Instant Pot Oxtail Stew (Whole30, Keto)

Instant Pot Oxtail Stew is one of my favorite comfort meals any time of year. It’s a cinch to throw together in a pressure cooker and this Whole30-friendly ragu tastes amazing on zoodles, cauliflower rice, or paired with a green salad.

Instant Pot Oxtail Stew is one of my favorite comfort meals any time of year. I make it whenever I can snag oxtails from the butcher ’cause it’s a cinch to throw this dish together in a pressure cooker. Plus, my Whole30-friendly oxtail ragu tastes amazing on zoodles, cauliflower rice, or just paired with a ginormous green salad. (And yes, you can even eat it on rice or pasta if you’re only part-time Paleo.)

Growing up in a Chinese-American household, I’ve never been fazed by weird chewy bits of meat at the dinner table. Seeing the heads on cooked whole fish or chicken was a regular occurrence in my house. In fact, these foods—while “gross” to some—are what I consider comfort food. In particular, I have a preference for oxtails because the meat is meltingly tender. It takes a little persistence and patience to get to all the goodness tucked in the nooks and crannies—and to me, that’s a good thing. If you’re a little squeamish about eating nose-to-tail, you may not be ready for this jelly. But as I do with my own kids, I encourage you to be brave in all things, and grab some oxtails the next time you spy them in the butcher case!

Time to make Instant Pot Oxtail Stew!

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds oxtails, cut crosswise into 3-inch segments
• Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ghee, olive oil, avocado oil, or fat of choice
• 1 pound yellow onions, finely sliced
• 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1½ cups marinara sauce (I like Rao’s brand)
• 1 tablespoon Red Boat fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup minced Italian parsley

Cooking Equipment:

• Large bowl
• Rimmed baking sheet
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Tongs
• Silicone spatula
• Instant Pot or other pressure cooker

Method:

Turn on the broiler and set the oven rack 6 inches from the heating element. Place oxtails in a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt. 

Toss well and and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

Pop the oxtails under the broiler.

Broil for about 5 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. Alternatively, you can brown the meat in batches in the Instant Pot on the “Sauté” function, but it’ll be tedious and messy.

While the oxtails are browning under the broiler, grab your Instant Pot and turn on the “Sauté” function. When the metal insert is hot, add the ghee or fat of choice. Toss in the sliced onions and carrots…

…and cook until the onions are softened.

Sprinkle on some additional Magic Mushroom Powder or kosher salt. Toss in the smashed garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Grab the browned oxtails off the pan…

…and nestle them into the vegetables. Pour in any accumulated juices from the pan.

Remember not to fill your pressure cooker more than 2/3rds full!

Pour the marinara sauce, fish sauce, and aged balsamic vinegar onto the meat. Stir well, making sure the liquid reaches the bottom of the pot.

Lock on the lid and program the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure for 45 minutes.

When the oxtails are done cooking, let the pressure release naturally. If you’re impatient, you can release the pressure manually after 30 minutes has elapsed.

The meat should be tender and falling off the bone. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, Magic Mushroom Powder, and/or balsamic vinegar if needed.

I love serving the oxtails directly on raw spiralized zucchini (a.k.a. zoodles) because the hot sauce cooks the zucchini without making them super watery and soft.

Voilà!

Love to meal prep? Good, ’cause this stew freezes and reheats well.

You can eat the oxtail stew right away, but I like to store the oxtails in the fridge overnight to allow the flavors to meld. If desired, you can easily remove the layer of fat on top once the stew’s chilled. Simply reheat the stew in the Instant Pot for 5 minutes under high pressure, and release the pressure manually. Give it a stir, and plate it up!

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).

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4.82 from 11 votes

Instant Pot Oxtail Stew

I make this comforting dish whenever oxtails from the butcher ’cause it’s a cinch to throw this dish together in an Instant Pot. Plus, my Whole30-friendly oxtail ragu tastes amazing on zoodles, cauliflower rice, or just paired with a ginormous green salad.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time1 hr 20 mins

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: gluten-free, Instant Pot, keto, low carb, meat, oxtail, paleo, Pressure Cooker, Primal, stew, Whole30

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 767kcal

Author: Michelle Tam

Ingredients

• 5 pounds oxtails cut crosswise into 3-inch segments
• Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon  ghee  olive oil, avocado oil, or fat of choice
• 1 pound yellow onions finely sliced
• 3 medium carrots roughly chopped
• 8 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
• 1½ cups marinara sauce I like Rao’s brand
• 1 tablespoon Red Boat fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup minced Italian parsley

Instructions 

• Turn on the broiler and set the oven rack 6 inches from the heating element. Place oxtails in a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt. 
• Toss well and and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Pop the oxtails under the broiler. Broil for about 5 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. Alternatively, you can brown the meat in batches in the Instant Pot on the “Sauté” function, but it’ll be tedious and messy.
• While the oxtails are browning under the broiler, grab your Instant Pot and turn on the “Sauté” function. When the metal insert is hot, add the ghee or fat of choice. Toss in the sliced onions and carrots and cook until the onions are softened.
• Sprinkle on some additional Magic Mushroom Powder or kosher salt. Toss in the smashed garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
• Grab the browned oxtails off the pan, and nestle them into the vegetables. Pour in any accumulated juices from the pan. Remember not to fill your pressure cooker more than 2/3rds full!
• Pour the marinara sauce, fish sauce, and aged balsamic vinegar onto the meat. Stir well, making sure the liquid reaches the bottom of the pot.
• Lock on the lid and program the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure for 45 minutes.
• When the oxtails are done cooking, let the pressure release naturally. If you’re impatient, you can release the pressure manually after 30 minutes has elapsed.
• The meat should be tender and falling off the bone. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, Magic Mushroom Powder, and/or balsamic vinegar if needed.
• I love serving the oxtails directly on raw spiralized zucchini (a.k.a. zoodles) because the hot sauce cooks the zucchini without making them super watery and soft.

Notes

• Love to meal prep? Good, ’cause this stew freezes and reheats well. You can eat the oxtail stew right away, but I like to store the oxtails in the fridge overnight to allow the flavors to meld. If desired, you can easily remove the layer of fat on top once the stew’s chilled. Simply reheat the stew in the Instant Pot for 5 minutes under high pressure, and release the pressure manually. Give it a stir, and plate it up!
• Wanna make this dish is a slow cooker? Broil the oxtails as directed and sauté the onions, carrots, and garlic in a skillet. Once oxtails are browned and the veggies are softened, add everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Tried this recipe?Mention @nomnompaleo or tag #nomnompaleo!

Nutrition

Calories: 767kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 89g | Fat: 40g | Fiber: 2g