This slow cooker oxtail soup is rich, hearty and packed with deep beefy flavour. Made with tender, slow-cooked oxtail, red wine, aromatic vegetables and fresh herbs, it's everything a proper bowl of homemade soup should be. The meat is cooked until it falls away from the bone, while the vegetables are blended into the stock to create a beautifully thick, velvety soup without the need for cream.
Who else loves this British classic? Oxtail soup is one of those dishes that always reminds me of my Gran and Papa. They were very much of a generation that embraced nose-to-tail cooking, where nothing went to waste and some of the most overlooked cuts of meat made the most delicious meals.
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It's something I've grown to appreciate more and more as I've got older, particularly when it comes to making the most of our fantastic British produce. And oxtail is the perfect example of why some cuts are worth taking a little extra time over!
If you've never cooked with oxtail before, you're in for a treat. It's one of those cuts that really benefits from long, slow cooking, transforming into incredibly tender meat while giving the broth a wonderful depth of flavour.
Slow cooker recipes are perfect for proper comfort food, particularly during the colder months. Much like my slow cooker beef and mushroom stroganoff and slow cooker lamb ragu, this oxtail soup recipe is all about taking the time to build flavour before letting the slow cooker do the hard work. The result is beautifully tender beef and a rich, full-bodied soup that's well worth the wait.
What Makes My Oxtail Soup Different
For me, a really good oxtail soup should have two things: deep, beefy flavour and a rich, smooth consistency. Call me influenced from eating Heinz tinned oxtail soup when I was younger, but it's what I'm used to and therefore what I looked to create when making my own recipe.
Rather than simply adding all the ingredients to the slow cooker, I take a little extra time at the beginning to build flavour by caramelising the oxtails first. And once the oxtail has cooked until beautifully tender, I remove the meat from the bones and blend the vegetables into the stock. This gives the soup its lovely thick consistency while making the most of all those slow-cooked vegetables.
My biggest tip? Make it the day before you want to eat it. Oxtail releases quite a lot of fat during cooking, and refrigerating the soup allows that fat to solidify on the surface so you can easily remove it before blending and serving. I use this method in my slow cooked beef brisket dish too.
Ingredients & Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and details.
- Oxtail: You'll need approximately 1.3kg of oxtail, cut into pieces. I buy mine online from Warrendale Wagyu or you can ask your local butcher to source some for you. This cut is rich in collagen and connective tissue, which breaks down during slow cooking to produce beautifully tender meat and a rich, full-bodied soup. Bear in mind that oxtail contains a substantial amount of bone and fat, so the finished meat yield will be considerably less than the starting weight.
- Plain Flour, Salt & Black Pepper: Used to season and coat the oxtail before browning. The flour helps create a lovely caramelised crust and adds a little body to the finished soup.
- Wagyu Beef Dripping: I use Wagyu beef dripping to brown the oxtail for its rich, beefy flavour. Regular beef dripping or another suitable cooking fat will work just as well.
- Onion, Carrot & Celery: These form the aromatic base of the soup. I soften them in the same pan used to brown the oxtail to make the most of all that flavour, before blending them into the stock at the end for a thick, smooth consistency.
- Tomato Purée: Adds depth and richness. Cooking it briefly before adding the liquids helps develop its flavour.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Just a tablespoon helps balance the richness of the beef with a little acidity. Substituting for white wine or red wine vinegar works too.
- Red Wine: I use a small 187ml bottle of red wine, which is a convenient amount without opening a full bottle. Reducing it by half before adding it to the slow cooker concentrates the flavour. If you would prefer not to add wine, just omit from the recipe all together or use a de-alcoholised red wine stock pot.
- Rosemary, Thyme & Bay Leaf: These herbs complement the rich beefy flavour. I use fresh rosemary and thyme, but you can substitute ½ teaspoon of each dried herb if preferred. Or a bouquet garni could be used.
- Beef Stock: You'll need 1 litre of good-quality beef stock or bone broth. As this forms the base of the soup, I'd recommend using the best quality you can.
- Fresh Parsley: A little freshly chopped parsley to finish adds freshness and balances the richness of the soup.
How to Make Slow Cooker Oxtail Soup
1. Prepare
Peel and finely chop the onion, carrot and celery.
Pat the oxtail dry with kitchen paper, then toss with the plain flour, salt and black pepper until evenly coated.
2. Brown
Heat the Wagyu beef dripping in a frying pan over a medium heat.
Brown the oxtail pieces until nicely caramelised on all sides, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Transfer the browned oxtail to your slow cooker.
3. Soften
Add the finely chopped onion, carrot and celery to the same frying pan, adding a little more dripping if needed.
Cook for approximately 10 minutes, until softened.
4. Build the Flavour
Stir in the tomato purée and apple cider vinegar, cooking for a further 2 minutes.
Pour in the red wine and allow it to simmer until the liquid has reduced by approximately half.
Transfer everything from the pan into the slow cooker.
5. Slow Cook
Add the beef stock, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme.
Cover and cook on LOW for approximately 8 hours, or until the oxtail meat is tender enough to pull away easily from the bones.
6. Shred
Carefully remove the oxtail pieces from the slow cooker and allow them to cool enough to handle.
Separate the meat from the bones, fat and connective tissue, shredding it into bite-sized pieces.
Discard the bones and unwanted fat, taking care to remove any small bone fragments.
7. Remove the Fat
Oxtail releases quite a lot of fat during cooking, so I recommend removing the excess before blending the soup.
You can skim the fat directly from the surface, but my preferred method is to refrigerate the stock and vegetables overnight.
As the soup cools, the fat rises to the surface and solidifies, making it much easier to lift off.
8. Blend
Remove the herb stalks and bay leaf, then carefully strain the liquid and vegetables to check for any stray bones or fragments.
Blend the vegetables and stock until smooth using a hand blender or food processor.
9. Finish & Serve
Heat through until piping hot, then return the shredded oxtail meat to the blended soup (either stirred through or a portion served with the smooth soup around it).
Finish with freshly chopped parsley and serve with plenty of crusty, buttered bread.
Hob Method
If you prefer to make your oxtail soup on the hob, follow the same steps, browning the oxtail, softening the vegetables and reducing the red wine.
Then, instead of transferring everything to the slow cooker, combine the ingredients in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Cover and simmer gently on a low heat for approximately 3–4 hours, or until the meat is tender enough to pull away easily from the bones. Check occasionally, adding more beef stock or water as needed to keep the oxtail submerged.
Once tender, follow the remaining steps as usual, removing the meat from the bones, skimming off the excess fat and blending the vegetables and stock until smooth.
My Top Tips for the Best Oxtail Soup
- Don't skip browning the oxtail. Taking the time to caramelise the meat before slow cooking develops a much deeper flavour than simply adding raw oxtail straight to the slow cooker.
- Use the same pan for the vegetables. After browning the meat, there's plenty of flavour left in the pan. Cooking your vegetables in the residual beef fat makes the most of it.
- Reduce the red wine. Rather than pouring the wine straight into the slow cooker, simmer it until reduced by half. This concentrates the flavour and allows you to scrape up any caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Cook until the meat is genuinely tender. Eight hours on LOW is my guideline, but slow cookers can vary. The meat should pull away easily from the bones. If it doesn't, give it a little longer.
- Make it ahead if you can. Oxtail is naturally fatty, and chilling the soup makes removing that excess fat much easier. I much prefer this to trying to skim it while everything is still hot.
- Check carefully for bones. Oxtail contains several small bones and cartilage pieces. Remove the meat carefully and make sure no fragments remain in the vegetables or cooking liquid before blending.
- Blend the vegetables into the soup. This is what gives my oxtail soup its lovely smooth, thick consistency without needing to add cream
FAQs: How To Make Oxtail Soup
You don't strictly have to brown oxtail before slow cooking it, but I strongly recommend it.
Browning creates a caramelised exterior through the Maillard reaction, developing additional savoury flavours that you wouldn't get from simply simmering the meat in liquid.
For this recipe, I also use the same pan to cook the vegetables and reduce the wine, so none of that flavour goes to waste.
It's a little extra preparation, but absolutely worth it.
Because oxtail contains a considerable amount of fat, it's important to remove the excess before serving.
There are two ways to do this.
Skimming: Once the soup has finished cooking, allow it to settle and carefully skim the fat from the surface using a spoon or fat separator.
Chilling overnight: This is my preferred method. Cool the soup safely, refrigerate it and leave it until the fat has solidified on the surface. You can then lift it off before reheating and blending.
The second method is much easier and gives you greater control over how much fat you remove.
Absolutely. In fact, I'd recommend it.
Making the soup a day ahead allows you to chill the stock and vegetables, remove the solidified fat and then finish the soup when you're ready to serve.
If you're making it in advance, refrigerate the shredded meat and soup separately in airtight containers, then combine them when reheating.
Cool everything promptly and refrigerate within two hours rather than leaving a large pot of hot soup sitting out overnight.
How to Store and Reheat Oxtail Soup
Refrigerating
Once cooled, transfer the soup to an airtight container and refrigerate promptly.
It will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge, provided it has been cooled and stored correctly.
Freezing
Oxtail soup freezes well, making it a great recipe for batch cooking.
Allow the soup to cool completely before portioning into freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room for expansion.
Freeze for up to 3 months for best quality.
Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat the soup gently in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until piping hot throughout.
The soup may thicken considerably once chilled because of the gelatin released from the oxtail. If needed, add a splash of water or beef stock to loosen it to your preferred consistency.
Only reheat the portion you intend to eat.
Other British Classics You'll Love
If you love homemade British soups, then you can browse my Soup Category or try some of these favourites:
If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I'll get back to you. Or I would really appreciate it if you left me a review below.
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Slow Cooker Oxtail Soup
Ingredients
- 1.3 kg ox tails cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- wagyu beef dripping or vegetable oil or olive oil
- 40 g plain flour
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 carrot finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 187 ml red wine small bottle
- 1 stalk of fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 stalks of thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 litre beef stock or bone broth
Instructions
- Peel and finely chop the onion, carrot and celery.
- Pat the oxtail dry with kitchen paper, then place in a bowl with the plain flour, salt and black pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
- Heat the Wagyu beef dripping in a frying pan over a medium heat. Brown the oxtail pieces until caramelised on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the chopped onion, celery and carrot to the same frying pan, adding more dripping if required. Cook for approximately 10 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the tomato purée and apple cider vinegar and cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine and simmer until reduced by approximately half. Transfer the vegetables and reduced wine to the slow cooker.
- Add the beef stock, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Cover and cook on LOW for approximately 8 hours, or until the oxtail is tender and the meat pulls away easily from the bones.
- Carefully remove the oxtail pieces and allow them to cool enough to handle. Separate the meat from the bones and fat, shredding it into bite-sized pieces.
- Remove excess fat from the cooking liquid by skimming the surface, or preferably by cooling and refrigerating the stock and vegetables until the fat solidifies and can be easily removed.
- Remove the herb stalks and bay leaf. Check the stock and vegetables carefully for any bones or fragments, then blend until smooth using a hand blender or food processor.
- Stir the shredded oxtail meat back through the blended soup and reheat until piping hot. Serve with freshly chopped parsley.
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