For those of us with intimate knowledge of the edible portions of a goose or duck, the term ‘tenders’ should ring familiar. They humbly rest snug against the breastplate of a bird, hidden behind the breasts.

Triangular or dagger-shaped, the breast tender is often a lighter-colored piece of waterfowl flesh. One tendon runs the length of the tender. Tenders can be removed carefully naturally barely connected to the breast, or easily separated from the breasts. I often remove the tenders and keep them apart from the breasts as they will more than likely come apart from the larger muscle during cooking.

In my opinion, any edible portions of meat should be removed from the birds we hunt. I know this sentiment does not ring true for all duck and goose hunters, but I hope this simple recipe is one step in the direction towards more hunters making the most of their quarry. It is the purpose of this recipe article to (and I say this lightly) inspire hunters to take a minute and think about how they can try new things with wild game. Whether you want to make goose tender quesadillas or soak duck and goose hearts in teriyaki sauce then make skewers or even smoke goose livers for your dog; give it a shot. You’d be surprised how much good stuff gets tossed after a bird is simply breasted.

Remember, this recipe is just a guideline or a backbone to cooking, be sure to season however and to add whatever your heart desires to your goose tender quesadillas.

**Goose Tender Traegerdillas**

Each goose yields two breasts, and two breast tenders. This recipe requires two large Canada goose tenders per quesadilla. I usually break my geese down and fill a gallon freezer bag with 8 goose leg/thighs, another gallon bag with 8 breasts, and a final smaller quart bag with 16 breast tenders (per 4-8 goose harvest).

What you’ll need for each Gooseadilla:

2 Large Goose Breast Tenders (or 4 from lesser or large ducks)
1 Large Tortilla
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese
Optional Toppings; Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, or whatever else your heart may desire!
Spices for seasoning the goose breasts. I used:
- Garlic Powder
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Cumin
- Chipotle Powder
- Paprika

Cooking the Goose Tender Traegerdillas:

1) I used my Traeger 20 series pellet grill and mesquite pellets. Controlling the temperature of a grill is tremendously easy with Traeger pellet grills, but this recipe can be replicated on any grill, or even on a stovetop.

Set Traeger to 225 degrees and allow to warm up.

2) Combine spices and cover goose breast tenders liberally. You may use whichever spices you want depending on the flavor profile of the meat you wish to produce.

3) By the time you’ve finished seasoning the meat (which for the record, had been brined in saltwater overnight before cooking), your grill should be ready.

Place the meat on the grill grate and cook for about 20 minutes, flipping once. I cooked a bell pepper with the meat.

4) When the meat reaches 125 degrees it is done cooking. Remove the tenders (and bell peppers as well, in my case) and cut into 1-inch pieces.

5) Place tortilla on grill and heat one side for a few minutes then flip over.

6) Add cheese to the flipped tortilla and allow it to start melting. This should take just a couple of minutes. Once you have a little melt, add the cut up meat and whatever other fillings you’ve decided on. Afterward, fold in half and continue heating for about 10 minutes, flipping a couple of times in the duration.