Asun (Peppered Roast Goat Meat) is a finger-licking, lip-smacking Nigerian delicacy made of roasted goat meat sautéed in spicy habanero and red bell peppers. It's so delicious that you'll almost be tempted to eat it all in one sitting!
This Nigerian peppered goat met 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.
Goat meat is sometimes seen as tough and difficult to work with, which might make it undesirable to some, but understanding how to prepare it is key to unlocking its powerful flavors.
Due to its leanness, goat meat is naturally tough, 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 roasted. But for goat stews or curries, a slow or pressure cooker will help soften the meat.
Benefits Of Goat Meat
Goat meat is very popular in Africa, Asia, Europe, and other countries, but not so much in the United States, where beef, pork, and chicken reign supreme.
Interestingly, goat meat is much 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.
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 much 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 goat meat and you can’t stand the overwhelming smell, there is a way to save the situation.
- Wash it thoroughly with salt water.
- Create a simple marinade of olive oil, black pepper, garlic, oregano, curry, and salt. Mix together and rub on the goat meat and leave overnight in the refrigerator. The spices and flavors of the marinade will sink into the meat and counteract the smell of the goat meat.
- Use in your recipe as desired.
🥘 Equipment Used
To prepare this peppered goat meat recipe, you'll need a few common kitchen supplies, like a large skillet, a baking pan, and a good knife for cutting the goat meat pieces and vegetables.
🧾 Ingredients Used
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For the goat meat
- Goat meat: You can use any type of goat meat for this recipe. I LOVE to chew on roasted goat skin, but feel free to slice it off if it bothers you. You can also remove any small pieces of bone if you'd prefer.
- Onion: The sweetness of onions pairs really well with goat meat. I like to leave big chunks of onion.
- Bouillon powder: A stock cube will add flavor into every bite of the goat meat.
- Red pepper flakes: Use these to garnish and add a little heat.
- Salt: Add salt to taste.
For the sauce
- Olive oil: Use a little olive oil or vegetable oil to sautee the vegetables.
- Vegetables: I use red, yellow, and green bell peppers, onion, and habanero pepper.
- Seasonings: I use bouillon powder, paprika, black pepper, garlic, and salt in this recipe.
🔪 How To Make Asun
How to Cook Goat Meat
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- 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.
Make Peppered Goat Meat Sauce
- While the goat meat is in the oven, chop the the onion, red, yellow, and green bell peppers, as well as the habanero pepper.
- Preheat oil in a skillet, 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.
- Serve and enjoy!
🥫 Storing and Reheating
This roasted goat dish stores well in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, either microwave for 2-3 minutes or heat it up in a saucepan on the stove. You can also freeze leftover peppered goat meat for later in a freezer-safe bag.
💭 Tips and Variations
- Do not add water when cooking the meat. Goat meat gives off a lot of liquid, and it will cook in its own juices. 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, like scotch bonnet peppers or jalapenos, 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!
🍽️ What can I eat this recipe with?
This authentic asun recipe tastes heavenly served with your favorite African side dishes to sop up every last drop:
- Keto Nigerian Jollof Rice
- Almond Flour Fufu
- Healthy African Fufu
- African Fried Cabbage
- Cauliflower Rice
- Shirataki Rice
👩🍳 Frequently asked questions
YES! Goat meat is very keto-friendly as it contains basically zero carbs.
If you love goat meat, also try this African Goat Stew or Kenyan Grilled Goat Meat. They are amazingly delicious!
Goat meat has a potent flavor that can stand up to robust spices like garlic, hot pepper, curry powder, and more. For this asun recipe, goat meat is cut into bite-sized pieces and then roasted until tender with some onion and bouillon. Then, it's cooked with a mixture of different bell peppers, spicy peppers, and more onion for tons of flavor.
Traditionally made for special occasions, asun is a traditional African dish with a rich history. It is usually made by roasting goat meat either over the fire or in the oven. Then, the delicious roasted meat is cooked with a mixture of smoky peppers and spices that soften and infuse each bite of meat with flavor. It's a rich, flavorful dish that can be served with finger foods as an appetizer or as a complete meal.
📚 Related Recipes
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!
📖 Recipe
Asun Recipe (Peppered Goat Meat)
Ingredients
For the goat meat
- 1 lb goat meat
- ¼ onion
- 1 teaspoon bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to garnish
- salt to taste
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoon 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 teaspoon bouillon powder
- ¼ onion
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon 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.1 lb goat meat
- Place goat meat in a large skillet and set the stove to medium heat.
- Add onion, salt, and bouillon powder and stir intermittently for 20 minutes.¼ onion, 1 teaspoon bouillon powder, salt
- 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.1 cup green bell pepper, 1 cup red bell pepper, 1 cup yellow bell pepper, ¼ onion, 1 habanero pepper
- Preheat oil in a skillet and add the garlic and onion and stir for about a minute.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 garlic clove
- Add the chopped peppers, bouillon powder, paprika, and black pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.1 teaspoon bouillon powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 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.salt
- Garnish with red pepper flakes, if desired.1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to garnish
- 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.
We used to own goats for milk and cheesemaking so I've had goat meat many times. Slow roasting or braising is the only way to really cook it so it comes out nice and tender though slow grilled goat ribs with my Dad's vinegar & oil based white barbeque sauce are great. It's what's known locally as a "Cornell barbeque sauce" since it was supposedly developed at Cornell University in upper New York State. Dad marinated the ribs overnight in the sauce then grilled them low and slow for most of the next day. They would be fall off the bones tender and tasty when he finally took them off. Add a garden salad and you had supper! Even though my Mom wouldn't eat goat meat, we never had leftovers. If my brother wasn't there Dad and I made short work of the ribs. If he was, I usually divided the ribs three ways and made some venison or beef burgers for Jim--if I didn't have a pasta, potato or macaroni salad already in the refrigerator. Mom didn't feel left out, though, since I would chop up some of Dad's homemade venison salami or garlic bologna or cooked Polish sausage and add it to her bowl of salad with her favorite French dressing. Braised or roasted goat meat was cooked with root veggies and served with gravy made from the drippings or the strained drippings on the side. Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes/sunchokes, kohlrabi, rutabagas, onions, all those good things. God, but it brings back memories.
Oh, by the way, the last I knew, Wegmans had goat meat in 3 to 5 pound bags in the freezer section. It was comparable in cost to fresh lamb, but it was bone in pieces, not specific cuts so it might not be what you would want. But it's there.
Wow, those memories sound incredible! Your dad’s BBQ ribs with that Cornell sauce must have been something special. Thanks for the tip about Wegmans, too! It’s always great to know where to find good goat meat.
This was an excellent goat recipe! Meat was tender. I did cook the meat in an enamel roaster. Meat fell off the bone. We made tacos with all the traditional fixings!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
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!