The reduction of easily available methyl 5,6-dihydro-4H-1,2-oxazin-3-ylacetates provides an efficient route to different diastereomerically pure unnatural β-amino acids. A two-step protocol including reduction of the C=N bond of the initial oxazine with sodium cyanoborohydride during the first step and hydrogenation of the N-O bond during the second step produced the target β-amino acid esters with higher stereoselectivity than obtained with conventional catalytic hydrogenation.