Instant Pot Spicy Oxtail Stew
Tender, fall-off-the-bone oxtails swim in a rich and vibrant tomato-based broth, kicked up a notch with a touch of heat. The Instant Pot makes achieving this deeply satisfying dish surprisingly easy, transforming tough oxtails into melt-in-your-mouth goodness in a fraction of the time. Get ready to impress your taste buds (and maybe your dinner guests!) with this unbelievably flavorful and easy-to-make spicy oxtail stew.
Ready to dive in? Let's get cooking!
Ingredients
as written
- 4 lbs oxtail
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 habanero or scotch bonnet peppers
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 (2 inch) piece of fresh ginger
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups broth or hot water
Spices
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 6 bay leaves
Equipment
- Instant Pot (I use an 8 qt size)
Method
- 01
Turn on your instant pot to the sauté setting. Add the oil in and heat up for about 2 minutes. Then include the oxtail pieces to be browned. Flip the oxtail after a minute or two to ensure all sides are browned. The entire browning should take about 10 minutes.
- 02
While the oxtail is being browned, you can chop the onions, garlic, ginger and habanero/scotch bonnet peppers by hand or in a food processor. After chopping, add them into the instant pot.
- 03
Finally, add in all the spices, tomato paste and the hot water or broth.
- 04
Stir all together then set the instant pot to pressure cook on high pressure for 1 hour. Allow the pressure to be fully released before opening.
- 05
Taste the stew and add more salt if you desire. Serve the oxtail stew with some white rice, plantains or any side of your choice. Enjoy!
- No instant pot? No problem. Follow this recipe on a stove top but slow cook it for 3-4 hours on medium-low heat
- After the dish is ready but I'm not ready to serve it, I like to transfer the stew to an oven safe dish and leave it in the oven at 250F to further tenderize the meat and leave the edges a bit crispy.