Specklebelly Goose Piccata Cooked Fork-Tender in Lemon Piccata Sauce

This goose piccata is proof that specklebelly goose and other wild waterfowl can be downright luxurious. Simple ingredients, quick cooking, and unbelievably tender results.

I started by slicing two specklebelly goose breasts in half and gently pounding them into thin cutlets, then seasoning with kosher salt and granulated garlic.

A skillet went over medium heat with a splash of extra virgin olive oil and unsalted butter. Working in batches, I lightly dredged the specklebelly cutlets in all-purpose flour, shaking off the excess, and browned them for about one minute per side. Once golden, they were removed and set aside.

To the same skillet, I added chicken stock, fresh lemon juice, capers, and crushed garlic—scraping up every flavorful browned bit. A few more tablespoons of butter went in, followed by the goose cutlets. The heat was turned low and everything simmered together for just five minutes until fork tender.

If you didn’t know better, you’d never guess this was specklebelly goose. Rich, bright, and incredibly tender, this Goose Piccata was served with pesto angel hair pasta and a fresh garden salad—an easy wild game dinner that feels anything but ordinary.

Brining Goose Breasts for Extra Tenderness

Brining your goose breasts in a simple saltwater solution before cooking can make a noticeable difference in tenderness and flavor. Just dissolve kosher salt in water, submerge the breasts for 1–2 hours in the fridge, then rinse and pat dry before slicing and pounding into cutlets. This extra step helps the meat stay juicy and enhances its natural flavor, giving you an even more fork-tender result in your piccata.

Substituting Other Goose for Specklebelly

This recipe works beautifully with other goose varieties as well, including Canada goose or snow goose. Keep in mind that breast size can vary widely depending on the bird. Larger goose breasts may require increasing the amount of flour, butter, and sauce ingredients to ensure each cutlet is evenly coated and stays tender throughout cooking.

Brining Tip (Optional but Recommended): Dissolve kosher salt in water. Submerge goose breasts for 1–2 hours in the fridge. Rinse and pat dry before slicing.

Slice goose breasts in half and gently pound into thin cutlets. Season with kosher salt and granulated garlic.

Heat a skillet over medium heat with olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Dredge cutlets in flour, shaking off excess. Brown cutlets 1 minute per side in batches. Remove and set aside.

In the same skillet, add chicken stock, lemon juice, capers, and crushed garlic. Scrape up all the browned bits from the pan.

Add remaining butter and return goose cutlets to the skillet. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until fork-tender.

Serve with pesto angel hair pasta and a fresh garden salad.

Adjusting the Recipe for More Goose Breasts

If you’re cooking four goose breasts instead of two, you’ll want to increase the amounts of flour, butter, and sauce ingredients to ensure each cutlet is evenly coated and stays tender. Cooking in batches may also be necessary to avoid overcrowding the skillet.

Specklebelly Goose Piccata

This fork-tender goose piccata recipe works beautifully with specklebelly, Canada, or snow goose. Bright lemon-caper sauce, simple ingredients, and one skillet.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: goose recipes, waterfowl recipes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 specklebelly goose breasts
• kosher salt, to taste
• granulated garlic, to taste
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup capers, washed and drained
• 1 clove garlic, crushed

Optional Brine

• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt

Instructions

• Brining Tip (Optional but Recommended): Dissolve kosher salt in water. Submerge goose breasts for 1–2 hours in the fridge. Rinse and pat dry before slicing.
• Slice goose breasts in half and gently pound into thin cutlets. Season with kosher salt and granulated garlic.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat with olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Dredge cutlets in flour, shaking off excess. Brown cutlets 1 minute per side in batches. Remove and set aside.
• In the same skillet, add chicken stock, lemon juice, capers, and crushed garlic. Scrape up all the browned bits from the pan.
• Add remaining butter and return goose cutlets to the skillet. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until fork-tender.
• Serve with pesto angel hair pasta and a fresh garden salad.

Notes

• If you’re cooking four goose breasts instead of two, you’ll want to increase the amounts of flour, butter, and sauce ingredients to ensure each cutlet is evenly coated and stays tender. Cooking in batches may also be necessary to avoid overcrowding the skillet.
• Other goose varieties work well too. Larger breasts may require increasing flour, butter, and sauce ingredients.
• Try duck or pheasant for a similar skillet-style waterfowl dinner.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Try Other Waterfowl Recipes

If you enjoy cooking with goose, there’s a whole world of waterfowl recipes worth trying. Duck, pheasant, and other wild birds lend themselves beautifully to simple skillet meals and classic sauces that let the meat shine. From crispy duck breasts to slow-simmered pheasant dishes, experimenting with different waterfowl is a great way to build confidence in the kitchen while making the most of each hunt.

More Weekly Wild Game Inspiration

Love wild game? Follow NevadaFoodies on Instagram and Facebook for weekly elk, venison, and antelope recipes, plus tips and kitchen inspiration.