Nourishing Korean Oxtail Soup Recipe

Korean Oxtail Soup is a delicious combination of onion, garlic, bacon, leeks, turnips, carrots, sake, rice vinegar, soy sauce, oxtail, miso, shiitake mushrooms, champignons de Paris (Parisian mushrooms), leeks, cilantro, Katsuobushi (optional), soba noodles and olive oil. Also known as kkori gomtang, gomguk, gomtang, oxtail broth or beef bone soup, it is nourishing and delicious.

We were inspired to make this Korean oxtail soup recipe while visiting our butcher’s stand at the Marché d’Aligre, our local covered Parisian market, a couple of weekends ago. If you are worried about finding oxtails near you, you can probably find them in an Asian grocery store in your area or even Whole Foods stocks them. You are going to love this Korean style oxtail soup!

We love this Korean Oxtail Soup (maangchi) (or ox bone soup) recipe video that shows you how to make the traditional Korean oxtail soup recipe step by step!

To make this Korean Oxtail Soup you will need

• Onion
• Fresh garlic
• Bacon
• Leeks
• Turnips
• Carrots
• Sake
• Rice vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Oxtail
• Miso cubes
• Shitake mushrooms
• Champignons de Paris (Parisian mushrooms)
• Cilantro
• Katsuobushi (dried shaved bonito flakes) (optional)
• Soba noodles
• Olive oil

On Sunday mornings, we love to wake up early and go for oysters and white wine at our favorite market, the Marché d’Aligre. That may sound like a strange combination to enjoy first thing in the morning, but I promise it is delightful! We will have a post coming out in the next couple weeks that will share our Sunday morning tradition with you. After we have our oysters and white wine, it’s time to head into the market. We stop to get a coffee which we carry with us as we shop at the butcher’s, the fish monger, our cheese stand and fill our basket with organic fruits and veggies. The butcher has a variety of meats to choose from and we love trying different kinds of meats and cuts of meats. The star of today’s recipe is oxtail.

This is our variation of a traditional Korean oxtail soup. Typically, the traditional soup has a clear, milky color and doesn’t have noodles in it. However, we added a Japanese touch with miso, soba noodles and Katsuobushi.

How to make Korean Style Oxtail Soup

Put 2 tbsp of olive oil in a crock pot. Add the onion, garlic, bacon, leeks and carrot and heat until the crock pot is warm (15 minutes). Meanwhile, put the oxtail into a large pot of cold water. Heat on high heat for 10 minutes while skimming.
Pour the sake, rice vinegar and soy sauce into the crock-pot. Add the oxtail, 6 pints of water, miso cubes, mushrooms and cilantro into the crock-pot. Heat for 24 hours. Cook the soba noodles according the indications on the package. Serve the soba noodles with broth, vegetables, oxtail and Katsuobushi.

Tips to make Korean Oxtail Soup

• Make it in the pressure cooker : cooking the oxtail broth in the pressure cooker is faster but in my opinion, you don’t get the same flavor as when you slow cook it in a slower cooker, instant pot or crock-pot. Place the oxtail in cold water and bring to a boil, skim the fat, put the onion, carrot, bacon, leeks, turnips, sake, rice vinegar, soy sauce, miso cubes, mushrooms, garlic and cilantro in the pressure cooker and close. Cook for one hour. Prepare the soba noddles and add into the soup at the end. Top with the Katsuobushi.
• Make it in the slow cooker : follow the same recipe we have listed below for making this Korean oxtail soup in the crock-pot.
• Make it in the instant pot : you can choose if you would like to make this soup using the slow cooker function or the pressure cooker function.

Add your own twist this Korean oxtail soup

• Add extra spice to make a spicy Korean oxtail soup.
• Feel free to add your favorite vegetables to this oxtail soup.

Korean Oxtail Soup Benefits

In addition to being delicious, there are several health benefits that are the result of eating oxtails. In addition to providing protein like any other meat, it also provides vitamins B12 and B6, calcium and iron. Consuming oxtail soup and particularly oxtail broth, has been linked to better joint health, improved immune system, better gut health (thanks to the gelatin content of oxtail), provides essential and non-essential amino acids and gut detoxification. You can read more about the nutritional value of eating oxtail from a doctor here.

Frequently asked questions about oxtail soup

Are oxtail beef or pork?

Beef! (However, there is also pork in this recipe – we added bacon for extra flavor.)

How does oxtail taste?

Oxtail has an earthy, strong beef flavor.

Can you eat oxtail when you are pregnant?

Oxtail is not on the list of foods to avoid during pregnancy. On the contrary, it seems to be recommended thanks to it’s nutritious collagen. Of course, consult your doctor if you have a question about your particular situation though.

What’s oxtail in French?

Here in Paris, when ordering oxtail, you ask for “queue de boeuf“.

What can oxtail be served with?

You can serve oxtail with a variety of ingredients. You can prepare it in this soup or as part of a stew. Serve with your favorite vegetables or even on top of a thick pasta like tagliatelle or pappardelle.

Can dogs eat oxtail meat?

Yes, but be careful with the bones! Only give your dog oxtail if it is cooked (and off the bone).

Where to buy oxtail?

Here in France and throughout Europe, you can easily find oxtail at your local butcher shop. If purchasing in the US, your best bet is to buy it from an Asian grocery store or we’ve even heard that Whole Foods now sells it.

Why is oxtail so fat?

The tail of the cow is naturally filled with fat, and most importantly, collagen. The collagen contributes to making this a healthy food to ingest.

Why is oxtail meat so expensive?

The cost of buying oxtail will vary depending on where you live. Here in France, oxtail is not a pricey cut. The popularity of the meat, and the health benefits, has made the price increase for oxtails in the US in recent years.

Why oxtail is good for you?

The high amount of collagen in oxtails make this a healthy meat.

You may need…

We made this delicious Korean oxtail broth in our crock-pot! This is the exact crock-pot that we used to make this recipe. It is the black, 8 quart, oval crock-pot and we love it. It is the THE tool to make all the cozy stews and soups you will be craving all Fall and Winter long.

More soup recipes on AHK

• Leek Sweet Potato Soup
• Carrot Coconut Curry Soup
• Miso Soup with Leeks and Carrots
• French Chestnut Soup
• Vegetarian French Onion Soup
• Erwtensoep (Dutch Split Pea Soup)
• French Pumpkin Soup

More soup recipes from other bloggers!

• Beef and Radish Soup (Maangchi)
• Spicy Korean Beef Noodle Soup (Jeanette’s Healthy Living)
• Kimchi Kongnamul Guk (Soybean Sprout Soup with Kimchi) (Korean Bapsang)

Korean Oxtail Soup Recipe

Korean Oxtail Soup is a delicious combination of onion, garlic, bacon, leeks, turnips, carrots, sake, rice vinegar, soy sauce, oxtail, miso, shiitake mushrooms, champignons de Paris (Parisian mushrooms), leeks, cilantro, Katsuobushi (optional), soba noodles and olive oil.

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First published October 30, 2018. Last updated April 3, 2021 with more information, additional tips, and better readability.

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