Thai Duck Curry with Pineapple & Tomatoes

Make Thai Red Curry Duck at Home—Tastes Like Takeout (But Better!)

When I spent a month in Thailand a few years ago (you can read all about my adventures here), duck curry quickly became my absolute favorite dish. Ever since, it's the one thing I always have to order whenever I visit a Thai restaurant. It’s surprisingly easy to make at home—especially with my carefully tested, foolproof recipe. Here are the key highlights that make my recipe stand out from the crowd:

• Crispy Duck Like a Pro: Many recipes skip the crispy-skin technique or rely on pre-cooked duck — but I’ll show you how to make the real thing from scratch, start to finish. My pan-searing method guarantees ultra-crispy skin, no restaurant needed. Bonus: you can use this technique for any duck breast recipe, not just red curry duck.
• Authentic Thai Flavors: This recipe sticks close to what I ate in Thailand — using real Thai red curry paste, fish sauce, Thai basil, and optional kaffir lime leaves. I also provide tips on how to substitute everything with easily accessible alternatives.
• Easy, Restaurant-Worthy: It’s surprisingly doable at home in just 40 minutes. (Hello, your new favorite weeknight meal!) And honestly? It tastes better than most duck curries I’ve had at restaurants. If I want to impress my family and guests, I also love making my Thai coconut curry salmon and creamy Thai shrimp soup.
• Duck Fat = Liquid Gold: I reserve some duck fat from searing to sauté the garlic, ginger, and curry paste — it gives the sauce incredible richness and depth you won’t get with oil alone.
• Creamy coconut broth: I make the red coconut curry broth from scratch using garlic, ginger, fish sauce, sugar, chicken broth, and coconut milk, with store-bought red curry paste—Thai Kitchen is my go-to for its mild heat and authentic flavor. My favorite part? Adding cherry tomatoes and pineapple at the end for the perfect sweet-tangy finish!
• Garnish Game Strong: I serve coconut curry duck over jasmine rice and top it with Thai basil, cilantro, fresh chiles, lime wedges, and crispy fried shallots — it’s colorful, fragrant, and full of texture.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Boneless Skin-On Chicken: If you prefer chicken to duck, feel free to swap them out using either boneless skin-on chicken breast or thigh. Cook in the same way as the duck breast but lower the amount of time you cook each side. 
• Other Proteins: This dish is also delicious with a perfectly seared steak so go ahead and swap the duck breast if you like. You can also use salmon or shrimp. Oh wait, I've already made these recipes! Check out my Thai-inspired coconut curry salmon and banana coconut curry shrimp.
• Red Curry Paste: My personal favorite brand is Thai Kitchen. The main reason I love it is that it has a milder spice level, so it doesn't overpower the dish with too much heat. It's made with ingredients like lemongrass, garlic, and red chilies, giving it an incredible flavor. I use it in all my Thai-inspired recipes, like this red curry chicken noodle soup or this fan-favorite Thai shrimp coconut soup.
• Sugar: You can use coconut sugar, brown sugar, or rock sugar. I don’t recommend artificial sweeteners, honey, or agave as it will completely inhibit the flavor of the curry paste and duck.
• Kefir Lime: This may be a difficult ingredient to locate, so if it’s not available in your area you can omit it.
• Tomatoes: If cherry tomatoes are not available, you can substitute them for any very firm, underripe tomato. Slice each tomato into the size of a cherry tomato before placing it into the curry sauce.
• Fresh Pineapple: You are more than welcome to use fresh pineapple! If using in place of canned, make sure to trim the skin, remove the core, and cut into quartered slices. Use about ¼ of a fresh pineapple to replace the canned pineapple/
• Rice and Noodles: This dish works well with other long grain rice such as basmati, wild, or brown! I also love serving duck curry over rice noodles!
• Basil: You can use Italian basil if Thai is not available.
• Fried Onions: Replace the fried shallots with fried onions if you prefer!
• Coconut Milk: You can totally make this with a low fat can of coconut milk instead of the full fat. The consistency of your curry will be a bit more watery but still very tasty! 
• Pro tip 🙂 : The photo below shows every single ingredient you’ll need—go ahead and screenshot it for your shopping list!

How to Make Thai Red Curry Duck (Step-by-Step)

Heads up: Here’s a quick step-by-step preview of the recipe with helpful photos! For the full instructions and details, scroll down to the recipe card below.

• Start by scoring the skin of the duck breasts and seasoning both sides with salt and pepper.
• Cook the duck breasts over medium heat skin-side down in a cold skillet, uncovered for about 8 minutes until the skin is crisp and browned. Press gently with a spatula for even searing. Tip: Use a splatter screen to reduce mess without trapping steam. Remove most of duck fat to a heatproof container at this point.
• Flip and cook the other side for about 5-7 minutes until the internal temperature reaches your preferred doneness (135°F for medium-rare, 165°F for well-done). Transfer the duck to a warm oven to rest.

• Make broth base: Reserve 2 tablespoons of duck fat in the pan. Sauté garlic and ginger briefly, then add Thai red curry paste and cook until fragrant.
• Stir in fish sauce and sugar, and mix it in.

• Make red curry coconut broth: Add chicken broth, coconut milk and kefir lime leaves, and simmer for a few minutes on medium heat.
• Add cherry tomatoes and pineapple, cooking just until softened. Adjust seasoning to taste.

• To serve, spoon the curry over jasmine rice, top with sliced duck, and garnish with Thai basil, cilantro, chilies, lime wedges, and crispy shallots.

Variations

• Green Curry: I sometimes swap red curry for green and love the results. Red curry paste is made with red chilies, while green curry uses green chilies along with herbs like cilantro, Thai basil, and kaffir lime leaves. I find green curry to be fresher and spicier, with a bright, herbal flavor, while red curry feels cozier and a bit bolder.
• Vegetarian: You can make hard boiled eggs, use tofu, or add more veggies to replace the duck breasts! Omit the fish sauce and replace the chicken broth with veggie broth as well.

Storage Tips

• Fridge: You can store the cooled curry and duck in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. I recommend storing the rice separately so it doesn’t absorb all of the curry.
• To freeze, place in an airtight freezer safe container. It can remain frozen for up to 2 months.

More Thai-Inspired Recipes

• Red Curry Banana Coconut Shrimp
• Thai Red Curry Chicken Noodle Soup
• Thai Basil Beef
• Thai Coconut Curry Salmon
• Thai Shrimp Coconut Soup