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
As a white man with next to no knowledge on this kind of food i was looking for recipes. I am currently making my own curry goat for the first time. I love it, i often order it from Jamaican restaurants etc but i thought i would try my own. Thankyou.
As a caucasian lady with a jamaican partner who himself owns and runs a jamaican resteraunt , my brain went dead on Sunday and I just couldn’t remember how to cook the goat as I generally do chicken rice and peas … amazing!
Hello Lauren. I am glad it worked out well. Thanks for stopping by!
Just so you know this is now a weekly staple in my household and I made it for a work pot luck lunch and won the best dish for it.
I’ve sent everyone the recipe and for such a simple recipe it is soooo flavoursome.
Can you please point me to any other spicy recipes you think I might like. I’ve been trawling your website for a recipe that I might like as much as this one!
Question, is this beef bullion?
Hi Jane,
Beef or chicken bouillon works just fine , in the recipe .
Absolutely brilliant recipe, thanks for sharing. I added bay leaves to the mix and replaced tomato puree with tomato ketchup (genuinely brilliant substitute if you are short on the former, please try). Also, the bullion powder wasn’t needed for me, would have been too salty.
Keep in mind…bullion wasn’t necessary for you because of the ketchup substitution. Ketchup has an extremely high sodium content ❤
This was recipe was out of this world delicious!! I paired it with the rice and peas as suggested and mmm, mmm, mmm!! Thank you!
I’ve had this about 8x and this recipe is perfection!!!
Thank you so much!
You’re fantastic!!!
Could this Recipe be made without onions? If so, what could i substitute with?
Lovely looking recipe.
Thank you. You may leave it out, if you want.
I am making this recipe right now as I type this. Its been simmering for about 3 hrs and the goat is pretty tender. My only thing is the liquid is not thickening up. What can I do?
Add about 1-2 tablespoons of corn starch to bowl mix with about 2-3 tablespoons of water, add to the pot stir and continue cooking until it thickens up.
Could I make this in the slow cooker?
Yes you can. I do as she says in a pot as per instructions then pour it into the slow cooker for 9 hours on low. It tastes even better
When I place my order for the actual goat meat; how do I order? What part of the goat do I want? So that my pieces may resemble how yours appear?
Sis
I really need your help;
When going to purchase the goat meat, what I’m I asking the butcher for exactly???
Cube cut or what????
Thanx in advance.
Hi kindra,
I usually just ask for goat meat – cut in medium pieces, any part of goat meat works just fine with this recipe
Hi, I am allergic to tomato what could I use instead? Many thanks
You may leave out the tomatoes. It will taste good.
I do not want it to be spicy. Can I still make it without the scotch bonnet pepper? Will it taste different?
Yes you can. Just leave out the pepper completely.
Hello,
This is my first time making this dish and cooking with goat. I’m having difficulty with getting the meat to become tender. It’s rather tough and rubbery. Did I over cook or does it still need to be simmered longer?
Thanks! P.s. I’ve tried so many of ur recipes and they have been absolutely wonderful ☺️
Hello,
Goat meat has to be cooked for several hours on medium low heat to render it tender and falling off the bone . You might still salvage it by cooking on low heat a little longer.
Hi
Why stage do you add the onion?
You add the onions after adding the curry powder .
Thanks for sharing Your recipe.
On a gray and rainy day in Norway it gave us some good and warm memories from Montego Bay.
Highly recommended 🙂
Thank you for sharing. Easy to follow, turned out amazing, better than jamaican food shop!
We are on it thanks alot
This recipe was easy and excellent. Thank You.
I am going to try making this for Christmas dinner as we have a Jamaican in the house. I have a question though, how many pounds of goat meat do I need? It’s listed 3-3 1/2 lbs. What does this mean?
It means any amount of meat that’s between 3 -3 and 1/2 pounds would work.
3 – 3.5 pounds is about 1.5 kilo if that’s the issue. The recipe says this serves 6 people but I suppose that depends on their apetite.
I would suggest you allow about 400 grams of meat per person (adult) and adjust the rest of the recipe for that quantity of meat.
This is lovely by the way.
1kg = 2.2lb
Just go to your butcher/supermarket and ask for that amount in goat meat (1.4-1.6kg). I made this with a mix of Beef Cheek, and Lamb Chops. It was absolutely beautiful. Also topped it with Red Wine instead of water. Really deepened the flavour.
Hello! Just wanted to thank you for the recipe. I made it last year for a family member and it was very popular. So popular that I was specifically asked to make it again. Another dish of yours won me serious points with my SO’s family.
Thanks again and enjoy your holiday.
Wohooo! I’m so happy for you. Happy holidays to you, too.
I finally made this yesterday and it is excellent. I had to drive a long distance to get goat, but it was worth it. After reviewing your comments, Imma, I will use beef shanks next time, as it is much easier to find in my part of Michigan. Thanks for a great meal.
If you haven’t already, check Middle Eastern stores. Almost all of them carry it, and there are more out there than you’d expect, even in my rural southern state.