BBQ goose

Published 28 October 2026 · Last updated 4 November 2026 · Tested by Ben Austen

A roast goose on foil with part of the breast carved off and two slices lying beside it, the skin browned all over
The goose, carved after the rest.
  • Prep5 min
  • Cook1 hr 40 min
  • Serves4
  • DifficultyMedium
  • TemperatureAbout 150–220°C (302–428°F), indirect with the ConvEGGtor in.

I heavily salted this BBQ goose, pricked the skin and put nothing else on it before it went on my Big Green Egg Large, with the deflector in and a big drip tray underneath. It was a really good-quality bird from Graves, but it’s still a goose, so it had loads of fat on it. The Egg ran a bit hot towards the end, but I controlled the heat and resisted the urge to open the lid, because that’s when you can get a grease fire. The skin crisped up nicely.

Ingredients

  • A whole goose, about 2.6kg
  • Plenty of salt
A raw goose in a white roasting tin, with the skin pricked all over

Equipment

  • A barbecue that can cook indirect with the lid down at 150–220°C (302–428°F). I cooked on my Big Green Egg Large with the ConvEGGtor (ceramic deflector) in. Any kamado with a deflector, or a kettle set up for indirect cooking, should do the same job.
  • A big drip tray to sit under the grate. I lined mine with foil.
  • Lump charcoal and a firelighter. I used the restaurant-grade lump I normally cook on, and no wood.
  • A leave-in thermometer. It makes this an easy cook. It was raining at the start, so I didn't put mine in and used an instant-read instead.
  • Foil, for the rest.

Method

  1. Salt the goose heavily and prick the skin, about an hour before it goes on.
  2. Light the barbecue and set it up for indirect cooking.
  3. Put the goose on at about 150°C (302°F) and keep the lid shut.
  4. Take it off when the breast is at about 62°C (144°F).
  5. Rest it, then carve.
A raw goose on the grid of a Big Green Egg with the lid open, a foil-lined drip tray under the grid and the ceramic deflector below that

Key takeaways

  • Take it off earlier than I did. Mine came off with the breast at 68°C (154°F) and I’d essentially overcooked it. Next time I’d take it off when the breast hits about 62°C (144°F) and let it rest. That’s below the UK guidance for poultry, which is 70°C (158°F) in the middle for 2 minutes, or 65°C (149°F) for 10 minutes.
  • Use a leave-in thermometer. I only opened the lid once, to probe it with an instant-read, and the fat started to flare up, so I shut it straight away. After that I was a bit guessing.
  • A 2.6kg goose feeds about four. There isn’t a huge amount of meat on a goose.
  • Resting it in foil softens the skin. I rested mine for about an hour and a half wrapped in foil, and the skin went flabby again.
  • Don’t expect a tray full of fat. There was hardly any in my drip tray, which was a bit odd. My guess is that it ran a bit hot and the fat didn’t have time to render out fully, but the skin was still crispy.

How to cook a goose on the BBQ

My goose was a whole bird, about 2.6kg, from H.V. Graves in Briston. I salted it heavily about an hour before it went on and pricked the skin, and that was all it got. On the Egg, I lit the lump with a firelighter and shut the lid after a minute or two with the vents fully open, which I’ve found brings it up to temperature so much better than leaving the lid open. As it came up, I closed the top wheel and the bottom vent down, and after about 15 minutes the ConvEGGtor went in, with a big foil-lined drip tray on top and the grate above that.

A raw goose on the grid of a Big Green Egg with the lid open, a foil-lined drip tray under the grid and the ceramic deflector below that
Indirect, with the drip tray on the deflector under the grate.

The goose went on at about 150°C (302°F). The Egg climbed to about 180°C (356°F) and sat there for a while, then for the last 20 to 30 minutes it was running more like 200–220°C (392–428°F), so I closed the vents down. It was raining when I started, so I’d left my leave-in thermometer out of it. I opened the lid once to probe it, the fat started to flare up, and I shut it straight away, so after that I was a bit guessing. It came off after about 1 hour 40 minutes with the breast at 68°C (154°F), which was too far.

The goose on the Big Green Egg at the end of the cook, browned all over, with smoke coming off it
Just before it came off.

How long to cook a goose on the BBQ

My 2.6kg goose took about 1 hour 40 minutes, indirect with the lid down, starting at about 150°C (302°F) and finishing at 200–220°C (392–428°F). Then it rested in foil for about an hour and a half before I carved it. That was too long on the heat, and the breast was overcooked. Next time I’d take it off earlier and use a leave-in thermometer, so I’m not guessing when it’s ready.

The cooked goose on a sheet of foil, with an instant-read thermometer in the breast
Probing the breast as it came off.

What I learned

The goose ate well, but it did look a little bit dry, because I overcooked it. A leave-in thermometer would have told me when to take it off without opening the lid, and resting it in foil made the skin go flabby. Next time I think I’d rest it for a shorter time in a closed oven, without the foil, and the skin wouldn’t go too flabby.

The whole cooked goose sitting on crumpled foil before carving
After the rest in foil, before carving.

I definitely wasn’t in love with the goose, but I think that’s more personal preference. For me it’s about a 6 out of 10.

What to serve it with

We didn’t eat it on the day, because I was cooking a brisket as well. The next evening I took it apart and made wraps, a bit like duck pancakes: warmed tortillas, hoisin, cucumber, the fat spring onions, avocado and a little mayo. I think that’s the best way to eat it.

Leftover BBQ goose in a warmed tortilla wrap with cucumber, spring onion, avocado and hoisin
The leftover goose in a wrap, the next evening.

Variations

I’ve only cooked a goose on a Big Green Egg, a 2.6kg bird indirect on my Large. A kamado with a deflector, or a kettle set up for indirect cooking, should do the same job, and a bigger goose will take longer, but I haven’t tried either.

Related

FAQ

What temperature should goose be cooked to?

Next time I’d take it off when the breast hits about 62°C (144°F) and let it rest. Mine came off at 68°C (154°F) and was overcooked. The UK guidance for poultry is 70°C (158°F) in the middle for 2 minutes, or 65°C (149°F) for 10 minutes.

How do you grill a goose?

I cooked mine indirect rather than over the coals, with the ConvEGGtor between the fire and the goose and a big drip tray under the grate to catch the fat.

Is BBQ goose the same as roast goose?

Pretty much. With the deflector in and the lid down, the Egg works like an oven, so it’s a roast goose cooked on the barbecue.

Can you cook a Christmas goose on the BBQ?

Yes, and I love the idea of doing anything on the barbecue at Christmas. The Egg copes with bad weather too: I’ve cooked on one in pouring rain. A bigger bird than my 2.6kg one will take longer, so go by the breast temperature rather than the time.

How many people does a goose feed?

My 2.6kg goose would feed about four. There isn’t a huge amount of meat on a goose.

Disclosure and provenance

I cooked this on my Big Green Egg Large, which was a Christmas present from my sister Kate. Big Green Egg had supplied it to her for a paid content partnership, which has since ended. I bought the goose from H.V. Graves in Briston. None of the links here are affiliate links, so nothing here earns a commission.

Sourced from the 27 October 2026 cook log — a whole 2.6kg goose cooked indirect on a Big Green Egg Large.