So my season for waterfowl starts in 2 days. I'm looking for a new recipe specifically for duck and goose jerky. I've never made jerky before and hoping someone can share some tips!

I just did this recipe with 1 goose and 6 or 7 ducks.  I butterflied the duck breasts and sliced the goose breasts lengthwise.  I did not partially freeze the meat before slicing, but I think that would help.



Spicy Goose Jerky
Preparation Time: 20 minutes    
Curing Time: 12-24 hours
Drying Time: 10 hours
Makes about 1 pound of jerky

Ingredients
4 pounds (about 2 quarts) skinless goose breast fillets, trimmed of all gristle, fat, and    
silver skin
3 tablespoons coarse salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

1. Cut the meat into 1/4-inch-thick strips. For chewier jerky, cut with the grain of the meat. For tender jerky, slice across the grain. For even more tender jerky, lightly pound the meat with a mallet.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir well to blend. Add the meat strips, cover, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Remove the meat from the marinade and dry on racks (baking racks work well) in the refrigerator for an hour. Place the strips in a 175-degree oven or smoker for an hour or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 160 degrees. Lower the temperature of the oven or smoker to 140 degrees, and if you are using a standard kitchen oven, crack the door open about an inch to allow moisture to escape. A foil ball works well as an oven door stop. If using a smoker, open all the vents. After five hours, flip the meat strips over and heat or smoke them for another five hours or until they are thoroughly dry.

3. Package the jerky strips in vacuum-sealed zip-lock bags and freeze for up to a year.

For a change of pace, I take duck or goose breasts and cut them into bite size pieces, wrap each in a half-strip of bacon (skewer with a toothpick) and broil them until the bacon is well cooked. Yummy.

I've been doing that with mud ducks. I'll give that a shot with the geese too.

Also, I dont have a meat smoker, any special way to make the jerky in the oven? Reading I've found to just cook it at a low temp for 6-8 hours.

I did the above in the oven.  I had the oven set at about 175 until the meat temp came up to near 160 or so.  Then turned the oven down to 140 until things were dry enough.


I cooked a Canada goose last week that was outstanding.

Slow cooker on low.

2 goose breasts, thighs and legs

4 cups water

1 whole onion quartered

1 package of Lipton french onion soup.

Cook all day.  a couple hours before dinner time add whole potatoes and baby carrots.

Thanks john! I wouldnt mind giving that a try either.

I can't help with the jerky, but I found the absolute best way to cook wood duck and mallards.

Pluck and gut them, then cut the spine right out and fold them open so both breasts and the skin are on the top. Make a glaze of some sort, I like cider and honey.

Get the grill heated up to about 300 and get the flame low, baste the duck and toss it on skin side up for exactly 10 minute, baste again and flip it skin side down for 10-12 minutes, but no longer than 12.

Take it off and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then tear into it, it will be the most tender and juicy duck you have ever had. I won't cook them any other way from now on, even the legs are easy to eat.

Another take on this one;

I cube the duck/gooses breasts in about 1 inch squares and let them soak in my marinade for about 1-2 days.  Then, on a toothpick, I add 1 slice of jalapeno (the kind in the can), 1 cube of colby-jack or pepper jack cheese, 1 sliced water chestnut (the kind in the can), then 1 cube of duck/goose, all wrapped in bacon.  Cooked over super low heat on the bbq, turning often to avoid flare ups.  Enjoy!

Another one that all my buddies like;

Dice up 3-5 fresh jalapenos (depending on heat level) and add to two bricks of softened cream cheese.  Butterfly the duck/gooses breasts and stuff the cream cheese filling into the cavity.  Wrap the breast in bacon and place on cookie sheet.  I also like to sprinkle generous amounts of brown sugar on top and bake at 350 degrees until cooked (9-13 mins).

Then there is jerky.  I always start the jerky in the smoker and finish on the dehydrator for the best results.

Thanks everyone! Keep them coming! I was shutout on opening day Saturday... was cloudy and pissy rainy Thurs/Fri and of course Saturday is gorgeous. I'll be out there again Thursday and can hopefully be giving some of these recipes a try Thursday night!

Breast out the ducks. Then fillet the meat off the breastbone. Gives you two pieces of meat. Then fillet those in half so you get 4 pieces from each breast. Marinate it overnight in Italian dressing. The next day halve and seed some jalapenos. Then fill them with cream cheese. Wrap the breast around the pepper, and then a piece of bacon around the breast. Douche it good with cajun seasoning, then BBQ it til NO MORE than medium rare. This is my favorite duck recipe!

Dear God, you processed that duck harder than McDonalds processes it's burger.

The skin and fat off the duck are the best part.

That looks amazing

Hardly. Takes a couple of minutes if you know how to use a knife. You can have that fat and skin. Nasty shit.

What kind of ducks are we talking about here?

Mallards. BTW, I didn't mean to sound like a dick in my response. I leave the fat and skin on when I'm cooking them in the oven. But I don't like it on the grill.