Jamaican Curry Goat: Caribbean Curried Goat Recipe - Yummy Medley (2024)

March 30, 2018 (Last Updated: March 25, 2020)

If you’re ready for a finger licking, savory, comforting and flavorful punch to your taste buds, then come a little closer! I am going to tell you my story (and share the recipe) of my favorite Jamaican dish, curry goat! Jamaican curry goat is a savory, comforting and flavorful curry usually eaten with rice, roti and sometimes with a side of fried plantains that will deliver a caribbean curried goat punch to your taste buds!

My first encounter with Jamaican curried goat was probably as a kid in England, but I knew nothing about deliciousness back then with my palate still developing; but even then, it was a most enjoyable dish for me to eat. Fast forward years later to my college years in Washington D.C, and I rediscovered and fell in culinary love all over again with Jamaican curry goat. As a freshman in college, I was frequently homesick, and would especially miss the flavorful meals my mother would cook for me. For the longest time I was subjected to just the food served at the school cafeteria, and since I was not familiar with the locale (I had just arrived fresh from Nigeria to start school), so I did not venture out much to try out any new foods. Thankfully, thanks to new friendships, I was introduced to the delicious diversity of food Washington DC had to offer, and I even had a mediocre curry goat that I at the time, thought was really good. One day, one of my Jamaican friends convinced me to walk with her to a Caribbean restaurant near my University’s school of business. I decided to pick up some curry goat since my usual favorite: jerk chicken had sold out, and I was kinda hungry… That did it. That was the one. The Jamaican curried goat that annihilated my previous perceptions of curry goat and elevated it from curiosity to love interest! Thus began the beginning of a culinary love affair.

After I had that Jamaican curry goat, it became my favorite Jamaican dish (bumping jerk chicken to second place very quickly), and I frequently took the long walk from my dorm room to this hole in the wall restaurant every other day, just to order myself a plate of this delicacy. It soon became a problem, and I knew if I kept buying curry goat from this place, the little money I had would be long gone before mid-semester. I paused on buying my favorite (and honestly other outside campus food) for a while to save money, but every now and then, to reward myself for doing well on a test or for pulling off an all-nighter, I would go back to pick up some curry goat.

When my Junior year rolled along, my friends and I were privileged to stay in the nicer dorms, and we were no longer subject to the school’s meal plan. This meant we had to cook for ourselves. That same Jamaican friend that had taken me to the curry goat restaurant decided to make some curry goat and invite me over. It was even better than the one I had at the restaurant, so I know I had to learn how to make it from her myself. Luckily for me, she was the generous type, and she taught me how to make my beloved curry goat with rice and peas. She taught me other recipes as well, which I will always be grateful for. In like fashion, I have decided to share my beloved Jamaican curry goat recipe with you!

How to Make Jamaican Curry Goat

Marinade goat meat with spices

Marinade the goat meat with chopped onions, chopped scotch bonnet pepper, chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt, ground allspice, and 2 tablespoons of curry powder. Allow the goat meat to sit in the marinade overnight or for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.

After the goat meat has marinated for at least 3 hours, bring out of the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Slice one onion and one scotch bonnet pepper and set aside

Saute meat with onions and pepper

In a large pot, saute the sliced onion and scotch bonnets pepper in the oil on low-medium heat for 10 minutes

Add in the marinated goat meat and 1 tbsp curry powder, and saute on high heat for 5 minutes.

Add water to meat and cook

After the meat has sauteed for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to low, and pour in water to cover the meat about half way.

Cover the pot and allow the meat to simmer for on low heat for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, taste the sauce for seasoning. adjust the salt to your taste, and then add in the sugar

Continue to cook the curry in the pot covered for another 30 minutes, or until the goat meat is tender

Add potatoes and cook till completion

While the curry is cooking, peel and cut the potatoes into 1 inch cubes.

Once the goat meat is tender, add in the potatoes, turn the heat up to medium, and cook for 10 minutes

After 10 minutes, add in the coconut milk and simmer again for another 10 minutes. Serve the curry goat with boiled rice or with roti

Enjoy my Jamaican Curried Goat recipe! I recommend some zobo drink or sorrel to wash this down and if you are looking for other Caribbean recipes, why don’t you check out my Jerk Turkey Wings?

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