Sous Vide Duck Confit

Name: Sous Vide Duck Confit
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2167 min
Total time: 2897 min
Ingredients: 4 duck legs (leg and thigh attached); 1 1/2 tablespoons salt; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 bay leaf (crushed); 1/2 cup duck fat; 4 garlic cloves (smashed); 1 shallot (thinly sliced); 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar; 24 ounces wild mushrooms (or any kind of mushrooms); 2 teaspoons salt (for seasoning mushrooms); 2 tablespoons olive oil (for mushrooms)

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Once you make duck confit using the sous vide method, you’ll never go back to the traditional way of making it! This Sous Vide Duck Confit melts in your mouth with a soft, rich and tender texture and a deliciously golden brown and crispy skin!

If you’re looking to take your next dinner party or date night to a whole other level, you need to try this sous vide duck confit! It’s tasty, elegant and comes together with little effort!

Duck confit served over mashed potatoes on a white plate.

When we’re looking to make restaurant quality food, we usually add duck to the menu. This roasted duck recipe or this sous vide whole duck are favorites for the holidays, and this sous vide duck breast with orange glaze is a go-to when we want to impress guests!

And for leftovers, we can't get enough of this stewed duck.

Now, I have a new way to impress guests! Duck confit is at the top of my list of fancy French cuisine to enjoy, and using the sous vide makes it so easy to prepare.

Seriously, if you’re intimidated by cooking duck, this recipe will make you feel at ease!

Check out the sous vide duck confit story!

What is duck confit?

Duck confit originated in France as a preservation method where duck is cured in salt and cooked slowly in rendered duck fat.

As confit actually means ‘preserve’ in French, this method applies to other foods as well. Duck confit just happens to be one of the most well known types of confit.

**You may also want to try this sous vide garlic confit

Once the duck is cooked, it’s stored in its own fat, and before serving, it’s broiled to get it’s signature crispy skin!

Nowadays, the confit method is used more for flavor than preservation as the duck fat imparts a deep, rich flavor as the duck slowly cooks.

Why this recipe works

As low and slow is the confit method, using the sous vide is a great way to prepare duck confit. You set the temperature of the water bath and the duck cooks at 155F degrees for 36 hours. You don’t need to turn your oven on (except to quickly broil at the end), and the duck turns out perfectly silky and tender!
This recipe doesn’t use as much duck fat as traditional duck confit recipes! Usually, you need enough duck fat to cover the duck legs as they cook. With the sous vide method, the duck legs are vacuum sealed so they’re able to cook in their own rendered fat (with an additional half a cup added to ensure a rich duck flavor)!
While this recipe requires some planning (you'll need over 2 days for the duck to season and cook), it is pretty hands off. You’ll just need to spend a little bit of time at the end roasting the mushrooms and broiling the duck. That’s it!

Golden brown duck legs in a cast iron pan.

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator. 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."

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 binder clips) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

Other sous vide recipes

Ingredients

The following are some of the key ingredients for duck confit. For the full list of ingredients and quantities, please see the recipe card below.

You’ll need 4 duck legs for this recipe. Make sure the leg and thigh are attached and that they come with the skin on. (The skin is essential for the crispy, golden brown finish)!

*If your local grocery store doesn’t carry duck legs, check your local butcher shop or an Asian market, if you live near one.

To season the legs before cooking, you’ll want to cover them in a rub consisting of 1 ½ tablespoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper and 1 crushed bay leaf.

The key to preparing duck confit is duck fat. The sous vide method doesn’t require a lot of duck fat, but you’ll still need half a cup. You can render your own or buy it.

*For convenience, I normally buy duck fat. I like to have it on hand to make these duck fat crispy smashed potatoes and these duck fat parmesan truffle fries.

This duck confit is served with roasted mushrooms. You’ll need 24 ounces of mushrooms. I prefer the flavor of wild mushrooms but any kind will work.

Step by step instructions

Mix the salt, thyme, bay leaf and pepper in a small bowl.

Salt, thyme, bay leaf and pepper mixed together in a glass bowl.

Rub the mixture on the duck legs and let it sit, uncovered, in the fridge overnight.

Heat a sous vide water bath to 155F degrees.

Place the duck legs in a vacuum sealable bag (or freezer bag if using the water displacement method) and add the garlic, shallots, duck fat and champagne vinegar.

Duck legs with garlic, shallot, duck fat and champagne vinegar vacuum sealed in a bag.

Vacuum seal the bag and place it in the water bath. Cook for 32-36 hours. (The longer you cook it, the softer the meat will be).

Vacuum sealed duck legs in a sous vide water bath.

About 30 minutes before the duck is done, place the mushrooms on a large baking sheet and toss them with olive oil and salt.

Roast them in a 450F degree oven for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Remove the bag from the sous vide water bath and place it in an ice bath for 10 minutes.

Remove the duck from the bag (reserving juices) and place it in a cast iron skillet, skin side up. Place the garlic and shallots in the pan and drizzle about ¼ cup of the liquid from the bag over the top.

Four duck legs in a cast iron pan and ready to be broiled.

Broil on high until the skin is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Be careful not to burn or overcook the legs.

Serve the duck over mashed potatoes, polenta or rice, drizzled with the pan sauce and topped with the roasted mushrooms. For a more decadent flavor, drizzle a touch of hazelnut oil over the top

Expert tips

Removing air from the sealable bag is essential for food safety. This will keep bacteria out of the bag, especially for longer cooks like this duck confit.
Since the duck legs cook for up to 36 hours, you’ll want to ensure the water level stays high so the duck remains submerged in water. Add more water if necessary or cover the water bath to reduce water evaporation.
The bag of duck legs may start to float. If this happens, you can open the bag to let the excess air out, then reseal it. (This works for a vacuum sealed bag or a ziploc bag).
You can also prevent floating by using a sous vide sinker weight or weighing the bag down with something heavy like a wet towel.
Make sure you broil the duck legs skin side up so the skin gets browned and crispy.
Be careful not to broil the duck legs for too long as they may burn or dry out.

Four duck legs broiled in a cast iron pan.

Common questions

What temperature should you sous vide duck confit?

For soft, tender and moist duck legs, I recommend setting the temperature of your water bath to 155F degrees. If you want to save time, you can set the water temperature to 170F degrees and reduce the cooking time to 12-20 hours.

You run the risk, however, of the duck turning out dry, so I suggest sticking with the recommended temperature and time.

How long does it take to sous vide duck confit?

At 155F degrees, the duck confit will be ready in 32-36 hours. (The longer you cook it, the softer the meat will be).

What’s the best cut of duck for duck confit?

While we’re adding duck fat to the recipe, we also want the duck to render fat while it’s cooking. As the legs and thighs are fatty parts of the duck, they’re the best cuts to use for confit.

Do you need to cure the duck legs for this recipe?

For the best flavor, you’ll want to season the duck with a salt and herb rub and let it sit overnight, uncovered, in the fridge. If you’re in a rush, you can season the duck without letting it sit overnight, but the duck will lack some flavor as it will not have time to absorb the seasoning.

Leaving the duck uncovered also allows some of the moisture in the skin to evaporate, which will help the skin get crispy at the end.

Can you use frozen duck?

For the best flavor, I recommend using fresh duck legs and thighs. If you use frozen, you’ll want to thaw them first as the seasoning will absorb best if the duck is not frozen.

Can you use another type of fat instead of duck fat?

Part of the confit method is to cook the animal in its own fat. As such, I recommend using duck fat for duck confit as it will impart a rich flavor to the legs and thighs. If you’re not able to source any duck fat, you can try lard, but it will change the taste of the duck.

Do you need to broil the duck legs before serving?

Yes! One of the signature elements of duck confit is the crispy skin. To get this, you’ll need to broil the duck legs, skin side up, for about 7 minutes.

Duck leg served with mushrooms over mashed potatoes.

Make ahead and freezing instructions

You can cook the duck confit in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer.

To do this, let the duck cool completely in the ice bath. Then, store the bag in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat, place the bag of duck legs in a 155F degree water bath for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed. Then, follow the remainder of the recipe to broil and serve the duck.

Serving options

Our favorite way to enjoy duck confit is with truffle mashed potatoes, drizzled with the pan sauce and topped with the roasted mushrooms.
You can also drizzle a touch of hazelnut oil over the top for an extra decadent meal.
For more garlic flavor, try serving duck confit over creamy garlic mashed potatoes.
Serving it over polenta or rice are also delicious options. We love duck served with coconut jasmine rice or Instant Pot wild rice.
Other amazing side dishes for duck include spicy braised green beans, air fryer carrots or roasted parmesan asparagus.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!