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Chinese Oxtail Soup
5 from 18 votes

Chinese Oxtail Soup

Chinese Oxtail Soup is a richly flavored broth made by roasting oxtails then simmering them with aromatics like ginger, garlic, onion, star anise, peppercorns, and soy sauce. The soup is strained and served with choice of noodles and spring onions, offering a warming, hearty meal with deep umami notes and tender meat.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 594 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

For the broth
  • 2 lb oxtails
  • 1 onion (medium sized, halved)
  • 5 cm ginger (peeled & sliced)
  • 4 garlic peeled, cloves
  • 2 star anise
  • ½ tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
Other ingredients
  • noodles (rice, egg or flour noodles - you choose)
  • 3 spring onions finely sliced

Instructions

To make the broth
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 200ºC/395ºF
  2. Place the oxtails on a roasting tray and roast for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes.
For Instant Pot
  1. Place the oxtails into the Instant Pot along with all the other broth ingredients. Pour over 8 cups of water. Attach the lid, set to high pressure cook for 2 hours.
  2. After 2 hours, release the pressure and carefully remove the meat from the pan to cool.
For stove top
  1. Place the oxtails into a large casserole pan with all the other broth ingredients. Pour over 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to very low, so that the liquid is barely simmering. Simmer very gently, covered, for 6 hours.
  2. Carefully remove the meat from the pan and leave it to cool.
Finishing the soup
  1. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the soup and discard the solids. If you have a lot of fat on top, you can skim this off with a spoon or use a gravy separator (these are marvellous). Keep the broth warm on a low heat.
  2. Once the meat has cooled enough to handle, pick apart the meat from the fat, bone and cartilage. Keep the meat, discard everything else. Set aside.
  3. Cook your noodles to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and place a small mound in the centre of an Asian soup bowl or deep soup bowl then pop on top a little meat.
  4. Add 4-5 ladles of piping hot broth per person and then sprinkle over some spring onion. That's it! Enjoy!

Notes

  • Serve the soup hot, garnished with finely sliced spring onions for freshness.
  • Add Asian greens such as bok choy or Chinese celery for additional texture and nutrients.
  • Root vegetables like turnip and carrot can be cooked separately or in the broth until soft to enrich the soup.
  • Rice, egg, or flour noodles can be used as preferred; prepare noodles fresh when serving to preserve texture.
  • Substitute beef bones if oxtails are unavailable, or use pork bones/ribs for a pork variation.
  • Store broth and meat in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to one week or freeze them separately for over three months.
  • Avoid freezing noodles within the soup as their texture deteriorates; cook fresh noodles when serving.

Nutrition Information

Calories 594kcal (30%) Carbohydrates 7g (2%) Protein 72g (144%) Fat 30g (46%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Cholesterol 249mg (83%) Sodium 1528mg (64%) Potassium 129mg (3%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 103IU (2%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 78mg (8%) Iron 10mg (56%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 594

% Daily Value*

Calories 594kcal 30%
Carbohydrates 7g 2%
Protein 72g 144%
Fat 30g 46%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Cholesterol 249mg 83%
Sodium 1528mg 64%
Potassium 129mg 3%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 103IU 2%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 78mg 8%
Iron 10mg 56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.