When can babies eat goose?

From around 6 months, once your baby is ready for solids, served in a safe shape and texture for their age.

Goose

Rich, dark poultry. Trim off the skin and fat, cook it tender and shred it fine.

Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review

Quick answer

Babies can eat goose from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.

From 6 monthsMedium choking risk as servedNot a common allergenIron-rich

How to serve goose by age

6 months+

Tender strips or finely shredded

Braise skinless goose legs or pieces until very tender and 165°F (74°C), then pull the meat into finger-length strips along the grain, or shred it finely and stir it into mashed potato or vegetables. Remove every bone.

Size: Strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), or finely shredded and mixed into mash.
Check before serving: Squash a strip between your thumb and finger. It should fall apart into soft shreds. If it's springy or you have to pull hard, cook it longer or shred it.

US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.

Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.

How to prepare goose

1
Choose farmed goose from a butcher or shop. Wild goose may have been shot with lead: see the questions below. Pull or cut the skin and the thick fat layer under it off raw goose pieces; USDA FSIS says goose fat isn't marbled into the meat, so it comes away easily before cooking. Don't rinse raw poultry, and wash your hands, board and knife after handling it.
2
Braise the pieces in water or unsalted liquid, covered, until very tender (USDA FSIS gives about 2 hours for braising cut-up young goose). Cook it all the way through in one go, to 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, checked with a food thermometer: color isn't a reliable sign. Don't add salt or stock cubes.
3
If you roast a whole goose for the family, prick the skin so the fat can render, and check 165°F (74°C) in the inner thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. Give your baby only the meat, not the skin.
4
Let it cool, then remove every bone and any gristle. Pull the meat into finger-length strips or shred it finely, and do the squash test before serving.

How much to offer

Start with a strip or two, or a spoonful of shredded goose mixed into mash. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of sucking and chewing with little swallowed is normal at first.

Common mistakes

Leaving the skin and fat on

Goose has a thick layer of fat under the skin. FoodData Central lists about 22 g of fat per 100 g of roast goose with skin, against about 13 g for the meat alone. The CDC advises removing all fat, skin and bones from poultry for babies.

Serving it pink or part-cooking it ahead

Goose is poultry: cook it to 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer. Cooked goose can still look a little pink at a safe temperature, so go by the thermometer (see US and UK advice below). USDA FSIS also says never to brown or part-cook goose and finish cooking it later.

Adding salt, stock cubes or gravy

Babies shouldn't have added salt, and the NHS says not to use stock cubes or gravy for them because they're often high in salt. Take your baby's portion out before you season the rest.

Serving chunks or pieces with bone

The CDC lists tough or large chunks of meat and bones in meat as choking hazards. Cook goose until very tender, take out every bone, and serve finger-length strips that fall apart, or fine shreds.

Where US and UK guidance differ on goose

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

USDA FSIS says to cook goose, like all poultry, to 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer in the inner thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. It says safely cooked goose can still be pink in the center, so go by the thermometer, not the color. Wild goose killed by hunters hasn't been inspected, so handle it carefully.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS doesn't give temperatures. It says to cook poultry and game, including goose, all the way through, until the juices run clear and there's no pink meat left. Goose braised tender for babies meets both. The Food Standards Agency lists goose among lead-shot game and says cutting down on lead-shot game, particularly small game, is especially important for toddlers and children. Not all game is shot with lead: if you're not sure how a goose was killed, the FSA says to ask your supplier.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

Questions parents ask

Can goose be a choking hazard for babies?

Tough or large chunks of meat and bones in meat are choking hazards for young children (CDC). Cook goose until very tender, remove every bone, the skin and the fat, and serve it as finger-length strips that fall apart or as fine shreds. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to goose?

Goose meat is not one of the common food allergens. Goose eggs are eggs, though, and egg is a common allergen: the ACAAI says people who are allergic to chicken eggs may also be allergic to other eggs, including goose eggs. See our egg page before offering them.

Is goose healthy for babies?

A source of iron, zinc and protein. FoodData Central lists about 2.9 mg of iron and 3.2 mg of zinc per 100 g of roast goose meat without skin, so about 35 g of shredded goose gives about 1 mg of iron. Babies need 11 mg of iron a day from 7 to 12 months, so offer iron-rich foods at several meals. Goose's iron includes heme iron, which the body absorbs more easily than iron from plant foods (NIH).

Can babies eat goose?

Yes, from around 6 months, cooked to 165°F (74°C) with the skin, fat and bones removed. Serve it very tender, in strips that fall apart or finely shredded.

Is goose too fatty for babies?

Most of the fat is in and under the skin. Roast goose meat without skin has about 13 g of fat per 100 g in FoodData Central, against about 22 g with the skin, so take the skin and fat layer off and the meat is fine.

Can babies eat goose liver, goose pâté or foie gras?

Liver is very rich in vitamin A, so the rules on our liver page apply: cooked all the way through and blended at home, a teaspoon or two at a time, no more than once a week. Don't give goose pâté or foie gras: UK early years guidance says children under 5 shouldn't have fresh pâté, to reduce the risk of food poisoning.

Can babies eat goose eggs?

Yes, from around 6 months, but they count as eggs, so offer them the same careful way as hen's egg (see our egg page), and not to a baby with an egg allergy. The NHS says duck, goose and quail eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are solid.

Is wild goose safe for babies?

Farmed goose is the simpler choice. Wild goose may have been shot with lead. The UK Food Standards Agency lists goose among lead-shot game, advises cutting down particularly on small game, and says this is especially important for toddlers and children, because lead can harm the developing brain and nervous system. Not all game is shot with lead: if you're not sure how a goose was killed, ask your supplier. USDA FSIS adds that wild game killed by hunters hasn't been inspected, so handle it carefully and cook it to 165°F (74°C).

If your baby refuses goose

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Goose has a stronger taste than chicken. Try it shredded into mash, rice or a mild vegetable stew.
Moisten dry goose with a little of its skimmed cooking liquid, breast milk or formula.
Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing goose

Keep raw goose in the fridge in a sealed container or bag so juices can't drip, and cook or freeze it within 1 to 2 days.
Cooked goose keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
Cooked goose and goose stews can be frozen for 2 to 3 months, and goose blended into a meat or meat-and-vegetable baby purée for 1 to 2 months (FDA). Thaw in the fridge and use within 24 hours of thawing. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let it cool before serving.
Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).

When to talk to your doctor

Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:

You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Offered goose?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

Helpful guides

Sources

More first foods

Adzuki beans

Almond butter

Anchovies

Arctic char

Free printable: The First 100 Foods checklist

Tick off foods as your baby tries them. Print it or save it as a PDF, no sign-up needed.

Get the checklist More printables