Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
How to cook duck breast Recipe
This can be a recipe for tips on how to cook dinner duck breast so you could have pretty crispy golden pores and skin and the flesh is cooked completely so it’s fantastically juicy. It’s very straight ahead! Begin on the range to render out the fats and crisp the pores and skin, then end within the oven so this luxury, wealthy meat is cooked evenly.
Duck and chicken are each poultry, however they’ve fully totally different cooking qualities. Duck is gorgeous served medium uncommon, however undercooked chicken is chewy and rubbery!
At this time, I revealed a Thai Pink Duck Curry which I made utilizing duck breast. The put up bought prolonged as I imparted ideas and “why we do that” explanations for tips on how to cook dinner duck breast so you could have pretty golden crispy pores and skin and completely cooked meat! So I made a decision to place the detailed info in a separate recipe put up for ease of studying.
Additionally, I determine a separate put up on tips on how to cook dinner duck breast with crispy pores and skin might be a helpful reference!
Overview of tips on how to cook dinner duck breast
Duck breast is just like the richer, extra luxurious model of chicken breast. It’s best cooked by beginning it on the range to render the fats and crisp the pores and skin, then I wish to roast it within the oven to complete cooking the flesh by means of evenly. Some recipes simply cook dinner it by means of fully on the range, however I discover that tends to depart a thick band of overcooked flesh on the surface.
Duck pores and skin is thicker than chicken pores and skin and until you render the fats out from beneath it and get color on the pores and skin, it tends to be fairly rubbery. You’ll be able to’t cook dinner duck breast simply within the oven as a result of the meat will overcook and dry out lengthy earlier than the fats renders out and the pores and skin goes crisp.
Duck breasts are comparatively widespread in giant grocery shops as of late (no less than, right here in Australia), and at butchers. They’re offered with the pores and skin on, and boneless.
Apart from this, you simply want salt and pepper. No oil – the duck will cook dinner in its personal fats!
When is duck breast cooked?
Duck breast is definitely thought-about finest served medium uncommon (ie deep pink from edge to edge) which is 54°C/130°F. That is how it’s usually served at high-quality eating eating places.
I personally want duck breast medium – a blushing pink – which is an inner temperature of 60°C/140°F.
To be sincere although, you may even totally cook dinner duck breast, like we do chicken breast (ie no pink flesh) and so long as you don’t overcook it, it’s nonetheless pretty and tender to eat. Instance – Chinese language BBQ Duck which is fully cooked by means of. No person has ever accused the Chinese language of bland dry roast duck!!
Right here’s a step-by-step information and explanations for the why for the way I cook dinner duck breast.
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Slash pores and skin – Use a pointy knife to make 5 to six diagonal slashes throughout the pores and skin of the duck, taking care to not lower into the pink flesh.
❓Why we do that: The slashes permits the fats to render out from below the pores and skin (ie. soften) extra simply than when the pores and skin isn’t slashed, so the pores and skin can turn into crispy. Duck pores and skin is thicker than chicken and may be fairly rubbery if not cooked to make it golden. There’s additionally much more fats below the pores and skin than chicken. Once more, not nice to eat if there’s an excessive amount of, therefore essential to render most of it out.
💡 TIP: Don’t lower from edge-to-edge, you need the pores and skin to remain in a single piece however simply make slashes within the center.
⚠️ Take care to not lower the flesh! Should you do, then the meat juices will come out as you’re cooking the pores and skin aspect and the water will stop the pores and skin from turning into crispy.
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COLD pan with NO OIL – Don’t flip the range on but. Place the duck pores and skin aspect down in an unheated oven-proof pan with none oil.
❓Why we do that: No oil is required as a result of an astonishing quantity of fats comes out of the duck (1/4 – 1/3 cup). And by beginning in a chilly pan, the fats begins to soften slowly so it progressively cooks in its personal fats, relatively than beginning in a preheated pan which might trigger the pores and skin to grab and stick.
💡 TIP: You should utilize any pan you need so long as it’s oven proof because the duck is finest completed within the oven for essentially the most even juicy-meat-finish. It doesn’t must be non-stick or a properly seasoned forged iron pan. Geese render out a lot fats that there’s a lot to maintain it from sticking to any pan.
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Overwhelm for flat pores and skin – Place one other pan on high of the duck to weigh it down, not a forged iron one although, it’s just a little too heavy. Any pan is ok, simply one thing to place just a little weight on the duck so the pores and skin stays flat.
❓Why: As a result of duck pores and skin can curl and wrinkle, leaving pale rubbery patches. You may simply press with a spatula till the pores and skin has set – when you have 3 fingers and the endurance to face on the range for five minutes! Simpler to pop a pan on high.
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Prepare dinner on low 10 minutes – Now you may flip the range on! Low if it’s a robust range, or medium low if it’s a weak burner. The extra slowly you cook dinner the duck, the extra fats you’ll render out which suggests crispier pores and skin. It’s low upkeep too, as a result of it’s low warmth.
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Fats begins to render – After a couple of minutes, take a peek and also you’ll see fats has began to soften out of the duck.
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A lot duck fats! At across the 5 to 7 minute mark, all the pan might be coated in duck fats.
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Preserve the pan weight on till across the 7 minute mark when the pores and skin has began to go golden and has “set”. Whereas it’s nonetheless gentle, it will possibly nonetheless wrinkle/curl = rubbery patches = 😭
💡 TIP: At this level, ie as soon as the pan is fully coated in duck fats, you may flip the warmth up barely to hurry issues up and making the pores and skin golden.
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Golden crispy pores and skin! Preserve cooking till the pores and skin as a result of golden and crispy, across the 10 minute mark.
❓Mine takes longer! With good warmth management on a range you’re accustomed to and a pan with good warmth distribution, it ought to take round 10 minutes. With an unfamiliar range and warmth fiddling (like me with induction stoves!), it might take as much as 14 minutes which is ok. Keep in mind, we begin on low warmth and work out means up – which suggests, low threat!
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End in oven – As soon as the pores and skin is golden, flip and cook dinner the flesh aspect for simply 2 minutes to seal. Then switch the pan to the oven and roast for 8 minutes or till the inner temperature is 60°C/140°F for medium (gentle blush of pink, pictured – that is my choice) or 54°C/130°F for medium uncommon (deeper pink, like steak – eating places will default to this).
Some recipes will simply use the range for breast. I want to make use of the oven to complete it off as a result of then you definately get a bigger space of evenly cooked duck inside and keep away from the chance of a thick band of overcooked duck on the surface earlier than the within cooks to your liking. I go for this safer strategy as a result of duck is particular and costlier than common chicken breast!
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Relaxation – Then place the duck on a rack set over a plate, or only a plate, and go away it uncovered to relaxation for five minutes. This step is necessary as a result of it permits the meat juices to be re-absorbed again into the fibres which makes it juicier to eat.
Should you don’t relaxation, then the meat juices will flood onto the plate once you lower into it, relatively than ending up in your mouth with each chunk!
Here’s a shut up look of duck breast cooked to medium, after resting. That’s how I prefer it!
As talked about, I’m posting this as a part of a Thai Pink Duck Curry recipe I additionally revealed right this moment. So I don’t produce other particular sauces to give you right now, although doing this recipe individually has prompted me to pop a duck breast recipe within the upcoming editorial calendar. I’m pondering – cherry sauce or an orange port glaze with Paris Mash and Garlic Sautéed Spinach, and Chocolate Mousse for dessert. Very restaurant worthy! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 1 duck breast , boneless, skin on (Note 1)
- 1/8 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- Pinch white pepper (sub finely ground black pepper)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).
- Score – Sprinkle half the salt and pepper on the flesh of the duck. Turn. Use a sharp knife to make 5 or 6 diagonal scores on the skin of the breast. Don't pierce the flesh and don't cut all the way to the edge of the skin (Note 2). Pat the skin dry with paper towels, sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
- Cold pan, no oil – Don't turn the stove on yet. Use an oven-proof pan (any type). Place the duck skin side down in the cold pan, no oil required. Place another pan on top to lightly weigh the duck down (keeps skin flat). (Note 3)
- Cook 10 minutes – Turn the stove onto medium low. Cook for 10 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy. Fat will melt out of the duck skin and it will cook in its own fat. (Note 4)
- Oven 8 minutes – Once the skin is crispy, turn and cook the flesh side for 1 minute. Then transfer the pan to the oven for 6 minutes for medium rare (internal temperature 54°C/130°F, restaurant default) or 8 minutes for medium (60°C/140°F, my preferred).
- Rest – Transfer to a rack or plate and rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve whole or slice!
Notes
1. Duck breast – Fairly readily available at large grocery stores these days, plus butchers.
2. Tips – Slashing skin lets fat render out for better crispy skin. Avoid cutting the flesh – if you do, juice will come out and the skin won’t be fully crisp. Don’t slash skin all the way to the edge, keep it in one piece (see photos in post). If your duck has a really thick layer of fat (some American breeds do), score diagonally – extra slashes = more fat comes out.
3. Weighing down – keeps the skin flat against the base of the pan so it doesn’t curl or wrinkle which will cause rubbery / white patches. DO NOT use a very heavy cast iron pan, it’s too heavy. Use a regular pan.
4. Cooking on low heat = more fat renders out = crispier skin + less fat in end dish (too much duck fat can be rubbery and too fatty). So don’t rush this step!
5. Duck doneness – Think of duck like steak: the rarer it is, the more tender and juicy the meat! It is not like chicken which is rubbery and chewy at anything less than just-fully-cooked.
Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
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