Slow Cooker Jamaican Curry Goat with Overnight Marinade

Name: Slow Cooker Jamaican Curry Goat with Overnight Marinade
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 8 h 25 min
Total time: 9 h 5 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 3 lb (1360 g) bone-in goat meat (shoulder or leg), cut into 1½- to 2-inch (4–5 cm) pieces, excess fat trimmed, patted dry; 3 tbsp (18 g) Jamaican-style curry powder; 1 tsp (2 g) ground allspice (pimento); 6 sprigs (6 g) fresh thyme sprigs, 3 sprigs leaves stripped, 3 sprigs left whole; 1 whole (15 g) scotch bonnet pepper, halved lengthwise; one half seeded and finely minced, the other half left whole; 6 cloves (18 g) garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced; 2 tbsp (15 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 4 stalks (60 g) scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced; 2 tsp (12 g) fine sea salt; 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice; 3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral vegetable oil, 1 tbsp for the marinade, the rest for searing; 1 large (200 g) large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced; 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken stock, or water; 1 lb (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Bone-in goat soaks overnight in a bold marinade of Jamaican curry powder, allspice, thyme, scotch bonnet, garlic and ginger. It is then seared and slow cooked until fork-tender in a rich, golden gravy with soft potatoes.

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 8 hr 25 min
Wait: 12 hr 10 min
Total: 21 hr 15 min
Makes: 6 servings (about 8 cups curry)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the marinade
3 lb (1360 g) bone-in goat meat (shoulder or leg), cut into 1½- to 2-inch (4–5 cm) pieces, excess fat trimmed, patted dry
3 tbsp (18 g) Jamaican-style curry powder
1 tsp (2 g) ground allspice (pimento)
6 sprigs (6 g) fresh thyme sprigs, 3 sprigs leaves stripped, 3 sprigs left whole
1 whole (15 g) scotch bonnet pepper, halved lengthwise; one half seeded and finely minced, the other half left whole
6 cloves (18 g) garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
2 tbsp (15 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
4 stalks (60 g) scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
2 tsp (12 g) fine sea salt
1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice
For the slow cooker
3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral vegetable oil, 1 tbsp for the marinade, the rest for searing
1 large (200 g) large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken stock, or water
1 lb (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks

Equipment (7)

6-quart (5.5 L) slow cooker
Large non-stick or cast-iron skillet, 12-inch (30 cm)
Large non-reactive bowl or zip-top bag, 1-gallon (4 L)
Tongs
Chef's knife and cutting board
Disposable gloves
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Plan ahead: the goat needs 12 to 24 hours in the marinade, and the slow cooker needs 8 hours the next day.
Wear gloves when cutting scotch bonnet and don't touch your eyes. Wash the board and knife afterward.
Ask the butcher to cut the goat into 1½- to 2-inch (4–5 cm) pieces, bone-in. The bones give the gravy body.
Use a 6-quart (5.5 L) or larger slow cooker. The pieces should fill it no more than two-thirds.

1
Mix the marinade
- Wearing gloves, mince half the scotch bonnet (seeds removed) as finely as you can and keep the other half whole.
- In a large non-reactive bowl, stir together the curry powder, ground allspice, thyme leaves from 3 sprigs, minced scotch bonnet, garlic, ginger, scallions, fine salt, black pepper, lime juice and 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the oil into a thick, spreadable paste.
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Ready when: The paste is evenly mixed, smells strongly of curry and thyme, and clings to a spoon.
Tip: Mincing the pepper very finely spreads the heat evenly instead of leaving fiery bites.
2
Marinate the goat
- Add the dried goat pieces to the bowl and massage the paste into every surface, including the bone ends, for 2 minutes.
- Cover tightly, or transfer to a zip-top bag with the air pressed out, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Turn the meat once during that time if you're at home.
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Ready when: The meat is fully coated and looks deep golden-yellow.
Tip: Don't marinate longer than 24 hours. The acid can make the surface of the meat mushy.
3
Sear in batches
- Take the goat out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.
- Heat the remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Scrape most of the loose marinade off each piece into the bowl and keep it.
- Sear the goat in 3 batches, without crowding, for 2 to 3 minutes per side, about 6 minutes per batch.
- Move each batch to the slow cooker.
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Ready when: All sides are deep brown, with no gray patches.
Tip: If the pan smokes heavily or the spices turn black, lower the heat a little. Burnt curry powder tastes bitter.
4
Soften onion, deglaze
- Lower the heat to medium.
- Add the sliced onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until it starts to soften.
- Stir in the reserved marinade from the bowl and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the stock and scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat.
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Ready when: The onion is soft and the pan bottom is clean of browned bits.
5
Load the slow cooker
- Pour the onion mixture over the goat in the slow cooker.
- Tuck in the 3 whole thyme sprigs and the reserved whole scotch bonnet half.
- Stir gently so the meat is mostly submerged.
- The liquid will look thin, which is normal because the meat releases juices as it cooks.
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Ready when: The meat is nestled in a single, mostly even layer, with the pepper and thyme tucked in.
Tip: Don't cut or squeeze the whole pepper. Leaving it intact gives fruity flavor and gentle heat without making the curry overly spicy.
6
Slow cook the goat
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours without lifting the lid.
- Opening the lid releases heat and adds up to 20 minutes of cooking time each time.
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Ready when: The meat is starting to pull from the bones, but is not yet fully tender.
7
Add the potatoes
- Remove the whole scotch bonnet half and set it aside.
- Nestle the potato chunks into the liquid, pressing them down so they are mostly submerged.
- Return the pepper to the pot if you like more heat.
- Cover again.
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Ready when: The potatoes are mostly covered by the liquid.
Tip: Add the potatoes now, not at the start, or they will break down and make the gravy cloudy.
8
Finish cooking
- Cook on LOW for another 2 hours, for 8 hours total.
- Test the largest piece of goat and a potato chunk with a fork.
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Ready when: The meat falls easily off the bone and a fork slides into a potato with no resistance. Internal meat temperature is about 195°F (90°C).
Tip: If the meat still feels tough, cook another 30 to 60 minutes. Goat varies by the animal's age.
9
Rest and skim
- Turn off the cooker and let the curry rest uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Skim the oil from the surface with a wide spoon.
- Remove the thyme stems and the pepper half.
- Taste the gravy and add a pinch of salt if needed.
- For a thicker gravy, gently mash 2 or 3 potato chunks against the side of the pot and stir them in.
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Ready when: The gravy coats the back of a spoon and has a golden-orange color.
Tip: Warn guests about small bones. Goat pieces often contain splintered bone fragments.
10
Serve
- Spoon the curry goat and gravy into warm bowls, making sure each serving has some potato.
- Serve with white rice, rice and peas, or roti.
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Ready when: The curry is steaming hot throughout.

Good to know

Tips

Browning the meat adds depth, but if you're short on time you can skip it. Just add 30 minutes to the cook time.
Keep the scotch bonnet whole in the cooker for flavor with moderate heat. Mince more into the marinade only if you like it very hot.
Always cook goat low and slow. High heat toughens the meat and does not shorten the time to tenderness enough to be worth it.
Serve with a side of sliced cucumber or cabbage to cool the heat.

Make ahead

"The goat can marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The finished curry tastes even better the next day, so you can cook it 1 to 2 days ahead and reheat it."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months, though the potatoes will soften further. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or stock, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C), or microwave covered in 1-minute bursts."

Substitutions

bone-in goat meat (shoulder or leg) → bone-in lamb shoulder or mutton. Lamb shoulder will be tender after about 6 hours on LOW. Skip the extra 2 hours or check it earlier.
scotch bonnet pepper → habanero pepper. Habanero has similar heat but less fruitiness. For a milder curry, use half a habanero.
Jamaican-style curry powder → any mild yellow curry powder plus ½ tsp ground turmeric. Jamaican curry powder is heavier on turmeric, fenugreek and allspice, so the substitute will taste slightly different.
Yukon Gold potatoes → russet potatoes. Russets break down more and make a thicker gravy. Cut them a bit larger, about 2 inches (5 cm).