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Jamaican Curry Goat is a traditional, hearty dish made of tender goat meat and savoury potatoes, simmered in a rich, flavourful curry sauce. This recipe is marinated overnight in aromatic Jamaican spices, then slow-cooked to perfection. It’s a family favorite that pairs perfectly with white rice, plantain, and coleslaw.
Are you looking for more Jamaican curry recipes? Try my Jamaican Curry Chicken recipe, Jamaican Curry Shrimp, or this quick and easy Jamaican Coconut Curried Salmon for the perfect weeknight meal!
Table of Contents
- Jamaican Curry Goat
- Here’s Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- What is curry goat?
- Does curry goat taste like chicken?
- Ingredients
- How to Make Curry Goat
- See My Story Below for Step-by-Step Instructions!
- Top Tips
- Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing Curry Goat
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Other Jamaican Recipes
- Jamaican Curry Goat Recipe
Jamaican Curry Goat
Jamaican Curry Goat is one of my favourite Caribbean meals! It’s not your typical weeknight meal but it is always a treat. Goat is an underrated meat that is rich and succulent when simmered in a blend of curry powder, ginger, peppers, and fresh thyme, among other robust seasonings.
As it slowly cooks, your kitchen will be full of the inviting aroma of warm spices. We’re making this dish Jamaican restaurant-style so enjoy the process. You are about to make the best curry goat recipe!
Here’s Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy to Make: Learn how to make Jamaican curry goat with this hands-off recipe. Most of the “work” is in waiting for the flavours to marry, tenderizing the goat meat in the fridge, and allowing it to simmer on the stove for a couple of hours. All you need is patience and trust me, this is worth the wait!
- Perfect for Special Occasions: This standout dish is one of the most popular Caribbean meals. It’s a delicacy so it’s a bit pricier than your standard chicken, beef, or pork so it’s usually reserved for holidays and special occasions. When you serve this, your guests will definitely be impressed.
- Leftovers Aplenty: While this tastes delicious fresh, curried goat is one of those rare meals that tastes even better the next day. Make a big batch and you can feast on this for several days!
What is curry goat?
Curry goat (or goat curry, depending on where you are in the Caribbean) is a dish made with goat meat, seasoned with aromatic spices like curry powder, pimento, and thyme, then simmered until tender in a rich, savoury sauce.
Does curry goat taste like chicken?
Curry goat has a distinct taste that sets it apart from chicken. Goat meat has a slightly sweet, rich flavour with a tender, succulent texture. When combined with curry, it creates a savoury sauce infused with vibrant spices, giving it a unique and flavourful profile.
Ingredients
- Goat Meat: The main ingredient in this recipe. Cut it into chunks. Cooking curry goat is a healthier option because it’s leaner than most meats but packs just as much protein.
- Curry Powder: You definitely want to use quality Caribbean curry powder. Each culture/region has their own unique blend of spices that make up curry powder so it is important to use a Caribbean brand. Personally, I recommend using the Betapac Limited Curry Powder or the Montego Jamaican Style Mild or Spicy Curry Powder.
- Seasoning: I use a blend of all purpose seasoning, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper: The main flavour component in most Jamaican recipes, scotch bonnet adds a kick of spice.
- Pimento Seeds (allspice berries): This brings an aromatic quality to the dish as well as a depth of flavour.
- Aromatics: I use onion, escallion (scallions), and minced garlic.
- Fresh Thyme: Roughly chopped.
- Ginger: Fresh, grated.
- Water: The goat needs to stew in liquid until it becomes tender.
To Season Goat
- Potatoes: Cut into small chunks, this thickens the stew and makes it a heartier meal.
- Fresh Thyme: Roughly chopped.
- Garlic: Finely chopped.
- Ginger: Fresh, grated.
- Bell Pepper: Diced.
How to Make Curry Goat
Cleaning Goat Meat: Trim and Rinse
Using kitchen shears, trim any excess fat. Then, place goat meat in a large bowl and add cool water with either some vinegar or lemon juice. Using your hands, gently rub the pieces of meat together to remove any debris or excess fat. Then, rinse, drain and pat dry the meat.
Prep Goat Meat: Season
To the large bowl with the goat meat add dried and fresh seasoning – curry powder, all purpose seasoning, salt, black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, pimento seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, escallion, onion, garlic, thyme and ginger. Cover and allow to marinate in the fridge overnight, or at least a few hours.
Slow Cook Jamaican Curry Goat on the Stove Top
Heat a large dutch oven or pot over high heat and add vegetable oil. When hot, add the goat meat and cover with a heavy lid. The goat meat will eventually spring its own “water” or liquid, when this has drawn down (almost like frying) add 5 cups of water, or enough to fully cover the meat. Cover and allow to cook on medium heat for approx. an hour to an hour and a half (or more depending on the meat).
Periodically check the pot to ensure the water hasn’t dried out before the meat has cooked and become tender to your liking. Keep adding additional cups of water until desired tenderness has been reached.
Add additional seasoning – potato, thyme, garlic, ginger, sweet pepper, and salt if needed. Then add one cup of water (or more) to cover the potatoes and meat. Leave to simmer on medium-low heat until the potato are fork-tender and the sauce has thickened. Serve hot and enjoy!
See My Story Below for Step-by-Step Instructions!
Top Tips
- Wash the Meat. You must wash the goat meat before cooking. Goat meat can have a distinct, gamey scent if not washed thoroughly. It would ruin the whole dish if cuts of meat were not properly cleansed prior to cooking so don’t skip that crucial step.
- Pat Dry Meat. After washing the meat, be sure to pat it dry so the seasoning sticks.
- Marinate. Goat meat is thick and tough so it needs time to marinate. There’s no way around this. Marinate for at least four hours but preferably overnight.
- Add Water. Gradually add the water so you don’t end up with a bland curry goat. I recommend pouring the first batch of water from the same bowl used to marinate the goat so it absorbs those flavours as well.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Type of Meat: I highly recommend using goat meat for this recipe but if you don’t have any, you can use lamb or even beef instead. You need hearty meat with bones that can withstand long, slow, cooking.
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper: if you don’t have scotch bonnet pepper, swap it out for habanero pepper.
- Coconut Milk: while traditional curry goat does not include coconut milk, some recipe variations will add this.
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker: To speed up the cooking process, you can make Jamaican Curry Goat in an Instant Pot. This method reduces the cooking time significantly, with tender, flavourful goat meat ready in just 35-45 minutes. After pressure cooking, simply add the potatoes and additional seasoning, then use the sauté function to simmer until the sauce thickens, offering a faster alternative to the traditional stovetop method.
Serving Suggestions
Curried goat and rice is a delicious, classic combination. You could swap the white rice for Jamaican Rice and Peas. Yams and plantains would also complement this dish.
Storing Curry Goat
Store leftover curry goat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze and it will last up to 3 months.
Reheat over low heat in the oven or over low-medium heat on the stove until it’s evenly warmed.
Can I Make this Ahead of Time?
Yes. The marinating process takes at least four hours so that should be done ahead. You can make curry goat ahead of time. See below for storage and reheating instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Your curry goat might taste bitter if the curry powder was burned during sautéing, or if the Scotch bonnet pepper burst during cooking, releasing its seeds. To avoid this, sauté the curry gently and monitor the pepper while cooking.
It has a medium spice level. The scotch bonnet brings the heat but the sweetness of the goat balances it out. If you prefer a less spicy curry goat, leave out the scotch bonnet pepper.
Most international markets sell goat meat. Halal, Mexican, and African shops tend to sell goat meat too.
Yes. As long as the goat meat is halal (meaning it has been slaughtered and prepared according to Islamic dietary laws) Muslims can consume it. However, it’s important to ensure that all recipe ingredients are also halal-compliant.
No. The term mutton is often used interchangeably between sheep and goat. However, mutton actually references lambs that are older than one year (mature sheep).
Other Jamaican Recipes
- Ackee and Saltfish
- Brown Stew Fish
- Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
- Jamaican Red Peas Soup
- Jerk Chicken Sandwich
- Jamaican Chicken Soup
- How to Soak Fruit for Christmas Cake
- Easy Jamaican Pigeon “Gungo” Peas and Rice
- Jamaican Pickled Vegetables (Escovitch Sauce)
- Jamaican Curry Shrimp (Seafood)
- Quick & Easy Jamaican Jerk Chicken
- Jamaican Rasta Pasta
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Jamaican Curry Goat
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl to season and marinate goat meat
- Large Dutch Oven or Pot
Ingredients
- 2 lb Goat Meat, cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp Curry Powder, betapac or montego brand curry recommended
- 1 tbsp All Purpose Seasoning
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper
- 8 Pimento Seeds, or allspice berries
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 med Onion, finely chopped
- 3 stalks Escallion, green onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced, or finely chopped
- 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 tsp Ginger, grated
- 6-10 cups Water, divded
To Season Goat
- 1 med Potato, cut into small chunks
- 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp Ginger
- 1/4 Bell Pepper, diced
Instructions
Prep Goat Meat: Trim and Rinse
- Using kitchen shears, trim any excess fat. Then, place goat meat in a large bowl and add cool water with either some vinegar or lemon juice. Using your hands, gently rub the pieces of meat together to remove any debris or excess fat. Then, rinse, drain and pat dry the meat.
Prep Goat Meat: Season
- To the large bowl with the goat meat add dried and fresh seasoning – curry powder, all purpose seasoning, salt, black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, pimento seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, escallion, onion, garlic, thyme and ginger. Cover and allow to marinate in fridge overnight, or at least a few hours.
Jamaican Curry Goat
- Heat a large dutch oven or pot over high heat and add vegetable oil. When hot, add the goat meat and cover with a heavy lid.
- The goat meat will eventually spring its own "water" or liquid, when this has drawn down (almost like frying) add 5 cups of water, or enough to fully cover the meat. Cover and allow to cook on medium heat for approx. an hour to an hour and a half (or more depending on the meat).
- Periodically check the pot to ensure the water hasn't dried out before the meat has cooked and become tender to your liking. Keep adding additional cups of water until desired tenderness has been reached.
- Add additional seasoning – potato, thyme, garlic, ginger, sweet pepper and salt if needed. Then add one cup of water (or more) to cover potatoes and meat. Leave to simmer on medium low heat until the potato are fork tender and sauce has thickened. Serve hot and enjoy!
Well, what can one say? It’s a shame other vistor do not come to your website i lloked at one who 74 comments but like your and so glad i did it was Bloody amazing
THANK YOU SO MUCH
Hhaha! I’m so glad you tried it out and loved it!! Thanks so much for leaving a review to let everyone else know to try it as well!! Awesome!!
I didn’t try it yet, but i would really like to know what cut of meat you used for the stew. Will any ‘stew’ cut work for this dish or do you have any recommendations?
If you enjoy have curry goat with bones I’d recommend the rib cuts, but if you prefer more meaty I’d recommend the shoulder or the leg!! Hope this helps!
Brilliant recipe. I made it last week. Goat I got out of the freezer from an African shop. I did use no bones meat as the meat was cut frozen which means the bony meat has lots of splinters. Decent anatomical cuts – the bones in would clearly be better. Agreed.
Comment – the cooking takes a lot longer, maybe I had an old goat. More like 4-6 hrs. But I kind of expected that. I left it a couple of nights in the fridge after cooking before eating and that was further a good thing.
Hi Peter! Thanks so much for leaving this feedback! I understand why you opted for the boneless goat, and regardless of bone-in or boneless the recipe is a winner! Also, yes – the older the goat, the tougher the meat, the more time it takes to cook until tender! I’m so happy you enjoyed!
I can’t wait to make this! I am curious though I have a jar of Monsoon Coast Tobago habanero curry powder, would that work in this recipe?
Also could it be done in an instant pot? It is all I have to cook with
Hi Fraser, absolutely it can be done in the instapot – it’ll be ready faster and tender! Just put it on sauté mode towards the end to adjust the seasoning as desired and let it simmer until ready! Also, absolutely! I would definitely give that curry a try!
I have tried a few times to make curry goat but it never turned out properly, this recipe finally got me there, it came out delicious I’m so happy, the only change was using boneless mutton instead of goat, I really love the tips and instructions as I think this made all the difference, thank you!
I love this for you Alaina!! Yayyyy to finally getting it right! So happy I could assist!!