- No need to add cornstarch or flour to thicken the sauce. The lima beans will thicken the sauce.
- Make sure the oxtail is fully thawed before starting
- You can use beef broth if you want. I find chicken broth to be tastier than beef broth and less salty.
- There’s no need to sear the oxtail before adding the pieces into the slow cooker.
How to serve oxtail stew
Traditionally, oxtail stew is served with rice and peas or rice and beans. White rice is a great option, and boiled root vegetables such as potato, yam, or yucca. This stew is rich, so enjoy it with your best carb dish.
Slow Cooker Beef Oxtail Stew
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pound of oxtail cleaned
- 1 14.5 oz can Stewed Tomatoes
- 1 10 oz jar roasted bell peppers roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk sliced
- 1 medium red onion sliced
- 3 garlic cloves chopped/minced
- ½ tsp dried thyme or 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves
- ½ tsp oregano
- 2 tbsp chicken bouillon seasoning
- 2-3 tbsp Thai curry paste either red curry paste or garlic curry paste
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Oil optional
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp Coconut amino
- Salt and pepper or Mrs. Dash Original to taste
- 8 oz fresh spinach
- 1 cup lima beans
Instructions
- Clean the oxtail and remove some of the fat.
- Place the oxtail inside the slow cooker or crockpot.
- Add all the stewed tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, chicken bouillon, Thai Curry Paste, lemon juice, and oil if using.
- Cook on high for 3 hours
- Add spinach and lima beans, and season to taste.
- Continue cooking for another hour.
- Serve hot with your preferred side dish
Notes
- Oxtail is in the singular form because this recipe only required one. If you want to make it, more adjust the seasoning.
- There is no need to add cornstarch or flour to thicken the sauce. The lima beans will thicken the sauce.
- Make sure the meat is fully thawed before starting
- You can use beef broth if you want. I find chicken broth to be tastier than beef broth and less salty.
- There’s no need to sear the oxtail before adding the pieces into the slow cooker.
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
