Goat, lamb, mutton and hogget are all red meats from small ruminants but they taste different, cook differently and vary a lot in fat and iron. Here's how to tell them apart and which is actually healthiest.
This post was UPDATED 13th June, 2026 with additional information.
We look at the differences between goat, lamb, mutton and hogget in terms of flavour, preparation and their varying nutritional values.
Plus, if you've ever ordered a 'mutton curry' and been served goat, you will have run into the confusion this post aims to clear up. The names overlap, the meats look similar on a butcher's counter but the flavour and nutrition varies more than most people expect.
Let's sort that out.
The quick answer
- Lamb - sheep under 1 year old, meat is mild, tender, pale pink.
- Hogget - sheep between 1 and 2 years, meat has fuller flavour, still tender.
- Mutton - sheep over 2 years, meat is deep red, fatty, strongly gamey.
- Goat - a different animal entirely, meat is lean, fine-grained, mildly sweet.
To find out how healthy goat meat is we can compare it with other popular meats on the market: mutton, lamb, beef and chicken.
Comparison of nutrition in different meats
| Per 100 g, roasted | Goat | Lamb | Pork | Beef | Veal | Chicken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories (kcal) | 143 | 258 | 211 | 187 | 150 | 223 |
| Protein (g) | 27.1 | 25.55 | 29.41 | 27.42 | 28.07 | 23.97 |
| Total fat (g) | 3.03 | 16.48 | 9.44 | 7.72 | 3.39 | 13.39 |
| Saturated fat (g) | 0.93 | 6.89 | 3.30 | 2.77 | 1.22 | 3.74 |
| Iron (mg) | 3.73 | 1.98 | 1.12 | 2.24 | 0.90 | 1.26 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 75 | 93 | 94 | 79 | 103 | 76 |
Bold marks the best value in each row (lowest for calories, fat, saturated fat and cholesterol; highest for protein and iron). Goat is the leanest meat of the six - lowest in calories, total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, and with roughly twice the iron of beef and nearly three times that of chicken.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service - FoodData Central (SR Legacy dataset). Figures are for cooked, roasted meat. Goat: Game meat, goat, cooked, roasted.
Verified under USDA FDC 175304
Jump to:
- The quick answer
- Comparison of nutrition in different meats
- Goat meat
- What is goat meat commonly called
- Varieties of goat meat
- Why goat is considered healthier
- How to cook goat
- Lamb
- How to cook lamb
- Hogget
- Mutton
- How to cook mutton
- Which is healthiest?
- Recipes to try
- How to store red meat
- Frequently asked questions
- Related posts
- Reviews
Goat meat
Goat is a red meat with a fine-grain ranging in colour from light pink to bright red. The tender cuts are mildly sweet and only faintly gamey, far less so than lamb, which comes as a surprise to most people who try it for the first time.
It is the most widely eaten red meat on earth by population, if not by volume; it is a staple across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, a delicacy in France, Italy and Spain and is increasingly available in the UK and US.
What is goat meat commonly called
This trips people up constantly, so it's worth being clear:
- Chevon is meat from an adult goat
- Cabrito or kid is meat from a young goat, having a more tender and delicate flavour
- Mutton is meat from an older sheep, but is also what goat meat is called in India, Pakistan and much of South Asia
Mutton can cause some confusion because if you order mutton in Delhi, you are almost certainly getting goat. If you order it in Yorkshire, you are getting old sheep.
Varieties of goat meat
Goats raised for meat are usually castrated at around six to nine months, after which they're known as wethers. Most are slaughtered when they are under a year for a tender, juicy meat with delicate flavour.
Meat from an un-castrated goat is tougher with a pronounced 'goaty' smell and a much stronger flavour.
Why goat is considered healthier
Compared with equal servings of beef, pork, lamb and chicken, goat is:
- Lower in calories
- Lower in total fat
- Lower in saturated fat
- Lower in cholesterol
- Considerably higher in iron - roughly twice that of beef, and nearly three times that of chicken
Hormones are also not approved for growth promotion in goats, though antibiotics may be used as in any livestock.
The numbers are in the chart above, goat's fat content is genuinely striking.
How to cook goat
Goat is lean with very little fat or marbling which means high heat will make it tough and dry. This is the single most common mistake people make with it.
- Tougher cuts (shoulder, neck, leg) require long, slow, covered cooking such as braises, stews, curries, with a little liquid to preserve moisture and break down the collagen.
- Tender cuts from kid can be cooked as you would use lamb. They can be marinated or tenderised before grilling or barbecuing.
Goat is usually slow-roasted in Central and South America and turned into curries and stews across Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.
Lamb
A sheep in its first year is a lamb. Its meat runs from pale pink to light red. Generally, as a rule the darker the pink, the older the animal.
Spring lamb is milk-fed, born in winter and sold around Easter. It is the palest, mildest and most tender meat fetching higher prices than hogget or mutton.
How to cook lamb
Lamb is noticeably fattier than goat. It is important to know and that the fat is where the gamey flavour lives. If you're not keen on that flavour, trim off the larger bits of fat and drain away the remainder as it cooks. Leaving a little fat will help lock in the moisture as it cooks so it doesn't become too dry.
Lamb is best seared at high temperatures for a maillard reaction (browning) then slow-cooked till tender.
- Shoulder is one of the fattiest cuts with alot of marbling, which makes it ideal for slow-roasting as the fat melts off making it slightly sweeter (because it is close to the bone) and succulent.
- Leg is the leanest and therefore the least gamey. Slow-roast it, but don't let it dry out.
- Chops are expensive for what they are as alot of their weight is bone and fat. They are best cooked fast and hot - grilled or barbecued until browned outside and a little pink inside (this is perfectly safe to eat).
Hogget
Hogget sits between lamb and mutton, it is also sheep, aged around one to two years.
It is the forgotten middle child of sheep meat and it is a shame, because it's arguably the sweet spot. It has a deeper more interesting flavour than lamb, but is still tender enough to roast without needing a long braise.
It is uncommon to find it in supermarkets and worth asking a butcher for. In the UK you can find it occasionally at farmers markets, particularly in the late winter and in spring.
Mutton
Mutton is the meat of an adult sheep, typically slaughtered at two to three years old.
It's deep red, distinctly fattier than lamb, tougher and much stronger in flavour due to higher fatty acids that concentrate as the animal ages. The flavour tends to appeal more to those who prefer stronger tasting, more gamey meats such as deer, wild boar and rabbit.
Mutton fell out of fashion in the UK and US in favour of lamb and has never quite recovered, becoming more of a niche meat.
How to cook mutton
Mutton is a tough and fatty meat which is best slow-cooked at a low temperatures for braises, stews and hotpots. Long cooking softens the meat by breaking down the connective tissue and rendering the fat.
As it has a strong flavour, it benefits from using more spices than lamb, which is why it works so well in curries and why it also makes exceptional sausages.
Which is healthiest?
Based on the numbers from the USDA table above, goat is the healthiest and not by a small margin.
It is the leanest of the six meats, being lowest in calories, total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol and having substantially more iron than beef, lamb, pork, veal or chicken.
However, it is worth stating: how you cook a meat matters as much as which animal it comes from. A goat curry swimming in a few inches of ghee is far less healthy than a roasted leg of lamb.
Recipes to try
Goat meat is not easily available in the UK but these recipes can be made using lamb, mutton or goat meat. You will need to extend the cooking time for the tougher meats.
How to store red meat
The USDA recommends storing meat at 4℃/40℉ or below. Use ground or cubed meat within 2 days of purchase and larger cuts within 3-5 days.
Red meat cuts will remain safe for years when wrapped properly and stored in the freezer at -18℃/0℉ or below.
More on storing meat and poultry and colour changes.
Frequently asked questions
Yes it is, by most measures. Goat has fewer calories, a lower fat content, less saturated fat and less cholesterol than lamb, plus it has around twice as much iron. Lamb has slightly higher levels of some B vitamins, but goat is the leaner meat by a wide margin.
Goat meat is called chevon when it comes from an adult animal, and cabrito or kid when it comes from a young one. In India, Pakistan and much of South Asia, it is called mutton, so 'mutton' curry in a South Asian restaurant is usually made with goat.
In the UK, US or Australia, mutton is the meat of an adult sheep. But in South Asia, "mutton" commonly refers to goat meat.
It is milder and sweeter than mutton or sheep. It is a red meat with a fine grain and tastes less gamey than lamb and much less so compared to mutton. Meat from an un-castrated goat is the exception as it has a stronger and distinctly "goaty" flavour.
Only the age of the animal. Lamb is a sheep under one year, hogget is one to two years old and mutton is above two. As the animal ages the meat gets darker, fattier, tougher and stronger in flavour.
You may, but adjust cooking temperature and time for the reduced fat content. Goat is much leaner so it will become dry faster. You will need to add more liquid and lower the heat as it takes longer than lamb to become tender.
Goats are smaller animals and therefore yield less meat than sheep or cattle. They are farmed on a much smaller scale in the UK and US as most goats are kept for milk rather than meat. As goats are less commonly bred, goat based products are considered more niche and fetch a higher price.
Yes, goat meat is classified as a red meat, though it is leaner than others and closer in fat content to skinless chicken than to beef or lamb.
Goat meat is not usually available in British supermarkets as British goats are mainly reared for dairy. You could try halal butchers, Caribbean and South Asian grocery stores, specialist butchers, or farmers' markets. Some farms sell goat meat online.
Bone conducts heat slowly, insulating the meat around it so the meat cooks gently and retains its moisture for longer. Bones are surrounded by connective tissue and cartilage which break down into gelatin during slow cooking. Gelatin is what gives that silky, mouth-filling richness we describe as succulence. Marrow and extra fat around the bone add flavour too.
Find more cooking essentials for the home cook, including safe cooking temperatures for meat and why you should never overcrowd the pan.
paul gibbs says
Pork is the most consumed meat in the world followed by poultry and beef.
Goat meat is NOT the most popular meat.
F Q says
This is incorrect, it's actually chicken.
Roxanne says
Thank you for the statistics!
Sherry says
Well I'm in Texas and I love love lamb haven't really had goat but I like the lamb chops and the leg of lamb as well thanks for the great information.
Nicole Shroff says
Thanks Sherry, you may like some of my lamb recipes.
Nihal Cassim says
Lamb is usually found in colder climates while goat is found in warner climates, as one can tell from their coats. Which is why many folks won't have access to goat meat. The chaos in warmer climates is that goat meat is called mutton and lamb/sheep meat isn't differentiated by name.
Perhaps the global food industry should coin standard terms with meats being transported globally due to declining air freights.
saqib says
very informative I first time read the differences between these. Personally I like sheep
Nicole says
Thanks Saqib, and I'm so pleased you found it useful.
Om Krishna Uprety says
I love the chart presented here. I was searching for the health benefits of goat meat.
Nicole says
Thank you, I'm pleased it was helpful.
Guru says
Very nice I'm really like it. I'm eating mutton and I ask butcher for sheep but cousin is telling me
It goat so I'm very confusing. Thank u for ur story very much I like alot
Jagruti says
I am pure vegetarian so don't know much about non veg products and their values, but I must tell you have created a great informative post for those who are meat eaters. Great info.
Christie Campbell (@AKitchenHoor) says
I have always wondered what the differences were. THANK YOU for sharing this. Now I can confidently order accordingly.
melanie sakowski says
Haha great profile name!
Catherine Brown says
This is really useful information. I live in a rural area where local farms do raise goats and sheep, so all three are generally available. I don't eat red meat any longer, but I think it is important to be educated about the various options if you are going to consume meat.
eileenbakingsense says
Unfortunately, here in the US (at least in my area) I can only find lamb. No goat meat or mutton is available in the markets. Great information!
Shannon says
Try Latino meat markets for goat, or chivo. You may have to ask for it as it’s probably frozen in back. That’s how I found mine in Central California.. mine came in a 5lb bag of 1&1/2 inch cubes containing bones...perfect for stewing. I’m making biryani. I hope this helps.
Mindy Fewless says
This is great info to have on hand!!
Rae says
Such a great post. Family friends regularly serve goat tacos and they are so delicious I consider for a second getting a couple of goats to raise since it's not easily found around here. In the US they label all lamb as lamb, so you're at an advantage with having mutton as a label!
Beth Neels says
This is very interesting! I have never seen goat meat around me. The lamb that we buy around here tends to be fatty. Maybe it's mis-marked and actually mutton?
Arctic Fox says
if your not sure if the meat is lamb or mutton have a look for the dye marks lamb has long stripes wheras mutton/hoggart, hoggat is roughly 12-24 months of age wheras mutton is older that 2 years of age
Jessy @ The Life Jolie says
Very interesting! I LOVE eating lamb- I grew up eating it braised in wine and as an adult I also love it grilled to a nice medium rare! Yum!
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
I love goat (especially curried) and lamb, but mutton, which I tried to eat once, just didn't sit well with me. This is rather informative. Thanks for sharing.