Curry Oxtail Stew Instant Pot

Curry Oxtail Stew Instant Pot is slow cooked oxtail in tomato base and savory curry powder in a variety of vegetables.

Curry Oxtail Stew was a staple in my Mom’s kitchen when we were growing up. When she made it though, it doesn’t have vegetables. This was always a big hit with us. It's delicious, flavorful and no vegetables.

For a long time, I made it without vegetables and it was delicious. Then one day, I needed to use up all the potatoes and carrots I have before they go bad.

Since then, I have tweaked my mom’s  recipe by adding these veggies plus green peas when I make this oxtail stew.

The vegetables complement the rich flavor of oxtail so well plus it thickens the sauce.

Honestly, I don’t know if this is a Filipino recipe. I know it’s Asian but which country, I have no clue.

What is Oxtail?

Oxtail is the tail of a cow and a tough piece of meat. It is skinned, fat is trimmed and then cut. In some countries, it is considered a delicacy.

It is slow cooked or braised for hours in sauce using a pot, dutch oven or crock pot. To quickly tenderize the meat, a pressure cooker or an instant pot is used and cooking time is cut in half.

When I buy oxtail, I try to select the same sizes of meat so it cooks at the same time.

Most of the time though, stores packaged oxtail with different sizes. When cooking, remove the smallest piece when tender and continue cooking the bigger portions.

Years ago, oxtail, bones and other parts of meat were cheap but stores caught on and realized that these parts are commonly used by other ethnicity. Guess what, prices went up.

If you’ve never had oxtail, you’ll be surprise how good this meat is. A properly cooked oxtail will melt in your mouth with creamy marrow at the center of each bone.

I’m not a big fan of fall of the bone meat but when I cook oxtail, I want my meat tender but intact. I like to be able to pull the meat from the bone using fork and knife or spoon without using too much effort.

If meat is tough and hard to detach from bone, then it is under cooked. A well cooked oxtail, in my opinion, is better than other beef parts.

How to Remove Oxtail Fat?

Oxtail is fatty, so it is best to trim the fat off before cooking. Most stores do.

Also, while cooking, you can slowly skimmed off the fat. But the easiest way to remove fat, when done cooking, let it cool and place in the fridge for half a day or overnight. Fat will harden and you can remove it with a spoon.

Can I freeze Leftover Curry Oxtail Stew?

Yes, freeze it for a couple of months in a well seal container. Making extra servings will save you time.

I suggest only freezing tenderized oxtail with sauce. When ready to eat, cook with fresh vegetables.

How to Cook Curry Oxtail Stew Instant Pot

If you have a pressure cooker or instant pot, use it to tenderize the oxtail. It will tremendously cut the cooking time.

My previous instant pot recipes had very detailed steps within the recipe but some people mentioned that the recipe was too long. So instead of having it in the recipe, now I have it within the blog.

By now, I am assuming you are familiar with your instant pot. I am not including these steps in my recipe card.

If this is your first time using your instant pot, please read the manual for your safety and to familiarize yourself with the different features of this device.

My instructions DOES NOT REPLACE THE MANUAL.

It will explain in details the different instant pot programs and what to do and what NOT to do. You will enjoy your instant pot if you have a better understanding of all these functions.

Place the condensation collector behind the cooker and plug the instant pot.

You will use the SAUTE program twice. Before and after using PRESSURE COOK.

Press the "SAUTE" program and set time to 30 minutes Note: 30 minutes is the maximum time you can assign. If you need more time, set the time again otherwise, if done before time elapse, CANCEL program.

Half cook potatoes, carrots and red bell pepper. Set aside

Brown oxtail on all sides.

Saute onion and garlic. Add tomato sauce and water. Simmer for 10 minutes.

A regular pot lid can be used to cover instant pot while simmering. DO NOT USE instant pot lid, it is only used when using pressure cooker.

Cancel SAUTE, if program is not done yet or if display shows L000 etc, press CANCEL.

Place instant pot lid and turn the steam release handle to "SEALING".

Press PRESSURE COOK and set time for 30 minutes. (I used a 2.27 pounds oxtail that were medium and large in sizes. Initially, I set the time to 30 minutes, then waited for pressure released and checked if oxtail was already tender. I set the time again for 15 minutes.)

Note: Your “PRESSURE COOK” time will slightly differ depending on the size and amount of oxtail.

After a few minutes, the FLOAT VALVE will pop-up, an indication that the instant pot is pressurized and the countdown begins.

Once cooking time is done, "PRESSURE COOK" program will no longer be lit. The display will show the elasped time. Example: L000

Press "CANCEL".

Wait for FLOAT VALVE to go down before opening the lid. Note: You can also do a quick pressure release but be very careful when doing this. Refer to the manual for detailed instructions.

Turn the steam release handle to "VENTING".

Open the lid.

Press the "SAUTE" program and set time to 30 minutes. Stir-in curry powder. Add potatoes, carrots and green peas (I used frozen green peas). Season with salt or fish sauce. Bring to a simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender. CANCEL program and add red bell pepper.

Serve hot. Enjoy!

Would you like to try another delicious oxtail recipe? Try my Oxtail and Tripe Kare Kare recipe. It is so scrumptious.