Best Roast Goose Recipe | Seeking Good Eats (2024)

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I've got the perfect roasted goose recipe for your next holiday meal! This traditional Christmas goose recipe is both delicious AND easy. The goose is brined then seasoned and stuffed with citrus fruits, apple, onions and herbs. Pan roasting results in succulent tender meat with crispy skin. Let's make it!

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  • The Best Recipe for Christmas Goose
  • Goose Roast Recipe Ingredients
  • How To Roast Goose
  • How To Serve Roasted Goose
  • What To Serve with Goose:
  • Top Tips For The Best Roasted Goose
  • Christmas Goose Recipe
  • More Holiday Recipes You'll Love
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The Best Recipe for Christmas Goose

Goose Christmas Dinner. My family originates from Scandinavia, Denmark specifically. Every year our grandmother made roast goose for Christmas dinner. The "original" family recipe was made with apples and prunes but she says she never like prunes so she used herbs, apples, lemons, and onion instead.

It's Easy. Roasting a goose is quite simple to make. It's brined beforehand, then it's seasoned, stuffed, and roasted.

Tender and Juicy. Using some very specific techniques like brining, pricking the skin, stuffing with moist fruits, using a thermometer to test doneness, and letting it rest before carving all help in creating a very tender and juicy goose meat.

Healthy. This recipe is gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, low carb, keto, paleo, and Whole30. Yep. All that.

Goose Roast Recipe Ingredients

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Here's what you'll need for roasting a goose:

  • Whole Goose
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Onion: White, yellow, red, or a sweet onion is fine here.
  • Lemon: By placing fruit wedges in the cavity the moisture from the fruit steams and infuses the goose.
  • Apple: A red sweet apple is always lovely but you could go with green as well. you could also mix red and green apples. Have extra on hand to slice for garnish
  • Fresh Herb Sprigs: I used rosemary, thyme, and oregano. Be sure to get extra for garnish.
  • Kosher Salt: used in both the brine and as seasoning on the skin of the bird.
  • Ground Black Pepper
  • Water

Equipment

For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!

Be sure to save this pin to Pinterest for later! 😉

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Variations and Substitutions

Roast potatoes in the bottom of the pan in the goose fat and drippings. I love baby potatoes as they're so tender. Add them in in the last 35 to 40 minutes of roasting the goose.

You can place a frozen goose in the salted brine about 24 to 48 hours prior to serving - that way it will and brine at the same time.

Use any citrus fruits - oranges, lemons, grapefruit.

The pan drippings can be turned into gravy if desired. You will want to skim some of the fat before thickening.

Instead of citrus and apples you can stuff the goose with dried prunes, fresh apple slices, and onion.

How To Roast Goose

This is intended as an overview only, please see recipe card for detailed instructions.

1. Brine the goose in salted water for for 24 to 48 hours in the fridge.

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2. Remove from brine and prick the goose skin with a fork (or score with a knife). Set goose on a rack of a roasting pan.

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3. Pour apple cider vinegar evenly over the top of the goose and then pour water in the bottom of the pan.

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4. Generously season with salt and pepper. Stuff the inside of the goose with some of the apple slices, lemon, onion, and herbs.

5. Roast the goose until done, periodically basting with pan juices. It usually takes about 15 and 18 minutes per pound.

6. Remove from oven and tent the cooked goose with foil. Allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes before carving.

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How To Serve Roasted Goose

Serve warm, whole or sliced on a platter. Tuck in fresh sprigs of herbs and fresh citrus and apple slices for garnish.

What To Serve with Goose:

You can serve roast goose with so many dishes. Here are some starters, protein, and side dish ideas! This is basically the Christmas dinner menu I serve every year (although I very the salads and veggies from year to year though). Enjoy!

Appetizers: Christmas Charcuterie Board, Pomegranate and Maple Bacon Cream Cheese Dip

Protein: Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs) - my grandmother always served Frikadeller with our Christmas roast goose.

Veggies: Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower with Gravy, Pickled Red Cabbage, Roasted Red Cabbage, Air Fryer Beets With Rosemary and Balsamic Glaze, Balsamic Glazed Carrots in Air Fryer Recipe

Salads: Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad with Pomegranate and Pecans, Red Cabbage Salad with Apples and Walnuts, Roasted Beet Salad with Feta and Citrus Vinaigrette

Dessert: Crock Pot Rice Pudding topped with Easy Cherry Sauce

Top Tips For The Best Roasted Goose

  • If the goose is darkening too quickly, then tent with foil.
  • Don't forget to prick the skin with a fork - this helps release excess fat.
  • Let the goose rest, tented with foil at least 15 minutes prior to carving. Don't cover too tightly with foil or it will steam that crispy skin - lay it on loosely so the steam can escape.
  • Note on temperature: the USDA recommends a safe cooking temperature of 165 degrees F. There is some debate on the internet on what the best temperature should be for a tender roast goose. The last time I cooked a goose to 165 degrees F I felt it was too dry and tough. I roast mine until it reaches 150 degrees F, then tent with foil.

Christmas Goose Recipe

A simple method for roasting a perfectly tender, rich and juicy goose for the holidays! Roast goose is a traditional Christmas recipe that everyone looks forward to during the holidays.

4.56 from 9 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save

Author Kori

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 6 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 21 minutes mins

Course Main Dish Recipes

Cuisine American | European

Servings 8 servings

Calories 320 kcal

Ingredients

Brine

  • 5 to 6 quarts water
  • 1 to 1½ cups kosher salt

Roast

  • 6 pound whole goose
  • ½ cup cider vinegar
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 large onion (cut into 8 wedges)
  • 1 large lemon (cut into 8 wedges)
  • 1 large apple (cut into 8 wedges)
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 2 sprigs oregano
  • kosher salt
  • pepper

Instructions

  • In a large pan or dish, brine goose in 1 cup kosher salt and enough water to cover the goose. Cover and refrigerate. Leave in brine for 24 to 48 hours.

  • Remove goose from the brine about 30 minutes prior to roasting.

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  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove goose from brine and prick skin with fork (or score with knife). Set goose on a rack of a roasting pan.

  • Pour apple cider vinegar evenly over the top of the goose and then pour water in the bottom of the pan. Generously season with salt and pepper.

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  • Stuff the inside of the goose with some of the apple slices, lemon, onion, and herbs. Do not overstuff. Place any remaining herbs, fruit, and onion underneath the goose in the bottom of the pan.

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  • Roast at 425 degrees F for 15 min. Turn oven down to 350 and roast until goose reaches an internal temperature to 145 to 150 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast (about 15 to 18 minutes per pound). Baste with juices periodically throughout roasting.

  • Remove goose from the oven and tent with foil. Allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Notes

The USDA recommends cooking to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Most recipes recommend 140 to 150 degrees in the thickest part of the breast as the meat is still tender at that temp. Do not use pinkness as a guide. The muscle of the goose is pink and will stay pink after cooking. A thermometer is the best way to determine doneness.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcalProtein: 26.4gFat: 23gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 73mg

© 2024 Seeking Good Eats™

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Best Roast Goose Recipe | Seeking Good Eats (2024)

FAQs

Why pour boiling water over goose before roasting? ›

It's important to remember that all types of goose are fatty, and to get as much of this fat out as possible, you need to prick the breast and thighs with a small skewer. One little tip is for an extra crispy skin, pour a kettle of boiling water over the goose and then leave to dry for an hour before cooking.

What are 3 considerations when roasting a goose? ›

Method
  1. Bring the goose to room temperature: ...
  2. Remove the neck, giblets, and wing tips: ...
  3. Remove the excess fat: ...
  4. Prick the goose's skin all over with a needle: ...
  5. Season the goose and place in the oven: ...
  6. Start the gravy: ...
  7. Add root vegetables to the roasting pan: ...
  8. Carve out the breasts:

How is goose supposed to be cooked? ›

Stuff the goose with the onion, orange and bay. Rub all over with the oil and season generously with salt. Sit the goose on a rack in a large roasting tin and tightly cover with a large piece of foil. Cook for 1 hr 30 mins.

Should you brine goose before cooking? ›

Dry-brining the goose ensures that the meat remains especially moist and juicy. The added baking powder also helps it develop extra-crisp skin. Pricking goose skin and blanching the bird in boiling water before roasting helps to render the large volume of fat.

What do you soak goose meat in? ›

Soaking waterfowl in a saltwater solution replaces blood with brine. The process also adds flavor and moisture. Once brined in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, the meat will be paler in color, giving it less of a livery look and more the appearance of domestic meat.

Why is my roast goose tough? ›

Like duck, it's also a red-meat bird and goose breast is meant to be cooked medium-rare. You'll want to watch the cooking closely, the overcooked goose isn't like overcooked chicken or turkey. Instead of turning dry and stringy, it will become tough and chewy and taste like liver.

What temperature do you cook a goose at? ›

Roasting the goose for the first hour at 325˚F provides ample time for much of the fat to melt away. The reduction of the oven temperature to 275˚F for the second and third hour continues to melt the fat, but it also ensures tender meat and crispy skin.

Do you roast goose breast up or down? ›

The goose will start breast side up and cook about 1/3 of the total cooking time in that position. After 1/3 of the cook time, flip the goose to breast side down. This helps the skin on the back crisp as well, and also keeps the breast moist (as being on the bottom means it's basted more during this part of the cook).

Why is goose meat not popular? ›

United States. Goose has generally been replaced by the turkey in the United States. In the United States, the high price per pound of goose, coupled with the large size of the bird and low yield of meat to bone and fat, makes a goose more expensive per serving than Turkey.

How long does it take a goose to cook? ›

ROASTING TIMES

Cook for 10 mins at 240C/fan 220C/gas 9, then reduce to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and cook for 20 mins per kg for medium-rare, 32 mins per kg for more well-done, plus 30 mins resting.

What is the best way to eat goose? ›

You can marinate goose meat like steak for fajitas. You can slice it lengthwise, so you have cutlets, for jagerschnitzel, goose parmesan, or goose tacos. Goose pastrami is a great way to eat Canada goose breasts.

What is the best brine for goose meat? ›

A litre of cold water mixed with ¼ cup of coarse salt and¼ cup of brown sugar makes the perfect waterfowl brine. Soak duck and goose meat in the brine for 8 to 12 hours, and you'll see the difference in color. Much of the blood stored in the meat is drawn out by the brine.

What happens if you don't boil your brine? ›

Tip: There is no need to boil all the brine liquid because you can fully dissolve the salt and sugar and extract the flavor out of any seasonings in 1½ cups of liquid.

What goes with roast goose? ›

Goose Side Dishes Inspiration

You might consider parsnip purée with a hint of nutmeg, zesty cranberry sauce for tang or pickled red cabbage with star anise for a splash of color and unique (and season appropriate) taste. Goose's natural pairing is with something acidic to cut through its fattiness.

Why do you boil duck before roasting? ›

The boiling water helps pull the skin taut, making it easier to score in a crosshatch pattern. That, in turn, allows the fat to render out as everything roasts.

Why do you cover boiling water? ›

Covering the pot prevents water vapor from escaping, enabling the temperature to rise more quickly. How much more quickly?

When warm liquid is spooned over meat during the roasting process? ›

Baste. A technique used during roasting meat or poultry where the cooking juices are spooned over the cooking meat.

Why was my roast goose tough? ›

Like duck, it's also a red-meat bird and goose breast is meant to be cooked medium-rare. You'll want to watch the cooking closely, the overcooked goose isn't like overcooked chicken or turkey. Instead of turning dry and stringy, it will become tough and chewy and taste like liver.

References

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