Some recipes are perfect the way they are. For example, this recipe is one that requires no modification whatsoever, and I’m going to use it to show you how to cook the perfect duck breast.*
There is more than one method to cook duck breast, but the one described here always gives perfect results. The reason is that you first sear the meat in a pan in its own fat, making sure the skin turns out crispy and the juices stay sealed in. Then, by placing it in the preheated oven, you can perfectly control the doneness of your meat. For a perfect air fryer duck breast recipe, click on the link.
So not only will you learn how to pan-fry and cook duck breast in the oven, but also how to cook it the way you like it. Whether it’s rare, medium rare, medium, or well done, cooking duck breast at home has never been easier.
What You’ll Need
It’s best to use a pan that you can also place in the oven. For this, I would recommend a cast iron pan. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, you can just move the duck breast onto a baking tray before cooking it in the oven.
You don’t need anything else, except the duck breast fillet and, of course, some seasonings. But it’s such tasty meat that I wouldn’t overwhelm it with anything more than salt and pepper. See my seasoning tips below.
How to Season Duck Breast
As I mentioned above, duck breast is such a superior meat that, in my opinion, it doesn’t need any special seasoning. Good old salt and pepper, the latter freshly ground, will not only do, but they’ll allow the taste of the meat to be the star of the dish.
On the other hand, any seasoning you would add to red meat would be great. Thyme and rosemary are a nice pairing for duck breast, but you can also try something more exotic, like Chinese five-spice seasoning.
Garlic, chili peppers, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, star anise, as well as honey, are all great when used as seasoning for duck breast.
Make sure to add enough seasoning, though. This is a matter of personal preference, but duck breast is quite a large piece of meat, and it will take up a lot of salt and pepper.
Duck Breast Cooking Time
These are the oven cooking times required for different levels of doneness for duck breast. Please note that the oven temperature is 430°F (220°C), without the fan, and the meat is pre-cooked in a pan for 6 minutes. See details in the recipe below.
- Rare: 10 minutes.
- Medium rare: 15 minutes.
- Well done: 18-20 minutes.
Cooking Tips
- Start cooking your duck breasts skin-side down in a cold pan. No need to add any additional fat.
- The oven needs to be preheated, though, so make sure you turn it on ahead of time.
- No need to use the fan in the oven to cook your duck breasts.
- I usually only season the meat side, but some prefer to season the skin, too.
- Like any meat that’s been cooked at a high temperature, duck breast also tastes a lot better after resting for 5-10 minutes before serving. This ensures the meat stays juicy and tender.
- Make sure to use an oven-safe pan for cooking. Cast iron pans work best, but you can use any skillet that has no plastic parts.
- If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, sear your duck breasts in any pan — see the first part of the recipe — then place them onto a baking tray and into the preheated oven.
- The most preferred way of cooking duck breast is to medium. In French, this is called Magret de canard rosé, the word rosé referring to the pinkish color of the meat when cooked perfectly.
- One portion is one duck breast.
How to Serve Duck Breast
Duck breast can be a nice meal to serve on a holiday. It could also be a good substitute for a Sunday roast, but it is indeed an ideal choice for a special weekday dinner, too.
Serve your duck breasts warm. Once they have finished cooking, make sure to let them rest on a plate or wire rack for 5-10 minutes to let the juices redistribute. Then serve them immediately.
I would suggest preparing an easy pan sauce while the breasts are resting. It is the perfect accompaniment not only for steaks but also for duck breast. If you don’t want to put in the extra effort of making the pan sauce, serve the duck breast with the juices that accumulated in the pan and during resting.
You may also want to plan around the preparation/cooking/resting time so the breast is ready by the time you’re planning to serve it. This ensures the duck’s skin is crispy, while the meat is perfectly tender. Simply count backward, allowing 30 minutes for rare, 35 minutes for medium, and 18 minutes for well-done duck breasts. (Please note that these are not cooking times but rather the total time needed to prepare the meat for the desired doneness.)
Duck breast goes well with just about any standard side dish; however, I personally prefer a lighter side to go with it. For example, any steamed vegetables — I often serve it with steamed carrots or asparagus — or perhaps a simple Olivier or green salad, the latter with a light vinaigrette dressing. Plum sauce is also a popular choice to accompany duck breasts. But feel free to serve it with whatever you or your guests like.
Or check out this yummy idea, where the duck breasts are served with asparagus and Hollandaise sauce.
How To Cook Duck Breast
Equipment
- Oven-proof pan
Ingredients
- 4 duck breast fillets
- black pepper freshly ground is best
- salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 430 F (220 C), no fan.
- Prepare the duck breast: clean it if necessary (so only the skin and meat remain), then score the skin with a knife in a cross-hatch pattern – be careful not to cut the meat.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the duck breast skin side down in an oven-proof cold pan. Turn the heat up to medium. No need to add oil or fat!
- Sear the duck breast skin side down for 6 minutes until it’s golden brown, pouring off the fat regularly. Careful, this is extremely hot!
- Turn it, and cook it on the other side for only 30 seconds.
- Place the pan in the oven, duck breasts skin side up, and cook to your liking. Cooking time is 10 mins for rare, 15 mins for medium rare and 18 minutes for well-done.
- Take the duck breasts out of the oven, and let them rest for 10 minutes.
* The original recipe linked in the first paragraph now gives 200°C (390°F) as the cooking temperature for the duck breast. However, when I first tried this recipe back in 2016, the cooking temperature was 220°C (430°F), which you can check at the link. I still use the original cooking temperature, as you can see in my recipe, and the duck breasts always turn out great.
