Cooking Duck Breasts 101
Most of my friends think that Duck Breast is too difficult to make at home and wouldn’t even know where to begin. The truth of the matter is, it’s just not that difficult to make and duck is actually very versatile and can be served many different ways.
From Prep to finish, this pan-seared duck breast (with the vegetables) can be on your dinner table in about 45 minutes. Seriously, it’s not rocket science.
But there is a secret to cooking duck breast with perfectly crispy skin that rivals your favorite restaurant. And that is sourcing good duck breasts to use in making this dish. I have found that Maple Leaf Farms makes an excellent product and can be found in many supermarkets. It’s actually the product I used in my restaurant days.
What Ingredients do I need to make Pan Seared Duck Breast?
Before we dive into the process, let’s gather our ingredients. As I finished the process I added two additional items to my list of ingredients that aren’t pictured here, maple syrup and chicken stock. I also eliminated the garlic, since I went with the maple syrup for the sweet potatoes.
This is called a mise en place in chef speak. Translated it means everything in its place. It’s a good way to make sure you have everything you need before you start cooking.
What is the secret to pan searing duck breast?
The secret to cooking duck breast is really pretty simple. You start with a cold pan.
And the reason you do this is to slowly render the fat from the breast while crisping the skin. So place your seasoned duck breast skin side down in a cold, dry skillet. Now comes the fun part!
How to Pan Sear Duck Breast
And the only real secret on how to cook duck breast is to cook it low and slow on the stovetop. The rule of thumb is 8-10 minutes over medium heat until you get crispy skin that becomes a beautiful golden brown. The time can vary depending on your stovetop, so keep an eye on the duck. *Never cook a duck breast over high heat
After searing the skin side of the duck breast it’s time to turn the breast over to the other side and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes for rare to medium-rare (125°F – 130°F on an instant-read thermometer). And this is where I usually run into problems with friends that have never had rare duck breast.
Usually, for my first-timers and staunch no pink meat eaters, I cook the duck breast a little longer. Cooking the seared duck breast for my wife falls into this category, so you won’t see much pink in the duck in my pictures.
**Make sure you have good ventilation in your kitchen when pan-searing any meats or seafood.
Can I eat medium-rare duck breasts?
When you dine out, unless you specify the duck temperature you will be served medium rare to rare duck breasts. This gets kind of confusing for most people because we have been raised to cook all poultry completely to avoid problems.
That being said the USDA recommends cooking to an internal temperature of 170 degrees to ensure any harmful bacteria are killed.
As with any poultry, there’s always the chance that duck harbors harmful bacteria. But cooking duck is different than cooking chicken and turkey because it’s considered to be red meat. And as with other red meats, some people prefer to eat duck that’s cooked medium or medium-rare. The choice is yours.
Chef Dennis Tip:
*It’s always a good idea to use an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure the meat is cooked enough for your liking.
So now that I’ve taken the mystery out of cooking duck it’s time to get into your kitchen and give it a try.
You’ll be surprised at how many of your favorite grocers carry duck breasts. It’s becoming a popular item for home cooks as well as restaurants.
Wouldn’t you love to sit down to this restaurant-style duck breast? You’ll the flavor combination of the sweet potatoes in that delicious pan gravy as it contrasts to the crispy skin of the duck. It’s a symphony of flavors!
Recipe FAQ’s:
Duck breast is best-served medium-rare, pink in the middle is how you want to eat duck. Overcooking can cause it to dry out and get tough. But that being said it’s your dinner and if you prefer it completely done that’s ok, just don’t let it cook any longer than necessary.
Yes, you can, but if you’re not going to sear the skin, you should marinate the duck breast. This can be as simple as a dry rub using kosher salt, fresh herbs and your favorite seasonings. Wrap the duck with a piece of plastic wrap and allow it to marinate for 2-3 hours before cooking.
Then proceed with the cooking instructions below.
Pretty much any of your favorite vegetables, types of potatoes, rice or risotto. Using a little of the duck fat to saute the veggies will add a nice flavor.
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Pan Seared Duck Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 7 ounce duck breasts boneless
- 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 12 pearl onions peeled
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon duck fat
- 4 ounces chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon Italian parsley finely chopped – optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Season duck breast liberally with sea salt and black pepper
- Place the duck breasts, fat side down, in a cold skillet to render off the fat over medium heat.
- Sear the duck breast for 8-10 minutes, trying not to move it until its time to turn it over.
- When the skin of the duck breast looks crispy and is a nice shade of dark golden brown drain off the duck fat from the pan and reserve for later use.
- Turn the duck breast over to sear on the other side for 4-6 minutes.
- Place the duck breast in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the desired doneness has been reached.
- Remove from oven when the desired doneness has been reached and allow the cooked duck breast to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.
Pan Gravy
- In the pan that you seared the duck breasts add back a tablespoon of the reserved duck fat. Add in 1 tablespoon of flour to make a roux.
- Allow the roux to cook for 1-2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. The roux can get dark brown, as this will help the color of the pan gravy.
- Add chicken stock to the roux until and cook over low heat until the gravy has thickened slightly. Don’t allow it to thicken completely as you will want to reheat the gravy right before you serve the duck.
- Taste the pan gravy and season as needed
Sweet Potatoes
- Peel sweet potatoes and cut into chunky pieces that are still somewhat bite size.
- peel pearl onions and add to bowl with sweet potato chunks
- Coat sweet potatoes and onions with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Place vegetables on a foil-lined sheet pan and roast at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. (if you start this about the same time as you start searing the duck they should be done just at the right time)
- Remove vegetables from oven, place in mixing bowl or saute pan. Add spinach and maple syrup. Re-season with sea salt and black pepper if desired. Toss mixture to wilt the spinach and coat the veggies with the maple syrup.
Assembly
- Place cooked vegetables on serving a dish.
- Slice duck breast and place on top of the vegetable mixture.
- Add pan gravy around the inside edge of the serving dish, not directly on the vegetables or duck, but around it.
- Sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley to garnish if desired and serve.
Aline
I love duck so much, so I’m always looking for more recipes to diversify! The duck and these veggies go excellent together – we love it!
Lizzy
This is such an impressive and elegant dish. Those pearl onions are wonderful; excellent addition to this seared duck breast
Veena Azmanov
Duck sounds interesting. Platter looks picture perfect and yum. Thanks for your recipe.
S Gilbert
My husband and his friend made this as their contribution to our annual “Dine the Wives” dinner party.
The men do all the cooking and cleaning while the wives sit back and enjoy the show.
This entree was a BIG hit with everyone. The duck was beautifully crispy while the sweet potato and spinach underneath was a delicious surprise.
Thanks for offering this recipe.
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you for letting me know that my post was helpful with your dinner party.
John Henry
Outstanding. Never made Duck Breast before and this is the best Duck Breast that my Son and I have ever had. Outstanding.
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my recipe John and for leaving a great review!
Carla Stadtmiller
Delicious! However my duck skin did not get crispy. Pan fried it for 10 minutes on medium high heat. That is level 6 on my induction cooktop. Maybe my duck had more fat? Sweet potatoe spinach dish was great as the vegetable. Thanks for the instruction to serve it medium rare like other red meats.
Carla
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for the nice review and trying my recipe. Keep at it and you’ll master the crispy skin!
Ken
“Placing the seared duck breast into My wife ”
Is it OK if I use my own wife instead of yours?
Chef Dennis Littley
that’s one of those things, that I have no idea how it happened. Or that no one caught it up until now….sigh. Thanks for leaving the comment so I could correct the text.
DebMc
I love Duck! I have never cooked it – but this sounds very good and simple. Going to try it. I am glad I did the research – before cooking – the note of starting with Cold Pan – Great Note to File!
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Thanks for the recipe! The drizzle of balsamic looks like a very nice touch and makes for beautiful presentation.
I just put this together and i m waiting for BREAKFAST AND LUNCH ALSO so I can devoure it… well thanks a ton for sharing.
I haven’t made anything like this before. Looks good. You are so hilarious as always. I always enjoy reading your posts.
Sarah
I have never had duck before but that seems like a simple & good recipe!
David Allen Elliott
This really looks amazing. I know I have had some amazing duck before. But I would never have thought to make it like this. I will have to try it out.
Yesenia
Wow! This sounds delicious! And you’re right, I definitely am one of those who is intimidated with making duck at home. You make it sound manageable though!
Sneha Lodha
It looks delicious. I will definitely try preparing it for my family this mother’s day 😊
Kara Ferwerda
Mouth watering! This looks really yummy and healthy! I will have to make this for dinner this week!
Lisa
oh. my. goodness. this looks so freaking delicious! My mouth is literally watering haha! I need to make this asap! Thanks for the recipe!
Angela Tolsma
So a year ago I find maple leaf farm duck breast and decided to give it a try. They have the best directions and tasted amazing. It’s now one of my go tos for when we have company. I will definitely have to try it with the sides you have recipes for!
Easter Babe
Wow! That looks wonderful. I’ve never cooked a duck breast before. I may have to give this recipe a try. It looks fairly easy to make. I love that you paired it with spinach and sweet potatoes.
Shelley
I have never eaten duck before. I found your explanation of how to cook it properly quite easy to understand.
Michelle
I have actually never tried duck. I am not sure I would have the nerve to do it. I am so picky and weird with meat. You definitely have made it look and sound appetizing though.
Stephanie
I;ve never eaten duck before, but I’ve always heard it’s delicious. This recipe looks amazing and like something I could make myself. I’ll have to save it to try later.