Jamaican Curry Goat Recipe
My Jamaican curry goat recipe is an incredibly delicious slow-cooked stew full of fork-tender goat meat and spicy Jamaican flavor, all smothered in a creamy gravy! An absolutely must-make Jamaican recipe that takes out-of-the-ordinary into spicy deliciousness! Incredibly easy with minimal prep makes it even better.
We enjoy goat meat quite regularly in my beloved Cameroon. So when I tried curry goat in a Jamaican restaurant, it was like going home. Adding this recipe to my repertoire was only natural.
Ask anyone who loves Jamaican food to choose their favorite recipe, and curry goat will appear on the list. Although it has become increasingly popular in the States due to the influx of different cultures, it’s not celebrated nearly as it should be. While food choice is a personal matter, my personal opinion is that having an open mind leads to more joy.
Did you know that goat is the most consumed meat throughout the world? Plus, because goats and sheep are more likely to be free-range and pasture-fed, they’re better for us than commercially raised beef and chicken.
However, I love the flavor when properly cooked. I like it thick and creamy but sometimes adjust flavors and textures for the family. It would be a crime to miss out on trying this curry at least once in your life.
Jamaican Curry, the Perfect Spice Mix for Goat
The aromatic blend of garlic, ginger, thyme, onion, and hot pepper added to traditional curry spices takes center stage in Jamaican curry powder. Something about those spices marries well with the unique flavor of goat. For even more amazing results, make your own. You can use less of the homemade version because it doesn’t contain fillers, and fresh spices pack a bigger flavor punch.
How to Make Jamaican Curry Goat
- Season the meat with salt and pepper, and set aside.
- Sear: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sear the goat meat, stirring frequently, scraping browned bits off the bottom of the pot. (Photo 1)
- Spice: Add the curry powder and stir for 1-2 minutes to bloom the flavors. Add the garlic, ginger, white pepper, onions, thyme, tomato paste, scallions (green onions), and scotch bonnet pepper and stir for another minute. (Photos 2-3)
- Simmer: Pour in just enough water to cover the meat, bring it to a boil, and simmer until tender. (It takes about 2 hours, depending on the cut and altitude.) Stir occasionally and add more water as needed. (Photo 4)
- Add the potatoes and bouillon powder about 20 minutes before removing the pot from the heat. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender (for thicker stew, cook them until they start falling apart. (Photo 5)
- Serve: Adjust the stew’s thickness with water or stock. Remove from the heat and enjoy. (Photo 6)
Recipe Tips
- Goat meat is available at most international, halal, and Latin American markets. It’s comparable to beef shanks or briskets, so feel free to swap out beef if you can’t find it.
- Searing is optional but adds flavor. Sometimes, I skip that, assemble everything in a crockpot, and let it take care of itself when I’m short on time.
Batch Cooking and Storage
Making a double batch of stew and freezing it in serving or meal-size portions is a fantastic time-saver. It also helps me stay on a healthy diet without stressing.
Goat stew lasts 3-4 days in the fridge or 3-4 months in the freezer.
What to Serve With Jamaican Curry Goat
Rice and peas or beans and fried plantains are my favorite sides. You’ll be so happy you tried it. Enjoy!
More Mind-Blowing Goat Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”nJSsvpCs” upload-date=”Mon Aug 06 2018 20:36:18 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Jamaican Curry Goat” description=”Jamaican Curry Goat – insanely delicious slow cooked Jamaican Spiced Curry that is full of flavour and tender to the bone! An absolutely must-make Jamaican food! So easy to make with minimal prep.”]
This blog post was originally published in April 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Jamaican Curry Goat
Ingredients
- 3-3½ pounds (1.5-2k) goat meat (cut into chunks)
- ¼ cup (60ml) cooking oil
- 4-5 tablespoons (30-40g) Jamaican curry powder
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced garlic
- 1-2 teaspoons (5-10g) minced ginger
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon (2-3g) white pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons (1-2g) fresh thyme
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon (15g) tomato paste
- water to cover
- 2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (or any hot pepper; adjust to suit tastes)
- 1 tablespoon (10g) bouillon powder (optional)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Season the goat meat with salt and pepper, and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat until hot, then add the meat, stirring frequently and scraping browned bits off the bottom.
- When the meat has browned, add the curry powder and stir for 1-2 minutes.
- Then add the garlic, ginger, onion, white pepper, thyme, scallions (green onions), tomato paste, and scotch bonnet pepper, and stir for another minute.
- Pour in just enough water (or broth) to cover the meat, bring to a boil, and simmer until tender. The time will depend on the meat, altitude, and preference, but mine takes 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally and add more liquid as needed.
- Add the potatoes and bouillon powder 15-20 minutes before the stew is done. Continue cooking it until the potatoes are tender. For a thicker stew, cook the potatoes until they start falling apart. You can thin it with water or stock if it gets too thick.
Tips & Notes:
- Feel free to use a slow cooker or a pressure cooker for this recipe. You may want to reduce the water or broth for a thicker stew
- Yuca, true yams, and sweet potatoes make tasty substitutes for potatoes
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe
Can I use lamb necks?
Hi Christi. You sure can! While I don’t always recommend replacing lamb with goat unless you really love the goaty flavor, replacing goat with lamb is perfectly fine. At least in my opinion. Please let me know what you think after you try it.
It’s was a hit reminded me of oxtails
This is a brilliant recipe. 5 stars for you.
My story that I tried a Caribbean Curry and fell in love with it. Sooo good…
I ended up spending too much money in restaurants and decided to make my own at home
I searched long and hard for a recipe that I could easily do liked – and yours looked perfect. I only needed to buy one or two ingredients because I had everything else in my store cupboard. That’s important.
I made it exactly as you described, although once I seared the meat and done the other stuff I put it all in a slow cooker crockpot for a couple of hours.
I could tell from the smell it was going to hit every single tastebud. I genuinely got excited!
The end result was delicious.
I have read the other comments on here and I’ve noticed people saying they’ve made this 20 times or every week or whatever and I completely understand that. I’m one of them in fact!
I reckon most of us here know that food is love so thank you for sharing the love! I shall be trying some of your other recipes
Thank you, John. Comments like yours makes me so happy.
I love this recipe! It’s the only way I fix goat meat.
I added coriander and sweet potatoes to the recipe to change it up slightly
That sounds amazing! Thanks for the feedback.
MAGNIFICENT! Thank you. Changes I made to compensate. I didn’t have tomato paste. Used a heart of Celery with the leaves, 20 baby carrots, 1 shallot, 10 whole allspice, 1 whole Scotch bonnet. Green curry mix I had. I boiled everything together skimming off the top as needed and adding water as needed. Mineral salt to taste. It is out of this world. A bag of Goat cubes from wild forks. Hope this helps anyone. I will be making this again this week. Thrilled. Thank you again.
Great substitutes. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for the Wild Forks info! I thought I was going to have to buy a huge box from our Costco Business center, but we just got a Wild Forks in the neighborhood. Love them and their prices!
Have been using this recipe for over 5 years !
My favourite !!!!
That is the biggest compliment! Thank you so much for sharing, this made my day
I have cooked this recipe close to 20 times now and it’s just such a delicious and easy recipe…
Weekly staple in my house now, plus you can batch cook and freeze…
Amazing!
Hi L.J,
Wow—20 times?! That seriously makes my day! So glad it’s become a weekly staple for you. Love that you’re batch cooking and freezing too—smart and delicious! Thank you!
Hi, it’s because of this review I’m trying this recipe, wish me luck
Can I use baby new potatoes & would I need to take the skin off please.
Absolutely – and no need to take off the skins
Fantastic recipe! Cooked this once and won’t be the last time! We have a lot of wild goats here in New Zealand- lucky to have a mate who hunts them. Just got another couple of meaty bones gifted. Thank you
That sounds amazing Birgit. Fresh wild goat? Now that’s next-level flavor! So glad you loved the recipe—sounds like you’ve got the perfect hookup for more delicious meals. Happy cooking, and enjoy those meaty bones!
I loved this recipe so much!
Thanks so much!!!
Amazing recipe
This is my go-to now and we have it weekly!
I am asked to make it and take to friends and family occasions
This easy recipe is a game changer … Highly recommend!!!!
Wow, that makes me so happy to hear! I’m thrilled this recipe has become a staple for you and that you’re sharing it with friends and family. Thank you so much for the love and recommendation! ❤️
This is my first time cooking this and it turned out fabulous! I substituted butter beans for the potatoes; great meal.
I’m so glad it turned out fabulous! Substituting butter beans for the potatoes sounds like a delicious twist—great idea!