Ground Goose Jerky Recipe on a Traeger, Pit Boss or Other Pellet Grill + Video
Full of smokey hickory, garlic, and spice, this homemade ground goose jerky won’t last long in your house. Learn how to grind, press, and smoke your ground jerky to perfection with this easy tutorial and video.
We have hoards of Canada Geese flying over nearby fields starting in mid august until after the snow flies. My boys love to set up decoys and go for an early morning hunt at least once a year. Last year they went with a big group for a birthday and brunch- so much fun!
There is something so satisfying about harvesting and processing your own jerky with wild game. Healthy, lean, and locally sourced meat that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? I’m in! If you love tender jerky as much as we do, this ground goose jerky is a great way to preserve your harvest!
Tips and Tricks
Pack your jerky gun really tight with the ground goose and the plunger that came with your gun to make sure that there are no air pockets when you are squeezing out the jerky.
Vacuum seal extra jerky before freezing it to avoid freezer burn if possible.
Use a knife to end your strip of jerky when you reach the end of the jerky mat so that you don’t stretch and pull it.
Cut the sharp edges off of your ground goose jerky with kitchen shears before packaging it up to avoid tearing the vacuum or ziplock bags.
While we use breast meat, you can use any part of the goose that you harvest. It is important to remove as much fat as possible from your meat- especially when using a press. Excess fat can make your goose jerky go rancid faster and is hard to properly compress into the jerky gun to make uniform strips and rods.
Key Ingredients:
Ground Meat: This recipe was made using ground goose but you can use just about any ground meat including ground beef, chicken, turkey, pork, deer, moose, etc…
Rub: I love the Homemade Hunter’s Blend Rub recipe that I have included in this post! It includes garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, liquid smoke, worcestershire sauce, and a few other tasty herbs and spices. It can be used on any kind of jerky including turkey jerky, venison jerky, moose jerky, wild duck, and beef jerky. Another jerky blend that we love is Backwoods Original Jerky Seasoning.
Equipment
Meat Grinder: We purchased our meat grinder at Cabelas. This meat grinder from Amazon gets great reviews also.
Jerky Gun: We have the SIGVAL brand jerky gun. There are many good ones out there… make sure that you buy a metal jerky cannon to ensure that it is strong and consistent.
Jerky Smoking Racks: These are a GAME CHANGER. We first attempted ground goose jerky on our Traeger with parchment underneath and it took 1.5 times longer to cook and needed to be flipped several times. Traditional grill grates are too spaced out and you risk losing the tasty jerky you just worked so hard to make. Check out these drying screens and save yourself precious time.
Pellet Grill: We have a Traeger Ironwood 885 that we LOVE! If you don’t have a smoker yet, look into this powerhouse. Any smoker will work including Pit Boss, Green Mountain Grill, Master Built, Green Egg, Weber, and Camp Chef.
How to Make Ground Goose Jerky on a Pellet Grill
STEP 1. Grind: Cut the goose in manageable sized chunks for your meat grinder. Don’t worry about silver skin-it is much more tender on birds and wont affect your goose jerky. Using a meat grinder, grind up the raw goose breasts. We find working in strips works best for our tabletop meat grinder.
STEP 2. Marinating Process: Mix up your rub or marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Massage it into the ground goose with your hands until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Cover the meat with a plastic bag or plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Less time marinating will result in less flavor.
STEP 3. Press: Using a jerky gun, press the jerky into strips or sticks depending on your preference. I like to make a mix of both!
STEP 4. Dehydrate/Smoke/Cook the Ground Goose Jerky: Place the meat strips on the jerky racks on the smoker at 165°F using your favourite flavour of pellets- we love to use hickory pellets for smoking ground goose jerky. After two hours, check your goose jerky for doneness. The pressed goose jerky should feel slightly spongy when pinched between your fingers (but not juicy). It should bend in half without breaking and should be a rich burgundy colour. Smoke for another hour if needed.
STEP 5. Cool + Package: Place your jerky on a cooling rack before packaging it up in an airtight bag or container or enjoy it fresh.
Enjoy!
Batch and Storage:
- 2 pounds of raw goose breast will yield approximately 1 pound of smoked ground goose jerky.
- Store in the fridge for seven to ten days in an airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to a year. We made several vacuum-sealed packages and froze them for easy grab and go lunches and snacks throughout the year.
*This jerky MUST be stored in the fridge because it doesn’t include any added preservatives.*
FAQ
We like to smoke our ground goose jerky at 165°F. Preheat your Traeger, Pit Boss, or other pellet grill before you start pressing the jerky out onto the mats. By the time you have finished this, the smoker should be up to temperature.
This ground goose jerky is dehydrated in a smoker (pellet grill). Times vary depending on the temperature outside and the consistency of your smoker. Check your jerky after two hours to assess the colour and texture. You may need to smoke for another hour. Check periodically to make sure that you don’t end up with meat chips! If you have a thermometer, you can check the internal temperature of the jerky- it should be 165°F.
Using two sheets of parchment paper, press the ground goose out into a large 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Remove the top piece of parchment and using a pizza cutter or sharp knife and slice the ground meat into strips. Use a thin spatula to transfer the jerky to the smoker, dehydrator, or oven.
Meat tenderizer is not necessary for ground goose jerky because the meat fibres are already broken down in the grinding process. When you do sliced jerky, you can choose to add meat tenderizer or hammer out your meat a bit depending on your preference- I have never used it!
The pressed goose jerky should feel slightly spongy when pinched between your fingers (but not juicy). It should bend in half without breaking and should be a rich burgundy colour.
Yes, load up your racks and cook as per the cooking instructions in this recipe.
Printable Recipe Card
Smoked Ground Goose Jerky Recipe on a Traeger, Pit Boss or Other Pellet Grill
Full of smokey hickory, garlic, and spice, this homemade ground goose jerky won’t last long in your house. Learn how to grind, press, and smoke your goose jerky to perfection with this easy tutorial and video.
Ingredients
- Ground Goose Breast
- Hunter's Blend Jerky Rub or Rub of Choice
Instructions
- Preheat + Grind: Using a meat grinder, grind up the raw goose breasts. We find working in strips works best for our tabletop meat grinder.
- Season: Mix up your rub or marinade. Massage it into the meat with your hands until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Cover the meat and leave it in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
- Press: Using a jerky gun, press the jerky into strips or sticks depending on your preference. I like to make a mix of both.
- Dehydrate/Smoke/Cook the Ground Goose Jerky: Place the jerky on the jerky racks on the smoker at 165°F. After two hours, check your goose jerky for doneness. The pressed goose jerky should feel slightly spongy when pinched between your fingers (but not juicy). It should bend in half without breaking and should be a rich burgundy colour. Smoke for another hour if needed.
- Cool + Package: Place your jerky on a cooling rack before packaging it up in an airtight bag or container.Enjoy!
Notes
*You can sub goose for any ground meat in this recipe including ground turkey, chicken, pork, beef, deer, or moose.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 ozAmount Per Serving: Calories: 21Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 30mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
I used up some year-old moose roasts with this recipe and it worked well because they were so lean. I did half hot rod-style and half strips. I vac sealed and they are nestled into my fridge and freezer for some high protein snacks.
Hey Cam,
I am happy to hear that you had luck with your jerky. My kids LOVE it- I feel great knowing all of the ingredients in it.