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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » Rabo Encendido (Spicy Dominican Oxtail Stew)

    Rabo Encendido (Spicy Dominican Oxtail Stew)

    Last Updated: May 7, 2020

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    Traditional Dominican StyleSpicy Oxtail Stew (Rabo Encendio) made with beef oxtail, onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro, carrots, tomato sauce, latin seasonings. #HertipOurRecipe #ad

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our affiliate notice for details. 

    This traditional Dominican Style Spicy Oxtail Stew (Rabo Encendido) is made with beef oxtail, veggies and Latin seasonings for the ultimate comfort food! The beef is slow-cooked for maximum flavor and requires just 10 minutes of prep time. Serve with rice for a hearty family meal everyone will love!

    Rabo Encendio served in a white bowl with rice

    There's nothing more comforting than a delicious beef stew and this traditional rabo encendido has to be my favorite! A little bit spicy, this traditional Dominican stew is super easy to prep and out of this world delicious!

    If you love this recipe, be sure to check out my Dominican Style Tripe Stew (Mondongo) and Sancocho.

    Spicy Oxtail Stew ingredients

    How To Make Rabo Encendido

    • In a large pot or caldero, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle oxtail with salt and pepper. Add meat to the pot and brown on all sides. Add water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 1 and a half hours, checking and adding more water as needed. 
    • When the meat is tender, add adobo, oregano, crushed red pepper, garlic, onion, peppers, carrots, tomato sauce, and olives. Mix to combine. 
    • Let simmer until all vegetables become tender and flavors combine, about 10 to 15 minutes. 
    • Serve warm with white rice and avocado. 
    Browning the oxtail in a cooking pot
    Adding other oxtail ingredients to the pot

    Can you make it in a slow cooker?

    What's awesome about this recipe is that you can make it on the stovetop as my mom does or you can make it easier on yourself and just put it all on the slow cooker.

    Be sure to scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for instructions on how to make this in your Crockpot.

    Rabo Encendio garnished with fresh herbs

    What is Rabo Encendido?

    This spicy oxtail stew is a very popular dish in the Dominican Republic called Rabo Encendido, which literally translates to oxtail on fire. Dominicans do not tend to eat very spicy food and this is one of the very few spicy dishes enjoyed in the country.

    Can you make it ahead of time?

    This Dominican oxtail stew is so perfect for meal prep and freezer meals. I often double the recipe so that I have some for easy to grab meals in the week. Let the stew cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. It will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer.

    Thaw the frozen stew in the fridge overnight and reheat it in a pan on the stovetop.

    Rabo Encendio in a bowl next to two forks

    A Traditional Oxtail Stew Recipe

    This spicy oxtail stew is made with beef oxtail, onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro, carrots, tomato sauce, Latin seasonings.

    For this recipe, I used Rumba Meats Oxtail, which I found in the meat case of my local retail grocery store. Rumba offers products that help me share my family’s heritage through food by providing the ingredients to make traditional dishes like this one.

    Every time I eat a plate of this stew is like I'm transported back to my beloved island.

    Recipe Notes and Tips

    • Keep your eye on the water level when you are cooking the oxtail and add more if needed.
    • Adjust the heat level of this Dominican stew to your taste. Add a little more ore less red pepper flakes if you wish.
    • This traditional recipe works really well with these veggies, but you can also add in additional veggies if you wish, mushrooms would work well!
    Overhead shot of Rabo Encendio served with rice

    More Beef Recipes

    • Beef Picadillo
    • Slow Cooker Shredded Beef
    • Dominican Chimichurri Burger
    • Slow Cooker Chili
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    Pin Recipe

    Spicy Oxtail Stew (Rabo Encendio)

    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time2 hrs
    Total Time2 hrs 10 mins
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 837kcal
    Print Recipe
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Dominican
    Author: Vanessa
    4.56 from 9 votes
    Rabo encendiio served in a bowl on top of white rice.
    Traditional Dominican Style Spicy Oxtail Stew (Rabo Encendio) made with beef oxtail, onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro, carrots, tomato sauce, latin seasonings. 

    INGREDIENTS

    • 4 lbs Rumba Meats Oxtail
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 2 - 3 cups water
    • 1 teaspoon adobo
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
    • 4 cloves garlic , minced
    • 1 medium red onion , chopped
    • 1 bell pepper , sliced
    • 1 carrot , cubed
    • ½ cup tomato sauce
    • ¼ cup olives

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • In a large pot or caldero, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle oxtail with salt and pepper. Add meat to the pot and brown on all sides. Add water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 1 and a half hours, checking and adding more water as needed. 
    • When meat is tender, add adobo, oregano, crushed red pepper, garlic, onion, peppers, carrots, tomato sauce, and olives. Mix to combine. 
    • Let simmer until all vegetables become tender and flavors combine, about 10 to 15 minutes. 
    • Serve warm with white rice and avocado. 

    NOTES

    • Keep your eye on the water level when you are cooking the oxtail and add more if needed.
    • Adjust the heat level of this Dominican stew to your taste. Add a little more ore less red pepper flakes if you wish.
    • This traditional recipe works really well with these veggies, but you can also add in additional veggies if you wish, mushrooms would work well!
    • To cook in the slow cooker, add all ingredients to a slow cooker after browning the oxtail and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 and a half hours on high. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 837kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 142g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Cholesterol: 499mg | Sodium: 2001mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3719IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 19mg

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    *Update Notes: This spicy oxtail stew recipe was originally published in May 2018 as part of a sponsored collaboration with Rumba Meats and #WeAllGrow Latina Network. It was updated in May 2020 with new process photos, and extra notes and tips.

    *This post contains affiliate links. We earn a small fee from any Amazon purchases made through the links in this post at no additional cost to you.

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    I’m a working mom, whose love for food led me to start this blog as a resource for other busy parents. I’m passionate about creating quick and easy versions of the recipes I grew up eating to share with busy parents who want to cook foods filled with Latin flavors that don’t take a ton of time to prepare.

    It is my mission to show you that you can make great flavorful dishes at home without spending the entire day in the kitchen.

    Find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest

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    Comments

    1. Ramon

      February 26, 2022 at 4:43 pm

      Holaaa, my wife and I love these Dominican dishes especially rabo encendido,it's our favorite, which we're preparing for dinner at this moment, and we're anxious to try other tasteful Dominican dishes,we live in Brownsville TX.

      Reply
    2. Lori

      October 01, 2020 at 7:45 am

      I cannot wait to make your oxtail stew... I love oxtail. Look yummy.

      Reply
    3. Michelle

      June 11, 2020 at 5:02 pm

      Absolutely delicious, followed instructions to the T except for adding a few extra seasoning for my taste but overall great recipie . I will never use another recipie so thank you

      Reply
      • Vanessa

        July 01, 2020 at 10:54 am

        Thank you for the comment, Michelle. I'm glad you like the recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Natalia Gibbs

      May 21, 2018 at 1:57 pm

      I can’t wait to make this. Your recipes are so simple to follow and your pics are so yummy

      Reply
      • Vanessa

        May 25, 2018 at 10:22 am

        Thank you!:)

        Reply

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    I grew up learning to cook traditional Dominican food, and I believe in the power of a good meal to bring a family together.

    As a busy mom, my goal is to show you that time or culinary skills don’t have to stand in the way of cooking delicious meals at home for your family.

    I’ll help you bring these craveable and comforting flavors into your busy life!

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