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Southern Beef Neck Bones

A rich, soulful Southern-style braised beef neck bones recipe where the meat becomes fall-apart tender in a deeply seasoned gravy. Comforting, hearty, and perfect with rice, potatoes, or cornbread.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs beef neck bones cleaned
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 3 celery stalks diced
  • 5 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water optional

Method
 

  1. Rinse and pat dry the neck bones.
  2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven and brown the neck bones on all sides. Remove.
  3. Sauté onion, bell pepper, and celery until soft. Add garlic.
  4. Add broth, water, Worcestershire, and seasonings. Stir well.
  5. Return neck bones, cover, and simmer on LOW for 2.5–3 hours until tender.
  6. Add cornstarch slurry if you want a thicker gravy; simmer 10 minutes.
  7. Remove bay leaves, skim fat, and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • For deeper flavor, brown the neck bones until dark golden before simmering.
  • Add potatoes during the last hour for a heartier meal.
  • Dish tastes even better the next day as flavors develop.