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
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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
This recipe was absolutely PERFECT! I have never had goat that tasted this good! Hubby couldn’t stop raving and I couldn’t stop eating haha!
I will only use this recipe, always comes out perfect.
Thanks Carol! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi, Just simmering now and smells fantastic… Just to check… Simmer with lid on or off?
Many thanks
With the lid. 🙂
Once the curry mix is made, you can whip this up again with ease. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Thanks Alisha! Glad you liked it!
Planning on making this, just wondering if I could make this in a slow cooker whilst at work?
I love this recipe and have been using this for about 2 years now. As a suggestion, you can add some allspice and also towards the end a splash of coconut milk to the curry. Personally, I felt this added an extra flavour to the dish.
I have made this recipe over and over again! LOVE it – so authentic
This was the PERFECT meal for my partner’s birthday dinner – with your rice & beans recipe, and saltfish fritters for a starter! One question: I made quite a lot…are the leftovers ok to be frozen?
Hi Jenna! I am so happy you liked this Curry Goat Recipe. Yess! Please make sure your curry is completely cold before you freeze it.
I love this recipe really easy to cook and tastes amazing
I made this today and it’s delicious! This was my first time ever having goat meat and I really enjoyed it. I used a small amount of potato flakes to thicken the sauce at the end, instead of using whole potatoes. I didn’t need much, though, because the sauce thickened very nicely by itself even before I added the flakes. I also made the coconut rice you suggested and they were definitely made for each other. So good! Thank you –
Great recipe!
So glad you like it. Let me know how it turns out when you bake it… I can’t wait.
This recepie is excellent, my family loves it. Thank you.
I’m so happy to know this! If you’re up for another curry recipe for next time, here’s one: Ground Beef Curry. Enjoy!
This is the second time we’ve made this and it’s amazing! The pepper kicks up the heat a bit too much for my kids so used hot curry powder instead and it was perfect! Absolutely amazing.
Glad you enjoyed this recipe! I have some awesome list of 25 Insanely Good Summer Desserts your kids might enjoy, too 😉
Been my go to Curry Goat recipe for so long, so finally getting around to a review. Tasty stuff
Wow! Thank you, Marc! Have you also tried the Curried Goat Stew?
I’ve made this recipe at least a dozen time now. Using all sorts of meat from goat, to pork, beef, chicken and even fish. It’s always a crowd pleaser and it’s now one of my most favourite things to eat. It reminds me of the curry my Jamaican grandmother used to make for me as a kid. I’ll never stop eating this.
HI. What cut of meat is used?
HI . Using GOAT. What cut of meat used?
Shanks or briskets is okay, Kat 🙂
Made this dish for my fiance, he absolutely loves it!!! So do I!! I pair it with your rice and beans…..so delicious!
Thank you so much, Ericka! 🙂
Made this, we both loved it. I substituted goat for lamb. I Don usually like this dish bit this recipe….wow, making it again and my fiancé’s brother wants me to make it for him too!!!!.
Thanks so much, Angie! 🙂
Didnt brown the meat first? Now what. I cooked it and everything else..tatse good but didnt shrink and very tender
Hi Sally! Thank you for dropping by! 🙂
You need to brown the meat first to better bring out its flavor, just like in step 2 of this recipe…
“In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat, until hot, and then add the goat meat sauté stirring, frequently, any browned bits off the bottom of the pot, until goat is brown.” and the meat we want to have should be tasty and tender after hours of simmering it.
Maybe next time you can try to adjust the cooking time depending on the size and weight of the meat that you will use, so you can achieve your desired tenderness of goat meat.
Perfect! Thank you so much!
This recipe was easy to follow and the results yielded a delicious meal-better than any restaurant. I prefer my gravy to be a thicker so I added flour and sweet potatoes.
That’s great what you made to thicken your gravy! Thank you for sharing, Keary! 🙂
This was really delicious! I skipped the hot pepper and used Cool Runnings curry goat. I also added some fresh peas because they needed to be used. It was quite mild as far as heat, but very rich in flavor. Will absolutely make again.
Still sounds good, Maggie! Thank you for sharing this 🙂