Goat

Goat is the most eaten meat on the planet, and most Americans have never cooked it. That is starting to change. Birria taco shops, Caribbean curry goat, and Mexican cabrito have pushed goat onto more menus, and small farms sell it direct. It is lean, deeply flavored, and cheaper than lamb from most producers.

What goat tastes like

Goat is leaner than lamb and milder than most people expect. Young goat (called kid, chevon, or cabrito) is tender and delicate. Older goat has a firmer texture and a fuller flavor that stands up to spice. Because there is little fat marbling, goat rewards low, slow, moist cooking. Dry high heat dries it out fast.

How to cook goat

Think braise, curry, stew, and barbacoa. The tougher cuts (shoulder, leg, shank) turn tender after a few hours in liquid. The loin and ribs from a young animal can take quick heat if you keep them short of well done. Season aggressively. Goat carries chili, cumin, garlic, ginger, and bay well.

The cuts

Our goat cuts guide breaks down where each cut comes from and how to cook it: leg, shoulder, loin, shank, and ribs.

Where to buy goat

Halal markets and Caribbean and Latin grocers carry it, and a growing number of farms sell it direct. Find pasture-raised goat through our Find a Farmer directory.

Learn the methods

Goat is a braising meat first. Read our braising guide and try goat birria or Jamaican curry goat.

FAQ

Is goat healthy?

Goat is lean and lower in fat and calories than beef, pork, or lamb, with comparable protein. The low fat is exactly why it needs slow, moist cooking to stay tender.

What is the difference between goat, chevon, and cabrito?

They are the same animal at different ages. Cabrito is milk-fed kid, the most tender. Chevon is young goat. Older goat has firmer meat and stronger flavor.

Does goat taste gamey?

Less than most people assume. Young goat is mild and slightly sweet. Strong flavor comes with age, and spice-forward dishes like birria and curry are built to match it.

What is goat meat

Goat, sometimes called chevon or, for young animals, cabrito, is the meat of the domestic goat, and it is the most widely eaten red meat in the world. Across the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and the Mediterranean, goat is an everyday staple and a celebratory centerpiece, even though it remains uncommon on many Western tables. It is a lean, flavorful red meat, milder and less fatty than lamb, with a clean taste that surprises people who expect something strong or gamey. For adventurous cooks, it opens the door to a world of dishes.

How goat tastes and compares

Goat is leaner than beef, pork, and lamb, with little marbling and a mild, slightly sweet, savory flavor. Because it shares cuts and structure with lamb, the two are often compared and can be substituted for each other, but goat is the leaner, cleaner-tasting of the pair. That leanness is the single most important thing to understand about cooking it: with so little fat to keep it moist, goat rewards gentle, moist methods and punishes fast, dry, high heat, which is why the world’s great goat dishes are so often curries, stews, and slow braises.

How goat is broken down

Goat is butchered into the same primal sections as lamb: the shoulder at the front, the ribs and loin along the back, the leg at the rear, and the shank and neck as the hardest-working cuts. The shoulder, shank, neck, and leg pieces are collagen-rich and made for slow, moist braising, while the loin and rib area hold the tender chops and rack that can be cooked quickly. Knowing where a cut sits on the animal tells you how to cook it, and with goat the majority of cuts lean toward slow cooking.

How to cook goat

The golden rule of goat is to respect its leanness. The hardworking cuts want low, slow, moist heat, braised in curries, stews, birria, barbacoa, and the like until the collagen melts and the meat turns tender. The tender loin and rib cuts can take quick, high heat but must be cooked only to a rosy medium and never beyond, since they dry out fast. Marinades, especially yogurt-based ones, are valuable across the board, seasoning the mild meat and adding moisture. Cook goat with those principles in mind and it is tender, flavorful, and deeply satisfying.

Goat around the world

Part of goat’s appeal is the world of cooking it unlocks. There is Jamaican curry goat, Mexican birria de chivo and barbacoa, Indian and Pakistani goat curries and biryanis, Nigerian and other African goat stews, Middle Eastern and North African tagines, and Greek and Italian roasted goat for Easter. Each tradition has its own spices and techniques, but nearly all share the same wisdom of slow, moist, well-seasoned cooking. Learning to cook goat is really learning a passport to some of the most beloved dishes on the planet.

Is goat healthy

Goat is often singled out as a lean, healthy red meat, and the reputation is deserved. It is lower in fat and calories than beef, pork, and lamb, while delivering plenty of high-quality protein along with iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Its leanness is exactly why it needs careful, moist cooking, but it also makes goat an appealing choice for anyone wanting a flavorful red meat that is a little lighter. Combined with its typically pasture-raised, small-scale production, that nutritional profile is a big part of its growing appeal.

Buying goat

Because goat is uncommon in mainstream Western supermarkets, the best sources are halal and specialty butchers, ethnic markets, and farms, many of which sell it fresh or frozen, bone-in and cut for braising. Look for firm, pink to deep red meat, and buy bone-in where you can, since the bones add flavor and body to braises and stews. Buying direct from a farm is a reliable way to get good-quality goat and to support the small-scale producers who raise most of it.

Why cook goat

Goat deserves a bigger place on Western tables than it holds. It is lean, healthy, affordable, and central to cuisines across the globe, which means learning to cook it opens up an enormous range of delicious, shareable dishes. Its suitability for big, spiced braises makes it ideal for feeding a crowd, and its clean, mild flavor wins over people who thought they did not like it. Treat it with respect for its leanness, lean on the world’s great goat recipes, and it rewards you richly.