Leftover goose meat can be tricky to use, but it can be absolutely delicious if prepared properly.
Roasting a whole goose is a delicious way to impress around the holidays, and the rich roasted meat and crisp skin will will leave everyone at the table satisfied.
The problem is…it also usually leaves leftover goose meat in the refrigerator the following day.
Thus the inevitable question, What do you do with leftover goose?
At this point, you already know that goose meat doesn’t taste like other poultry, and it’s a lot more like beef than chicken. But the texture’s a bit different too, and will it reheat alright?
Cooking Leftover Goose
When preparing leftover goose, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.
First, if you overcook goose meat the texture can get a bit “liver-y.” Assuming you’ve roasted it well the first time, it’s already perfectly done…and re-heating it improperly can actually have unfortunate results.
To avoid this, I’d suggest reheating it in a bit of oil (or ideally, rendered goose fat) to crisp the meat. Your goal here is to make something like those crisp pieces around the edge of a good hunk of pulled pork.
Those crispy crunchy browned bits will prevent the texture from turning liver-y and give you great flavor at the same time. (Whatever you do, don’t microwave it.)
The second thing to keep in mind is any un-rendered fat or pieces of skin that didn’t crisp will be a bit gooey, unless properly crisped. Those also need to be crisped in a bit of fat, which will in turn render out the remaining goose fat and leave them succulent and delicious.
If just gently reheated, stewed or microwaved will leave them feeling slimy in your mouth, which is no good!
Make sure you fry it nice and hot, and you’ll have a nice crisp piece of goose on your plate.
Leftover Goose Recipes
Once you know the best way to reheat goose, it’s also important to remember that goose meat has more flavor than chicken. It’s not just a neutral protein that will take on the flavor of whatever is around it.
Goose meat has it’s own flavor, and it’ll dominate any dish. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s important to keep in mind.
Cooked goose will last in the fridge for about 7 to 10 days, provided it was put away promptly after your meal. That leaves you plenty of time to experiment with these creative leftover goose recipes.
Leftover Goose Sandwiches and Wraps
To make wraps or sandwiches, I’d suggest quickly crisping the meat in a pan before using it if you’d like it warm.
You can also use cold goose meat, but in that case, you should make sure to pick it over well to remove any skin or textures that might be objectionable cold.
- BBQ Pulled Goose Sandwich
- Goose Meat Wraps
- Goose in Chinese Pancakes with Hoisin Sauce (Like Moo Shu Pork, but with goose)
Leftover Goose Soups and Stews
Since the goose meat is already cooked, it’s best to add it at the minute to soups and stews. Make a goose bone broth (directions at the end of this article) and then cook the rest of your ingredients in the soup.
Finish it with the goose meat, but only heat it long enough to warm the goose through.
- Goose Stew with Barley
- Goose Soup with Dumplings
- Goose Pho (Vietnamese Soup)
Leftover Goose Hash
There’s nothing simpler than a boxing day leftover hash, made from just about everything you have left from your holiday meal.
Potatoes are essential here, and you can even add in a fried egg on top to really seal the deal.
- Goose Hash
- Boxing Day Breakfast Hash (with Goose) from Nigel Slater
Leftover Goose Recipes with Rice
The richness of goose meat goes really well with rice, whether it’s a simple fried rice, or an elaborate risotto.
You can see that many different cultures have tasty meat and rice dishes, and they all work well with leftover goose.
- Goose Fat Fried Rice (With goose meat, too)
- Goose Dum Biryani (Indian Rice Dish)
- Goose Risotto
- Goose, Stilton and Chestnut Risotto
Leftover Goose Pies
A proper goose pie can be tricky to make because the meat may become overcooked. Make sure you use a rich broth to really trap the flavors.
Leftover Goose Salads
If you’re trying to lighten things up after a day of heavy holiday eating, try incorporating leftover goose into a seasonal salad!
The rich, fully flavored meat pairs wonderfully with crisp greens.
Using a Goose Carcass
Beyond the leftover goose meat, you’ve also likely got a whole goose carcass on your hands. Don’t just let it go to waste!
Goose makes a truly excellent bone broth that’s something that money just can’t buy most places in the world.
If the goose was roasted whole, the bones are already roasted and can go into a stock pot with carrots, onions and herbs (like thyme and parsley). Slowly simmer the mixture for about 4 to 6 hours before straining.
Goose stock can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week, or the freezer for up to a year.
Personally, I like to pressure can all my bone broths in mason jars because then I can keep them right on my pantry shelf (without taking up extra freezer space).
Here’s the basics of pressure canning if you’ve never done it before (and yes, you do need a specialized canner for this, you cannot use your instant pot).
Goose Carcass for stock
Holiday Meal Ideas
Looking for more holiday meal ideas?
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