26 Duck Recipes for the Holidays (or Any Old Weeknight)
Turkey is tasty…but it gets a little boring after the millionth time. (And don’t even get us started on chicken.) Duck, on the other hand, is unexpected, elegant and just as (if not more) delicious. It’s tender, juicy, fatty and so versatile—and that’s just the meat. Think about all the tasty dishes you could make with duck eggs and duck fat to boot. Not sure where to start? Here are 26 duck recipes to whip up for the holidays, dinner parties or any old weeknight.
RELATED: 40 Lamb Recipes to Whip Up All Year Round, from Gyros to Pasta Bolognese
1. Foolproof Cheater’s Confit
Complete with herbed endive salad in lemon-mustard dressing. Don’t let the long cook time fool you: Most of it is hands-off baking in the oven.
2. Japanese Sous Vide Duck Ramen
Yuzu juice, mirin, sake and plum paste create an impeccably balanced marinade for the duck breast. Pairing it with soba noodles and dashi broth takes the dish over the top.
3. Duck Fat Potatoes
Brace yourself for the crispiest, craggiest roast spuds you’ve ever tasted. Vegetable oil could never.
4. Pulled Duck with Plum Sriracha Sauce
Sweet, spicy and downright stunning. Pile the shredded duck on tacos, grilled cheese sandwiches, salads, French fries or even pasta.
5. Simple Baked Duck
Turkey who? This buckwheat-stuffed bird only takes about 90 minutes to cook to perfection alongside apples, carrots and celery.
6. Holiday Panzanella with Duck Fat Roasted Croutons, Winter Citrus and Hazelnuts
All drizzled with maple-orange vinaigrette. Oranges, grapefruit, cranberries and cold-weather herbs make this salad a must for the holidays.
7. Maple Balsamic Roasted Duck with Spiced Cranberry-Persimmon Chutney
This dish simply screams Christmas dinner. Be sure to leave plenty of time for the duck to dry out in the fridge before roasting (that’s the key to its crackly skin).
8. Duck Egg Salad with Curry and Dill
Capers, hot sauce, curry powder and raw red onion infuse this lunch staple with tons of zingy flavor.
9. Christmas Roast Duck with Apple Cider Drizzle
Our favorite thing about duck (besides its flavor, obvi) is how well it reheats. (That means all your leftovers will stay juicy and crisp, instead of drying out like turkey.)
10. Newcastle Brown Ale Pulled Duck Nachos
Game day grub—but make it fashion. The duck is braised in beer and chicken stock before topping off a mountain of tortilla chips, duck cracklings, jalape?os and three types of cheese.
11. Roasted Duck with Soy-Persimmon Glaze
The secret to the duck’s flavorful brine is three bags of black tea, soy sauce, fish sauce and all the winter spices.
12. Crockpot Duck Fat Chex Mix
Sriracha roasted peanuts + maple candied bacon + duck fat Chex mix = the ultimate fancy snack.
13. Duck with Orange Gastrique
Believe it or not, the sweet, tangy glaze only calls for three ingredients (two of which are likely in your kitchen right now). Be sure to score the skin before searing the duck breasts to render out the fat.
14. Seared Duck Breast with Roasted Plums
Sure, the crispy duck and juicy stone fruit are the main event. But the crispy sage leaves fried in butter and sprinkled with salt are an epic finishing touch.
15. Turducken Roulade
This notorious Thanksgiving dish has a whole new look. Rolling the breasts of a chicken, duck and turkey instead of roasting the whole birds makes it so much easier to prepare this iconic main at home.
16. Duck Confit with Roasted Rhubarb
With this vibrant spring vegetable on the plate, the dish is prime for serving at Easter dinner in place of traditional lamb or ham.
17. Seared Duck Breast with Balsamic Burgundy Reduction and Raspberry Chutney
The secret to the duck’s floral je ne sais quoi? Crushed lavender. It’s a stellar pairing for the sweet chutney on top, made from duck drippings, honey, brown sugar and fresh raspberries.
18. Bacon Lover’s Duck Egg Quiche
Not a single one of your guests will see this twist on the brunch classic coming. (And because of the fancy filling, no one will suspect you used store-bought pie crust.)
19. Duck Fat Roasted Potato and Wilted Kale Salad with Miso-Mustard Dressing
Reason number 584 to always have white miso in your fridge. It adds a punch of salty, umami-rich flavor to everything from caramel dip to this sweet-and-sour dressing.
20. Dukkah Deviled Duck Eggs
Let’s face it: This cocktail hour staple was overdue for an upgrade. Infusing it with dukkah, a Middle Eastern and Egyptian condiment made from toasted nuts and spices, is just the ticket.
21. Grain Bowls, Three Ways
Whether you choose brown rice, farro or quinoa, these nutritious bowls pair beautifully with duck, chicken, steak and fish alike. Pass the garlic-cilantro sauce, please.
22. Roasted Stuffed Duck
Not only does a mayonnaise-based marinade infuse the duck with plenty of tangy flavor, but it also spreads the spices evenly across the bird and helps with browning.
23. Crispy Duck Fat Smashed Potatoes
We never thought we’d say it, but this three-ingredient side gives standard fries a run for their money. Might we suggest serving them with creamy lemon-garlic aioli?
24. Duck Confit
These French-style slow-cooked duck legs are roasted in their own fat for eight hours until meltingly tender.
25. Duck Fat Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
The leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to three days, so you’ll have plenty of opportunity to show them off in the office breakroom. Pair the main with a green salad or mushroom soup.
26. Peking Duck Poutine
Aka the most ingenious way to use up leftover duck meat. The duck fat gravy is the real pièce de résistance though (or is it the white cheddar cheese curds?).
RELATED: 45 Easy Christmas Chicken Recipes That Are Perfect for the Holidays