Traditional Jamaican Oxtail & Beans

Jamaican-style oxtail and beans is a hearty and flavorful dish that showcases the island’s culinary prowess. Tender oxtail pieces are braised until succulent and rich, then combined with tender beans, often kidney beans, to create a wholesome and satisfying meal. The dish is seasoned with a vibrant medley of Jamaican spices, including thyme, scallions, Scotch bonnet peppers, and allspice, imparting a depth of flavor that embodies the essence of Caribbean cuisine. The combination of tender meat, creamy beans, and the aromatic spice blend creates a comforting and distinctly Jamaican culinary experience that’s enjoyed with rice or other accompaniments, capturing the heart and soul of the island’s food culture.

- Advertisement -

Oxtail and Beans is among the Jamaica’s most noteworthy, enjoyable and delicious dishes. With the large Jamaican population now residing in the US, the dish has quickly grown in popularity among all who love delicious Caribbean fare. Here is a simple way to prepare the much-loved meal.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces dried lima beans
  • 4 pounds oxtails
  • 2 large Vidalia onions, chopped
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
  • 4 teaspoons hot paprika
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce
  • 4 tablespoons gravy master
  • 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 4 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • White rice, recipe follows
  • 2 cups rice

Directions

In a large bowl, cover lima beans with water, cover with a towel and soak overnight.

In a large pot, add oxtails, onions, scallions, garlic, thyme, red pepper, paprika, bay leaf, hot sauce, and gravy master and marinate at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally.

Add enough water to just cover the oxtails and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover and cook 2 hours. Every 30 minutes for 2 hours add 2 cups of water or broth, alternating, as necessary, to keep oxtails covered with liquid.

At 2 hours, add the beans, tomato paste, and 2 more cups of beef broth and water, if needed. Bring to a boil then simmer uncovered 2 hours, skimming fat off top and stirring occasionally. In the last 1/2 hour of cook time, season with 2 tablespoons salt. Serve with rice.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Oxtail & Beans Jamaican Style

Jamaican-style oxtail and beans is a hearty and flavorful dish that showcases the island's culinary prowess. Tender oxtail pieces are braised until succulent and rich, then combined with tender beans, often kidney beans, to create a wholesome and satisfying meal. The dish is seasoned with a vibrant medley of Jamaican spices, including thyme, scallions, Scotch bonnet peppers, and allspice, imparting a depth of flavor that embodies the essence of Caribbean cuisine. The combination of tender meat, creamy beans, and the aromatic spice blend creates a comforting and distinctly Jamaican culinary experience that's enjoyed with rice or other accompaniments, capturing the heart and soul of the island's food culture.

  • 12 ounces dried butter beans
  • 4 pounds oxtails
  • 2 large Vidalia onions (chopped)
  • 3 scallions (chopped)
  • 4 garlic cloves (smashed)
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
  • 4 teaspoons hot paprika
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce
  • 4 tablespoons gravy master
  • 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 4 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  1. In a large bowl, cover butter beans with water, cover with a towel and soak overnight.

    - Advertisement -
    Uber Free Rides 728x90
  2. In a large pot, add oxtails, onions, scallions, garlic, thyme, red pepper, paprika, bay leaf, hot sauce, and gravy master and marinate at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add enough water to just cover the oxtails and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover and cook 2 hours. Every 30 minutes for 2 hours add 2 cups of water or broth, alternating, as necessary, to keep oxtails covered with liquid.
  4. At 2 hours, add the beans, tomato paste, and 2 more cups of beef broth and water, if needed. Bring to a boil then simmer uncovered 2 hours, skimming fat off top and stirring occasionally. In the last 1/2 hour of cook time, season with 2 tablespoons salt. Serve with rice.

Serve with white rice

More Jamaican Recipes

More Stories

chef Basil Jones

Jamaican Chef Basil Jones leads culinary experience on Love & Harmony Cruise

Every morning at 4 a.m.—when most Harmonizers aboard the Love & Harmony Cruise 2026 are fast asleep in their cabins—Jamaican-born executive chef Basil Jones...
Chef Shorne Benjamin

From St. Lucia to Brooklyn: Chef Shorne Benjamin reinvents Caribbean cuisine with Fat Fowl

At the intersection of culture, craft, and entrepreneurship stands Chef Shorne Benjamin, the St. Lucian-born culinary innovator behind Fat Fowl, a Downtown Brooklyn restaurant...

The Cookout brings Caribbean and African flavor to South Beach Wine & Food Festival

The 25th Annual Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival reached a cultural high point on Saturday, February 21, 2026, as The Cookout,...
South Beach Wine & Food Festival

Caribbean cuisine takes center stage at South Beach Food & Wine Festival

Las' Lap Link Up: A Celebration of Afro-Caribbean Cuisine will put the best of Caribbean cuisine in the spotlight at Food Network’s South Beach...
cardamom pumpkin pie

How to make cardamom pumpkin pie from scratch at home

Many people celebrate the fall season with pumpkin pie. The only thing that can make the taste of the traditional pie a little better...
Altreisha Foster-Bentho

Jamaica-born chef Dr. Altreisha Foster-Bentho creates cake for Betty Crocker’s 104th birthday

Jamaica-born, Minnesota-based pastry chef Dr. Altreisha Foster-Bentho and her company, Sugarspoon Desserts, were selected by General Mills to craft a one-of-a-kind cake for Betty...
Stush in the Bush

Jamaica’s Stush in the Bush ranked among North America’s 50 best restaurants

Jamaica’s celebrated farm-to-table restaurant Stush in the Bush has earned a coveted spot on the 2025 list of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants, announced...

Hydrating foods to cool you down during the Caribbean’s extended summer

Jamaica and much of the Caribbean is sweating through what feels like an endless summer. Record-breaking heat and a noticeable delay in the usual...
Chef Wayne Sharpe

Miami Spice at Mangrove: Chef Wayne Sharpe showcases Jamaican flavors

Chef Wayne Sharpe's journey from a shy student at Tarrant High School in Kingston, Jamaica, to co-owner of Mangrove, Miami’s top-rated Caribbean restaurant in...
Worthy Park

Caribbean rums win big at 2025 International Wine and Spirit Competition

The Caribbean once again affirmed its reputation as the spiritual home of rum, as two standout Jamaican distilleries—Worthy Park Estate and Monymusk (National Rums...

Latest Articles