If there is a bedrock duck breast recipe, it is this one.
One of the most common requests I get from readers is for step-by-step instructions on how to cook a duck breast properly. And this same technique works for goose breasts, as well as any other dark meat bird breasts, like pigeons, sharp-tailed grouse and the like.
I know, many of you are thinking, “I know how to do this already, Hank.” To you I apologize; what’s more, my method is idiosyncratic and is likely to be different from yours — but it works.
For the rest of you, here goes. Be sure to have breasts with skin on them. Skinless breasts require a different set of instructions. I go over those instructions in my cookbook on cooking ducks and geese, Duck, Duck, Goose: Recipes and Techniques for Cooking Waterfowl, Both Wild and Domesticated.
Detailed, and I mean very detailed, instructions are below in the recipe. Follow them and you will soon be able to cook a duck breast in your sleep.
For me, this is the duck breast recipe I follow almost exclusively: I really don’t think a nice fat pintail or mallard or wood duck needs more than salt, pepper and a squeeze of citrus or vinegar or a dash of Worcestershire.
But if you want more seasoning for your duck breast, here are some of my wild game sauce recipes. And I have an entire page of duck breast recipes, most of which use this technique.
How to Cook a Duck Breast
Ingredients
- 4 duck breasts (breasts from two ducks)
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon duck fat or olive oil
Instructions
- STEP ONE: Take the meat from the fridge. If you are using a domestic duck or a very fat wild duck, score the skin (but not the meat) in a cross-hatch pattern, making the cross-hatches about 1/2 inch across; this helps the fat render and will give you a crispier skin. Salt it well on both sides, then let it stand on a cutting board or some such for at least 15 minutes and up to 45 minutes for a goose breast. It is far easier to control the internal temperature with a room-temperature breast than an ice-cold one.
- STEP TWO: Pat the duck breasts dry with paper towels. If you are cooking a domestic duck or a very fat wild duck, put 1 teaspoon of duck fat or cooking oil in a large pan; don't use non-stick pans, as they don't allow you to sear meat as well as steel or cast iron. Lay the breasts skin side down and use them to smear the fat all over the surface of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high. Yes, you read that right: Don't preheat the pan. You want as much fat to render out as possible, so start with a cool pan. If you are working with normal wild duck breasts, i.e., skinny ones, heat the pan over high heat for 1 minute, then add 2 tablespoons of duck fat, butter or some other oil. Let this get hot, but do not let the fat smoke. Only then do you lay the duck breasts in the pan, skin side down. Either way, once the duck breasts start cooking, you will notice the "tails" of skin and fat from the head and the tail side of the fillet contract immediately. As the skin contracts, you will sometimes get a little oval patch on the tail end of the breast that curls up and doesn't make contact with the pan. Use your tongs to press down on this part for 30 to 60 seconds. This gives you a more even sear.
- STEP THREE: Let the pan do its job. Cook at a jocular sizzle -- not an inferno, not a gurgle. Think about how bacon sounds in the pan when you cook it, and you have the right idea. How long? It depends. I like my duck medium-to-medium-rare. To do this with small ducks like teal or ruddy ducks, you need only about 3 minutes on the skin side, and you might want to keep the heat higher. Medium-sized ducks like wigeon, gadwall or wood ducks need 3 to 5 minutes. Mallards, pintail, canvasbacks and domestic ducks need between 5 and 8 minutes. If you are cooking a goose breast, you will want the heat on medium-low and you'll need to cook the skin side a solid 10 to 12 minutes. The key is to let the breast do most of its cooking on this side -- it's the flattest, and will give you that fabulously crispy skin we all know and love. Again, I repeat: When you cook a duck breast, 3/4 of the total cooking time is on the skin side.
- STEP FOUR: Turn the breasts over. When? Follow the guidelines above, but also use your ears: You will hear the sizzle change; it will die down, just a bit. That's when you turn. Now -- this is important -- lightly salt the now-exposed skin immediately. Doing this seems to absorb any extra oil and definitely gives you an even yummier, crispier skin. Let the ducks cook on the meat side for less time. I recommend: 1 to 2 minutes for small ducks; 3 to 4 minutes for medium ducks; 4 to 6 minutes for large wild ducks and domestic duck; 5 to 7 minutes for geese. More than mere time, however, you need to just use The Force to know when your duck is ready. Not in tune with The Force? The next best thing is the finger test for doneness. Use this to determine when you're almost ready. My advice is to go to the next step when your duck breasts are rare.
- STEP FIVE: Now "Kiss" the thick side of the breasts by standing two halves against each other. You will notice that duck and goose breasts plump up and contract as they cook. One side of the fillet will be wider than the other, and this side will need some heat. You can see the wider side in the picture. Just tip the breasts on their sides and cook for 30 to 90 seconds, just to get some good color.
- STEP SIX: Take the duck off the heat and let it rest on a cutting board, skin side up. Teal need only need a minute or two rest, while big Canada geese might need 10 minutes. Everything else benefits from about a 5 minute rest. A duck breast is just like a steak: If you don't rest it, the juices will run all over your cutting board -- and not down your chin, where they should be. You can slice the breast from either end, either side up. You can get thinner slices by starting at the meat end, but you lose a little of the crispiness of the skin. If you are serving a whole breast, always serve it skin side up, with its sauce underneath.
Nutrition
That’s it. This may sound like a long process, but it all comes together in a few  minutes, once you start cooking. Still a little foggy on things? Here is a video I did on how to cook a duck breast.
I want to try this recipe. It seems the best recipes all have the skin on.
However the Duck I have been given is skinless.
How can I adapt the recipe account for this?
April: A skinless duck breast is pretty much a steak. So cook it exactly as you would a piece of beef.
After the duck breast is done what kind of sauce can I add on top for more taste
Maria: I have a whole section on sauces here: https://honest-food.net/wild-game/sauces-for-wild-game/
Followed recipe and knocked out it or of the park! My husband was delighted.
OMG- This recipe was simple and soooo delicious! This wa my first time cooking duck breast and I wanted a simple recipe that would highlight the duck. It came out perfect and was the most beautiful dark golden brown! I wish I had taken a photo but I scarfed it down so fast! I served it with risotto and duck-fat braised brussels sprouts. Heaven!!
We have a holiday home in the Dordogne, the heart of French duck country, famous for foie gras and with many local markets full of duck products. I thought it was time I learned to cook duck, and followed your technique with perfect cuisson resulting. While the meat was resting, I threw out most of the fat from the pan, deglazed with red wine, juniper berries and garlic, then put through a seive to make a small volume of sauce. Many thanks
Threw out the duck fat? I’m weeping ?
It was perfectly cooked! Thanks! It was better than when I had it at the Russian Tea Room in NYC. I did add a little sage in the pan, though. Sorry. I like my fresh herbs.
Crispy skin and perfectly medium rare. Hard to beat duck cooked like this!
Spot on technique. Perfect results. My new go to recipe.
Hey next time you do a recipe, make it where young hunters like me (12 years old) can easily cook it for lunch.
Salting and resting…finally crispy skin
Used Dartagnan Duck breast which were pretty large; with med-high heat 9 min on fat side and 5 min on the other but it still came rare (bloody) in the middle. So next time I will 1) let stand out of fridge 45 min 2) cut breasts in half to make smaller pieces, 3) trim some fat off in places as there was 1/2 in deep fat in the pan which looked to be too much and 4) apply pressure during cooking. Salt pepper and roasted garlic. Tasted good.
I always look over this recipe just before I begin cooking duck breast. It turns out perfect every time and I get rave reviews from the family!
Simple and the only way to do it while keeping the true flavor of what you worked so hard to harvest.
This is the perfect way to do the duck breast yes you can finish them in the oven and all that happy crappy but if you’ve got other things cooking in there it’s just another thing to juggle and I appreciate that you did not go for the typical Berry sauce compliment or anything like that I am so sick of super rich Berry sauces with the rich duck I went with an apricot Ginger glazed with a squeeze of orange juice and lemon zest and it was fabulous thank you
After failing several times to cook duck to my satisfaction, I tried this recipe and it was a perfect success. I am not only grateful for the recipe, but more so for the general tips (like “three quarters of the cooking time is skin-down”) which I will be able to use universally, depending on what type of fowl I’m preparing. Thanks, Hank!!
Used this recipe with great success on commercial Peking duck breast. Scored 2cm diagonally along the breast to render the ample fat.
You can cook Canada geese?
What’s the best way to get rid of the fine hairs that stick out of the skin?
Mike: Torch them with a lighter.
I pull up this recipe every time I cook duck breast. Even though I’ve made it a dozen times! Its helpful to remember all the steps neccesary for the most perfect duck breast you’ve ever had.
Good directions and excellent result!
Just cooked duck breast for the first time using these directions in a heavy steel pan and they came out perfectly! Thanks for the detailed steps; they were super helpful. Served with a fruity pan sauce on the side. Big hit with my fam!
I used cast iron. Followed the counter intuitive don’t preheat . Seared duck breast in the fat side longest to maintain moisture. Result that’s very palatable from someone who has limited cooking skills. This recipe makes me look (almost) great;) Appreciate the details as I needed it.
We’ve used this recipe with our pastured geese breasts and the Cumberland sauce found in the venison section. Perfections with a California Zinfandel and cooked barley.
I’ve used this recipe probably 20 times, each time the duck breasts are cooked to perfection. I don’t mess with perfect. Thanks for all of the detail, it sure helped.
Our Christmas Eve dinner for 4 was wonderful. Followed your directions for our first-time experience with breast of duck purchased from local grocery (Jungle Jim’s in Eastgate). Pan-seared with only some added tarragon for seasoning. Delicious! And the velvety gravy I made from the pan scrapings was the BEST I EVER MADE! No doubt, the sherry added to the tarragon-infused gravy was the secret. Thank you! We’ll do this again!
Made it this evening. Followed your instructions to the T!! Huge success…. could not have been better.
Brilliant advice and cooking from a cold pan is the best way for a crispy skin and reduce the fat into the pan. I don’t add any extra oil or fat in, j just let the natural fat come from the breast. 10/10
Thanks for the detail on cook times. We did brine the breasts for a few hours prior but being new to duck hunting not sure of the difference it made, regardless it came out fantastic. Unfortunately for mallards they are now on the menu.
Hi Hank! If you don’t mind, I have a question on a different duck recipe (though I’ll be using your instructions to cook a Rohan duck breast this evening). I just purchased three of your books — beautiful, clear & thorough instructions — and I’ll be trying many recipes soon…pheasant, rabbit, duck, and quail. My question is about the gumbo recipe on page 113 of “Duck, Duck Goose.” Shall I assume that the duck legs are to be skinless (since there are no instructions for browning the legs, unless the 5 minutes in the roux counts as such, and since skinned coots are referenced in the notes)? Thank you!
Jim: Yes, typically they are skinned, but either way works.
I have a teal in my fridge since Saturday (6days). Is it too late to pluck and cook? It has not been gutted.
Becky: You are right one the edge. I like maybe 3-5 days. But there’s a very good chance it’s fine.
Damn…finally someone who knows “The Force” behind cooking the perfect duck breast! I am so impressed.
Perfectly rendered and crispy-skinned duck is up there with my top 5 most delectable culinary eats EVER. But I have rarely found a perfectly cooked duck…even in 5-star restaurants! (with the exception of David Bouley, the Master in my book).
Wild game is my power food and so few people know how to do it right. You’ve earned a loyal follower.
A friend gave me two ducks but the skin is off them: how do I cook them.
Judy: Similarly: Cook them mostly on the side the skin was one, as it’s flatter. It’s basically a steak then.
I haven’t hunted ducks in almost 30 years. I eat what I shoot, and the last duck I prepared turned me off for life (I thought.) So it was with some trepidation that I got talked back into going. But, using these directions for a brace of wood ducks I took this weekend, I can firmly say I’m back. They turned out GREAT!
You never mentioned how to make the sauce, why?
Gilbert: What sauce? I rarely do a sauce with duck breasts, but if you want one, I have many here.
Just prepared this for our wedding anniversary. Followed the directions exactly. Came out perfectly!
I am cooking my first duck breast ever,in the past at thanksgiving I have always made the turduckin, which is always wonderful.
This year I had 2 duck breasts left over and have decided to try it fried, I am following your directions, so wish me luck and I will fill you in on how it goes.
Thank you for such wonderful step by step instructions.
Made this tonight for the first time. Had couple moments of doubt in myself through the process, but stuck to the recipe figuring i couldnt have messed up that bad. End result was super crispy skin and medium rare flesh that had my girlfriend and roommate very impressed. Will definitely make it again, and im sure it will be even more impressive! thanks for the recipe Hank!
Thanks for suggesting that we start the duck in a cold pan. Lovely, crisp, medium rare.
I made your chanterelle risotto the other night and had a LOT of leftovers. I pattied it up, coated them in flour then egg wash then panko and fried them up to serve along side the duck and some garlicky balsamic glazed greens… such happy eaters here. Thank you for such good ideas Hank.
Tried this tonight Hank. Followed your instructions give or take a minute or two. Maybe beginner luck but couldn’t’ have been happier with the result. Perfect med rare with crispy skin! Love your site and approach to using your wild game. Thanks!
Hello, after some advice please. I pan fried the duck earlier (about 2 hours ago) to seal it and set it aside to roast later. Now I”m reading that that is a really bad idea – food poisoning wise. Any advice?
Clre: Why are you roasting and frying? No need to. Has the meat been sitting out for 2 hours? Yeah, that’s not ideal. I would have put it in the fridge.
HALP!! My husband took all of the skin off the breasts and I’m worried about cooking them now. Any tips??
Melanie: First, scold your husband… 😉 OK, the tips you want are to keep the duck cool when it hits the pan – no fat to insulate the meat now – and cook exactly as you would a steak. It’s that easy.
Another alternative is throw the saute pan in a 400 degree oven once the skin starts to sizzle. If I remember correctly, it’s eight minute for a domestic duck breast.
How would you cook wild fowl or game sous vide? Duck breast would seem to be likely candidate.Any general guidelines? Your thoughts.THX
Les: I don’t. It’s nasty cooked that way, IMHO. Meat gets mealy.
Just did this with a nice fresh (about 2 hours) Canadian goose breast. Sliced it through the middle to make two thinner slices, and then used timings closer to a large duck – fantastic.
I can see the local goose population going down in the near future 😉
Of course the sauce is a touch overpowering – but only in a good way.
Went fantastically with brussel sprouts that I slice in half and fry with salt, pepper, and garlic.
Hank,if I use reverse sear method with a duck breast,what tempreture and time I should use in the oven?
Jacek: No idea. I don’t do this with duck breasts. Sorry!
Hank after I’ve cooked the duck breast can I freeze it for another time
Suzanne: I’ve never done that.
Thanks for reposting this. Not sure how I had never heard to start with a cold pan, but I’ve always gone into a hot pan. Tried your way just now and even better than past breasts. Thanks.
Just cooked two fresh pintail and two fresh green teal using this method with a bit of Teriyaki sauce! Serve with white rice and fresh steamed vegetables… Super!
I bought a duck breast the other day on a whim. I’d never eaten duck before and I’m not a very good cook. But I followed your cooking suggestion here and I must say it turned out pretty delicious. Thanks!
Hank, any suggestions on my post on April 10th?
Hank, I wanted your opinion on breasting out a duck that has NO fat. I’m a believer on leaving the skin on for ducks with a little to a lot of fat, but I’m in the TX Panhandle, so some ducks that I kill have zero fat reserves left. I usually remove the skin on these with the thought that the skin is more of a barrier to any duck fat or oil that I add to the pan, since the breast itself is not adding any. Would you do something differently?
Mike: I might still do it on something like a mallard or pintail or specklebelly goose. Reason is even without fat, you get crispy skin.
I have a few Canada goose breast in the freezer from last season. I left the skin on them. I tried cooking one on the grill the same way I grill duck breast, but it came out super tough. I’m not sure what went wrong. They were cooked to medium too. I cooked them slow and low (about 250 degrees for about 20-30 minutes). Any suggestions? I love the taste of them on the grill. Thanks!
Made this last night (my first time buying and cooking duck) with a D’Artagnan duck breast and it was absolutely delightful. The cooking times in the recipe perfectly yielded a med-rare to medium final product. I can’t think of a recipe that yields more wow factor for less work. Thanks!
I don’t know where i can get fresh duck breasts for this weekend’s saturday night dinner… I can get frozen breasts… what recommendations can you provide?
Steve: Whole Foods always has frozen ones. Otherwise, find a butcher shop or Asian market.
I’m cooking a domestic duck breast for supper tonight and needed a brush up on method. Thanks for the instructions. I’ll be using Maple Blueberry Balsamic dressing.
Im an old duck, I used to shoot a lot Ducks, Pheasants, Quail, Doves down in the San Joaquin Valley many years ago, now live in the Pacific Northwest and have been given two Canadians and a couple of Mallards by a guy that shoots on the farm where I live. I’ll be cooking a half breast tonight,(my wife doesn’t eat duck anymore… she used to) for the first time in maybe 40 years.
One suggestion. After plucking the breast, take out the wishbone. It’s a little chore that makes it much cleaner and easier to get a nicer piece of meat.
The eclectic sceptic,
Jack
Hank, You rule! A continual inspiration! Keep up the good work!
Justin
I cooked duck breast for my husband tonight for the first time ever. We used this method and it turned out perfect! That is quite a feat for me as I’m prone to overcooking and burning meat. We both devoured our share, and this is the first time I’ve seen my husband eat home cooked meat without dipping it in a sauce of some sort. Thank you!
Hank: I guess it is more rare than I thought. I did report it. It was banded on August 15, 2014, but records stated it was hatched in 2013 or earlier. It was banded in BAIE LAVALLIERE, YAMASKA, QUEBEC, CANADA. I shot it in central Maryland about 25 miles south of Gettysburg, PA. From what I can tell looking at online maps it traveled more than 600 miles south from where it was banded. No wonder the wings were tough. I bought your book during the book tour when you came through Washington, DC. I enjoyed meeting you. It was a hectic evening, as I am sure you recall… If you find yourself in Maryland, you’ve got a place to stay if you need one. Best- Will
Hank: I guess it is more rare than I thought. I did report it. It was banded on August 15, 2014, but records indicate it was hatched in 2013 or earlier. It was banded in BAIE LAVALLIERE, YAMASKA, QUEBEC, CANADA. I shot it in central Maryland about 25 miles south of Gettysburg, PA. From what I can tell looking at online maps it traveled more than 600 miles south from where it was banded. No wonder the wings were tough! I bought your book during your tour when you came through Washington, DC. I enjoyed meeting you. It was a hectic evening. I sure you recall. If you make it out to Maryland, you have a place to stay if you need one. Best- Will
Hank, I just wanted to share that I managed to shoot my first wild duck on new year’s eve. A Mallard male that was banded! Once I got it home I immediately consulted my signed copy of your book Duck, Duck, Goose, and decided to hang it for a day or two in my cellar beneath the front porch (perfect 46 degrees F. and +50 percent relative humidity). I used your wax method to pluck him and then took him apart using the excellent photographs and instruction. I slow roasted the legs and wings, and seared the breasts to medium rare in duck fat I rendered from the tail, neck skin, and wing tips. It was unbelievably good. Very crisp skin with rare meat. I pan fried the heart, liver, and gizzard. The feet are in the freezer much to my wife’s chagrin, and a few of the nicer under-wing feathers are on the bench for flys I will tie for spring trout fishing. Next time I will roast the legs and wings longer. They were still tough, but had good flavor. I went out again Saturday morning to hunt ducks along a local river, but saw nothing, so I turned the shotgun to the trees and brought home two nice grey squirrels instead. Happy New Year!
Will: Are kidding me!?! You shot a banded mallard as your FIRST ever duck!?!?! That’s literally like winning the lottery! Did you report it? How old was it and where was it banded?
I just discovered your site looking for goose recipes. Have you tried sous vide? easiest way to get perfect duck breasts every time. I cook the breast as 130 for an hour and then about 3 minutes on medium heat skin side and 90 seconds on the meat side.
Rob: I’m actually not a fan of it. I don’t like the texture. My method takes 10 minutes, too. 😉
Hank, I tried this tonight with a Black Duck and you’ve made me a believer. Never again will I breast out a duck without the skin. Crispy and medium rare – I thought I was at a restaurant.
The duck we get is often VERY fatty and as the fat renders out am I supposed to remove the fat as it cooks? If I don’t in a stainless steel skillet the duck is 1/2 covered in fat or more. I have done duck (4-5x) well in the past but I want restaurant-amazing… What am I missing? The duck is from a local store and marked as magret about a pound breast.
AD: Wow, that’s a lotta fat! Yeah, I’d pour it off. You’ll need to lower the heat, too, so the fat has time to render out fully.
The post from Cheryl on 12-15-14 mentions a jazzy sauce from your book.
Dede: Probably Duck, Duck, Goose then. There’s a link to it at the top of this page.
Which cookbook is the jazzy sauce in?
Dede: What sauce? There’s no sauce in this post. But if you are looking for some, I have a ton in Duck, Duck, Goose and you can find a few here: https://honest-food.net/wild-game/sauces-for-wild-game/
I just wanted to thank you for these instructions, I have just cooked the most fabulous domestic duck breast ever for Christmas, usually I cook meat instinctively but never having tackled duck before I found your advice spot on.
Help, my two boys harvested 3 Muscovy on our property. Two 4lb hens and one 7lb drake. Not knowing any better we skinned them all. The drake was processed for a whole roast and the hens were boned. My question is do we need to use bacon or something to protect the meat during the cooking process. Any help would be much appreciated as we will be serving them for Christmas dinner. Thanks Harley
Harley: Oh boy… Sadly, skinning them was a big mistake. That fat and skin are what make duck so special! Honestly, my advice would be to break them down completely and cook the breast meat exactly like a steak, i.e., medium-rare. The legs and wings I’d braise or put into a stew until the meat wants to fall off the bones, then pull away the bones and serve.
We’re processing our first ducks. Do we need to reach a specific temperature for food safety? We will all be enjoying it, including our toddler and 7 year old. I have been searching for safe cooking temps for homestead raised ducks, but can’t seem to find much info. I always cook them medium, but wasn’t sure if that was high enough to kill any nasties. I appreciate your videos and recipes! Thank you!
Ashley: Meat temperature? Medium should be fine. If your toddler can eat beef cooked medium, duck will be fine, too.
So what is the ideal finished temperature to aim for?
Matthew: Up to you. I highly recommend you skip the thermometer and use the finger test I link to. No need to pierce the meat. But if you absolutely must do so, it’s the same as beef: Rare is 130, medium 140. There will be a little bit of carry over – about 5 degrees – as the meat rests.
These undated instructions and photos should help anyone get the hang of your method much easier than the former ones. I need to get your cookbook. I have done goose breasts without their skin following your method and they have been good, not great like the ones with skin though. Really enjoy your comments and ideas. Unrelated to cooking ducks but do you ever cook a venison neck roast?
My husband Jeff fixed snow goose breast following these directions with the jazzy sauce from your book. We used apricot preserves for the sweet and rum for the spirits and it is one of the best three things we’ve ever eaten. Thanks