For an Asian inspired duck recipe that is NOT Peking duck, give this five spice duck breast a try. While cooked in the traditional French method, this duck is rubbed with the famous Chinese five-spice blend which accentuates the pure richness of the duck.

This duck breast recipe also comes with duck fat fried trumpet mushrooms and a bed of creamed greens. If you are a fan of duck breast recipes then this one should absolutely be added to your repertoire.
Duck breast is actually a very easy meat to cook, as long as you know the correct method. But once you have that down pat you can make a perfectly cooked duck breast in less than 15 minutes! That’s probably why I have so many recipes and why it’s most likely my favorite meat.
What You’ll Need
This five spice duck breast is actually a one pan recipe. How easy is that! After cooking the duck, the mushrooms get fried in the rendered fat, and then the creamed greens are finished in the same pan. This very little mess recipe makes a dish that far exceeds expectations and is sure to impress your friends and family.
Like with all my duck recipes I do recommend using a high quality pan. Because you want to get a really good render on that fat under the skin, it is important your pan has a flat bottom (don’t use something that bows out or in).
Other than that a sharp knife will be necessary to make the scores in the breast and the mushrooms, which help with rendering the fat and for even cooking respectively.
What Is Chinese Five Spice?
Chinese five spice is a versatile seasoning blend that embodies the rich, complex flavors of traditional Chinese cuisine. Consisting of a combination of five key spices—typically star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon (cassia), Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds—it offers a balance of sweet, savory, and aromatic elements. This fragrant blend is widely used in Chinese cooking to add depth and warmth to dishes, ranging from stir-fries and marinades to sauces and soups. Chinese five spice is also said to cure indigestion, which makes it a great pairing with fatty duck breast.
If you cannot find it at your local grocery store, you can buy Chinese five spice online.
How To Make This Five Spice Duck Breast With Mushrooms

This recipe only requires nine ingredients, so it is very easy to prepare for. In fact, most of the ingredients you likely have on hand (five of them are spices/condiments). As for the creamed greens, I just used a salad mix but you can pick a specific green like spinach or rocket if you prefer.
Ingredients
- 1 Duck Breast – Grade A, Skin on. Scored in a cross-hatch pattern.
- 1 tbsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
- 1 Trumpet Mushroom – Thickly sliced and cross-hatched. I also love to use these mushrooms for medallions like in my Chinese braised king trumpet mushroom recipe.
- 1 tsp Salt
- 150 ml Heavy Cream (2/3 cup)
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Instructions

Like with many duck breast recipes, you should score the skin to help the fat render. For this recipe I do a much finer cross-hatch than normal (see my blackcurrant duck for comparison). This provides plenty of nooks and crannies for the seasoning to permeate.

Rub half of the salt and half to 3/4ths of the five spice powder into the skin of the duck. Save the remainder for the mushrooms.

Place the duck breast skin side down in a cold pan. Put the heat on medium-low and slowly raise it as the fat begins to render out. As more fat renders continue raising the heat until the skin is nice and crispy. This method takes around 6-9 minutes depending on your pan and stovetop.
When the skin is crispy flip the duck and cook the muscle side for about 30 seconds. Then place the entire pan in the oven at 175C or 350F for 4 minutes. When done remove the duck breast from the pan and tent with foil.

For the mushrooms score them finely just like with the duck breast. Rub the cut side with the salt and five spice powder.

Fry the mushrooms cut side down in the hot duck fat on medium high heat. Flip and fry the other side until browned. Remove the mushrooms to a side plate.

Add the heavy cream, garlic powder, ground ginger, and mustard directly to the pan (there should still be some duck fat left). Stir everything together until the cream thickens and you have a nice sauce. Add the greens, mix until wilted, then remove from the heat.

Plate the creamed greens on the bottom of your plate, then top with a few slices of the mushrooms. You can cut the duck thinly and fan it out, or thickly and just place a couple pieces on top of the greens. Enjoy!
What To Serve With Five Spice Duck Breast

While this recipe used creamed greens and trumpet mushrooms, you can make so many other side dishes.
Since five spice is a star of Chinese cooking, you can go with a simple steamed white rice, or even American style fried rice. I also like the idea of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower, although how you prepare them would be up to you.

Five Spice Duck Breast With Mushrooms And Creamed Greens
Equipment
- 1 Pan
Ingredients
- 1 Duck Breast Grade A, Skin on. Scored in a cross-hatch pattern.
- 1 tbsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
- 1 Trumpet Mushroom Thickly sliced and cross-hatched.
- 1 tsp Salt
- 150 ml Heavy Cream 2/3 cup
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Instructions
Five Spice Duck Breast
- Rub half of the salt and half to 3/4ths of the five spice powder into the scored skin of the duck. Save the remainder for the mushrooms.
- Place the duck breast skin side down in a cold pan. Put the heat on medium-low and slowly raise it as the fat begins to render out. As more fat renders continue raising the heat until the skin is nice and crispy. This method takes around 6-9 minutes depending on your pan and stovetop.When the skin is crispy flip the duck and cook the muscle side for about 30 seconds. Then place the entire pan in the oven at 175C or 350F for 4 minutes. When done remove the duck breast from the pan and tent with foil.
Trumpet Mushrooms
- For the mushrooms score them finely just like with the duck breast. Rub the cut side with the salt and five spice powder.
- Fry the mushrooms cut side down in the hot duck fat on medium high heat. Flip and fry the other side until browned. Remove the mushrooms to a side plate.
Creamed Greens
- Add the heavy cream, garlic powder, ground ginger, and mustard directly to the pan (there should still be some duck fat left). Stir everything together until the cream thickens and you have a nice sauce. Add the greens, mix until wilted, then remove from the heat.
- Plate the creamed greens on the bottom of your plate, then top with a few slices of the mushrooms. You can cut the duck thinly and fan it out, or thickly and just place a couple pieces on top of the greens. Enjoy!
