Thai Duck Curry with Pineapple & Tomatoes

Thai Red Curry Duck with Cherry Tomatoes and Pineapple slices - in a cast iron skillet.

Thai Duck Curry with Pineapple & Tomatoes

This Thai Red Curry Duck combines crispy seared duck breast with a rich coconut curry sauce, finished with cherry tomatoes and pineapple. I serve it over jasmine rice, topped with sliced duck and garnished with Thai basil, cilantro, chiles, lime, and crispy shallots. Honestly, it beats takeout every time!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Thai

Keyword duck curry, Thai Red Curry Duck

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 571kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

4 boneless skin-on duck breasts pat very dry
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon ginger minced
1 tablespoon garlic minced or 4 minced garlic cloves
⅓ cup Thai red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen brand for mild flavor)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar white, brown, or use honey
½ cup chicken broth add more at the end, if you like your curry thinner
14 oz full fat coconut milk 400ml can (NOT coconut milk in a carton)
2 kefir lime leaves optional
10 ounces cherry tomatoes
5 rings golden canned pineapple quartered (add more pineapple if you like)

For Serving

Jasmine rice cooked
Thai basil leaves
cilantro chopped and sprigs
Thai chile roughly chopped
lime wedges
fried shallots store bought

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

How to Pan-Sear Duck Breasts

Turn your oven to the warming setting.
Prep the Duck: If using frozen duck breasts, thaw completely and pat dry thoroughly—excess moisture prevents browning. Use a cast iron or stainless steel skillet with an oven-safe handle. I prefer cast iron.
Score & Season: Make slits diagonally across the skin of each duck breast with a very sharp knife. You can score the skin in parallel or crisscross lines (just through the fat, not into the meat). Season both sides generously with salt and pepper—I use at least ½ teaspoon salt - most of it on the skin side, and a bit less on the other.
Start Cold: Place duck breasts skin-side down in a cold cast iron skillet. Turn heat to medium and cook uncovered for about 8 minutes until the skin has become crispy and brown. This allows the fat to slowly render without burning the skin. Use a spatula to press gently for even contact.Tip: A splatter screen helps control mess without trapping steam—especially useful when cooking in stainless steel.
Flip & Finish: After 8 minutes, carefully spoon out excess fat (leave just enough to coat the pan) into a heat proof bowl or container. Flip the duck and sear the other side for 5–7 minutes, or until desired doneness:
135°F for medium-rare
140°F for medium
165°F for well done
Rest: Once done, transfer duck to a heatproof plate or tray and let rest in the warm oven while you prepare the curry. This step keeps it juicy and tender.

How to make red curry

Adding (or reserving) 2 tablespoons of duck fat in the pan, saute the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then add the curry paste. Saute until the color has deepened slightly, 2 minutes.
Add the fish sauce and sugar, and cook until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.
Turn the heat to medium, add the chicken broth, coconut milk and kefir lime leaves, letting it simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring everything together to combine.
Lastly, add the tomatoes and pineapple, simmering for 5 more minutes to soften the tomatoes and pineapple slightly.
Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, fish sauce, or sugar (or honey) to balance the flavors. If the curry is too thick to your liking, add a splash of chicken broth.

To Serve

Spoon the curry sauce over a bowl of jasmine rice.
Slice the duck breast and place each portion into the curry sauce.
Garnish the curry with Thai basil leaves, cilantro, chopped Thai chiles, lime, and fried shallots!

Notes

When slicing the duck skin, make sure to not slice all the way through to the meat if you can.
Even if you over cook your duck breast, it will still be delicious as it’s a very forgiving protein.
Depending on the curry paste you buy, it can be quite salty. If this is the case, you can add more coconut milk, water, or broth to the curry. Alternatively, you can lessen the amount of curry paste you use as well.
The sugar used in this recipe is meant to add balance to the more savory flavors in this dish and will not overpower your palette.
It’s really important to let the duck breasts rest before slicing so the proteins can relax and the juices can be reabsorbed.

You will need these supplies:

knife
cutting board
thermometer
measuring spoons
measuring cups
a heavy bottomed skillet (preferably cast-iron)
tongs

Note about the nutrition:

The nutritional info DOES NOT include anything that you use to serve with duck curry:

Jasmine rice, cooked
Thai basil leaves
cilantro, chopped and sprigs
Thai chile, roughly chopped
lime wedges
fried shallots, store bought

Nutrition