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Perfectly cooked to melt in your mouth, this Sous Vide Duck Breast with Orange Glaze is going to be the only way you want to make duck breasts from now on! A tender medium rare duck breast with golden skin, you'll be wishing you made more!
I am obsessed right now with this sous vide duck breast! This duck recipe is restaurant quality with its skin is crisped up exquisitely and topped with a simple but delicious orange glaze (like this roasted duck), you'll never guess how shockingly easy it is to make.
Duck is one of my favorite proteins but it can be a little intimidating to work with as duck breasts are easy to overcook or undercook. Although, these duck bites came out beautifully crisp and tender and we looooove them!
Duck isn't the cheapest of proteins either so I can understand why you'd be hesitant to spend the money on it if you're unsure how to cook it.
This is why I love my sous vide. With the sous vide, we can cook the duck breasts at exactly 131F for two hours and have them come out medium rare. It's perfect for making sous vide duck confit too!
No need to worry about over or under searing it on the stove top or baked in the oven, the sous vide is game changing when it comes to duck!
Jump to:
What is Sous Vide?
Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator (i.e. the sous vide machine). This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.
Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.
To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking and the benefits of sous vide cooking."
Sous vide is my new favorite way to cook meat. It works great for so many recipes, but these are some of my favorite sous vide recipes:
- Sous Vide Whole Duck
- Sous Vide Lamb Chops (with mint chimichurri)
- Sous Vide Crème Brulee (sous vide makes the most PERFECT crème brulee!)
- Sous Vide Pork Chops (with apple mustard glaze)
- Sous Vide Veal Chops (with miso mushroom sauce)
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Why This Recipe Works
- The duck itself is rich enough to not need a lot of seasoning so a little salt goes a long way. Paired with the orange glaze sauce, it doesn't overpower the flavors of the duck and compliments it perfectly.
- This is a foolproof recipe as the sous vide part is hands off and then all you have to do is to crisp up the skin and prepare the sauce.
- You can make yourself a fancy dinner without having to break the bank at a restaurant. Most of these ingredients are actually quite budget friendly and really help make your duck breasts shine. Serve your duck breasts up with my air fryer cheesecake to kick date night at home up a notch!
The Ingredients
Only a handful of ingredients are needed to make these impressive sous vide duck breasts with orange glaze.
Duck Breast — At the store, the most common duck breasts you might find will be the white pekin, followed by muscovy. The white pekin duck is more mild in flavored than the slightly larger muscovy. You are welcomed to use either.
Salt — A little salt goes a long way for seasoning these duck breasts.
Fennel — When raw, fennel has a fresh licorice-like flavor to it. However, when the fennel caramelizes in your pan, it turns into a sweeter flavor, making it the perfect pairing with the orange!
Orange — If you've ever had the classic French recipe, Duck à l'orange, then you'll know just how wonderfully orange pairs up with duck! Don't swap it out!
The full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Tools Used
You will also want to check out these posts on the best sous vide containers and the best sous vide bags for more information!
Step By Step Instructions
Use a sharp knife to score the top layer of skin on the duck breast in a crisscross pattern (see above).
Season the duck breast with salt and let it sit, uncovered, in the fridge overnight. This helps dry the skin of the duck, making it easier to get that crispy exterior when searing.
Place the duck breast in a vacuum sealed bag (or use the water displacement method explained below).
Heat the water bath to 131F degrees and add the duck. Cook it for 2 hours.
Remove from the water bath and plunge in an ice bath for 10 minutes to slow the cooking.
Remove the duck from the bag and pat dry with paper towels.
Place it in a cold cast iron skillet and turn the heat on high, letting the pan slowly come to temperature.
Heat until sizzling, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 4-5 minutes, until fat has rendered and is golden brown.
Turn the heat to high and flip the duck over. Cook for about 45-60 seconds.
Remove from heat and serve with orange glaze. It goes amazing with this Instant Pot couscous as well.
To Make the Orange Glaze:
Heat the butter over medium low heat and add the shallots and fennel. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until softened and stating to become very fragrant.
Add the wine and simmer for about 8-10 minutes.
Add the vinegar and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add the orange juice, orange zest and pepper and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
Stir in the salt and add extra if needed.
Expert Tips
- If you have some duck fat in your vacuum seal bag after removing the duck breasts from the sous vide to pan sear, you can hold onto that and use it like you would use any other fat. Toss it over some potatoes, green beans, or anything that you would toss bacon fat in before cooking leads to super flavorful side dishes!
- Be sure to give your duck a couple minutes to rest before slicing so the juices can redistribute and keep your duck breasts moist.
- Don't use bottled orange juice for the glaze as you want the extra flavor from zesting the orange.
Packaging Duck For the Sous Vide
An essential part of cooking sous vide is putting ingredients in an air-tight bag or container. You can do this by using either vacuum sealing or the water displacement method.
A vacuum sealer removes all the air and seals the contents of a plastic bag through a vacuum.
Having the bag sealed airtight prevents it from floating, which can result in uneven cooking and possible contamination with bacteria. I use a FoodSaver to seal my food.
What is the Water Displacement Method?
The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).
Use a clip (I use sous vide magnets) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.
Common Questions
It's important to not skip scoring the skin of the duck before you sous vide it. Scoring helps to render the fat from the skin during cooking, leaving you with a delicious golden skin.
A lot of recipes require a cast iron pan to be hot before adding in your protein. However you want to make sure you start with a cold pan for this sous vide duck breasts.
When the breasts go into the cold pan, it helps leads to more even rendering of the fat to achieve that golden brown skin on the duck.
Duck is red meat and thus unlike chicken, can be enjoyed medium rare.
Here are some delicious side dishes to go with your sous vide duck breasts: Baked Parsnip Fries, Instant Pot Wild Rice, Baked Sweet Potato Slices, or my Moroccan Couscous Salad.
Did you make this sous vide duck breasts recipe? rate it and leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out!
Recipe
Sous Vide Duck Breast with Orange Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts
- 1 tablespoon salt
Orange Glaze:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup thinly sliced fennel
- 1 shallot sliced
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- ⅛ cup white wine
- ⅛ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to score the top layer of skin on the duck breast in a crisscross pattern (see below).
- Season the duck breast with salt and let it sit, uncovered, in the fridge overnight.
- Place the duck breast in a vacuum sealed bag (or use the water displacement method explained above).
- Heat the water bath to 131F degrees and add the duck. Cook it for 2 hours.
- Remove from the water bath and plunge in an ice bath for 10 minutes to slow the cooking.
- Remove the duck from the bag and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place it in a cold cast iron skillet and turn the heat on high, letting the pan slowly come to temperature.
- Heat until sizzling, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 4-5 minutes, until fat has rendered and is golden brown.
- Turn the heat to high and flip the duck over. Cook for about 45-60 seconds.
- Remove from heat and serve with orange glaze.
Orange Glaze:
- Heat the butter over medium low heat and add the shallots and fennel. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until softened and stating to become very fragrant.
- Add the wine and simmer for about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the vinegar and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the orange juice, orange zest and pepper and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
- Stir in the salt and add extra if needed.
Expert Tips:
- If you have some duck fat in your vacuum seal bag after removing the duck breasts from the sous vide to pan sear, you can hold onto that and use it like you would use any other fat. Toss it over some potatoes, green beans, or anything that you would toss bacon fat in before cooking leads to super flavorful side dishes!
- Be sure to give your duck a couple minutes to rest before slicing so the juices can redistribute and keep your duck breasts moist.
- Don't use bottled orange juice for the glaze as you want the extra flavor from zesting the orange.
Jenn
I’m going to make this dish tomorrow. I picked up some duck breast but they are only 1/2 lb each. Because they are on the smaller side should I follow the recipes as advised?
Danielle
Yes, you can go ahead and use the same instructions for 1/2 lbs.
Kelsey
Do you have any advice on how to convert this recipe for a whole Sous Vide duck? Looks delicious!
Danielle
I actually have a whole duck recipe! The link is below. You can use the seasonings in this recipe, and just use the cooking instructions from the recipe below. Enjoy! https://www.wenthere8this.com/sous-vide-whole-duck/
Beth
Oh my goodness! This looks so delicious and interesting! I've never made a dish before using duck and I can't wait to try this very soon! My hubby is going to love this.
Danielle
I hope you love it!
Jo
My first time making sous vide duck and it turns out so great! Definitely making this again!
Danielle
So glad you liked it!
Dannii
Duck and orange is a delicious combo and this looks amazing.
Danielle
It's one of my favorite combos. Thanks!
Jess
Honestly, I have always been intimidated to try cooking duck on my own. But your step-by-step directions make it so clear and give me the confidence I need to do it on my own!
Danielle
It's totally worth making!
Angela
Wow! This is a showstopper of a recipe! So flavorful with the duck and the delicious glaze. Perfect for any special occasion.
Danielle
Thanks!
Carrie Robinson
Oh wow! Now this looks amazing! And that glaze sounds delicious. 🙂
Danielle
Thanks!
Phil
Any thoughts on making the glaze ahead of time and reheating it?
Will it lose some flavour?
Thanks!
Danielle
You can certainly make the glaze ahead of time. It shouldn't lose any flavor at all, and may even get a little more flavorful as the flavors meld together.