Easy Instant Pot Oxtail Recipe

This Instant Pot Oxtail is a simple dish to make in the Instant Pot and it turns out so flavorful with fall-off-the-bone tender meat and a lovely sauce.

Oxtail is one of those meats that takes a long time to break down, and for that reason it’s always been an all-day affair when cooking in the oven or on the stove top. But you can make it in a fraction of the time in the Instant Pot.

If you like oxtail, I think this is definitely the best way to cook it. The pressure allows this tough meat to fully tenderize and the collagen breaks down, giving it a rich and luxurious mouth feel.

Give this recipe a try and you’ll see what I mean. In just 45 minutes, you’ll have a main dish that speaks for itself in flavor.

Why You’ll Love It

• Easy Cooking: Instant Pot oxtail is simple to prepare. Once you’ve seasoned the oxtail and added your ingredients, just set the Instant Pot and let it do the cooking. It’s a no-fuss way to enjoy this flavorful dish.
• Tender Meat: Cooking oxtail in the Instant Pot results in tender and juicy meat. The pressure cooking method helps break down the tough fibers, giving you tender and flavorful oxtail with minimal effort.
• Quick Preparation: With the Instant Pot, you can have delicious oxtail ready to serve in a fraction of the time it takes with traditional methods. It’s perfect for those days when you want a hearty meal without spending hours in the kitchen.

>>You might also want to check out our Instant Pot Brisket Recipe.

What is Oxtail?

The most important part of this dish is the oxtail. If you’ve never cooked oxtail before, you might be wondering what it is and why choose it over a different cut of beef.

Oxtail is what we call the tail of the cow. The tail is cut into sections between the tailbones and each piece has meat and marrow surrounding the bone.

Due to the marrow, the meat is gelatinous when cooked, and that makes it particularly tender and melt-in-your-mouth good. Oxtail is often used to make bone broth because it’s so full of healthy collagen. The meat is used in soups and stews, and also braised to eat on its own.

It’s a type of meat that is full of flavor but also considered tough due to its structure. Here’s why:

1. High Collagen Content: Oxtail contains a significant amount of collagen due to the amount of connective tissue in this part of the cow. When collagen is cooked quickly at high temperatures, it can cause the meat to seize up and become tough. However, when cooked slowly over a long period, the collagen breaks down into gelatin, which gives the meat a silky texture and the dish a rich, unctuous quality.
2. Muscular and Bony Structure: The tail of a cow is a very active muscle that provides support and movement, which contributes to its toughness. Moreover, it’s a bony cut, with sections of meat interspersed with segments of bone and marrow.

Because of these characteristics, oxtail is best suited for slow cooking methods, like braising, stewing, or slow roasting, where the heat is low and the cooking time is long.

This allows for the breakdown of the tough collagen and results in tender, flavorful meat. The bone marrow also contributes to the flavor and richness of the dish. Instant Pots are great for cooking oxtail, as they significantly reduce the cooking time while still delivering the tender results of slow cooking.

Ingredients You Need

• Olive oil – This is for sautéing the oxtail. Feel free to use any type of cooking oil you prefer.
• Oxtail – You can buy small or large pieces of oxtail. It’s great if they’re all about the same size.
• Aromatics – Onion, celery, carrot, garlic
• Beef stock – Use a high quality beef stock for the best flavor. If you don’t want to use red wine, just use more stock.
• Dry red wine – You don’t need an expensive bottle for this, just something dry and cheap, like a Trader Joe’s 2-buck Chuck – a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Malbec will do.
• Tomato paste
• Seasonings: salt, ground black pepper, dried thyme, dried rosemary

Helpful Tips

Cooking oxtail in an Instant Pot can be a real game changer. This method drastically reduces the cooking time while still producing tender, falling-off-the-bone results. Here are some expert tips to get the most out of your Instant Pot oxtail:

1. Searing is Key: Before pressure cooking, always take the time to sear the oxtail pieces using the “Sauté” function on your Instant Pot. This browning process, known as the Maillard reaction, enhances the flavor of the meat and adds depth to the final dish.
2. Season Generously: Due to its dense nature, oxtail can handle (and requires) a good amount of seasoning. Don’t be shy with salt and spices. Additionally, consider marinating the oxtail in advance for extra flavor.
3. Add Liquid: You’ll need liquid for pressure cooking, and it’s an opportunity to infuse more flavor. Beef broth, red wine, or even a dark stout beer can add delicious complexity to the dish.
4. Natural Release: After the cooking cycle, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally. This lets the oxtail continue to cook and tenderize in the remaining heat and steam. It also allows the flavors to meld together even more.
5. Skim the Fat: Oxtail can be quite fatty. After cooking, consider chilling the dish in the fridge. The fat will rise to the top and solidify, making it easy to remove.
6. Cook in Advance: Oxtail dishes often taste better the next day, once the flavors have had time to meld together. If you have the time, consider making your oxtail a day in advance of when you plan to serve it.

Using these tips, you can create a mouthwatering, tender, and flavorful oxtail dish using your Instant Pot. Enjoy the process, and most importantly, the results!

How to Make Instant Pot Oxtail Ragu

The Instant Pot cooks the oxtail in a fraction of the time you normally need to break down the meat. It leads to an incredibly tender meat and intensely flavorful sauce.

Step 1: Season the oxtail

Wash and pat dry the oxtail pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Sauté

Add olive oil to the Instant Pot and turn on sauté mode. Remember that you have to work fast when the Instant Pot is on Sauté mode because it can quickly get too hot and burn the food.

When hot, add the oxtail and brown on all sides. It’ll take about 3-5 minutes. Remove the oxtail from the pot.

Add the onion, celery, and carrot. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Turn off sauté mode. If the pot is getting too hot and burning on the bottom, you can turn it down to low.

Step 3: Pressure cook

Pour in the beef stock and red wine and whisk to remove the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the tomato paste, thyme, and rosemary. Stir well. Add back in the oxtail.

Lock the Instant Pot lid and set the vent to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 45 minutes. When finished, allow a natural release of pressure (about 15 minutes).

Step 4: Make the sauce

Remove the oxtail from the Instant Pot. Remove any excess fat or grease from the cooking liquid. It’s usually easy to do this by just scooping it off the top with a spoon.

If the sauce is not thick enough, turn on sauté mode again and cook down until thickened to your liking.

Serve the oxtail with the sauce poured over. I like to serve it with mashed potatoes or rice on the side.

Questions About the Recipe

Side Dishes To Serve With It

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