12 Delicious Duck Breast Recipes

miso glazed duck breast on a plate with a side of white rice and pickled cabbage

Many people assume duck is something one gets at fancy restaurants; and that maybe it is too inconvenient to cook at home. This could not be farther from the truth! Duck is an incredibly delicious yet easy to cook bird. In fact I prefer duck over any other poultry! Here are some of the best duck breast recipes on my site, perfect for your next dinner.

1. Saffron Risotto With Duck Breast

saffron rissoto with duck breast is one of the most popular duck breast recipes on this side

Saffron and duck are two flavors that taste great together. So this saffron risotto with savory duck breast is a match made in heaven. Duck, medium rare with crispy skin sits atop a creamy and near neon yellow scoop of risotto. This recipe is so perfect for a date night.

2. Duck Breast With Haskap Gastrique

Duck Breast With Haskap Gastrique

Due to the high fat content in a duck breast, it is popular to pair this poultry with something sweet or sour. In this case, haskap berries were used to create an astringent, tangy sauce to balance the fatty duck. This duck breast with haskap gastrique is an elegantly presented dish sure to impress.

3. Yakitori Duck Salad

yakitori duck salad with arugula and fig slices in a stonecast bowl

This recipe calls for a duck breast cooked in the standard French method, but brushed with a simple Japanese teriyaki sauce after slicing. The yakitori duck salad has a base of arugula with candied walnuts and sliced figs for a fruity component.

4. Duck Ravioli In Beetroot Cream Sauce

duck ravioli in beet sauce with crispy duck skin garnish

This duck ravioli might not seem like a standard duck breast recipe, but in fact it uses the breast, the whole breast, and nothing but the breast (well, plus the pasta dough and sauce). This was one of my winning Valentine’s dinner recipes, and uses succulent duck breast meat inside while being topped with crispy duck skin chips.

5. Miso Glazed Duck Breast

miso glazed duck breast on a plate with a side of white rice and pickled cabbage

One of the best ways to prepare a duck breast is with a miso glaze. This umami packed Japanese fusion recipe is so delicious, and surprisingly easy. You can go start to finish in around 20 minutes! The perfectly cooked medium-rare duck breast is brushed with a miso glaze and served with white rice and cherry pickled cabbage.

6. Duck With Leeks

duck with leeks japanese style recipe on a fancy plate

A duck with a leek on its back is a saying in Japanese that means good luck has come to you. This duck with leeks dish is inspired by that saying (and the Pokemon Farfetch’d) for a delicious and umami packed dish.

7. Duck With Blackcurrants

duck breast perfectly cooked and cut on the bias drizzled with a homemade blackcurrant sauce.

Duck with blackcurrants is easily one of my favorite duck breast recipes – and one I make often when cooking for friends. The sauce is fresh and tangy, and pairs well with the richness of a well cooked duck breast. Surprisingly, this was a very popular 19th century dish back in old New York!

8. Hot Honey Duck Breast

hot honey duck breast on a bed of roast celeriac with a sprig of green onion. Meal is served on a white plate with a purple rim

Rising in popularity in recent years is hot honey everything. This easy hot honey duck breast has a great flavor profile and is sure to impress. I serve mine with some simple roast celeriac, but you can pair it with pretty much any savory side you like!

9. Passionfruit Glazed Duck Breast

passionfruit glazed duck breast on a bed of rocket and pear salad

Fruit and duck is almost always a winning combination. The tanginess of the fruit cuts through the richness of the fat for an extremely well balanced dish. This recipe for passionfruit glazed duck breast is a summertime favorite, and one which people request me to make all the time.

10. Duck Breast With PX Sauce

duck breast in px sauce with finishing salt and edible flowers on a bed of whipped potatoes

If you love the sweet yet savory side of sauces more then this duck breast with px sauce is for you. PX sauce, named for the Pedro Ximenez sherry that is used, is a rich pan sauce that uses the mounted butter method to get a thick and glossy emulsion. Paired with a perfectly cooked duck breast this dish is guaranteed to impress your dinner guests.

11. Duck With Cranberries And Corn Cream

medium rare duck breast on a bed of corn cream and stewed cranberries. All in a shallow blue bowl next to gold flatware

This recipe for duck breast with cranberry sauce and corn cream is one of the most decadent dishes (thanks to the corn cream mostly) on this list. The tart and tangy cranberries definitely help balance the richness and the overall dish is quite lovely.

12. Duck Breast With Peppercorn Sauce

duck with easy peppercorn sauce on top of whipped celeriac puree

This easy duck breast with peppercorn sauce only needs five ingredients. It is also done in less than a half hour making it the perfect date night recipe for the home cook looking to impress. I like to serve this duck on a bed of buttery mashed celeriac but you can use whatever side dish you prefer!

What Sides Go With Best With These Duck Breast Recipes

While these duck breast recipes showcase the main meat, you will likely want a paired side dish. My main rule with pairing a duck breast with a side is of course balancing the flavor profile. If the sauce is fruity or tart I like to serve a salad on the side. On the other hand if the sauce is salty or savory I usually go with something neutral like rice or potatoes.

Here are some of my favorite duck breast side dishes:

Let me know what some of your favorite duck breast side dishes are in the comments below!


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