Smoked Duck Breast
Sizzling Duck Breast on the smoker! Follow this easy recipe to create a delicious & juicy hickory smoked duck breast perfect for any summer occasion. We recommend serving with classic smokehouse sides like corn, coleslaw, or baked beans.
Developed by Wanessa Bocianski in the Research & Development Kitchen of Maple Leaf Farms. Check out this recipe on our #SmokeThatDuck series on Facebook, Instagram & Tiktok.
Ingredients
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1 Cup Freshly Brewed Strong Coffee, Chilled
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½ Cup Kosher Salt
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1 Tbsp of Crushed Black Peppercorns
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½ Cup Brown Sugar
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1 ¼ Tbsp Curing Salt
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1/8 Cup Molasses
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Hickory Woodchips or Pellets
Directions
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1
Stir together 2 cups of water with chilled coffee, kosher salt, peppercorns, brown sugar and curing salt in a container. Mix until solids are dissolved. Add the molasses and stir until completely dissolved.
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2
Add Duck Breasts to cure and weigh them down with a large plate/pot to keep them submerged. Cover container or wrap it with saran wrap. Place covered container in the refrigerator for six or more hours.
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3
Remove from refrigerator, take duck out of the brine and discard brine. Rinse duck breasts under cold water and pat dry. Score skin in 1/4" intervals, being careful not to cut into the meat. Rotate breast and score again, making a crisscross pattern.
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4
When ready to cook, add Hickory pellets to Smoker and set temperature to 165F.
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5
Preheat Smoker with lid closed for at least 15 minutes.
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6
Place Duck Breasts on grill grate and smoke for 3-4 hours.
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7
Remove Duck Breasts from the smoker. Serve directly out of the smoker or render duck breast skin-side down in sauté pan for 5-10 minutes for extra crispy skin.
FUN FACT - You can also make this into a Hickory Smoked Duck Bacon recipe! In step 6, do not render your duck breast. Instead slice duck breast lengthwise with fat side down, at an angle for optimal width. Fry duck bacon slices to your liking.
