Name: Smoked Duck
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 665 min
Ingredients: 1 duck; 1 Tablespoon salt; 3 Tablespoons brown sugar; 1 Teaspoon garlic powder; 1 Teaspoon onion powder; 1 Teaspoon paprika; 1 Teaspoon cumin; ½ Teaspoon chili powder; ½ Teaspoon black pepper; 1 small Onion; 1 carrot; 1 stalk celery; ½ peach (or orange)

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Smoked duck is an easy, delicious treat perfect for a lazy weekend at home. The smoker imparts a lovely depth of flavor to the rich duck.

Smoked duck on a platter surrounded by smoked vegetables. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Duck can be a delicious meal if you know how to cook it. I’ve had it when it was inedible because it was so fatty, and the cook didn’t know how to cook it.

One of the tricks to tender, juicy, but not greasy duck is to poke holes or make small slits in the skin with a knife so that the fat can render out and not stay in the duck.

There are a couple of other tricks, so read on.

What You Need

Duck: Use a domestic duck for this recipe. This recipe is not made for a wild duck. Wild ducks are too lean. You can either smoke the whole duck or just smoke the breast meat.
Salt: You want to season the entire bird with salt the night before smoking. It flavors the meat and dries out the skin so the skin will get crispy.
Mirepoix: Fill the cavity with chunks of onion, celery, and carrot to flavor the bird.
Rub: You can choose a simple or more complicated rub. For this bird, we chose an all-around BBQ rub made from brown sugar or maple syrup, garlic, onion, cumin, paprika, and chili powders.

Since domestic ducks are so fatty, they don’t require a marinade or brine. If you are using a wild duck, definitely use a brine. The brine consists of water, kosher salt, pepper, spices like rosemary, sage, and thyme, sugar, onions, garlic, and an acid like lemon juice or orange juice. This will keep the lean meat juicy and flavorful.

How to Make it

Holes poked into the skin of the duck. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Poke lots of holes in the skin of the duck, on both sides, with a metal skewer or a sharp paring knife. Try not to pierce the meat.

Salt the duck generously, both inside and out. Let the bird rest in the refrigerator overnight. This step is optional but serves two purposes. The first is to season the meat. The second is to dry the skin out so that it gets crispy.

Onions cut into chunks. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Cut up the vegetables and fruit.

Duck pairs well with a variety of fruits.

apricots
peaches
plums
nectarines
citrus
cherries

Dry rub applied to the skin of the duck. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

The next day, remove the duck from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before smoking to allow it to come to room temperature.

If you salted the skin heavily, brush some of the salt off.

Pat the skin and cavity dry with paper towels. Rub your chosen dry rub all over the skin.

Mirepoix added to the cavity of the duck. — Photo Credit: Binky’s Culinary Carnival.

Fill the body cavity of the duck with mirepoix, the mixture of celery, onion, and carrot. We generally add an in-season fruit to the cavity as well.

Preheat the smoker for at least 15 minutes to 275°F. Place the duck directly on the smoker grate. Smoke for 2½-3 hours. The meat should reach a temperature of 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Duck is safe at 165°F, but many folks prefer taking the breast to 150–155°F and letting carryover heat finish the job if they like it medium-rare. The legs can go longer. For easy clean-up of your smoker, place a drip pan underneath the duck as it cooks.

Finish the duck on your grill or oven under high heat to crisp the skin. The skin should be golden and crisp, the fat mostly rendered off, and the meat juicy but not greasy. If it’s rubbery or slick, it likely needs more poking or longer rendering.

How to Serve the Duck

Mix equal parts of apricot or peach jam and orange juice, adding a splash of soy sauce or balsamic vinegar for extra flavor. Brush it over the duck in the last 20 minutes of smoking for a sticky-sweet finish that balances the fat.

Use peach bourbon BBQ sauce or cherry BBQ sauce for a delicious finish in the last 20-30 minutes of cooking.

What Wood to Use to Smoke a Duck

Fruitwood, such as apple, cherry, peach, or pecan, is excellent for smoking poultry. Maple and ash are also good options.

What if I Don’t Own a Smoker?

You can still enjoy smoked foods if you don’t own a smoker. You can use your grill to smoke. Set up your grill so that the fire is only on one side. You will place the meat or vegetable on the side of the grill, away from the direct flame (indirect heat). This is called indirect cooking.

Add soaked wood to a metal tray (we use a disposable foil pie plate or bread pan). Add another metal tray with water. Place water and wood chips on the side of the grill where the fire is located. Remember to fill the water if it runs out.

You can also create a similar setup for your oven in a pinch or in the winter.

How to Store Leftovers

Immediately after eating, cut the meat from the duck. Place it in storage bags or airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Leftovers freeze well, too. Pack them in freezer bags, or for best results, vacuum pack them. Store for at least three months.

Try thin slices of cold duck over arugula with goat cheese and citrus vinaigrette, or shred it into tacos with pickled onions.

Pro tip: Make delicious duck stock from the carcass. Add the carcass to a large stockpan and barely cover it with water. Add salt, pepper and your choice of spices to the pot. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer it for 3-4 hours for best flavor.