Cuban-Style Oxtail Stew Recipe with Olives and Sofrito

Cuban-style oxtail stew is a slow-braised beef dish built on sofrito, tomatoes, warm spices, and a rich, savory sauce. This version adds olives and capers for a briny finish, then serves the tender meat with potatoes or rice; Cuban households and regional recipes vary, so it is one delicious approach rather than a single definitive formula.

Ingredients

3½ lb (1.6 kg) bone-in oxtail pieces, trimmed of excess surface fat
2 tsp (12 g) kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
1 tsp (2 g) freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral cooking oil, such as canola or avocado oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped, about 1½ cups (225 g)
1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped, about 1½ cups (180 g)
6 garlic cloves, minced, about 2 tbsp (18 g)
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
½ tsp (1 g) sweet paprika
1 cup (240 ml) dry red wine
1 can crushed tomatoes, 14½ oz (410 g)
3 cups (720 ml) low-sodium beef broth, plus up to ½ cup (120 ml) more if needed
2 bay leaves
2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces, about 1½ cups (180 g)
1 lb (450 g) waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks
½ cup (75 g) pitted green olives, whole or halved
1 tbsp (9 g) capers, drained, optional
1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar
2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the oxtail and vegetables. Pat the oxtail dry with paper towels; dry meat browns more effectively than damp meat. Trim away any thick, hard caps of exterior fat, but leave a little fat for flavor and moisture. Season all sides with 1½ teaspoons of the salt and the black pepper. Chop the onion, bell pepper, garlic, carrots, and potatoes before you start cooking so the long braise can proceed without a scramble.
Brown the oxtail. Heat the oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the oxtail in a single layer without crowding; work in batches if necessary. Brown the pieces on several sides, turning them as needed, for about 15 minutes total. Transfer them to a plate. Browning builds flavor, but it does not cook the meat through, so avoid judging doneness at this stage.
Make the sofrito base. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and green pepper to the pot and cook for 8 minutes, stirring and scraping up browned bits. If the pot looks dry, add a tablespoon of broth rather than more oil. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, oregano, paprika, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt; cook for 1 minute, until fragrant and the paste darkens slightly.
Deglaze and assemble the braise. Pour in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen the browned fond. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and bay leaves, then return the oxtail and any plate juices to the pot. The liquid should come roughly halfway to two-thirds up the meat; it does not need to cover every piece. Bring it just to a gentle simmer.
Braise until the meat is nearly tender. Cover the pot, lower the heat to maintain a quiet simmer, and cook for 2 hours 40 minutes. Check every 45 minutes: turn the pieces and make sure the liquid is barely bubbling, not boiling hard. If the pot is becoming dry, add a little of the extra broth or water. At the end of this stage, the meat should be softening but may not yet pull easily from the bone.
Add the vegetables and finish cooking. Stir in the carrots and potatoes, cover again, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced and the meat is very tender. Check the thickest meaty part with a food thermometer, keeping the probe away from the bone. USDA FSIS gives 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of beef; continue braising beyond that minimum until the oxtail is fork-tender, which usually takes longer.
Add the briny finish and rest. Stir in the olives, capers if using, and red wine vinegar. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes so the sauce can pick up their flavor. Remove the bay leaves, taste the sauce, and adjust salt or pepper if needed. Turn off the heat and let the stew rest in the pot for 10 minutes before serving; the sauce settles and the meat is easier to portion.

Tips

Choose pieces with a mix of meat and bone. Oxtail naturally contains connective tissue that softens during a long braise and gives the sauce body. Ask a butcher to cut very large pieces into manageable sections, and avoid pieces that are mostly exposed bone.
Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil can make the meat tighten and break apart unevenly. If the surface is bubbling vigorously, lower the burner; on a stove that runs hot, move the covered pot to a low oven set to 300°F (150°C).
Adapt the wine if needed. Dry red wine adds depth, but you can replace it with an equal amount of beef broth and add an extra teaspoon of red wine vinegar at the end. The sauce will be less wine-forward and a little less layered, but still savory.
Skim excess fat before serving. Oxtail can release quite a bit of fat. Spoon it off the surface with a shallow spoon, or chill the stew and lift off the firm fat the next day. Leave some behind for a silky sauce rather than stripping it completely.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the stew hot in wide bowls with plenty of sauce and a piece of oxtail in each portion. White rice is a classic, practical accompaniment because it catches the tomato-and-sofrito gravy; black beans, boiled yuca, or crusty bread also work well. If you serve it with rice, make the rice while the stew rests rather than letting the oxtail cool in the pot. Finish each bowl with cilantro and, if desired, a small squeeze of lime for brightness. A simple green salad or sliced avocado balances the rich sauce without competing with its spices.

Variations

Use a pressure cooker: Follow the browning and sofrito steps using the cooker’s sauté setting, then add the wine, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, and oxtail. Pressure-cook according to the appliance’s instructions for bone-in beef pieces, then release pressure safely and add the vegetables for a second, shorter pressure-cooking stage so they do not disintegrate. Exact timing depends on the cooker and the size of the pieces; check tenderness and continue cooking if needed.

Make the stew more or less briny: Green olives and capers give the sauce a salty, tangy edge. Leave out the capers for a gentler finish, or replace the green olives with pimiento-stuffed olives. Taste before adding extra salt, since both olives and capers can be quite salty.

Try a different potato or pepper: Waxy potatoes hold their shape best, but peeled russet potatoes can be used if you do not mind a softer, thicker sauce. A red bell pepper may replace the green one; it makes the sofrito slightly sweeter and less grassy. For heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the dried spices, though this is optional rather than essential to the stew.

Skip the potatoes in the pot: Some cooks prefer to keep the braise focused on meat and sauce, serving potatoes or another starch separately. If you leave the potatoes out, the stew will have more sauce; taste and reduce it uncovered for a few extra minutes if you want it thicker.

Storage and Reheating

Let the stew cool briefly, then refrigerate it in shallow, covered containers within 2 hours of cooking. It keeps for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. The flavor often deepens by the next day, and chilling makes it easy to remove excess solidified fat from the surface before reheating. Keep the meat and sauce together so the oxtail does not dry out.

For longer storage, freeze portions in airtight freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months for best quality. Leave a little headspace because the sauce expands as it freezes, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator when possible. Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring the sauce occasionally and adding a splash of broth or water if it has thickened. You can also reheat a portion in the microwave, stirring halfway through. USDA FSIS recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F (74°C); check the center with a food thermometer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my oxtail still tough after braising?
It probably needs more time, not a higher temperature. Oxtail becomes tender as its connective tissue softens, and the timing varies with the size of the pieces, the pot, and how steadily the liquid simmers. Keep the pot covered and cook in 20-minute increments until a fork slips into the meat easily. Add a little broth if the sauce is getting too low.

Do I have to brown the oxtail first?
Browning is strongly recommended because it creates savory browned bits that become part of the sauce. If the pieces are crowded, they will steam instead of sear, so brown them in batches. You can skip this step when short on time, but expect a less developed, less roasted flavor in the finished stew.

Can I make Cuban-style oxtail stew a day ahead?
Yes. Cool and refrigerate it promptly, then reheat it the next day to 165°F (74°C). The sauce may look firm or gelatinous when cold; that is normal for a braise and it loosens as it warms. Skim the chilled fat if you like, and add a small splash of broth if the reheated sauce is thicker than you want.

What can I use instead of oxtail?
Beef short ribs or bone-in beef shank can work in a similar slow braise, although their shape, fat, and cooking time differ. Use pieces of similar size and cook until fork-tender rather than relying only on the clock. The flavor will remain savory, but it will not have precisely the same rich, gelatinous texture as oxtail.

Is this the same as rabo encendido?
Rabo encendido is a name used for Cuban-style oxtail stew, and recipes vary from cook to cook. Some versions lean more heavily on tomato, wine, or heat, while others include olives, capers, or different vegetables. This recipe uses familiar sofrito flavors and a slow braise, but it is not meant to represent every Cuban household’s version.

Can I leave out olives and capers?
Yes. The stew will still have its sofrito, tomato, and beef flavors, but it will taste less salty and tangy. Omit both, then taste the sauce at the end; a little extra vinegar can add brightness, but add it gradually so the tomato flavor stays balanced.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).