Peppered Goat Meat, commonly known as Asun in Nigeria, is a finger-licking, lip-smacking combination of roasted goat meat sautéed in spicy habanero and red bell peppers, that is so delicious, you'll almost be tempted to eat it all in one sitting!
This asun recipe is one delicacy that once you try it, you’ll find yourself making it over and over again and it will take all your willpower to stop eating it. It can be eaten as a side dish served with cauliflower rice or any low carb dish, or just eaten by itself.
This dish is also so healthy! It has just 6 net carbs per serving, 30g of protein, and 183% of the daily recommended dose of Vitamin C!
Another wonderful goat recipe to try is this African Goat Stew. It is amazingly delicious!
Benefits of Goat meat
Goat meat is very popular in Africa, Asia, Europe, and in other countries, but not so much in the United States where beef, pork, and chicken reign supreme.
Interestingly enough, goat meat is a lot healthier than beef, although many people don’t know that. It is lower in calories and has more protein and iron than beef, pork, lamb, and chicken.
Goat meat is also very low in saturated fat and since we need healthy fat for a low carb diet, goat meat should be cooked with fats and I’ll show you how in this recipe.
Goat meat is sometimes seen as tough and difficult to work with and that might make it undesirable to some, but understanding how to prepare goat meat is key to unlocking its powerful flavors.
It is naturally tough due to its leanness, so slow cooking helps to soften its connective tissues and make it easier to eat.
Oven roasting the goat meat enhances its bold flavors and results in an incredibly savory dish.
In this recipe, a slow cooker was not used since the goat was also roasted. But for goat stews or curries, a slow cooker or pressure cooker will help to soften the meat.
Is Goat meat keto-friendly?
YES! Goat meat is very keto-friendly as it contains basically zero carbs.
Where can I buy Goat meat?
Goat meat is not commonly found in local grocery stores in the United States so you might have to do a little hunting.
Here are some tried and true ways to find a goat meat seller near you:
- A local farm nearby. This is what we do in my house because it is a lot cheaper and we eat a LOT of goat meat. The farmer prepares the meat and cuts it for you, which is so much more convenient.
- Local butcher or meat market that sells specialty meat.
- Asian markets meat section
- Mexican markets meat section
How to get rid of Goat meat smell
If you’ve been around a farm that had goats, you will know that the billy (male) goats stink to the highest heavens! Unfortunately, this translates to the meat as well so if you are going to eat a male goat, it will stink.
If you are getting your goat from a butcher, ask for a female goat, as they do not stink as much.
If you already have the goat meat, and you can’t stand the overwhelming smell, there is a way to save the situation.
Wash it thoroughly with saltwater and marinate overnight so that the spices and flavors of the marinade can sink into the meat and counteract the smell of the goat meat.
A simple marinade of olive oil, black pepper, garlic, oregano, curry, and salt will do the trick. Mix together and rub on the goat meat and leave overnight in the refrigerator.
How to prepare Goat meat sauce
This goat meat sauce is made with an assorted mix of colorful red bell peppers as I like the mix of flavors they provide. Green bell pepper is slightly bitter while red and yellow are sweet, so the bitterness and sweetness balance each other nicely.
Using olive oil also helps to add some healthy fat as goat meat is quite lean.
This recipe also uses habanero pepper which is HOT!!! On the Scoville scale, it is over 100,000. In other words, it is very hot. I cannot reiterate this enough.
Your local grocery store might carry a milder version but the really hot version is usually found in Hispanic or Asian stores.
Chop the onion, green, yellow, red bell pepper, and habanero pepper. Preheat oil in a skillet and add the garlic and onion and stir for about a minute.
Add the chopped peppers, bouillon powder, paprika, and black pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.
How to make Asun (peppered goat meat)
You can use any type of goat meat for this recipe. I LOVE to chew on roasted goatskin but if it bothers you, feel free to slice it off.
There are also smaller pieces of bone in this recipe since it was cut by a butcher but you can’t choke on the bone pieces because they are not small enough and the meat basically just slides off the bone. But feel free to completely debone the meat before you eat it.
First, preheat your oven to 350. Cut the goat meat into small pieces and wash under running water. In a large skillet, add the goat meat and set to low-medium heat.
Goat meat cooks in its own juices so no need to add water. Add onion and bouillon powder and stir intermittently for 20 minutes.
You want the meat to be thoroughly coated and the flavors to sink in. Make sure the heat stays on medium-low temperature so it does not burn.
Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and spread the meat on one layer to ensure the goat meat cooks evenly. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring halfway.
When it’s ready, add the roasted goat meat to the goat meat sauce and stir thoroughly. Allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
The savory aroma of the goat meat being sautéed in the sauce is amazing! It will take all your willpower not to eat half of the goat meat while taste testing.
You can add more salt if you wish. I also like to garnish with red pepper flakes.
Tips on making Nigerian Peppered Goat Meat
Do not add water when cooking the meat. Goat meat gives off a lot of liquid and it will cook in its own juice. But it should be cooked on medium-low heat.
Make sure the pot is covered to trap the heat and moisture and prevent the goat meat from drying out.
This recipe calls for habanero pepper which is very hot and spicy! Feel free to substitute with your pepper of choice or use just half of the habanero pepper. Or if you can handle the heat and love spicy foods, you can even use more 😉
Important Note: If you handle habanero pepper, wash your hands IMMEDIATELY with soap and water. Do not touch any part of your face or it might burn!
Pair this spicy goat meat with these salads for a low carb, family dinner!
Kachumbari (Kenyan Tomato & Onion Salad)
Also try out this peppered gizzard recipe for another delicious, spicy appetizer!
Asun Recipe (Peppered Goat Meat)
Ingredients
For the goat meat
- 1 lb goat meat
- ¼ onion
- 1 tsp bouillon powder
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes to garnish
- salt to taste
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup yellow bell pepper chopped
- 1 habanero pepper chopped
- 1 tsp bouillon powder
- ¼ onion
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 garlic clove
- salt to taste
Instructions
Cooking the goat meat
- Preheat your oven to 350.
- Cut the goat meat into small pieces, wash and set aside.
- Place goat meat in a large skillet and set the stove to medium heat.
- Add onion and bouillon powder and stir intermittently for 20 minutes.
- Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and spread the meat on one layer.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring halfway.
Goat meat sauce
- While the goat meat is in the oven, chop onion, the green, yellow and red bell pepper, and habanero pepper.
- Preheat oil in a skillet and add the garlic and onion and stir for about a minute.
- Add the chopped peppers, bouillon powder, paprika, and black pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the roasted goat meat and stir thoroughly. Allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
- Add salt to taste if desired.
- Garnish with red pepper flakes, if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure the goat meat is cooked on low-medium heat.
- Do not add water when cooking the meat. Goat meat gives off a lot of liquid and it will cook in its own juice.
- Make sure the pot is covered to trap the heat and moisture and prevent the goat meat from drying out.
- This recipe calls for habanero pepper which is very hot and spicy! Feel free to substitute with your pepper of choice or use just half of the habanero pepper.
- Important Note: If you handle habanero pepper, wash your hand IMMEDIATELY with soap and water. Do not touch any part of your face or it might burn.
Excellent! This is the 2nd time I’ve made this dish. This time I chose to cook in my instant pot. I sautéed the meat, peppers and onions in the pot and then added the rest of the ingredients, plus a little bit of water. Came out really good! The meat was very tender, but you do miss out a little bit on the meat being roasted.
Thank you for this great recipe!