Name: Nyama Choma
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Kenya, East Africa
Ingredients: 2 kg goat leg, bone-in, cut into large pieces; 2 whole lemons, juiced; 1 tbsp coarse salt; 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 4 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 inch ginger, grated; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 3 whole tomatoes, diced; 1 whole red onion, thinly sliced; 1 whole green chili, minced; Â¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped; 1 whole lime, juiced

Nyama Choma

Kenya's iconic grilled goat or beef marinated with salt and lemon, roasted over charcoal to smoky perfection.

Country

Kenya

Region

East Africa

Time

90 min

Serves

Level

medium

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Nyama Choma means "roasted meat" in Swahili and is more than food â€” it is a social ritual. Kenyans gather at open-air joints on weekends to share platters of smoky meat with cold Tusker beer. The best nyama choma is cooked slowly over hot coals with minimal seasoning.

What the dish tastes like

Kenya's iconic grilled goat or beef marinated with salt and lemon, roasted over charcoal to smoky perfection.

When to cook it

Best for everyday meals, with a medium cooking level and about 90 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Use the interactive recipe fallback or country hub to explore pairings.

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Ingredients

Marinate Meat

Combine lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, and oil. Rub into goat pieces. Marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Overnight marination with lemon juice tenderizes goat meat.

Prepare Charcoal

Light charcoal grill and let coals burn until covered with white ash. Spread evenly for indirect heat.

Heat coals 30:00

Grill Meat

Place meat on grill over medium heat. Cook slowly, turning every 10 minutes, until deeply browned and cooked through.

Low and slow is the secret â€” resist high heat.

Grill 60:00

Make Kachumbari

Combine diced tomatoes, sliced onion, chili, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt and toss.

Rest and Serve

Remove meat from grill, rest 5 minutes, then chop into pieces on a wooden board. Serve with kachumbari and ugali.

In Kenya, nyama choma is always served on a wooden board with toothpicks.

Rest meat 05:00

Nyama Choma

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Step-by-step instructions

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