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Southern Smothered Oxtails

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Southern, soul food style smothered oxtails. Smothered in a homemade onion and garlic gravy, and slow cooked in the Crock Pot until they are falling off the bone tender!

There’s something about southern oxtails and gravy that just comforts my soul. No seriously! If I’m not feeling well, or If I had a bad day just the simple thought of oxtails and rice makes me feel better. My mom used to make oxtails all the time. Especially for Sunday’s supper. She’d serve the oxtails with her infamous southern style potato salad, mixed greens, and corn muffins. We’d tear up dinner like there was no tomorrow! The only thing that would be left on our plate would be the bones, and not string of meat! It was the best! It was, and still is one of my soul food dishes.

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Over the years I’ve made smothered oxtails plenty of ways, but I finally found a recipe that I’m going to stick with. No more revising, no more adding ingredients, nor steps. I have finally have a to go to recipe for oxtails. This is definitely my favorite southern smothered oxtail recipe.

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This recipe is super simple. Unlike a lot of other soul food style oxtails, I don’t use a ton of ingredients. Also, I use very basic ingredients such as garlic, kosher salt, and onions to season up the oxtails & gravy. To make everything super easy, I use my slow cooker. This prevents me from standing in the kitchen all day. Everything about this recipe is golden!

Learn how to cook oxtails soul food style!

4.96 from 22 votes
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Southern Smothered Oxtails

These Southern Smothered Oxtails are easy to make and a great crockpot dish for a cold night. 

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings 4
Author I Heart Recipes

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds beef oxtails
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly cracked or ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 cups beef broth OR water
  • 1 large yellow onion sliced
  • 3 cloves of fresh garlic minced
  • * more salt & pepper for taste

Instructions

  1. Season the oxtails with 2 tsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp black pepper.
  2. Drizzle the worcestershire sauce all over the oxtails, then toss the oxtails to make sure that they are coated.
  3. Next, sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour all over the oxtails, and make sure that the oxtails are coated with the flour.
  4. Next pour the vegetable oil into a large pan, and place the pan over medium heat.
  5. Once the oil is nice and hot, add the oxtails in, and brown them.
  6. Once the oxtails are nice and brown remove them from the pan, and put them in the slow cooker.
  7. Return back to the pan with the hot oil.
  8. If they are burnt pieces in the pan, pour out the oil, strain, clean the pan, then pour the strained oil back into the pan.
  9. Start adding the remaining flour into the pan, but only a little bit at a time.
  10. Whisk continuously.
  11. Once the flour is brown, and resembles " chunky peanut butter", slowly pour in the beef broth or water.
  12. Whisk while you pour!
  13. Make sure everything is lump free, then turn the heat from medium to high.
  14. Once the gravy reaches a full boil, reduce the heat to medium, and add in the sliced onions, and garlic.
  15. Stir the gravy, and do a taste test.
  16. Add as much salt & pepper that you think you may need.
  17. Turn the heat off, and pour the gravy into the slow cooker covering the oxtails.
  18. Make sure that the oxtails are nicely covered with gravy, then set the slow cooker on high.
  19. Let cook for 8 hours.
  20. Once done serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or whatever you'd like.
  21. Enjoy!

 

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Comments

  1. This recipe looks so good and easy to make. I’m not sure my family would go for the oxtails….I would. Pinned. Will make this later on and see how the family takes to them. Thanks for a good crockpot dish.

    Reply

  2. Wow, that looks so good Rosie. Looks like a recipe i will try this weekend. We love oxtails and this appears to be really easy. Thanks Rosie!

    Reply

  3. My father has been asking for oxtails and I want to give this recipe a try. Most slow cookers say to cook for 8 hours on low, is it o.k. too cook the oxtails on high for 8 hours (as you can see, I am new to cooking :).

    Reply

  4. I made these for Sunday dinner. Definitely a favorite and oh so delicious and tender! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  6. OMG I made these yesterday..my hubby called me from work to say he LOVED the gravy..it was my first time making them..my gravy on the stove was thick do I had to use more than 3 cups of water..did I do something wrong? I added more and it was perfect!! So easy and delicious! So glad I found it..thanks!

    Reply

  13. I’m trying for the first time no slow cooker I used dutch pot instead and put in oven hopefully it comes out

    Reply

  14. Amazing!!!! I just finished this recipe waited the allotted time followed the recipe step by step . 8 hours felt like 8 years the aroma had me up all night! Would not change a thing but I have to double the portion folk came from miles around…lol…BEST EVER thank u

    Reply

  15. I have a Dutch oven and only about two pounds of ox tail. How long and at what temperature do you suggest I cook this?

    Reply

  17. Miss Rosie, its a bout to go DOWN!.. i just divorced my second husband of 10 years and I wasn’t able to use my skills in the kitchen because “soul food” was a bit much and too flavorful for him.. he was the canned food type of guy.. I love getting in the kitchen and using some rich flavors.. I had these at a restaurant in Killeen texas last year and i fell in love with them.. now my fiancé loves soul food and grew up on it.. I am about to make oxtails for the first time.. I love that your ingredients are few and simple.. it is the PROCESS i find that makes food so good and rich.. Thank you for sharing and love your jokes.. No DOUBLE DIPPING! hahahaha.. Much love from Oklahoma

    Reply

  18. Thank you, thank you, and thank you, Rosie. This recipe looks so good…I’m trying it this weekend, even if my wife don’t eat oxtails. I love them.
    So thanks a bunch!

    Reply

  19. Mine are in the crockpot right now. I’ve never cooked oxtails before…nervous but excited at the same time! If they turn out tasting as good as yours look then my boyfriend is gonna act a fool! I’ll keep you posted. Off to your crab pot macaroni recipe now!

    Reply

  22. OMG Rosie! I made this for dinner tonight along with your baked candied yams. Both were beyond delicious – definitely the best food I have made in a while! Thank you for both recipes! Can’t wait to try more of your dishes!

    Reply

  24. OMG. MY OXTAILS WETE SOOOO GOOD. MY BOYFRIEND MOM WANTED THE RECEIPE. ( DIDNt GIVE)HE SAID IT WAD BETTER THAN HERS. IM NOT A COOK. BUT ROSIE YOU ARE TURNING ME ITO ONE. I MADE YOUR MAC AND CHEES AND CALOO. MAJOR HIT. SHOULD HAVE DOUBLED THE RECEIPE. THEY CAN EAT SUCKING THE BONES AND EVERYTHING LOL. I BARLEY GOT ANY MYSELF.

    How about lamb chops

    Reply

  25. I have made oxtails using your reciepe twice and the oxtails themselves came out perfect, the flavor is there and on both occasions the oxtails were tender but for some reason about half way through the cooking process I realize my gravy is no longer thick and it just looks really oily. The second time around I did change the gravy and use less oil but I still had the same result, what am I doing wrong?????

    Reply

  26. My boyfriend raises our beef. He has talked about oxtail for the 7 years we’ve. Been together. Can’t. Wait to surprise him with this for supper. I have it in our pressure cooked. Already smells great!!

    Reply

  27. This will be my 1st time cooking oxtails and I figure I can’t go wrong in a slow Cooker lol.
    I’m making it for Easter dinner.

    Reply

  28. Oxtails have been in since 1045! Only 2 more hours! I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for a while now!

    Reply

  29. Hello Rosie,

    I am so happy that I found this site. I have an aunt that makes the best oxtails I have ever had she does this and I come running, I swear I can smell them all the way in Boston and she lives in Florida. She hasn’t sent me the recipe well today I found you and your recipe is the only one I have found that even comes close to her recipe. My entire family was pretty shocked that I came so close to her recipe I only missed on significant flavor other than that it is almost exactly the same. I am so so happy. I LOVE THIS RECIPE. Thank you so much for doing this blog. I will become an avid follower.

    Reply

  30. I have been dying to try Ox Tails! Thank you Rosie for such an easy recipe and so mouth watering. I will be trying them within the next week and if I remember, I will post to you how they turned out. Again thanks 🙂

    Reply

      • Hi Rosie! I made these this weekend and they are to die for. I didn’t tell anyone what they were until all the compliments started then I let them know. Guess what………..requests to have this dinner more often. Again thanks for such a great easy recipe!

        Reply

  31. Hi Rosie!
    I’ve made your recipe twice now. The first time they were absolutely amazing.However the second time, the gravy was still comparable to peanut butter. It ended up tasting like flour.
    Now on my third attempt, I feel defeated, because the gravy is still too think, literally resembling play-doh.
    What should I do to fix it? I’ve already browned 5 lbs of oxtails.
    Thanks

    Reply

    • It sounds like you did something different hun. I’m trying t understand why it would come out right the first time, but not the second and third .

      Reply

  32. My first time making oxtails, i am using your recipe, they are in the crockpot right now, my fingers are crossed, yours look SPECTACULAR!!! Wish me luck!

    Reply

  34. Hi Rosie, I’m cooking this now according to your instruction. I added Jamaican allspice with a bit a thyme also and a bit of curry powder. From the taste of the gravy, it’s going to be delicious i know! I will report back with my results. Thanks!

    Reply

  37. Hi Rosie, I want to make this dish using 1 lb of oxtail. Should I use the same measurements as listed? I’ve been following you for about 2 months now and every dish I’ve prepared to scrumptious! Thank you so much. 🙂

    Reply

  38. Hello! Im excited to try your recipe. However i noticed in your video that after the salt and peper it looks like you added a dried herb, basil perhaps? I didnt see it in the recipe ingredient list, can you tell me what that was and how much of it you put in? Thank you!

    Reply

  39. Thank you so much! Parsley was my second guess!
    I made Thai tonight and I got turned out great. I know you are officially done tweeking this recipe but I wanted to let to you know I added some creole seasoning to the gravy for a little kick and it was tasty!!
    We had quite a bit of gravy left over so I tossed in the the freezer to use on some mashed potatoes in another meal. Thanks again! Thai recipe Is a keeper 🙂

    Reply

  40. Rosie this was the best oxtails I have ever had thank you so much for the recipe I wanted to make something special for my mom because she works really hard and I cooked them and she loved them ❤️

    Reply

  41. Hi Rosie. I LOVE oxtails, but had never learned to cook them. I searched for a recipe and found your recipe. It looked delicious and sounded simple enough. I went for it this morning before church. And baby when I tell you that Sunday dinner was EVERYTHING!! They are tall off the bone, melt in your mouth good. Thank you. I am now subscribed to your blog. I this is a 5 star recipe. It won’t let me give it a 5.

    Reply

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