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This sous vide duck confit takes minimal effort to prepare while being cooked low and slow, resulting in fork-tender texture with crispy skin.
Duck is one of those things I usually only order at fancy restaurants with my go-to being confit. As the duck is usually cooked over a long time, it just melts in your mouth.
If you aren't familiar with it, it is a French method of preserving and cooking meat it its own fat. A top 5 meal I've ever had was a duck confit gnocchi at The Ahwahnee Dining Room in Yosemite.
No I'm not making that, but I wouldn't say no to reproducing my own version of it down the road. What I'm making is sous vide duck confit.
Why a sous vide? Well because you don't need a bunch of duck fat to cook it. By encasing the duck in a vacuum-sealed bag, the duck releases its fat as it cooks and then cooks it it, just like traditional confit.
Plus I'm always on the lookout to use my sous vide machine. The first recipe I ever made were these sous vide egg bites and I've been a fan ever since!
And while the payoff is 36 hours later, it doesn't take much effort to prepare. So if you are wanting to recreate a dinner at a 5 star restaurant, this should be at the top of the list. If you are a little shorter on time, try sous vide fried chicken.
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Ingredient Notes
- Duck - fresh duck legs has the necessary fat to be able to cook it in and skin that gets extra crispy when seared.
- Orange - the bright, tart notes from the zest complements the fatty flavor of the duck.
- Thyme - adds a little freshness and slightly lemon flavor that works well.
Step-by-Step Photos
Season duck with salt, pepper, zest, garlic and thyme. Then place in a vacuum bag and seal according to instructions.
Add the sealed duck to a water bath set to 155°F and cook for 36 hours. Remove the duck and scraping off the thyme and extra fat.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add duck, skin-side down. Cook for about 5 minutes or until browned and flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
FAQs
I mentioned earlier but it refers to cooking food slowly over a long period of time for preservation, usually in fat. Onion, garlic, duck and goose are the most commonly used.
Sous vide is French for "under vacuum." It typically involved sealing food in a bag and cooking in a water bath at a precise temperature.
I'm partial to the Anova, but there are plenty of options out there.
Yes but you'll want to increase the temperature to 170°F. You can then cook it for 12 hours.
If not eating immediately, you can keep it in the sealed bag in the fridge for up to a week.
Otherwise, leftover duck will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
Side Dish Suggestions
Duck confit can be paired with a variety of sides, including:
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If you don't have a vacuum sealer, you can use a freezer grade zipper bag and zip almost to closed. Submerge the bag in the water and the air will start to come out and zip once everything is released.
- Place some wet towels on top of the duck so it remains submerged.
- Add some water every few hours as it will evaporate.
- You can also get crispy skin by broiling for 5-7 minutes on a baking sheet until crispy.
Similar Recipes
If you’ve tried this sous vide duck confit recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Sous Vide Duck Confit
Ingredients
- 4 duck legs
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4 sprigs thyme
Instructions
- Set up an immersion circulator in a large pot and preheat the water bath to 155°F.
- Season duck all over with salt, pepper and orange zest. Place garlic under the meaty side of each leg and add thyme sprig. Place duck lugs into vacuum bags and seal according to instructions.
- Add sealed duck to water bath and cook for 36 hours. You will need to top off the water as it will evaporate. Add a wet kitchen towel on top to keep the bag submerged.
- Remove the duck from water bath and transfer to refrigerator to chill. You can keep in the fridge for up to a week.
- When ready to eat, remove to duck from vacuum bag. Scrape away the thyme sprig and extra fat. Heat skillet over medium-high heat (no oil needed) and add duck, skin-side down. Cook for 5 minutes before flipping and cooking for another 2 minutes.
Notes
- If you don't have a vacuum sealer, you can use a freezer grade zipper bag and zip almost to closed. Submerge the bag in the water and the air will start to come out and zip once everything is released.
- Place some wet towels on top of the duck so it remains submerged.
- Add some water every few hours as it will evaporate.
- You can also get crispy skin by broiling for 5-7 minutes on a baking sheet until crispy.
Lisa says
Just wondering if I could do this with a whole duck instead of 4 legs?
Ryan says
Yes this can be made with a whole duck no problem.
Linda Miritello says
I bought a whole duck and saved the breasts to do another day in my cast iron for medium rare. I threw the legs, wings, neck and excess fat in a sous vide bag and followed your temp and time instructions, and then took out of the bag and into my air fryer to crisp the skin. Remember to save the duck fat! The duck was silky in texture and so delicious! I served mine with a kale salad (massage the leaves with olive oil and salt and pepper, makes all the difference) and then made a purée of roasted garlic, cauliflower, a can of cannellini beans, splash of heavy cream and salt and pepper. I really wanted to make homemade cranberry sauce to go with, but couldn’t find fresh cranberries. Next time! Thanks for the recipe, it was awesome!
Ryan says
Love the air fryer idea! Glad it turned out!
Justin says
Is there any concern with cooking so long (36 hours) in terms of bacteria risk?
Ryan says
No as it gets out of the danger zone fairly quickly. It just cooks at that temperature for a long time to break the fat down.
Justin says
I am planning to do a whole duck. I was planning to tunnel bone the duck to sous vide. Good or bad idea?