This Instant Pot Oxtail Ragu is a thick and meaty sauce that’s perfect over pasta, gnocchi, or polenta. This flavorful dish is super simple to make in the Instant Pot.
>>You might also want to check out our Instant Pot Brisket Recipe and these Beer Braised Short Ribs.
Oxtail is one of those meats that takes a long time to break down, and for that reason it’s always been an all-day affair when cooking in the oven or on the stove top. But you can make it in a fraction of the time in the Instant Pot.
What is Oxtail?
The most important part of this dish is the oxtail. If you’ve never cooked oxtail before, you might be wondering what it is and why choose it over a different cut of beef.
Oxtail is what we call the tail of the cow. The tail is cut into sections between the tailbones and each piece has meat and marrow surrounding the bone.
Due to the marrow, the meat is gelatinous when cooked, and that makes it particularly tender and melt-in-your-mouth good. Oxtail is often used to make bone broth because it’s so full of healthy collagen. The meat is used in soups and stews, and also braised to eat on its own.
My favorite way to use oxtail is to make a ragu that can be served over pasta, like is pictured in this dish. However, you can use the oxtail in any way you wish once it’s cooked.
Do I have to brown the oxtail first?
I know it sounds like a lot of extra work to brown the oxtail on all sides before cooking, but that’s the best way to add intense flavor to the meat.
Browning induces the Maillard reaction which is a reaction between amino acids and sugars that leads to a concentration of flavor. You can still make great oxtail without the browning, but it will be so much better with it.
Do I have to thaw the oxtail first?
One of the great things about the Instant Pot is that you can cook things in it from frozen in just a few more minutes than if it was thawed. That means you can use frozen oxtail in the Instant Pot.
You would add the oxtail after sauteing the vegetables and adding the liquids. Set the cook time to 50 minutes.
The only issue with cooking from frozen is that you can’t first brown the oxtail, so you’ll lose out on quite a bit of flavor doing it this way.
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Instant Pot Oxtail Ragu with Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds oxtail
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 carrot peeled and diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup tomato puree
- 8 ounces dried pappardelle
- Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the oxtail pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add olive oil to the Instant Pot and turn on saute mode. When hot, add the oxtail and brown on all sides. Remove from the pot. Add the onion, celery, and carrot. Saute for 3 minutes. Turn off saute mode. Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary. After 1 minute, pour in the beef stock and red wine and whisk to remove the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the tomato puree and stir well. Add back in the oxtail.
- Lock the Instant Pot lid and set the vent to sealing. Set to pressure cook for 45 minutes. When finished, allow a natural release of pressure (about 15 minutes).
- Remove the oxtail from the Instant Pot. Remove any excess fat or grease from the cooking liquid.
- Shred the meat away from the bones. Discard the bones and connective tissue. Return the meat back to the Instant Pot with the sauce. Stir it all together.
- If it’s not thick enough, turn on saute mode again and cook down until thickened.
Equipment Needed
Nutrition
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Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes.
Love how much time you can save with an instant pot! Thank you for the detailed instructions 🙂
I’ve been looking for new recipes to add to my Instant Pot lineup, and this oxtail ragu is just the thing! Thanks for sharing!
I am always looking for new ways to use my instant pot and this looks delicious. So comforting.
This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to give this a try! My husband is going to love this!
Beautiful dish! This takes me back to eating at my Great Grandmother’s table!
Thanks Diana. Isn’t it wonderful when food triggers great memories.
Delicious! My family ate it up quickly. I made a few adjustments. I felt the wine(cab) made it too sweet so, I added more broth and puree. It helped. I will definitely make this again for company.
I’m glad it worked out for you Ashly!
Can I used the same measurements for an old pressure cooker. I dont have an electric one
Yes you can use the same measurements.