Perfect duck breast is very easy to make on the grill, too. Don’t imagine overcooked, tough meat here. You can make beautifully pink duck breast on a backyard grill as well, as long as you follow what I share with you in this recipe.
Pre-Searing in a Skillet
Although this recipe is about cooking duck breast on the grill, I still recommend pre-searing it in a skillet on a regular stovetop. Of course, you could say right away that this isn’t real grilling, but even so, it is not an unnecessary step. It makes the final result perfect and much easier to control.
This step—starting with the skin side down in a cold skillet—ensures, first, that the duck breast skin browns nicely, and second, that the extra fat, which you don’t really need on the grill, renders out. Plus, this way you can optionally make a very tasty sauce for the meat.
By the way, the traditional oven-made pink duck breast is prepared this way as well. First we render out the fat and brown the skin, then cook the breasts until beautifully pink, this time with the skin side facing up.
For the pre-searing, place the duck breasts in a cold skillet with their scored skin side down. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 6 minutes. Meanwhile, pour off the rendered fat 2–3 times. When the skin has turned a nice golden color, turn the breasts over and cook for another 30 seconds before placing them on the grill grate.
Cooking Duck Breast on the Grill
Cook the duck breasts covered, on a grill preheated to medium heat, about 390–430°F (200–220°C).
The easiest way is to use a skillet with a heatproof handle. In this case, after pre-searing, simply take the skillet out to the grill, set it on the grate with the duck breasts, and continue cooking. The handle of this kind of skillet gets very hot, so definitely use oven mitts!
If you only have a regular skillet, then after pre-searing, take the breasts out to the grill in the skillet, and using kitchen tongs, place them on the grate with the skin side facing up.
Cook the pink duck breasts on the grill, covered, for another 8 minutes.
Making a Sauce for Grilled Duck Breast
You can make a very tasty sauce from the flavorful bits left in the skillet. Optionally, sauté half a finely chopped onion in a little duck fat for 2–3 minutes. Sprinkle a little flour over it, and cook it for another minute. Pour in a little red wine, stock, or water. Let it reduce, and season with salt or ground pepper if needed. Strain it through a fine-mesh strainer. This sauce goes very well with grilled pink duck breast!
Pink Grilled Duck Breast
Ingredients
- 4 duck breasts
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- To make pink duck breast on the grill, first preheat the grill to medium heat, or about 390–430°F (200–220°C).
- Carefully score the skin of the duck breasts so you don’t cut into the meat. Season the breasts with salt and pepper on both sides.
- In a cold skillet, start cooking the breasts skin side down over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 minutes, pouring off the fat 2–3 times as it renders. Do not move the breasts during this time.
- When the skin is a nice golden brown, turn them over and cook for 30 seconds with the skin side facing up.
- If you’re using a skillet with a heatproof handle, place the skillet on the grill grate with the breasts. If you’re using a regular skillet, place only the breasts on the grill grate, skin side up. Cook covered for 8 minutes, without moving them. Duck breast prepared this way on the grill will be perfectly pink.
