Best Oxtail Soup | Garden in the Kitchen

Rich and flavorful, this Best Oxtail Soup simmers for hours, developing a deep, savory taste. With hearty chunks of celery, carrots, and potatoes, it transforms into a magnificent satisfying meal in a bowl.

As a little girl growing up in Brazil, oxtail was one of my favorite foods. My Mom would use oxtail to make stews and soups or add it to beans for more flavor. She knew it was my favorite so whenever she wanted to treat me, the answer was always oxtails.

Oxtails have been on my home menu and for years Mom would suggest that I prepare a recipe with oxtails for the blog. I always answered – Mom who else in the world eats oxtails besides us?? Well, low and behold, one day I published this Instant Pot Oxtail Recipe and then I published this Slow Cooker Oxtail Recipe and now I am proud to say that these recipes are consistently viewed by thousands of people around the world. In fact, these two oxtail recipes are amongst the top 10 most visited recipes on my blog. Go figure!

Why cook with oxtail?

Naturally rich in gelatin, this piece of meat is perfect for slow simmering in soups and stews, adding a rich and silky flavor and texture.

Many cultures have their own version of oxtail soup. Chinese oxtail soup, for example, uses ginger, garlic and Chinese spices like star anise or peppercorns for flavor. Korean oxtail soup on the other hand is made with raw oxtail, garlic, salt, black pepper, green onions and typical Korean flavors. Jamaican oxtail soup too uses spices that are popular locally like scotch bonnet and allspice. This version is based on the recipe I used to eat growing up in Brazil.

Oxtail soup and a white and black dish towel.

Oxtail Soup Ingredients

Oxtails: Oxtails are the hero in this soup, imparting a deep savory flavor.
Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is best but any type will work.
Vegetables: Use a combination of diced onion, and chopped carrots and celery.
Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves, minced, add the best garlic flavor but if you don’t have any on hand, jarred garlic is a good substitute.
Tomato paste: Tomato paste adds both flavor and texture to the soup, helping it to thicken slightly.
All-purpose flour: All purpose flour also helps to thicken up the soup. If you want, you can use a gluten free flour.
Red wine: Red wine adds a fruitiness and depth of flavor to the soup. You can substitute with an alcohol-free wine or use more broth for an alcohol-free soup.
Herbs: Add a bundle of fresh thyme leaves and bay leaves to the simmering pot for even more flavor.
Beef broth: Use a low sodium beef broth to simmer the meat and vegetables in.
Water
Potatoes: Add cubed white potatoes for more taste and texture. Any kind of potato will work well, peeled.
Salt and pepper: Add salt and pepper to taste.

Raw oxtail in a pot with a white and black dish towel.

Seared oxtail in a pot with white and black dish towel.

How To Make Oxtail Soup

Step 1: Season the oxtails with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 2: To sear the oxtails, heat a cast iron pot with the oil. Add the oxtails, making sure to brown them evenly on all sides until they develop a rich, golden crust as shown in the photo above. Once seared, transfer the oxtails to a plate and set aside.

Chopped onion, diced carrots and celery, fresh thyme in a white bowl with a white and black dish towel.

Step 3: Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the heated pot and sauté until they have softened. Once softened, add the tomato paste.

Step 4: Stir in the flour using a wooden spatula, making sure the flour is well incorporated into the veggies.

Step 5: Add the wine, a bundle of fresh thyme, and the bay leaves.

Sauteed veggies in a pot with tomato paste added. White and black dish towel.

Sauteed veggies in a pot with flour and a white and black dish towel.

Step 6: Pour in the broth and then fill the broth container with water and add it to the pot. Not to worry if it looks like a lot of water as it will evaporate by the end of cooking. Place the oxtails back into the pot, stir well and place the lid over so it covers 90% of the opening. Cook on medium heat for about an hour.

Step 7: After an hour add in the potatoes, stir well and cook for an additional 1 and 1/2 hours.

Step 8: Once the soup has finished simmering, place the oxtails on a cutting board and remove all the meat from the bones, separate the fat from the meat, and give the meat a shred using two forks. Discard the bones and fat.

Cooked oxtail in a white bowl, fresh thyme and a white and black dish towel.

Step 9: If you like a thick soup, use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the veggies in the pot. This is optional but I like my oxtail soup thick so I always blend about 1/3 of my veggies.

Step 10: Return the shredded oxtail meat to the pot, top with fresh thyme and serve.

Note: Total cooking time should be around 2 1/2 hours but can be as long as 3 hours. Your oxtail soup is done if the meat is tender and falling off the bone, also if the broth has reduced enough. If you want more broth, add more water.

Oxtail soup on a spoon, a pot of oxtail soup, fresh thyme and a white and black dish towel.

Silvia’s Recipe Tips

Don’t skip the searing: This helps create a depth of flavor in the soup.

Fresh thyme creates the best taste: Nothing beats the herbaceous flavor of fresh herbs. If you can’t get your hands on fresh thyme you can use a tablespoon of dried thyme.

Don’t rush the cook time: The slow simmering allows the flavors to develop and deepen.

Remove the bay leaves: Make sure to take the bay leaves out of the pot before serving the soup.

Remove excess fat: Oxtails are full of gelatin which gives the soup flavor and texture. However, when you refrigerate the soup overnight the fat hardens so you may find a layer of fat on top of the soup the next day. It will melt when you reheat it but you can remove it with a spoon if you like.

Best oxtail soup in a pot, white and black dish towel, fresh thyme.

Storage and Make Ahead

Storage

Store uneaten soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat over the store or in the microwave.

Make Ahead

This soup is perfect to make during meal prep, get it going on the stove while you work on the rest of your list and then it will be ready for a quick and easy meal whenever you want it.

Looking for more hearty recipes?

Season oxtails with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat oil in a large cast iron pot, then add the oxtails searing the meat on all sides. You may need to work in batches. Oxtails should have a golden sear to it as seen in this photo (about 20 minutes). Transfer oxtails to a plate.
To the heated pot add in onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté until veggies have softened (about 8 minutes). Once the veggies have cooked down, add the tomato paste.
Next stir in flour. Use a wooden spatula to stir making sure the flour is well incorporated into the veggies. Veggies will look like a dry lump at this point. This is a quick moving step (about 1 minute).
Stir in the wine, add a bundle of thyme fresh or home dried, or 1 tbsp of store bought dry thyme, and bay leaves.
Add the broth, then fill the broth container with an additional 32oz of water. Be aware that most of this liquid will evaporate and reduce by the end of cooking. Transfer the oxtails back into the pot. Stir well. Cover about 90% of the pot and cook on medium heat for about an hour.
After an hour of cooking, add in the potatoes. Stir well. Cook for an additional 1 and 1/2 hours. Total cooking time should be around 2 1/2 hours but it can go up to 3 hours. Decide whether your oxtail soup is done if the meat is tender and falling off the bone, also if the broth has reduced enough. If you want more broth add more water.
When done, transfer the oxtails from the pot to a cutting board or baking dish. Remove all the meat from the bones. Separate the fat from the lean meat, then give the lean meat a quick shred using two forks. Discard the bones and fat.
Use an immersion blender to blend some of the veggies to thicken the soup. This is optional but I like my oxtail soup a bit thickened so I always blend about 1/3 of my veggies.
Transfer the shredded oxtail meat back in the pot. Top with fresh thyme and serve.

Note: oxtails are full of collagen which means you will likely notice some gelatin consistency in the soup the next day, after some refrigeration.
Add broth/ water as needed to re-heat leftovers