This slow cooker Spanish oxtail stew, also known as rabo de toro, is the real deal! Imagine tender, juicy oxtail in a rich, savory gravy that's been simmered to perfection. It's a dish that feels fancy enough for a dinner party yet cozy enough for a quiet night. And don't worry-it's simpler to make than you think!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
We've been living in Spain since 2003. We first tried it during our trip to Cordoba in 2017, where it is famous for its delicious oxtail stew. It was so delicious that we had to recreate it at home to enjoy it whenever we wanted. We've been using this same recipe ever since, and here's why you'll love this slow cooker Spanish oxtail stew as much as we do!
Classic Spanish flavors-Spanish oxtail stew, or "rabo de toro", is a hearty stew bursting with deep flavors, and we're preparing it authentically Spanish! The oxtail is slow-cooked until it falls off the bone, all simmered in a rich sauce made with red wine, tomatoes, and aromatics like onions, garlic, and the classic Spanish vegetable base known as sofrito. This comforting and rustic delicacy is typically served with creamy mashed potatoes.
Super easy-This slow cooker Spanish oxtail stew is so easy to make, just like our slow cooker beef rendang and chicken rendang! There is no need to occupy the stove or oven for hours, giving you space to cook other meals, meanwhile.
Our secret-In addition to browning the oxtail, we enhance the flavors by sautéing the vegetables for the base. This simple step adds a ton of flavors to our slow cooker rabo de toro, trust us!
What Is Oxtail?
Oxtail is one of those underrated cuts that deserves a place in every home cook's repertoire. This cut, literally from a cow's tail, is prized for its intense beefy taste and incredible texture.
Oxtail is marbled with fat and connective tissue, which gives it that luscious, silky finish when slow-cooked. The meat is tough initially, so it's usually braised or simmered for hours until it becomes fall-off-the-bone tender.
It's perfect for stews, soups, or even rich pasta sauces. As it cooks, the marrow in the bone infuses the dish with extra flavor, creating a deep, comforting taste. Oxtail may take time to prepare, but it rewards you with a dish worth every second. It's pure comfort in a bowl!
Ingredients For This Recipe
Oxtail-We buy ours from Costco! We like to choose the packet where the pieces are more or less similar in size so they cook evenly. Usually, they come with untrimmed fat, so trim them, as it'll make this crock pot oxtail recipe less greasy.
Red wine-Red wine adds a rich depth of flavor to this slow cooker Spanish oxtail stew. Be sure to use a good-quality wine, as its taste will enhance the overall dish. If you're worried about serving it to kids or relatives who avoid alcohol, there's no need to concern yourself. The alcohol cooks off during the long hours of cooking!
Veggies-These are the fundamental vegetables commonly used in Spanish recipes as the base for stews or soups, known collectively as "sofrito," which translates to "sauteed." The combinations and quantities of these vegetables can vary significantly from one recipe to another, and this is how we love it in this Spanish oxtail stew.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep the oxtail. Season the oxtail with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle flour and coat them well.
Step 2: Brown the oxtail. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Shake the excess flour and sear a few pieces of oxtail for 2-3 minutes until browned, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining oxtail.
Step 3: Cook the veggies. Using the same pan on medium heat, add more oil and sautee all the veggies until they're soft, for 10-15 minutes-season with salt and black pepper.
Step 4: Blend the veggies. Add the veggies into a blender together with water and beef bouillon. Blend into a smooth mixture.
Step 3: Assemble. Brush oil on the inside of the pot. Arrange the oxtail pieces from largest to smallest. Then, add the red wine, blended vegetables, and bay leaves.
Step 4: Cook. Cover the pot and cook for 8 hours on low. On hour 4, mix everything well. On hour 6, move the pieces around, placing the bottom ones on top and vice versa. Spoon out the oil, and enjoy your slow cooker Spanish oxtail stew!
Recipe Expert Tips
If you're going to make slow cooker Spanish oxtail stew recipe, make sure to follow these top tips!
- Brown the oxtail. This enhances flavor and texture by creating a savory, caramelized crust through the Maillard reaction. It seals in juices for tender meat and forms a flavorful base for sauces or stews! So, don't skip this step!
- Sautee the vegetables. In slow cooker recipes, vegetables are usually added directly, but sautéing them first significantly enhances their flavors!
- Blend the vegetables first. We recommend blending the vegetables for the base before cooking them with the oxtail instead of cooking them in large chunks. This helps to minimize the handling of the tender oxtail.
- Cooking time. Cooking time for oxtail may vary based on size. We recommend checking for desired tenderness at the 7-hour mark. Typically, we cook them for 8 hours. Adjust the time as needed.
- It tastes better the next day. This slow cooker Spanish oxtail stew, like other stews and curries, like our beef korma and beef rendang, tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen over time.
How To Serve, Store, And Freeze
Serve-This fantastic stew pairs perfectly with mashed potatoes or our Duchess potatoes and with a side of greens, such as steamed green peas or green beans. In Spain, it is traditionally served with fried potatoes; however, we find that this dish is already rich enough, so we prefer to skip the fried option.
Store-Store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze-Put it in an air-tight container, in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat-Reheat gently, either in the microwave or over the stove. Add a splash of water if you see the sauce is too thick.
Recipe FAQs
We highly recommend it as it enhances flavor and texture by creating a savory, caramelized crust through the Maillard reaction. It seals in juices for tender meat and forms a flavorful base for sauces or stews! So, don't skip this step!
No, it's not the same. If you're worried about serving it to kids or relatives who avoid alcohol, there's no need to concern yourself. The alcohol cooks off during the long hours of cooking! If you're still hesitant, swap it with beef stock.
We typically cook it for 8 hours; however, the exact time may vary depending on the size and tenderness of the meat. We recommend checking it at the 7-hour mark and adjusting the cooking time as needed. Cooking it for too long can result in the meat becoming overly soft, which is not our preference.
More Hearty Recipes
Did you try this Slow Cooker Spanish Oxtail Stew(Rabo de Toro)?
Please leave us ★★★★★ ratings and feedback below in the comment section. We'd love to know how it went, what you liked, or if there's anything we can improve. Share and tag us on Instagram; we'd like to see your creation.
Thank you! -Bea and Marco
Watch How To Make It
📖 Recipe
Oxtail Stew Slow Cooker
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Oxtail
- 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) oxtail , room temperature, trim the fat
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
Stew Base
- ½ onion , cut into chunks
- 1 leek , sliced
- 1 carrot , cut into chunks
- 6 garlic cloves , cut into chunks
- 1 Italian green pepper , cut into chunks
- ½ medium-sized red bell pepper , cut into chunks
- 2 ripe tomatoes , peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 beef bouillon
- ½ cup (115 g) water
- 1 cup (230 g) red wine
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
Oxtail
- Season the oxtail with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle flour and coat them well.
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Shake the excess flour and sear a few pieces of oxtail for 2-3 minutes until browned, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining oxtail.
Stew Base
- Using the same pan on medium heat, add more oil and sautee all the veggies until they're soft, for 10-15 minutes-season with salt and black pepper.
- Add the veggies into a blender together with water and beef bouillon. Blend into a smooth mixture.
Assembling And Cook
- Brush oil on the inside of the pot. Arrange the oxtail pieces from largest to smallest. Then, add the red wine, blended vegetables, and bay leaves.
- Cover the pot and cook for 8 hours on low. On hour 4, mix everything well. On hour 6, move the pieces around, placing the bottom ones on top and vice versa. Spoon out the oil, and enjoy your oxtail stew!
Notes
- Brown the oxtail. This enhances flavor and texture by creating a savory, caramelized crust through the Maillard reaction. It seals in juices for tender meat and forms a flavorful base for sauces or stews! So, don't skip this step!
- Sautee the vegetables. In slow cooker recipes, vegetables are usually added directly, but sautéing them first significantly enhances their flavors!
- Blend the vegetables first. We recommend blending the vegetables for the base before cooking them with the oxtail instead of cooking them in large chunks. This helps to minimize the handling of the tender oxtail.
- Cooking time. Cooking time for oxtail may vary based on size. We recommend checking for desired tenderness at the 7-hour mark. Typically, we cook them for 8 hours. Adjust the time as needed.
- It tastes better the next day. This Spanish oxtail stew, like other stews and curries, tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen over time.
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Originally published on Oct 10, 2017. Updated with improved text and pictures on Dec 21, 2024.
Robin says
Such a good recipe!
I slow cooked it in my instant pot but wasnt quite done (maybe because I set the vent to ‘venting’ instead of ‘sealing’.
Made the whole thing in my instant pot from the sauteing to cooking and used my hand blender to blend the veggies. Minimal cleanup and super easy.
Had to finish off with 25 min with pressure cooking to get it to the perfect texture.
Thanks!
Bea & Marco says
Yay! We're happy to hear that, Robin! We appreciate you sharing how you've made it with an instant pot so others could do the same if they don't have a slow cooker. Thank you so much!
Diego says
First time cooking oxtail and tried this recipe and it was really good. I served it with rice instead of mash potatoes, or French fries, but I will use this recipe again and Will accompanied it with mash potatoes. Thank you!
Bea & Marco says
I think rice is also great as it can soak all the delicious sauce, yum! Happy to know that you enjoyed it, thanks for your feedback, Diego!
Susan Fahey says
I made this today for dinner and my husband loved it. I will be making it again..
Bea & Marco says
That's great, Susan! Thank you for giving the recipe a try.
Ines sousa says
Hi, i have made this recipe a few times. It always turns out amazing, i never have stock on hand so I had half a chorizo to the vegetables for some added flavor. Works very well and i think gives it a very authentic feel.
Bea says
Hi Ines! That's a great idea, I might try it myself next time I make this. Thanks for leaving your comment!
C says
Tested this a year ago; i've made two beouff bourginjon, one with red wine, and one with dark vinegar.
They tasted exactly the same! Be careful though... vinegar is much more concentrated then red whine
Bea says
Thanks for your input!
Alan ANDREWS says
I make this at regular intervals. Far better than Beef Bourginjon, although I live in SW France and saying so will upset the french. Also, it tastes just like the Oxtail stew I have eaten at the Saphardic restaurant in Cordoba. I always use a good Rioja, and drink the rest of the bottle with the meal.Only change is that I have good home made bread instead of mash or fries.
Bea says
I'm happy to know that you're enjoying it, Alan. It's one of my family's favourites. Don't know much about wines but my father in law just stocks up on Gato Negro 😂. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Kemal Akin says
Hi. Thanks for the recipe. Can I use 125 ml (grape) vinegar instead of red wine?
Bea says
Hi Kemal, no sorry. I do not recommend using vinegar instead of red wine, it will change (probably ruin) the taste completely. If you cannot use red wine, you can replace it with the same amount of water or beef broth, adjust the seasoning as needed. It's not going to be the same taste as with wine but it will still be delicious.