This slow cooker pulled goose sandwich teams up with caramelized onions and pineapple to provide you with a delicious goose leg recipe.
Easy Goose Recipes
Our 9-year-old daughter is heading back to school so it's that time of the year when I need a stockpile of easy and delicious recipes to serve up on busy weeknights. This goose leg recipe sits at the top of my list of easy meals to feed her between school and piano lessons or gymnastics. If you are a busy parent like me, you are looking for the same thing!
Because the Canada goose legs and thighs are cooked in a slow cooker, you can prep it ahead of time and be relaxed and ready when your family needs to either eat on the run or can actually sit down and enjoy a meal together. This pulled goose recipe is deceptively simple and also a great option when you are looking for something to bring to feed a crowd at a football party. And if this sounds delicious to you, but you don’t have a family or crowd to feed, no worries! Leftover pulled goose freezes very nicely. For more Canada goose leg recipes, try my Goose Stew or Goose Fettuccine Alfredo or Goose French Dip Sandwiches.
Pineapple Pulled Goose
The key to this pulled goose recipe is a can of pineapple chunks in 100% pineapple juice. It works the same as a pineapple pulled pork recipe. Not only does an inexpensive can of fruit help us achieve the glorious sweet-savory combination of rich goose meat and fragrant pineapple, but it also works its tenderizing magic on the goose legs as it simmers away in your slow cooker. Pineapple is very acidic, and so it helps break the tough goose leg quarters down as it cooks. This helps ensure your pineapple pulled goose sandwiches are filled with falling apart and perfectly juicy goose meat.
How To Butcher A Goose And Remove The Leg Quarters
Unfortunately, most waterfowl hunters I know only take the goose breasts and dispose of the rest of the bird, leaving quite a bit of meat that can be transformed into lots of delicious goose recipes. Harvesting goose leg quarters is commonly overlooked but extremely simple. Skin the goose breast as you normally would, and just yank the skin down just a little lower to expose the goose leg quarter. This piece of the bird looks just like a chicken leg quarter you'll find sold in a 10-pound bag in your local Walmart for around $10.
Bend the goose leg quarter back and pop it back against the ball-and-socket joint and use a sharp knife to cut it free. You'll end up with about one pound of bone-in goose leg quarters from every bird. That adds up to a lot more meat in your freezer to feed you and your family. And then you'll be able to enjoy a great goose leg recipe like this one!
How To Cook Goose Legs
I would argue the goose legs are the most flavorful part of a Canada goose, but they also need long, slow cooking to become tender. And the reason why I love slow cooking Canada goose legs more than any other bird is that the bones can easily get picked out and discarded when done cooking. This is rarely the case with pheasant legs, duck legs, or even snow goose legs that will leave you with small bones that you need to be extra careful to pick out of the shredded meat. But the "honker" reign supreme in this aspect and I've never had an issue with someone finding a piece of bone in their goose sandwich.
How To Make A Pineapple Pulled Goose Sandwich
1. Generously salt the goose leg quarters all over, then sear them in a large skillet with two tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Transfer the browned goose leg quarters to the slow cooker.
2. Now separate the pineapple juice from the chunks. Open the can of pineapple chunks and pour out the juice into a small bowl and reserve both the juice and chunks for later.
3. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil with the onions and sauté for about 4 minutes, or until starting to soften. Then add the minced garlic and continue to sauté for another 1 minute.
4. Transfer the onions and garlic to the slow cooker with the beef broth, pineapple juice, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours.
5. Shred the cooked goose leg quarters with tongs or a fork. Discard the bones.
6. Now make the caramelized pineapple. In a skillet over medium heat, combine the pineapple chunks and teriyaki sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.
7. Spoon about ⅓ cup of the pulled goose meat onto each brioche bun, then top with one tablespoon of BBQ sauce and some caramelized pineapple chunks. You can serve as is, or garnish with some microgreens or fresh spinach.
Use Locally Grown Microgreens
You may have noticed I used microgreens to garnish this goose sandwich. That's because I am a big proponent of shopping local and helping promote great products made right here in North Dakota. And that is why I love using Legendary Greens, a Pride of Dakota product.
My friends, John and Rebecca Adam, run a family business based out of Mandan, North Dakota. They grow high quality microgreens that are wonderful to use with many of my wild game and fish dishes. I used their Broccoli greens to top the pineapple pulled goose sandwiches I fed to my wife and daughter. Their broccoli microgreens are little shoots that are tender and delicate, with a slightly crunchy texture and a perfect addition to balance the flavor of the sweetness of the pineapple.
Find out more about how you can support North Dakota businesses by visiting the Pride of Dakota website.
More Goose Recipes
If you are looking for another goose recipe, check out some of our other favorites:
- Pulled Goose Tacos
- Greek Nachos with Goose Meat
- Goose Fajitas
- Crock Pot Goose French Dip Sandwiches
- Goose and Green Bean Stir Fry
Come Goose Hunting in North Dakota
If you are headed our way for North Dakota waterfowl season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.
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DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE
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Pineapple Pulled Goose Sandwich
Ingredients
- Skinless leg quarters from 2 Canada Geese
- 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks with juice
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup teriyaki sauce
- 6 brioche buns
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- 2 ounces Legendary Greens broccoli microgreens (optional)
Instructions
- Generously salt the goose leg quarters all over, then sear them in a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Transfer the browned goose leg quarters to the slow cooker.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil with the onions and sauté for about 4 minutes, or until starting to soften. Then add the minced garlic and continue to sauté for another 1 minute.
- Now separate the pineapple juice from the chunks. Open the can of pineapple chunks and pour out the juice into a small bowl. Place the pineapple chunks in the refrigerator until ready to use later in the recipe.
- Transfer the onions and garlic to the slow cooker with the beef broth, pineapple juice, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours.
- Shred the cooked goose leg quarters with tongs or a fork. Discard the bones.
- Now make the caramelized pineapple. In a skillet over medium heat, combine the pineapple chunks and teriyaki sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.
- Spoon about ⅓ cup of the pulled goose meat onto each brioche bun, then top with one tablespoon of BBQ sauce and some caramelized pineapple chunks. You can serve as is, or garnish with some microgreens or fresh spinach.
John says
The pop of pineapple really added to this sandwich more than I expected it to.
Jeff Benda says
John - Thanks so much for leaving a comment. And happy you liked the goose sandwich as much as we did!
Matt says
Wow! This was amazing! I will never toss a honkers legs again. Thanks Jeff!
Ben says
Great flavors!
Caitlin says
Amazing! The boys asked me to cook the geese they shot in our wheat stubble field and when I saw this one I just had to try it. Everybody loved it. The only bad thing is now my sons want to buy goose decoys and start hunting them more often. Good grief!