Duck Recipes With & Without Skin

Healthy, Healthier & Healthiest Duck Breast Options

Although duck often gets a bad rap for being high fat and a hard to fit into a healthy diet, that is simply not the case. Duck meat is actually a wonderful protein that can fit into any balanced diet. Not only is it high in iron and protein, but duck fat is higher in monounsaturated fat than other animal fats.

What’s great is you can adjust how you prepare duck breast to best fit your nutritional goals. To learn how, check out the following cooking tips:

Healthy Duck Breast

To prepare duck breast so that it is leaner and has a delicious, crispy skin, be sure to score the skin. By cutting the skin in ¼-inch intervals in a crisscross pattern, you can slowly render out nearly 70% of the fat and crisp the skin. Simply place the scored duck breast skin side down in a cool pan and then turn the heat to medium to slowly render out fat for about 10 minutes. The skin should be a beautiful golden grown when this process is complete. You can then finish cooking the breast in the oven or on the grill.

Check out our Tuscan Style Stuffed Duck Breasts (Ducketta) to try preparing duck breast using this method.

Healthier Duck Breast

If you want an even healthier option when preparing duck breast, simply prepare the duck breast by scoring the skin, rendering out the fat and finishing it according to recipe instructions. After it has rested for 5-10 minutes but before you serve it, remove the skin.

By preparing the duck breast with the skin on, you can ensure that the meat does not become tough or dry out during the cooking process. By removing the skin, you can enjoy a duck breast that is actually leaner and has fewer calories than a similar sized portion of boneless, skinless chicken breast.

To try this approach, prepare our Breast of Duck with B&B Lime Sauce according to the recipe instructions and then remove the skin before serving with rice or a salad.

Healthiest Duck Breast

For the “healthiest” approach to prepare duck breast, prepare it without the skin like you would boneless, skinless chicken breast. For a tender, flavorful eating experience, try preparing skinless duck breast via a sous vide cooking method. Maple Leaf Farms Sous Vide Duck Breast, which is offered to chefs and restaurant operators, has 23% fewer calories and 42% less fat than beef filet making it an ideal red meat replacement in pastas, salads and even center of the plate.

Our Duck Grain Bowl is a great option to try out skinless duck breast and create a quick and healthy meal.

You can apply some of these same cooking techniques when you prepare other duck products like whole ducks. To learn more, check out the “Cooking Duck” page on Maple Leaf Farms website.