Green Chile Goose Burgers

Is this the best goose burger on the Internet? I’ll let you be the judge. This spicy, juicy, cheesy burger will have you back for seconds after you devour the first one. The heavenly marriage of cheese and chile pepper salsa take this wild game burger to the next level. 

The key to delivering a juicy goose burger patty is the addition of some fat. I recommend you grind up the skinless goose breasts (or duck breasts) with about 20 percent pork fat by weight. You can use bacon like I do here, but pork fat or beef fat will work as well.

If we have a successful day of goose hunting here in North Dakota, and I have a lot of birds, I’ll grind up a big batch of goose burger. Once ground and seasoned with salt and pepper, I’ll place four patties in a vacuum sealer bag and freeze them for up to a year.

If you are looking for some other great goose recipes, you can also check out my popular Goose Fettuccini Alfredo and Goose Fajitas recipes.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground goose meat (2 boneless, skinless Canada goose breasts from 1 bird)
• 4 ounces ground bacon, pork fat, or beef fat
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 fresh Hatch or Anaheim chile peppers or one 4-ounce can diced roasted green chiles
• 8 Tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 4 burger buns
• 4 Tablespoons mayonnaise

Instructions

1. Using your hands, combine ground goose meat, ground bacon, 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Form meat mixture into 4 (5-ounce) balls, then press into 3/4-inch-thick patties about 4 inches in diameter. 
2. If using canned chilies, skip to step 3. If you are using fresh peppers, put them on a baking sheet and place them under a preheated broiler in your oven until skins turn black, about 5 minutes. Place the charred peppers in a small mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap for about 5 minutes. Using a paper towel, remove burnt skins and discard the skins. Slice tops off chiles, remove seeds, dice, and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, melt 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add diced onion, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes until onions are softened.
4. Stir in cumin and flour, mix well to combine, and cook another 2 minutes. 
5. Stir in diced chiles and another 1 Tablespoon of butter and cook another 1 minute.
6. Slowly add water while constantly stirring, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off heat, but keep warm on the stovetop while you cook the burgers.
7. Brush cut sides of the burger buns with remaining butter and set aside.
8. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and when it’s hot, add the oil and goose burger patties. Cook for about 2 minutes until well browned on first side. Flip patties, turn heat down to medium-low and cook another 2 minutes. Flip the patties again and cook another 2 minutes. Now reduce the heat to low and top each burger patty with 1 Tablespoon of the chile salsa mixture and 2 Tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Cook until cheese is melted and patties are browned on second side and internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, about 2 minutes. Transfer to large plate and let the burgers rest for 5 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, arrange buttered buns, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Broil in preheated oven until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread each bottom bun half with 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise, and top with a burger patty. Cover with top bun halves and serve immediately.