Being married to a duck hunter, I eat a LOT, I mean, A LOT of duck. I’ve thought about starting a Duck Hunter’s wives support group but that’s another another story! LOL. The key to cooking duck is to not overcook it! It should be served medium rare to ensure it doesn’t get tough or gamey. This recipe originally appeared in my cookbook, “Healthy Electric Smoker” but it can be made on any kind of smoker.
I am used to eating the small ducks like teal or diver ducks that my husband brings home, but if you are using a store bought domesticated duck, chances are it is a Pekin or Long Island Duck which is larger in size. It is all about cooking to the internal temp of 135 in the breast, regardless of the size of the duck! I recommend using an internal read thermometer like the Thermapen or the Thermoworks Dot (I swear by my Thermapen) so you can monitor the internal temp and ensure you don’t overcook it.
Ducks, with their layer of fat on the outside, are excellent for smoking as the fat helps absorb the smoke flavor, while also keeping the duck moist. Ducks will vary in size so adjust your cooking time based on meeting internal temperature of 135 in the duck breast, which will cook it to medium rare. After you’ve smoked the duck, finish it on a hot grill or under the broiler to crisp up the skin, avoiding overcooking. Save any rendered duck fat for cooking with later- you will thank me later- it is delicious on potatoes and just about everything!
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Chinese 5-Spice Duck
- Total Time: 3+ hourse
- Yield: 3-4 servings, depending on size of duck 1x
Description
Serves: 4
Serving Size 4 oz, for a 3-4 lb duck
Prep Time 24 hours
Cook Time 3-4 hours
Smoking Wood: Oak, Cherry
Smoker Temp: 250
Rest Time 10 minutes
Ingredients
- Dry Brine: 1 ½ tsp salt
- One 5 lb duck, gizzards and inner cavity fat removed
Spice Paste:
- 3 tbsp Chinese 5 Spice powder
- 2 tbsp smoked sugar Or brown sugar
- ½ tbsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked sea salt
Instructions
- On a bird that has been patted dry with a paper towel, rub it all over with the 1.5 tsp sea salt and let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator overnight- this will help the skin become more crispy when smoking.
- Next, poke holes in the skin of the duck being careful not to puncture the meat (this is so the fat can render out), and rub the spice paste all over the duck.
- Smoke the duck at 250 degrees until the internal temp reads 130 degrees in the breast with an internal read thermometer. To achieve crispy skin, grill the duck on 400 degrees or place under a broiler for 5 minutes, being careful not to overcook, removing the duck from the oven or grill once the internal read thermometer reads 135 internal degrees.
- Let rest a few minutes and serve immediately.
Notes
I like to pair duck with heart roasted root vegetables and an arugula salad. And, of course, it goes well with anything Asian inspired!
- Prep Time: 24 hours (brine)
- Cook Time: 3-4 hours depending on size of duck
- Category: American, Asian
Can you use regular sea salt instead of smoked sea salt? Thanks!
Yes that works fine. I am just a big fan of smoked sea salt.
I make this smoked duck recipe. It worked great. Also adapted it to smoke a chinese 5-spice chicken.
Let me start by saying, WOW, what a great taste the Duck had, this is my new GO-TO. I was nervous about just wiping off the left over dry brine instead of running it under water… Figured water would have defeated the purpose of the brine. Although, I had to alter the rub paste because my wife can’t have salt right now, so I left out the smoked sea salt. I personally though it was outstanding.
Bon Appetite
so glad you enjoyed! we eat a lot of duck around here since my husband is a duck hunter! Cheers- Robyn
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, we eat a lot of duck around here once Duck Hunting season rolls in. Cheers, Robyn