Sliced + Smoked Goose Jerky Recipe on a Traeger, Pit Boss or Other Pellet Grill
Thinly sliced and smoked, this goose jerky has the optimal amount of hickory and spice to appeal to the masses. Follow this simple tutorial and video to find out how to slice, marinade, and smoke your own homemade goose jerky.
There are few things more rewarding than hunting, harvesting, and processing fresh protein for your family to enjoy. If you are passionate about sourcing out your own goose or other meat and creating a snack that everyone will enjoy, this sliced jerky is a must!
We have tons of Canada Geese flying over nearby fields starting in late summer and carrying on through until well after our first snow has fallen. My boys love to bundle up, 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 hunt and birthday brunch- so much fun!
Tips and Tricks
Use a meat slicer for thin, uniform strips.
Drizzle extra jerky rub/ marinade on top of the sliced goose jerky after the 12-24 hour marinading period. We almost always end up with a tablespoon or two of liquid at the bottom of the marinading goose meat.
Vacuum seal extra jerky before freezing it to avoid freezer burn if possible.
Lay the sliced goose jerky as flat as you can when you are placing it on the jerky racks to ensure even cooking.
I use goose breasts but you can experiment with using different parts of your goose! Be sure to remove as much fat as you can to prevent the jerky from going rancid.
Key Ingredients:
Sliced Goose Breast : This recipe was made using sliced goose breast but you can use just about any cut of meat to slice including beef, pork, deer, moose, and other wild game. Making jerky is a great way to use up off cuts of meat that you would normally shove to the back of the freezer!
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 flavorful 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 slicer: We use an old slicer that was given to us. If you need a great meat slicer, check out this Techwood model. It has amazing reviews. You can also use a knife.
Jerky Smoking Racks: These are truly amazing when it comes to smoking jerky. Check out these grilling racks and get a more even cook on your goose jerky with less time. We have found that the traditional grill grates on our smoker are too large to smoke jerky, you run the risk of losing some of your tender jerky strips under the grates!
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. This recipe can also be made in the oven or on the electric smoker.
How to Make Sliced Goose Jerky on a Pellet Grill
Time needed: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Steps Involved
- Slice
Remove any excess fat before slicing.Using a meat slicer or sharp knife, slice the meat into thin 1/4 inch slabs. We like to cut against the grain of the meat so that it easily shreds apart when eating.
- Season
Mix up your jerky rub or marinade ingredients and toss it with the meat in a large bowl until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Cover the goose with a plastic bag or plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
- Dehydrate/Smoke/Cook the Sliced Goose Jerky
Preheat your smoker to 165 degrees f. Our favourite flavour of pellets for smoking jerky is hickory. Flatten and spread the sliced goose jerky on the smoking racks in a single layer and pop them in the smoker at 165°F. After 2.5 hours, check your goose jerky for doneness. The jerky should be dry and leathery but not brittle. 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!
Batch and Storage:
2 pounds of meat will yield approximately 1 pound of smoked sliced goose jerky.
Store your goose jerky in the fridge for seven to ten days in a zip top bags or an airtight container or in the freezer for up to a year. We made small vacuum-sealed packages to throw in the freezer for quick grab and go snacks. Once you’ve made your own jerky, you will never want to buy store-bought jerky again!
This tasty jerky MUST be stored in the fridge because it doesn’t include any added preservatives.
FAQ
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.
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.
The sliced goose jerky should feel leathery and dry but not crispy or crumbly. It should bend in half without breaking and should be a rich burgundy colour.
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!
Aim to slice your jerky about 1/4 inch thick.
You can use this recipe and adapt it for many other meat sources including wild duck, venison, moose, turkey, chicken, pork, and beef to name a few. Experimenting is half the fun!
Printable Recipe Card
Smoked Sliced Goose Jerky Recipe on a Traeger, Pit Boss or Other Pellet Grill
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sliced goose breast
- Hunter's Blend Marinade
Instructions
- Preheat + Slice: Using a meat slicer or sharp knife, slice the meat into thin 1/4 inch slabs.
- Season: Mix up your jerky rub or marinade and toss it with the meat until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Cover the goose and leave it in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
- Dehydrate/Smoke/Cook the Sliced Goose Jerky: Preheat your smoker to 165°F. Our favourite flavour of pellets for smoking jerky is hickory. Flatten and spread the sliced goose jerky on the smoking racks and pop them in the smoker at 165°F. After 2.5 hours, check your goose jerky for doneness. The jerky should be dry and leathery but not brittle. 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!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 ozAmount Per Serving: Calories: 60Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 351mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 15g
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More Savoury Recipes
If you love making jerky, check out this tutorial for pressing goose jerky with a jerky gun. When using a jerky press you can make hot-rod style snack sticks or uniform strips from eye of round roasts, ground beef, ground goose, or other big game animals.
Looks sooo good!
Oooh my husband would love this. Can’t wait to try!