How to Cook Duck Breast

Method

Directions

1. 1
   After fully thawed, remove the duck breast from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. 2
   Score the skin (across the entire width and length) with a sharp knife in diagonal, quarter to half-inch intervals, being careful not to cut into the actual meat. Rotate the meat and diagonally score it again, creating a criss-cross pattern. This step is incredibly important because it's the secret to having super crispy skin and helps eliminate up to 70% of the fat while still maintaining tenderness and juiciness.
3. 3
   Season both sides with salt and pepper.
4. 4
   Start cooking the breast in a cool, oven-safe skillet skin side down over low-medium heat (if you don't have an oven-safe skillet, you can transfer the breast to a baking dish later on). There's no need to preheat the pan or add additional oil because you want the fat from the skin to render out. Cook for 8 to 12 minutes until the skin is brown and crispy. Flip and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
5. 5
   Once preheated, cook the duck in the oven at 350 F for 5 to 6 minutes for a medium-rare to medium duck breast. Let duck rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. The duck will continue to cook as it sits, but should still be pink in the middle.