These Oxtail Tacos are so delicious and fun to make. Make sure you double or triple the recipe if you’re planning on a crowd. They are so tasty it will be hard to eat just one.
Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
As a foodie, I often times get these visions of food I want to make. These Oxtail tacos were just that, a wild vision while I was sitting on the couch watching football one day. This is kind of a labor of love as the Oxtail takes about 2 1/2 hours to prepare. A half hour of seasoning and browning then on to the pot for the 2 hour braise. So, my recommendation to you is to make a double batch and serve them for a party and watch those Oxtails fly!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil: for searing the oxtails
- Oxtails: found in the meat department in shrink wrapped plastic or purchase from a local butcher. The more meaty, the better.
- Kosher salt: for seasoning the oxtails.
- Spices: Ground cumin, Garlic powder, Chili powder, Cayenne pepper, Cinnamon sticks
- Yellow Onion: or white, whichever you prefer
- Garlic Cloves: fresh whole garlic cloves
- Diced Tomatoes: 15 oz can
- Red thai chile: or jalapeno, optional
Corn Relish
- Frozen Corn: or fresh if in season
- Black Beans: drained and rinsed
- Jalapeno: minced fresh jalapeno
- Garlic Cloves: fresh whole garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- Spices: Chili Powder, Ground Cumin
- Fresh Cilantro: chopped
- Salt and Pepper: to taste
Wontons
- Wonton Wrappers: store bought uncooked wonton wrappers.
- Cooking spray: to give them extra crunch
Sriracha Cream Sauce
- Sour Cream: any type you choose
- Sriracha Sauce: homemade or store bought sriracha
- Queso Fresco cheese: for crumbling on top
Find the printable recipe with exact measurements and instructions above.
How to Make Oxtail Tacos
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large heavy cast iron pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. In a large bowl add the oxtails, salt, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and cayenne pepper and toss to coat. Working in batches, add the oxtails to the hot pot and sear on all sides. Remove to the bowl while you continue with the remainder of the oxtails, removing to bowl after seared.
- Add the onions to the pot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, scrapping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the canned tomatoes, cinnamon sticks and red chile and return the oxtails to the pot. Cover with the lid and place in the oven for 2 hours, turning the oxtails after 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pot for about 30 minutes while you prepare the taco shells. When cool enough to handle, shred the oxtail meat into a bowl.
Roasted Corn Salsa
- In a medium skillet over medium high heat coated with cooking spray, add the frozen corn. Cook stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes or until the corn starts to get a roasted color. Add the black beans, jalapeno, garlic, chili powder and cumin and stir to combine. Pour into a serving bowl and add the cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a 13×9 baking dish, coat the outside and inside edges with cooking spray. Drape the wonton wrappers over the edges, not overlapping. Place in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove and repeat with remaining wrappers. Set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl add the sour cream and Sriracha Sauce and stir to combine. Crumble the queso fresco.
Assembly
- Add about a tablespoon or so of Oxtail to the wonton shells, top with the corn and black bean relish and a sprinkling of queso fresco. Repeat with the remaining wonton shells. Serve warm with the Sriracha dipping sauce.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Spicy Beer Braised Oxtail Sliders
Oxtail Tacos Recipe
This is a fun recipe for a taco appetizer using wonton wrappers and slow braised oxtail.
YIELD: Servings
Ingredients
Oxtail
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs oxtails, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbps ground cumin
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 15 oz diced tomatoes
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 red thai chile, optional
Corn Relish
- 2 cups corn, fresh or frozen, thawed
- 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 small jalapeño, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp cilantro, minced
- cooking spray
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
Wontons
- 12 wonton wrappers
- cooking spray
Sriracha Sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- ½ cup queso fresco cheese, crumbled or cotija
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Instructions
Braised Oxtail
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large heavy cast iron pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. In a large bowl add the oxtails, kosher salt, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne pepper and toss to coat. Working in batches, add the oxtails to the hot pot and sear on all sides. Remove to the bowl while you continue with the remainder of the oxtails, removing to bowl after seared.
- Add the onions to the pot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the canned tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, red chile, and return the oxtails to the pot. Cover with the lid and place in the oven for 2 hours, turning the oxtails after 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pot for about 30 minutes while you prepare the taco shells. When cool enough to handle, shred the oxtail meat into a bowl.
- In a medium skillet over medium high heat coated with cooking spray, add the corn. Cook stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes or until the corn starts to get a roasted color. Add the black beans, jalapeño, garlic, chili powder and cumin and stir to combine. Pour into a serving bowl and add the cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Wonton Taco Shells
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a 13×9 baking dish, coat the outside and inside edges with cooking spray. Drape the wonton wrappers over the edges, not overlapping. Place in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove and repeat with remaining wrappers. Set aside to cool.
Sriracha Sauce
- In a small bowl add the sour cream and sriracha and stir to combine. Crumble the queso fresco.
Assembly
- Add about a tablespoon or so of oxtail to the wonton shells, top with the corn and black bean relish, and a sprinkling of queso fresco. Repeat with the remaining wonton shells. Serve warm with the sriracha dipping sauce.
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Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
I really love this recipe and hope you will too!
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I love it.
Holy wah. That is the best looking food I have seen in a long while–nom.
I saw this on twitter the other day and kept meaning to come check it out…finally made it!
Okay…I have a confession to make: I’ve never had oxtails! GASP! That needs to change soon, and I’m loving these tacos. What amazing flavor combos.
wow looks SO good! love your Halloween theme too 🙂
These sound delish! P.s. I love your Halloween makeover!
It’s an oxtail kind of day 🙂 Not only do these look delicious, but I love your fusion twist with the wonton shells and Sriracha dipping sauce! I want!!!
Sriracha Dipping Sauce is amazing! Looks sooo good!
what a great idea to use won tons for taco shells 🙂 I use them for appetizers in a cupcake pan all the time will have to make some tacos with them!
Now these are my kind of tacos!! Great dish for a party and even though the braising takes time, it’s not direct hands on time – WOO HOO!!
Wow not only do they look delicious but that list of flavors in both the filling and the relish is stupendous and making me want to try them. Fabulous dish! Wow!
Holy Moly…these are love. I just tried oxtails for the first time last year. Wow. Wow. Wow. 🙂
Okay I have never in my life had oxtail but these sound mouth watering. I adore anything that takes hours and is a labor of love 😉
Wow, absolutely delicious looking. Love the creativity. Always meant to braise oxtails but never ventured into it. I know I would love it.Love the Asian/Mexican references fusion! 🙂
This looks incredible! Love oxtail, and I know these would be a hit at any party! Just brilliant.
I’ve been wanting these since you tweeted that photo yesterday. I’m still waiting you know.
The look and sound absolutely fabulous!
These look amazing!!! Not only do I love oxtail, but I love, love, love that you used wontons for the taco shells. Fusion at its best!
Fantastic! They look well worth the effort!
This is definitely a labor of love, but I’m sure it was worth every single minute. I may be salivating right now.
OMG! I knew there was a reason I loved you! This recipe is above and beyond and should be in the freezer case of every grocery store in america under your label!
You Rock!