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Salty, crispy skin, tender juicy meat, and rendered fat for days, this Roast Goose recipe is what you need to be making for that holiday dinner. Marinaded in a few simple ingredients, roasted to perfection, and glazed in the most amazing honey glaze, this roast goose is also super easy to make.
This recipe was originally published in December 2018. It has been updated with better content.
You're going to want to have this for Christmas dinner guys. Never cooked a goose? It's ok, it's not much different than a roasted chicken. It's easy.
And it's SO DELICIOUS. Especially with the honey orange glaze. It's to die for. You're going to love it so much.
We should probably talk about the goose fat too. If you like using bacon fat or duck fat to cook, you're going to LOVE the goose fat. And I'm not kidding. This stuff is like liquid gold.
So, DON'T THROW AWAY THE FAT. You're going to get about 2 cups of the stuff from this goose.
Jump to:
What Does Roast Goose Taste Like?
A properly cooked goose tastes more like beef than it does chicken. The meat is dark and rich from all the fat on the goose and is incredibly delicious.
**Don't forget to check out this recipe for Crispy Roasted Duck with Orange Sauce - it is also incredibly rich and delicious!**
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The Ingredients
You're going to want to get a 8-10 pound goose for this recipe. The younger the goose, the better it tastes, so if you can try and get a young one.
It may be difficult to find at the grocery store, but you should be able to get one at a butcher shop. I bought mine at the Asian grocery store.
They usually have them, BUT it may come with the head still attached and all it's innards. Like mine. Let's just say I got a quick lesson on how to gut a goose....
If you do buy one that still need to be gutted, check out this video.
The marinade and glaze for the cooked goose calls for Shaoxing cooking wine, which is a Chinese style dry rice wine commonly used for Chinese cooking.
It adds a great flavor to Chinese dishes, and is highly recommended if you plan on cooking Chinese food (I have a number of Chinese recipes coming soon guys). You can also substitute a dry sherry in place of the Shaoxing wine.
You can buy the ingredients through the below Amazon links if you don't feel like searching up and down the grocery store aisles (affiliate links):
Step By Step Instructions
Combine all the marinade ingredients in bowl. Place the goose in a large roasting pan and stuff with the orange quarters.
Rub the marinade all over the goose massaging into the skin on both sides. Cover with the coarse sea salt and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours, uncovered.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. With a small sharp knife, poke holes in all the fatty areas of the goose (this helps the fats to render).
Place the goose on a roasting rack, breast side down, and roast for 1 hour.
Drain the excess fat from the pan and RESERVE it. Flip the goose over and roast another hour. Again, drain any additional excess fat and reserve.
Turn the heat up to 400 degrees and brush the goose with half of the orange honey glaze.
Cook for 15 minutes. Baste again with remaining honey mixture and cook another 15-20 minutes, or until the temperature of the goose reads 160 degrees.
To get the most accurate temperature reading I use a Thermapen thermometer. This thing is awesome and I totally recommend it to anyone that cooks meat, makes candy or bakes bread on a regular basis.
Remove and let rest for 15 minutes. Temperature will rise to 165 degrees while the goose is resting.
**NOTE: reserve the carcass to make goose stock or bone broth**
Orange Honey Glaze
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the honey is dissolved.
Expert Tips
- It is important to let the goose sit in the fridge, salted and uncovered, for at least 12 hours (24 is better) to allow the moisture in the skin to evaporate. This helps the skin stay crispy;
- If the goose starts to brown too much while roasting, cover the pan in aluminum foil;
- Be sure to periodically spoon the rendered fat from the pan into a heat proof container. You'll want to reserve all this fat to use in cooking other dishes (scroll down for some ideas on using goose fat);
- Don't skip poking holes in the duck - this allows the fat to render out;
- The meat should technically be cooked to 165 degrees - it's ok if the meat is pink, as long as the temperature is 165 degrees;
- You can substitute dry sherry for the Shaoxing wine.
- For a stronger orange flavor, add ½ tsp. of orange zest to the honey glaze.
- Flipping the goose while roasting keeps the breast meat from drying out.
- Reserve the goose carcass to make goose stock or bone broth.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What temperature should goose be cooked to? A whole goose should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees according to the FDA.
- Do you cover a goose when cooking? If the outside of the goose starts to brown too much, cover it in foil.
- Is it ok to eat pink goose meat? Unlike chicken and turkey, it is ok to eat goose if the meat is still pink. However, the internal temperature should be 165 degrees.
- Can you freeze cooked goose? Carve the meat off the goose carcass and place in a freezer safe container or freezer bag. I use my trusty FoodSaver for this. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or place in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes until warmed through. Can also be reheated in a skillet over medium heat. Add a touch of reserved goose fat to the meat to prevent it from drying out too much.
How to Use Goose Fat
It's worth making this cooked goose just to get the fat. This goose produced about 2 cups of the liquid gold. Use it wherever you would use other fats like duck fat, butter, bacon grease or coconut oil. Check out some of these ideas:
- Use it in place of the duck fat in these Smashed Potatoes;
- Use it in place of the duck fat in these Truffle Fries;
- Use it to make these Crispy Roast Potatoes - just substitute goose fat for butter;
- Rub it on a turkey or chicken before roasting;
- Use it in place of olive oil to saute vegetables and/or fish fillets;
- Use goose fat in place of butter or shortening in biscuit recipes.
Serving Options
Make it a whole Christmas feast and serve it up with some of these amazing dishes:
- Start with this warm and gooey Baked Brie;
- Serve it with Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes and/or Mashed Sweet Potatoes;
- Make sure you have a vegetable side like this Cheesy Cauliflower Bake, Oven Fried Squash or Roasted Parmesan Asparagus;
- Easy Dinner Rolls from I Am Baker;
- Every dinner needs a sweet treat like this Pistachio Baklava, Milk Chocolate Buttercrunch or Homemade Apple Crisp.
Did you make this roast goose recipe? Rate the recipe and leave me a comment to let me know how it turned out!
Recipe
Roast Goose Recipe with Honey Orange Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 goose (8-10 lbs.)
- 1 orange, quartered
- 6 tbsp. coarse sea salt
Marinade:
- 1 tbsp. Chinese five spice
- 2 tbsp. shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Honey Glaze:
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tbsp. shaoxing wine
- 2 tbsp. orange juice
Instructions
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in bowl. Place the goose in a large roasting pan and stuff with the orange quarters.
- Rub the marinade all over the goose massaging into the skin on both sides. Cover with the coarse sea salt and place in the fridge for 12-24 hours, uncovered.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. With a sharp knife or skewer, poke holes in the skin of the goose all over, being careful not to pierce the skin. This helps the fat to render.
- Place the goose on a roasting rack, breast side down, and roast for 1 hour. Drain excess fat from the pan and reserve. Flip the goose over and roast another hour. Drain excess fat from the pan and reserve.
- Turn the heat up to 400 degrees and brush the goose with half of the honey glaze. Cook for 15 minutes. Baste again with remaining honey mixture and cook another 15-20 minutes, or until the temperature of the goose reads 160 degrees.
- Remove and let rest for 15 minutes. Temperature will rise to 165 degrees while the goose is resting.
Honey Glaze:
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until honey is dissolved.
Expert Tips:
- It is important to let the goose sit in the fridge, salted and uncovered, for at least 12 hours (24 is better) to allow the moisture in the skin to evaporate. This helps the skin stay crispy;
- If the goose starts to brown too much while roasting, cover the pan in aluminum foil;
- Be sure to periodically spoon the rendered fat from the pan into a heat proof container. You'll want to reserve all this fat to use in cooking other dishes (scroll down for some ideas on using goose fat);
- Don't skip poking holes in the duck - this allows the fat to render out;
- The meat should technically be cooked to 165 degrees - it's ok if the meat is pink, as long as the temperature is 165 degrees;
- You can substitute dry sherry for the Shaoxing wine.
- For a stronger orange flavor, add ½ tsp. of orange zest to the honey glaze.
- Flipping the goose while roasting keeps the breast meat from drying out.
- Reserve the goose carcass to make goose stock or bone broth.
Nutrition
Bernice
Thank you. You have me wanting to try this recipe. Looks amazing and I bet it tastes great too!
Danielle
Thanks Bernice! Hope you try it 🙂
Marisa Franca
You've made me really curious about cooked goose. I'm thinking of all the sayings with "cooked goose" and I have to smile. My goose is cooked, your goose is cooked, etc. Your instructions are great -- now to find a goose. Oh, we have them on the lake outside but I think the neighbors would complain if we took one.
Danielle
LOL the neighbors prob wouldn't be excited LOL! I find mine as the asian market, but i think a lot of butchers have them also.
Tiffany Barry
I've never had goose, but this recipe makes me want to give it a try so bad! It's interesting that it tastes more like beef and what you'd think.
Danielle
It is, you would think it would taste like chicken, but not at all. It's a great flavor!
Kacie Morgan
I confess, I don't think I have EVER even tasted goose before but oh my, having stumbled across your recipe, I know I need to change this - this looks absolutely sublime.
Danielle
It's so yummy Kacie! I had never had it until recently either, and am LOVING it!
Jacqueline Debono
I must confess I've never cooked a whole goose. I've had it cooked by German friends at Christmas coz it's pretty traditional there. Yours looks delicious. The marinade and glaze sound delish. I really should give it a go!
Danielle
Thanks Jacqueline! It's really not hard to do, and the results are amazing!
Jeannette (Jay Joy)
Thank you so much for the Orange Honey Glaze recipe! I have been looking everywhere for one. It goes well with so many poultry dishes.
Danielle
It would be so delicious with any poultry dish - hope you love it Jeannette!
Emmeline
This looks so delicious! And I love the idea of using the fat as well - I make duck a lot and always throw it awy, but no more! Thank you for that 😀
Danielle
I always save the fat! It's actually my favorite part of roasting a duck or a goose 🙂
Maggie Unzueta
Ooohh..This looks so delicious! I will trying making this at home and let my taste buds do the tasting!
Danielle
Thanks Maggie - hope you love it!
Stine Mari
Hey did you just say honey orange glaze? That is one of my favorite things on chicken, so I bet it's super delicious and more festive on goose. Yum!
Danielle
I totally did! Honey orange glaze is good on so many things 🙂
Mahy Elamin
OMG this looks DIVINE. Now your recipe will be a favorite on my festive table! I'm sure that my whole family will be impressed by this incredible and impressive recipe. I have no words! It's just WOW!
Danielle
Thanks so much Mahy 🙂 I hope you get the chance to make it and love it!
Chad
OMG the pictures, you killed me! Looks sooo delicious! I can't wait to try it. Thanks a lot for the recipe.
Chad
http://www.mosaicslab.com
Danielle
Thanks Chad! I hope you get a chance to try it!
Gloria
OMG, I have only had goose ounce. My mom made it when I was a kid long ago. I do remember LOVING it. This has brought back some wonderful holiday food memories. Happy Holidays.
Danielle
It's just suck a great flavor 🙂 Happy Holidays to you too!
Stacie
That looks absolutely delicious. I've never had goose before. I love duck, though, so I'm sure this would be right up my alley.
Danielle
If you like duck, you would def like this!
Linda
I've never tried cooking a goose before but you made it sound so easy! And this is a perfect dish to make this holiday seasons. Plus who can say no when it's paired with truffle fries? Yum!
Danielle
It's def not hard to make, and totally worth it! It's so delicious 🙂
Amanda
I've never had goose, but I always see it at my local butcher shop. Now that I have such a delicious-looking recipe, I'll have to try this!
Danielle
I hope you get the chance to try it Amanda!
Julia
I can't get a goose around here but I surely am planning on making roasted duck! And I agree with you the fat is liquid gold in deed 🙂
Danielle
Duck is my all time favorite! I have a roasted duck recipe on the website too is you want to check it out 🙂
tayler
I love that you recommend keeping the goose fat! So important to use all parts of the bird!
Danielle
It def is! And the goose fat is so amazing!
Demeter
That marinade and glaze sounds like the perfect flavor combination! All the ingredients work so well together.
Danielle
Thanks Demeter!
Neli Howard
I have always wanted to do a goose! I don’t even know if I could find one around here. Yours is gorgeous!!!
Danielle
Thanks so much Neli! I actually got mine at the Asian market, but I think a lot of butchers carry them, especially around xmas 🙂
Amy | The Cook Report
Wow this looks absolutely incredible! I've never tried roasting a goose before, or even eating one for that matter but I bet it tastes fantastic!
Danielle
Goose is so good Amy! But honestly, my favorite part is all the fat it renders. I've been cooking things in goose fat for weeks now. It's amazing 🙂