Jamaican Goat Curry Recipe

There are very few Jamaican dishes more popular or delicious than goat curry.

Updated October 18, 2018

You can't get more classic than Jamaican goat curry. Curry powder is soaked in oil and pan-fried to bring out its flavor. A mixture of onions, garlic, peppers, and spices flavor the chunks of goat as they cook and become tender. The final product is an aromatic and delicious mixture of pull-apart goat meat and potatoes.

Serious Eats

Recipe Details

Jamaican Goat Curry Recipe

Active 45 mins

Total 3 hrs 45 mins

Serves 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 pounds bone-in goat meat for stew (about 2-inch chunks)
2 medium onions, chopped medium (about 2 cups)
3 medium garlic cloves, smashed
4 to 5 tablespoons Jamaican curry powder (spicy or non-spicy)
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 tablespoons minced)
2 to 3 habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, seeded and chopped
1 quart water or low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)

Directions

For the Curry: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 3-quart saucepan or dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1/3 of goat to pan and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining goat in two more batches, adding additional oil as necessary and controlling heat to prevent burning.
Return pan to heat and add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until onions are softened, about 4 minutes. Add curry powder and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add ginger and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the water or chicken broth to the pot, along with the browned meat. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Add potatoes and continue cooking until goat is completely tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer.
For Serving: Skim the fat off the broth. Or, let the curry cool and place it into the refrigerator. Skim off the solidified fat on top. Warm the curry again. Season to taste with more salt, and serve.

Special equipment

3-quart saucepan

This Recipe Appears In

The Nasty Bits: Goat Meat, Part One

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
456	Calories
16g	Fat
25g	Carbs
53g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	456
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g	21%
Saturated Fat 3g	13%
Cholesterol 128mg	43%
Sodium 680mg	30%
Total Carbohydrate 25g	9%
Dietary Fiber 5g	17%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 53g
Vitamin C 19mg	97%
Calcium 89mg	7%
Iron 8mg	47%
Potassium 1356mg	29%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.