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    How To Cook Duck Breast

    By Julia | Updated: Oct 22, 2021 | Published: Dec 05, 2017 | 35 Comments

    7.2K shares
    • Facebook158
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    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

    How to cook duck breast - you've come to the right place to find the detailed recipe and tutorial (with lots of photos!) on how to make the best duck ever with crispy skin and juicy meat.    Easy recipe, it takes only 30 minutes from start to finish, with so much flavor! Gluten free!

    cooking duck breast

     

    I love to eat duck.  It's surprisingly easy to cook, has so much flavor, and goes great with many kinds of fruit or berry based sauces that you can so easily purchase in the grocery stores these days.

    sliced duck breast with cranberries

    Duck also makes an exceptional dish for a special occasion or a holiday, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.  If you want something different for holidays this year - make this duck!

    Here is the detailed photo-tutorial on how to cook duck breast!
    Start by preparing your duck breasts for cooking. Make sure the duck breasts are completely thawed (if using frozen ones), and pat dry your duck with the paper towels if there is too much liquid from thawing. Use a large oven-proof cast iron pan, or use a large oven-proof stainless steel skillet (make sure that the pan you use has an oven-proof handle).

    duck recipes

    Score the duck's skin in parallel lines or in criss-cross pattern.  If you have a hard time scoring the skin in pretty patterns, don't worry.   You can hardly call this pattern below pretty, yet the end result was beautiful as you will see in the final photos.

    duck breast recipes

    Generously season the skin side of duck breasts with salt.   Don't forget to season the other side, although less so, with salt too!   Use at least ½ teaspoon salt.

    cooking duck

    Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in an oven-proof skillet until the oil is hot. Then, add duck breasts to the skillet skin side down:

    duck meat

    Cook the duck breasts on the skin side on medium heat, uncovered, for about 8 minutes, until the fat is released.

    duck fillet recipes

    I used a stainless steel skillet, and I like to use a splatter screen which keeps the oil from splattering, while allowing the heat to escape.

    splatter screen

    The splatter screen is especially handy with stainless steel skillets and when you cook in a lot of fat. The duck skin releases a lot of fat during the cooking process.

    splatter screen while searing duck

    After 8 minutes, remove the duck fat from the skillet, leaving just enough to cover the bottom of the skillet. Turn the duck breasts over to the other side (non-skin side) and cook for 2 more minutes on medium heat.

    how to sear the duck on the stove top

    Then, place your oven proof skillet (with duck breasts in it) in the oven (preheated to 400 F) and let the duck breasts roast for about 5 minutes, until they are medium rare.
    Remove the skillet from the oven (wearing oven-proof gloves to protect your hands, of course), and let the duck breasts rest for about 7 minutes before slicing them.

    It's ready!  Serve the sliced duck with the store-bought or homemade cranberry sauce - it always tastes delicious with the duck.

    crispy skin duck breast recipes

    Cooking duck was super easy, wasn't it?   It tastes really good as is, but even better with the sauce for duck breast.

    crispy duck breast recipe, how to sear duck in the skillet, duck breast with cranberry sauce

    You can make your own sauce for duck breast, or buy any fruit or berry based sauce for meats in the grocery store, such as pomegranate, cranberry, cherry, or blueberry sauce.

    crispy skin duck breast recipes, sauce for duck breast

    how to cook duck breast
    4.86 from 47 votes

    How To Cook Duck Breast

    Detailed recipe on how to make the best duck ever with crispy skin and juicy meat.    Easy, gluten free recipe, it takes only 30 minutes from start to finish! 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American, French
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories per serving 282 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1.8 lb duck breasts (4 duck breasts)
    • ½ teaspoon salt , can use more, to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions 

    • Preheat oven to 400 F.
    • Score the skin of duck breasts in parallel lines or in criss-cross pattern. Generously season both sides of duck breasts (and especially add more salt to the skin side!) with at least ½ teaspoon salt.
    • Use a large oven-proof cast iron pan, or use an oven-proof large stainless steel skillet (make sure that the pan you use has an oven-proof handle).
    • Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat until the oil is hot. Add duck breasts to the skillet skin side down.
    • Cook the duck breasts, uncovered, for about 8 minutes on medium heat on the skin side, until the fat is released. I like to use a splatter screen to keep the oil from splattering (the splatter screen allows the heat to escape). After 8 minutes, remove the duck fat from the skillet, leaving just enough to cover the bottom of the skillet. Turn the duck breasts over to the other side (non-skin side) and cook for 2 more minutes on medium heat.
    • Place your oven proof skillet (with duck breasts in it) in the oven (preheated to 400 F) and let the duck breasts roast for about 5 minutes, until they are medium rare.
    • Remove the skillet from the oven (wearing oven-proof gloves to protect your hands, of course), and let the duck breasts rest for about 7 minutes before slicing them.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    How To Cook Duck Breast
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    282
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    12
    g
    18
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    19
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    157
    mg
    52
    %
    Sodium
     
    407
    mg
    18
    %
    Potassium
     
    547
    mg
    16
    %
    Protein
     
    40
    g
    80
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    110
    IU
    2
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    12.6
    mg
    15
    %
    Calcium
     
    6
    mg
    1
    %
    Iron
     
    9.2
    mg
    51
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition Disclaimer:

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    If you want to cook a whole duck, then make sure to check out this tutorial on how to cook a whole duck.

    Also, here are some ideas for great side dishes to go with your duck:

    Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Cranberries

    Asiago Roasted Brussels Sprouts

    Easy Scalloped Potatoes

    Garlic and Bacon Green Beans

    « Easy Scalloped Potatoes
    Duck Breast with Cranberry Sauce »
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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Belle

      November 13, 2023 at 7:55 am

      Julia, this was a lovely recipe and turned out very well. I typically roast an entire duck, but this was my first time cooking the breasts only; it was simple and well instructed for the size of the breasts (300 grams). I only have sea salt and put more on the skin, but felt it was too much. Perhaps with kosher salt there would be a difference. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 13, 2023 at 1:03 pm

        Belle, I am so glad you tried this recipe and love it! ❤️ Thank you for taking the time to share your review! 🙂

        Reply
    2. ED

      May 01, 2022 at 7:37 am

      Julia This was a quick easy way to cook duck breasts.I matched it with 1 of your autumn time recipes. long story short amazing thank u

      Reply
      • Julia

        May 06, 2022 at 4:57 pm

        Your comment made my day! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Judy

      April 13, 2022 at 11:15 pm

      Thank you, Julia, for this good detailed recipe. I have only cooked wild birds previously, this was my first try at domestic duck breasts and it was delicious. I just cooked them in the oven about 5 min longer to get them more done. Wil definitely use this recipe again.

      Reply
      • Julia

        April 24, 2022 at 7:42 pm

        Judy, I am so glad you found this recipe useful! Thank you for taking the time to share such a positive comment and the 5-star rating! 🙂

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Julia!

    I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I focus primarily on savory recipes (protein-based & fiber-rich main dishes, pasta, salads) using fresh & seasonal ingredients. A food blogger since 2012, I help home cooks create well-balanced and visually appealing dinners (many of which are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals). Find out more about me and my cooking philosophy. 

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