How to Smoke Duck Breast

Smoked duck breast on a plate with thin slices fanned out in front.

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Slow smoked duck breast is a gorgeous addition to so many picnic menu ideas and is a lot simpler to make than many think. We show you how to smoke a duck breast and how to incorporate it into your picnics.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Picnic Food

Cuisine: BBQ

Servings: Duck Breast

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Kate O'Malley

Equipment

Ingredients

2 duck breasts
2 tablespoons ground black pepper *optional

Instructions

Remove duck breasts from the fridge and pat dry with a paper towel.
Score the skin being careful not to cut the flesh.
Cover the skin of each breast with ground pepper and rub into the skin. (This is optional but I find the pepper helps crisp the skin and the taste will cook-off if you render the fat further in the pan).
Prepare the bbq with around 3-4 handfuls of wood chips in the smoker box (or in a tinfoil packet with a hole poked in the top). More or less depending on how intense you like your smoke flavours.
Place a bowl of water on the rack away from where the duck breast will sit. This will help keep the breast moist and juicy.
Set your bbq to approx 132℃ | 270℉. Only one side of the burner should be lit, the opposite side to where the duck breast will sit.
Place the duck breast skin side up with the temperature probes inserted if using them.
Close the lid and smoke the duck until the internal temperature reaches medium-rare 61℃ |141℉. This will be approx 30 minutes for a small breast and 50 for a large.
If the breast has a thick fat layer, you may wish to render the fat further. Place skin-side down on a medium to hot pan and allow the remaining fat to render out. Crisping the skin further without burning it. See notes about cooking times if the breast has a very thick fat layer.
Let duck rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving. If not serving immediately, leave the breast whole until ready to use.

Notes

Rendering the Fat & Crisping the Skin

If the fat layer is thin, the fat will render and skin will crisp in the smoker. If the breast has a particularly thick layer of fat, you may wish to render this off in a pan after cooking. Depending on the thickness, you will need to factor this additional cooking time.

If it is thick, I recommend smoking to the rarer side of medium-rare to allow for at least another 5-10 minutes cooking skin down in the pan. Watch your heat as you want the fat to render and skin to crisp but not burn. Don't be scared to reduce the heat as it renders.

Keep Your BBQ and Kitchen Fat-Free

Duck generally has a lot of fat which will drip and splatter. It is recommended to use a foil tray or lining in your bbq to catch the fat as it drips. Also, use a grease splatter screen if rendering the fat in a pan after smoking.

Nutrition