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11 Duck Recipes With Perfect Preparation and Pairings

With the right technique and simple accompaniments, duck is easy to get right.

By

The Serious Eats Team

Published October 10, 2023

A plate of crispy duck and bitter greens. — Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Duck may seem like something you'd order at a fancy French bistro, but with these simple preparations, you can make it any night of the week. From classic confit and duck à l'orange to a simple roast and pan-sear, these techniques and sauces make cooking duck recipes easy and delicious.

Traditional Duck Confit
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
For this classic French preparation, duck legs are cured overnight before being submerged in duck fat and gently cooked until silky and tender.
Traditional Duck Confit
Sous Vide Duck Confit
Serious Eats / Emily Dryden
Not only does sous vide cooking produce an exceptional version of confit duck leg, it's far easier than the traditional method.
Sous Vide Duck Confit
Duck à l'Orange
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
The sauce for this duck à l'orange recipe is designed to walk the tightrope of flavor, perfectly suited to cutting through the richness of the roasted duck.
Duck à l'Orange
Crispy Koji Duck Confit With Garlicky Duck-Fat Rice and Umeboshi
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
This rice bowl feels like a special occasion dish, but if you have the koji confit already made, it comes together in less than 30 minutes for a simple weeknight meal.
Crispy Koji Duck Confit With Garlicky Duck-Fat Rice and Umeboshi
Continue to 5 of 11 below
Dry-Aged Roast Duck Breast
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
After dry-aging duck yourself, do it justice by roasting it to rosy perfection.
Dry-Aged Roast Duck
Crispy Duck Confit With Mixed Bitter Greens Salad
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Crisp up homemade duck confit, and serve it with a bright and bitter salad for a simple weeknight meal that oozes Parisian bistro charm.
Crispy Duck Confit With Mixed Bitter Greens Salad
Pan-Seared Duck Breast With Orange Pan Sauce
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
For perfectly cooked duck with crispy skin, this recipe starts by scoring the breast, placing it in a cold pan, and cooking it low and slow.
Pan-Seared Duck Breast
Seared Duck Breast With Prosciutto, Sage, and Peaches
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
The ease of this recipe lies in the fact that it all takes place in the same pan, and uses the duck fat that's rendered from the breasts to crisp the prosciutto and frizzle the sage.
Seared Duck Breast with Prosciutto, Sage, and Peaches
Continue to 9 of 11 below
Sweet-Tart Duck Breasts With Fresh Cherry Sauce
Serious Eats / Kerry Saretsky
Juicy, crispy duck breast on a bed of sweet-tart cherry sauce with balsamic vinegar and honey. What could be more delicious or impressive?
Sweet-Tart Duck Breasts With Fresh Cherry Sauce
Slow-Roasted Duck Leg and Crunchy Root Vegetable Salad
Serious Eats / Kerry Saretsky
This recipe golden crispy duck leg on a bed of thinly sliced root vegetable slaw tossed with parsley and marinated in a cider vinegar-thyme vinaigrette.
Slow-Roasted Duck Leg and Crunchy Root Vegetable Salad
Peppered Duck Breasts With Cherry-Port Sauce
Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel
Here, duck breasts with juicy meat and crisp skin mix with a robust and fruity cherry-port sauce, combining into a rich and warm combo.
Peppered Duck Breasts With Cherry-Port Sauce

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