Instant Pot Oxtail

We have cooked these a variety of ways but this is by far the fastest. Instant Pot oxtails take a fraction of the time to reach fork tender status, then you can enjoy however you’d like. One of many Instant Pot recipes you can enjoy and share with friends.

You may have had these at a restaurant and thought they would be way to hard to make at home, not true. We started this journey with slow cooker oxtail and they were so great and versatile we just kept going from there……but this is much much faster!!

I will say it over and over again, it doesn’t matter what brand of pressure cooker you have. As long as it is an electric version with the saute and high pressure this will work just great. I have them all, a Mealthy, Crockpot Express, IP and Ninja Foodi. Only plus to the last is you can crisp at the end.

No matter which method you decide to use you have to add herbs and seasonings to the outside, otherwise it is a strong beef flavor. Not that that is bad but typically you’re going to want to offset it with at least some salt and pepper.

Ingredient Notes

You can cook about 4 – 6 oxtails frozen or defrosted, timing doesn’t really change at a time in this machine with the 6 quart size.

Some extra virgin Olive oil will allow you to saute and sear the outsides in the first step which will lock in the juices and make the meat as tender as possible.

Oxtail seasonings are important to add flavor to this dish, we use; Salt and pepper of course as the basics Garlic powder and dried thyme and some 1/4 tsp dry sriracha is optional for heat

Use Beef broth or just use water for the liquid but like I said, the more flavor the better.

Jamaican Seasonings

If you wanted the classic Jamaican flavorings that have a bolder spicy flavor to them you can buy a bottle of seasonings like this at the store. Alternatively you can mix your own jerk seasoning mix here.

This is definitely the best (and fastest) way to cook them. You can cook oxtail on the stove which we have done before but you can’t just set it and forget it like this one. It does get quite tender that way but takes quite a bit of time. Oxtail in the oven takes a bit less attention using a Dutch oven.

How Long to Cook Oxtail in Instant Pot (on High)

45 minutes is it!! If this is your first time working with beef tails at all I would highly suggest you pressure cook them. They aren’t only great in a broth either when they’re done. You can put on a plate with a bit of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce. Serve with small forks (like with crab) so every bit and piece can be picked out.

If you want to make Instant Pot oxtail soup just remove the trivet, drain liquid, add ingredients for the rest of the dish and cook for a few more min.

Doesn’t matter what brand you use to make this, the timing is the same when you use the high pressure function. 4-6 is typically all you’ll be able to fit in one single layer. If you overlap them I would say you’d want to increase that cook time. You want the meat to pull away from the bone so you can pull it off.

Frozen Oxtails in Instant Pot

Surprisingly there isn’t really any difference whether they are straight out of the freezer or fresh or defrosted other than you won’t be able to sear or brown them and would skip the deglaze step entirely.

Same goes if you are slow cooking them, in IP or on the stove with oxtails and rice. Either way they have enough time to steam that they will thaw quickly and then just begin to cook to tender.

No matter what method you choose you should try to get each piece to be of similar sizes. Especially with smoked oxtails they will then be able to cook at the same rate and not have one undercooked while others are a bit over.

You didn’t cook them long enough. Whether you are cooking them in the oven, on the stove or pressure cooked the longer they cook the more tender the beef will become. If the meat doesn’t pull away from the bone easily with a fork, give them more time until it does.

If you were to serve these as is on a plate to enjoy the fork tender proteins inside I think a bed of Ninja Foodi rice is always a winner with everyone. Takes about 20 minutes so you can time it near the end if you have both machines to use.

Added into some Instant Pot bone broth with vegetables and a bay leaves to simmer until radishes and green onions are tender is a light meal to try. Used inside stew as the protein works great. You can add the whole thing after you follow these instructions or just the meat.

How do You Reheat Oxtails?

You’ll want a bit of steam again ideally. You can use this same machine but keep the lid off. Just add some broth or water into the pot with the same trivet inside. Set on top and set pot to saute. Allow the hot steam to surround the pcs. and warm up to your liking. The meat will pull off easier this way.

How Long do Cooked Oxtails Last in the Fridge?

You can save what hasn’t been eaten and they reheat quite nicely. Make sure they cool to room temperature and then transfer into freezer bags or tightly wrapped in foil. Keep in fridge for up to 5 days, ideally you would heat within 48 hours of initially cooking them.