Oven-cooked duck breast

For oven-cooked duck breast, first sear it skin-side down in a frying pan for 5 to 6 minutes, then allow 8 to 10 minutes at 200 °C for pink meat, plus 5 minutes’ resting. Cooked entirely in the oven, without the pan, allow 15 to 18 minutes at 200 °C with the scored skin facing up.

Preparation: 10 min  |  Cooking: 16 min  |  Servings: 2  |  Difficulty: Easy

Approximate nutritional values per serving: 242 kcal · 33 g protein · 3 g carbohydrate · 11 g fat

Ingredients

• 1 duck breast (about 350 g)
• 1 tsp honey (optional)
• 1 sprig of thyme
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Take the duck breast out of the fridge 20 minutes beforehand and preheat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Score the skin in a criss-cross pattern with a knife, without cutting into the flesh, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Place it skin-side down in a cold frying pan, turn the heat to medium and let the fat render for 5 to 6 minutes, spooning off the fat as it melts.
4. Transfer it to a baking dish, skin-side up, brush with honey if you like, add the thyme and roast for 8 to 10 minutes for pink meat.
5. Rest for 5 minutes under a sheet of foil, then slice on the diagonal.

Nutritional highlights

Timings depending on how you like it cooked, after 5 to 6 minutes skin-side down in the pan, at 200 °C: 6 to 8 minutes for rare, 8 to 10 minutes for pink, 12 to 14 minutes for medium. Without the pan-searing step, add 6 to 8 minutes. These are guidelines for a 350 g duck breast, so adjust them to your oven and the thickness of the meat.

The skin makes all the difference. According to Ciqual, raw duck breast with its skin contains 337 kcal and 29.4 g of fat per 100 g; once grilled or pan-fried, it has only 188 kcal and 9 g of fat, because much of the fat melts away during cooking. For roast duck, Ciqual gives 331 kcal per 100 g with the skin, against 194 kcal for the meat alone: leaving the skin on the side of the plate removes more than 130 kcal per 100 g on its own. The meat itself remains rich in protein, with more than 26 g per 100 g of cooked duck breast, and in iron, with 4.8 mg.

Variations and substitutions

• With honey and balsamic vinegar.
• With figs or roasted apples around it.
• With green peppercorns, using our pepper sauce.
• Pan-only version: see our pan-fried duck breast.

Storage and making ahead

Best freshly cooked; it keeps for 2 days in the fridge, sliced, and can be eaten cold in a salad.

💡 Good to know

Keep the rendered fat in a jar in the fridge: one spoonful is enough to sauté potatoes, and it stays out of your duck breast.

Read more

Discover more high-protein recipes · gluten-free recipes.

The ingredients in this recipe: duck breast · honey · thyme · pepper.

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