Natural form

Whole raw duck showing thick fat layer beneath the skin and dark meat.

Shows the defining physical trait of duck — its substantial fat deposit and dark muscle — distinguishing it from chicken.

Proteins

Duck

Rich, dark poultry for crisping skin and rendering fat

Deep and rich, duck rewards slow cooking — render the fatty skin crisp on a breast or confit the legs until they fall apart. Save that golden fat. Keep it cold; cook within days.

Duck is rich, dark, deeply flavored poultry with a thick layer of fat under its skin — and managing that fat is the whole art of cooking it. Rendered slowly, the fat melts away to leave shatteringly crisp skin and gives up the prized golden duck fat for roasting potatoes. Unlike chicken, duck breast is a red meat best served medium-rare and pink, seared skin-side down to render before a brief finish; the legs, tougher and fattier, become meltingly tender confited or braised. From crispy Peking duck to seared magret and slow confit, it's a special-occasion bird that rewards a little technique.

Measured in: g
Storage: Refrigerate
Shelf life: 2 days

Find it in

Meat Counter

Types & varieties

Duck breast (magret)

Sear skin-side to render fat; serve pink, like steak.

Duck leg

Fattier and tougher; perfect confit or slow-braised.

Whole duck

Roast for crisp skin; pierce and render the fat (Peking-style).

Duck fat

Rendered cooking fat — superb for roasting potatoes.

Confit duck leg

Cured and cooked in its own fat; ready to crisp.

Duck Confit

Duck legs salt-cured then poached slow in their own fat until fall-apart tender; crisp the skin in a hot pan to serve. Rich, savory and already cooked.

How to choose

Look for plump breasts with a thick, even, pale fat layer and dry, intact skin — dry skin crisps best. Pekin (Long Island) ducks are milder and meatier; Muscovy and the magret of moulard ducks are leaner and more intensely flavored.

How to store / food safety

Keep cold at or below 4°C and cook within a couple of days. Duck is poultry, so handle it like chicken to avoid cross-contamination. The key safety difference: whole-muscle duck breast can be served medium-rare (pink) because surface searing handles the risk — but ground duck and the legs should be cooked through. Rendered duck fat keeps for months chilled.

How to cook

Score the breast skin in a crosshatch (not into the meat), salt it, and lay it skin-side down in a cold, dry pan over medium heat — let the fat render slowly until the skin is deep amber and crisp, then flip briefly and rest to a pink 54–57°C. Save the rendered fat. Legs want the opposite: long, low cooking (confit or braise) until the collagen melts and the meat pulls apart.

Common uses

Seared duck breastConfit and slow-braised legsCrispy roast whole duck (Peking-style)Duck à l'orange and fruit saucesRagù and pastaDuck-fat roast potatoesSalads with warm duckPâté and rillettes

Tips & pitfalls

Start the breast skin-side down in a cold, dry pan to render fat and crisp the skin.
Score the skin crosshatch, but don't cut into the meat.
Serve duck breast pink (medium-rare); cook legs low and slow until tender.
Save the rendered fat — it makes the best roast potatoes.
Pat skin dry and salt ahead for maximum crackle.

Nutrition

136kcal

Energy

569 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 57%Carbs 11%Fat 32%

Protein

18.7g

37% DV

Carbs

3.5g

1% DV

Fat

4.6g

6% DV

Fiber

0% DV

Sodium

140mg

6% DV

Notable micronutrients

Vitamin B122250% DV

Vitamin A1332% DV

Folate185% DV

Iron170% DV

Selenium122% DV

Riboflavin (B2)69% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Duck, domesticated, liver, raw

View on FDC →

In the shops

Matched grocery products

Duck Mousse
Hacendado · 100 g · Mercadona
€1.90
Duck Breast
BONPREU · kg · Bonpreu
€8.85
Duck Magret
380 g · Mercadona
€9.12
Cured Duck Ham
BONPREU · kg · Bonpreu
€3.99
Confit Duck Thigh
Hacendado · 300 g · Mercadona
€6.30
MARTIKO Duck Legs
MARTIKO · kg · Bonpreu
€17.99

Good to know

Cut/type: Whole bird, breast (magret), or leg
Flavor: Rich, dark, savory, slightly gamey
Cook to: Breast ~54–57°C medium-rare; legs ~75°C+ for tender
Nutrition: ~337 kcal/100g roasted with skin; cooked skinless meat ~201 kcal (raw skinless ~130), ~19g protein
Buy: Plump breast, thick even fat, dry intact skin

Substitutes